What is the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent?

A tour operator is a person or organisation responsible for planning trips and holiday packages. A travel agent is an individual broker or an agency selling holiday packages. While the tour operator creates the services, the travel agent is an intermediary who sells these services.



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Functions of a Tour Operator
  • Creating Foolproof Packages. ...
  • Offering the Best Possible Rates to Customers. ...
  • Managing the Budget of Their Customers. ...
  • Keeping Up With the Market Trends. ...
  • Travel Assistance. ...
  • Outsourcing the Services for Your Customer. ...
  • Keeping the Operations Organised for a Hassle-Free Trip.


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5 must-have characteristics of tour operators
  • Genuinely enthusiastic. Tour operators aren't allowed to have an off day. ...
  • Multi-tasker. The tour operator is the leader of any activity that has been planned, and they must be able to conduct themselves as such. ...
  • Resourceful. ...
  • Capable of dealing with ambiguity. ...
  • Culturally aware.


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For more than 20 million customers TUI Group offers all services under one roof with leading tour operator brands, 1,600 travel agencies, online portals, airlines and incoming services.

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A tour operator is a business that typically combines and organizes accommodations, meals, sightseeing and transportation components, in order to create a package tour. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, holidays and itineraries.

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Cons of booking with a tour company If you're not the type of person who likes environments with lots new people, then these bigger tours might not be for you. They can also mean the tour guide has less attention for individuals or time for questions.

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Booking Yourself Saves on Service Fees “Travel agents have access to the same rates and they don't get commissions on flights, so they often add an extra booking fee.” Le recommends setting up Google flight alerts to snatch up deals on flights when prices go down.

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1. Jet2holidays. Jet2holidays is now the UK's largest tour operator and has won awards for its excellent service at reasonable prices.

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10 Tips On How to Become a Successful Tour Operator
  • Proactively plan for your tour company for growth. ...
  • Know what makes your tour business, you. ...
  • Ensure your tour website is up to the job. ...
  • Provide outstanding customer service for your tours. ...
  • Ask for tour and activity feedback from your customers.


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They're responsive when customers have questions about their tour itinerary. Tour operators are adaptable when customers want to make changes to their itinerary, such as extending their stay. They also have a knowledge of various destinations and attractions to help them make travel recommendations to customers.

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Depending on where Kevin chooses to organize his holiday packages will depend on if he makes use of inbound tourism or outbound tourism. An inbound tour operator will sell to people soon to be arriving in their countries, whereas an outbound tour operator will sell to people before they arrive at their destination.

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Award History
  • Europe's Leading Tour Operator 2023: Star Tours.
  • Europe's Leading Tour Operator 2022: ANEX Tour.
  • Europe's Leading Tour Operator 2021: TUI Group.
  • Europe's Leading Tour Operator 2020: TUI Group.
  • Europe's Leading Tour Operator 2019: TUI Group.
  • Europe's Leading Tour Operator 2018: TUI Group.


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It's a myth that working with a travel agent will automatically cost you more; most get paid via commissions from the hotel or outfitter. Sure, some travel agents do charge a fee for putting together an itinerary, but most will credit you that fee if you end up booking the trip through them.

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Yes—and now they're called travel advisors. They could be more helpful than you may think. If the idea of using a travel agent to plan your next trip sounds like recommending a rotary phone to confirm your flight reservation, think again.

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Travel agents save clients money, but the benefits of booking with a travel agent go way beyond. Travel agents also create high-value travel over OTAs because (the living, breathing, talented humans that they are) are able to advocate for clients when things go awry.

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