Contents Introduction chapter 1

 
profitable business
. 
Tourists 
purposely seek out help from a travel agent or tour operator because it provides more 
bang for their buck. It is important that tour operators spend time on evaluation of 
pricing before finalizing a tour package. 
A tour should be everything a traveler wants, and more. A tour operator should 
be very well versed in putting together an experience that will create memories to last 
a lifetime
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.
As important as it is to deliver a meaningful, positive experience, it is also vital 
to
 
keep your travelers safe throughout the trip
. 
Some tour activities may pose a 
potential risk to travelers, which pose a liability to your company. 
As a tour operator, it is wise to encourage your traveler to invest in travel 
insurance, for example, 
ABTA
 Travel Sure travelers insurance. Insurance will 
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provide comfort to both you and your client as they embark on adventures of a 
lifetime.
Tour operators contribute to the positive experiences that travelers across the 
globe endure. They allow people to travel stress-free and for a relatively cheap price.
Tour operators aren’t allowed to have an off day. The reality is, they are 
working with people every day who are having a great time on vacation and making 
carefree memories with their family members and friends. This means that tour 
operators have to adopt that same mood each and every day in order to match the 
enthusiasm of their travelers. Tour operators need to be friendly, approachable, social 
and funny and must be able to conduct themselves as such. An effective leader is 
organized and is able to effectively use technology in order to maximize the 
efficiency of the tours. At any given moment, the tour guide should know the latest 
manifesto, the tour operator is the leader of any activity that has been planned, and 
they understand the availability of resources and be able to troubleshoot should the 
need arise.
In addition to being able to multi-task while conducting a tour, a tour 
guide also needs to know how to use the resources that are available. Sometimes, this 
means using a mobile device to access cloud-based technology and provides 
customers with the information they need. In other cases, such as in the event of an 
injury or illness, the tour operator will need to be able to provide first aid care. The 
best guides know what resources are within arm’s reach, and they know how to best 
use those resources.
Every day is different when you are a tour and activity operator. 
The best guides are able to adapt to changing circumstances. This includes staying 
composed in the event of an emergency, or when someone is delivering negative 
feedback. It means that they are able to think quickly on their feet, and deliver 
solutions if a problem arises. They are comfortable with the flexible nature of the 
position and the excitement that each day can bring. 
Vacancies are advertised online and in trade publications including Travel 
Trade Gazette and Travel Weekly, as well as their online equivalents. Networking 

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and speculative applications are advisable. A few larger companies operate graduate 
training schemes. Paid summer vacation jobs may be available with some employers. 
Qualifications and training required 
A degree is not a standard formal requirement for this role, though it may be an 
advantage. Degrees in leisure, travel, tourism, management, marketing, IT, business, 
languages or hotel and catering management are particularly likely to be relevant. 
Relevant professional or vocational qualifications, such as NVQs and HNDs, may 
also be beneficial. 
Pre-entry experience gained working with the general public or within the 
hotel, tourism or travel trades (particularly overseas) will strengthen your applications 
and improve your chances. It may be possible to start work in a tour rep, tour guide or 
travel agent role and then move on to a tour operator position.
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Key skills for tour operators: 
-a demonstrable interest in travel
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-knowledge of key holiday destinations 
-foreign language skills 
-excellent interpersonal skills 
-communication skills 
-customer service skills 
-organizational skills 
-IT skills 
-commercial awareness 
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Bramwell, B. (1993). Tourism and the environment: challenges and choices for the 1990s. Journal of Sustainable 
Tourism, 1(1), 61-63. 
Bramwell, B. & Lane, B. (2010). Sustainable tourism: an evolving global approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1(1), 
1-5. 
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-good time management skills. 
Types of Tour Operators 
There are five main categories of tour operators that you could fall into: 
inbound tour operators, outbound tour operators, domestic tour operators, receptive 
tour operators, and ground tour operators. Let’s find out which one of these five you 
fall into. 
Inbound Tour Operators (AKA Incoming Tour Operators) 
Inbound tour operators bring tourists into a country as a group or via individual 
tour packages. They handle all arrangements in the host country; and the types of 
tours they curate are specifically for non-residents touring the country. 
Let’s look at an example. 
If a group of Italian tourists want to explore Germany, then the tour operator in 
Germany who handles all the arrangements for the tour is known as an inbound tour 
operator. So, inbound tour operators are locally based and offer tours that cover their 
own country. 
Most inbound tour operators hire local travel agencies for things like airport 
pick-up and drop-off; form partnerships with local hotels and businesses; and have 
key partnerships with other types of tour operators (who help them run tours on the 
ground). 
Outbound Tour Operators 
Unlike inbound tour operators, outbound tour operators work within their 
countries to take travelers to other countries. They are tour operators who market 
their tours for international destinations, either for business or leisure travel. 
Let’s say, for example, that a group of Canadian tourists are planning a trip to 
Italy. Then the tour company in Canada that handles all the ticket reservations and 
hotel bookings is the outbound tour operator. 

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To further simplify things, outbound tour operators design and package tours 
for tourists in their home country to visit an international destination. 
Now, most outbound tour operators choose to specialize in specific 
destinations: either a destination that is “trending” or one in which they have 
particular expertise and distribution partners. They often work with other tour and 
activity providers in the destination when designing their travel packages. 
Domestic Tour Operators 
Domestic tour operators are those that put together inclusive tour packages and 
sell them to domestic travelers. In other words, they are tour operators who provide 
travel packages and tours within a tourist’s native country
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. 
Domestic tours usually involve residents of a specific country traveling within 
that country. They can visit national parks, scenic areas, hospitality tours, city tours, 
train tours, etc. Since there are many options that tourists can choose from,
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domestic 
tour operators often combine several tourist components into an inclusive package 
that they can sell to travelers within the boundary of the country. 
Domestic tour operators form key partnerships with other tour and activity 
providers in order to attain a larger share of the domestic tourism market.
 
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Brunt, P. & Courtney, P. (1999). Host perceptions of sociocultural impacts. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(3), 493-
515. 
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Archer, B. H. (1982). The Value of Multipliers and Their Policy Implications. Tourism Management, 3(4), 
236-241. 

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