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What is a Travel Agency? Types, Purpose, Function, Services
Home » Blog » What is a Travel Agency? Types, Purpose, Function, Services
The travel agency business is now something that most people want to do.
The main purpose of a travel agency is to make planning a trip easier and more useful for their customers by giving them information and making reservations .
Flights, hotels, transportation, trips, and other events can all be booked through the travel company.
If you learn about tour-related ideas and get knowledge from these articles, you’ll be able to start your travel agency in the travel industry.
Table of Contents
What is a travel agency, 1. traditional travel agencies, 2. online travel agencies, 3. corporate travel operators, 4. consolidators, 5. franchise travel services, 1. convenience, 2. expertise and advice, 3. access to deals and discounts, 4. risk management, 5. customer services, 1. travel planning, 2. booking services, 3. customized itineraries, 4. travel documentation, 5. emergency support, 6. customer services, services offered by travel agency, 1. booking services, 2. information and advice, 3. customer services, 4. negotiation and coordination, differences between travel agencies and travel agents.
![travel agency area definition Definition](https://wptravel.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/travel-agency-1024x400.jpg)
A travel agency is a business that helps people and groups choose, plan, and book travel-related services . Flights, hotels, rides, trips, sports, and other things can be a part of these services.
Most travel companies know about a lot of different trips that their clients can take that fit their wants and budgets.
A lot of travel and tour operators also hire people called tour agents who know a lot about important things like visa rules, places to visit, and travel trends.
They plan and organize everything so that their clients’ trips are as easy, fun, and stress-free as possible.
Explore the beginner’s guide to launch your travel agency
Types of Travel Agency
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Several types of travel agencies meet the wants and tastes of different travelers.
These are the most common types related to the travel industry:
These agencies are physical office companies where customers can go and talk to the tour planners. They give specialized services and often a wide range of trip needs.
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) run the online trip business, where their websites or mobile apps provide tourists with book flights, rooms, rental cars, and other trip services. Expedia and Booking.com are some examples.
The corporate travel service makes trip plans for companies and groups. They take care of bookings for businesses, make deals, and offer services like keeping track of costs.
Consolidators buy a large number of plane tickets at a discount, they sell them at a lower price to travel companies or directly to customers.
Franchise companies work under a bigger brand name and use marketing, technology, and support systems in the travel industry that have already been set up.
Within the franchise network, owners of travel companies get the training and tools they need to run their businesses.
Purposes of Travel Agency
The main purpose of travel agencies is to facilitate and enhance the tour experiences for individuals and groups.
Travel companies try to make planning a trip easier by letting people book flights, hotels, transportation, events, and other services related to travel all in one place.
Trip planners hire knowledgeable agents who can offer expert advice and recommendations based on their suggestions of different places or destinations.
Similarly, travel agents shared their experiences of various destinations, travel trends, visa requirements, and more.
Explore this article “How To Start A Travel Agency In Australia? (8 Steps)”
Airlines, hotels, ship lines, tour operators, and other travel companies often offer deals, discounts, and packages that only travel agencies can get.
They can help customers get the most for their money and save money on their trip costs by taking advantage of deals.
Travel agencies help mitigate risks associated with travel by giving travelers information or knowledge on safety, health issues, and security in different places.
Travel agencies or companies make sure their clients are happy by giving each one of them high-quality service and individual care.
Overall, the travel company’s main goal is to make planning a trip easier, more fun, and less stressful for their costumes by giving them advice, making things easier.
What does Travel Agency do?
![travel agency area definition Travel agency works, services](https://wptravel.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/travel-agency-works-1024x682.jpg)
Many services travel agencies offer to make it easier and better for people and groups to trip.
One of the things that a travel agency does is the following:
Travel agencies support the client in planning their trips by talking about their tastes, hobbies, income, and any special requirements they may have.
These companies are called travel agents that help people book flights, hotels, rental cars, airport transfers, trips, events, and other services related to travel.
They can use online tools and scheduling systems to get reservations for their clients.
Most tour operators make personalized trip plans based on what their clients want and what they’re interested in.
It supports you on trip documents like passports, visas, travel insurance, and any other paperwork that is needed is available from travel companies.
Before a client leaves on a trip, they make sure that all of their paperwork is in order.
Travel companies are there to help their customers in case of accidents or other problems that come up during their trip.
In this case, they might rebook flights, arrange alternative accommodations, or give advice on medical help or legal issues.
Tour Operators prioritize customer happiness first by giving each client great services and individual care.
![travel agency area definition services offered](https://wptravel.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Services-1024x682.jpg)
There are a lot of services travel agencies provide to meet the news and preferences of travelers.
Trip planner aims to ease the trip planning process, provide expert advice and support, and ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel experience for their clients.
These are some common services provided by travel agencies.
- Flight Booking
- Accommodation Booking
- Transportation Services
- Tour Packages
- Cruise Booking
- Travel Insurance
- Visa Assistance
- Destination Recommendations
- Emergency Assistance
Overall, the travel agency’s purpose is to ease the trip schedule process, deliver expert advice and support, and provide smooth and enjoyable trip experiences for their customers.
Let’s launch your travel booking website today
Functions of the Travel Agency
Their main function revolves around assisting and arranging various parts of travel and people and groups.
The purpose of a travel agency is to ease the trip planning process, provide expert advice and support, and improve the entire trip experience for their customers.
Here’s an overview of the key tasks of a travel agency:
Travel agencies handle the planning process for flights, lodgings, transportation, trips, events, and other travel-related services.
Most travel agency provides guidance and formation on different parts of the travel, visa requirements, and health and safety measures.
Travel companies put customer happiness first by giving each client great service and individual care.
The travel agencies deal with tour operator suppliers, including airlines, trip suppliers, and hotel and tour operators to secure good terms and rates for their clients.
A trip agency is a business company that offers other-related services, while a trip agent is a person hired by or connected with a tour operator who helps clients with their trip planning and bookings.
These are some key differences between a travel agency and a travel agent.
Explore our article “Tour Operator vs Travel Agent- What are the Differences?”
In summary, travel agencies may have multiple trip agents working under their umbrella to help the clients, while a tour agent may work separately as a part of a bigger company.
Travel companies are essential businesses in the travel industry, acting as intermediaries between tourists and travel providers. They offer a range of services to ease trip planning and booking.
These companies can take the form of standard brick-and-mortar businesses, or online-based platforms. Each type of service responds to different tastes and wants, providing accessibility to a wide range of travel-related customers.
Regardless of their form, the primary goal of travel companies stays consistent: to provide ease, knowledge, and support throughout the trip process. They give personalized systems to help, access to exclusive deals, and 24/7 assistance before, during, and after the trip.
By offering personalized solutions and reducing travel risks, travel companies play a crucial role in allowing enjoyable and stress-free travel experiences for individuals and groups.
There are two types of agencies, retail tour operators and wholesale travel agencies. These travel companies, as well as tour providers, operate as intermediaries. The main goal is the buying and selling process in the travel business.
The global market size of the travel agency industry is estimated at nearly 296 billion U.S. dollars as of January 2024. ( Source )
Overall, roughly 589 thousand travel companies operated in the tourism industry, with employment reaching approximately three million.
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Yam Bahadur Chhetri is a content writer and vivid contributor to the WordPress community and a WordPress enthusiast with an experience of 7+ years in the relative field. He also loves to develop WordPress Themes, Plugins, and custom WordPress development for clients.
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Travel Agency
A travel agent is a person who has full knowledge of tourist product – destinations, modes of travel, climate, accommodation, and other areas of the service sector. He acts on the behalf of product providers/principles and in return gets a commission. Technically, a travel agent is an owner or manage r of an agency, but other employees are responsible for advising tourists and selling packages tours/individual components of travel products.
A travel agent may be an individual /firm or corporation which is commonly known as a travel agency . An agency means the office of travel agent or organization where all travel goods and services are assembled and coordinated for the smooth conduct of travel agency business.
Travel agency is one of the most important organizations in the tourism private sector which plays a significant and crucial role in the entire process of developing and promoting tourism in the country or at a destination. It is a travel agency which packages and processes all the attractions, accesses, amenities and ancillary services of a country and present them to tourists. That’s why travel agency is known as ‘ image builder ‘ of a country.
A prospective travel agency is one which makes arrangements of travel tickets (air, rail, road, and sea); travel documents (passports, visa and other documents required to travel); accommodation, entertainment, and other travel-related services from principle suppliers. It may also secure travel insurance, foreign currency for traveling people.
History of Travel Agency
The first Travel Agency of the world was established by Thomas Cook in 1845 in England. The use of the term travel trade dates back from the early years of the 19th century, but this should not obscure the fact that what we today describe as travel trade (travel agency and tour operation business) was taking place much earlier in history.
Throughout history, there was travel middleman who helped the merchants traveling for trade and others who traveled for religious purposes.
In 1841 a fortunate day comes in the history of travel trade when Thomas Cook , as secretary of South Midland Temperance Association, organized a trip by a train for 570 members for his association to the distance of 22 miles. He bought railway tickets in bulk to sell them to people.
The experiment was successful and everybody was exultant. Mr. Cook had done his job on a no-profit basis. But, incidentally, It gave him a new idea and turned it into a tour business.
Four years later in 1845 , he set up a ‘ World’s First Travel Agency ‘ to organize excursions. Due to this innovative approach, Mr. Thomas Cook is known as the Father of Travel Agency Business . He co-ordinated railway and steamship excursions throughout England, Scotland and Europe.
However, the railways only gave him a 5% commission which was not enough to meet his overheads, so he decided to diversify this business into tour operation .
In 1855 Mr. Cook started operating package tours . He conducted the world’s first international tour from England to Paris.
Types of Travel Agency
Travel agencies are basically categorized into two types-: Retail Travel Agenc y and Wholesale Travel Agency .
Retail Travel Agency
A retail travel agency sells tourists products directly to the public on the behalf of the products suppliers and in return get commissions. Some package tour is sold in two ways i.e., on a commission basis and mark up the price.
When a travel agency sells a tour on the marked-up price it means that first, it markup the cost of the tour and then sell it at a higher rate. The markup price is the difference between retail price and wholesale cost.
Definitions of Retail Travel Agency
According to Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) a retail travel agency is defined as ” a business that performs the following functions: quotes fares, rates, make reservations, arrange travel tickets and accommodation, arrange travel insurance, foreign currency, documents and accepts payments.”
According to SARC (1967), ” retail travel agency business consists of the activities involved in selling tourism products/services directly to the tourists and performs normal functions such as issuing air tickets, making accommodation and transportation reservation, providing specialized services, and accepting and making payments.”
The main source of the revenue for the travel agency is the commission received from the vendors. However, the rate of the commission differs from organization to organization an travel component to the travel component.
A travel agency receives appx. 95% of their revenue from the commission, and the remaining 5% from consultancy services and others.
Wholesale Travel Agency
These agencies are specialized in organizing package tours, which are marketed to the customers/tourists through the network of a retail travel agency or directly to the prospective clients ( if wholesale travel agency has a retail division). A wholesale travel agency purchases tourists’ product components in the bulk and designs tour packages.
Sometimes, a wholesale travel agency buys travel components from the vendor in bulk and resell them to other travel business originations.
Wholesale travel agencies assemble package holidays and sell them to clients through retail travel agencies. A typical package tour includes – air tickets, accommodation, and something other services may also be included in it such as entertainment, sightseeing, and sports activities, etc.
These packages are referred to as ‘package tours’ most of these tours include the services of escorts but a few are sold to people who wish to travel independently.
Now a question arises – How a wholesale travel agency generates profits?
Generally, a wholesaler receives volume discounts from the principal suppliers because a wholesaler might agree to purchase a large number of seats from a particular airline or reserve a large number of rooms at a particular hotel or resort.
Practically, a wholesaler who sells package vacations/tours is called a Tour Operator . However, technically there is a difference between a wholesaler and a tour operator. A wholesaler who sells tourists products individually without assembling them into a package tour is called a Consolidator .
Mostly, these are specialized in particular product components such as air tickets, accommodation, and conferences, and conventions, etc.
Difference between Wholesale Travel Agencies and Tour operators
The wholesale travel agencies may offer or operate the package tours or may specialize in developing tours for inbound as well as outbound travelers. They are often referred to as tour operators , but these two essentially different:
- Wholesale travel agency does not sell directly to the public, while tour operators do sell directly to clients.
- A wholesale travel agency usually combines, assembles and contacts for existing travel services to formulate a new travel product she has his own one or more components of travel product i.e. ‘ inclusive tours.’
- Wholesale travel agencies are less inclined than tour operators to perform ground services i.e. handling agency or ground operators.
- A wholesale travel agency may deal with one component of travel product while a tour operator offers a variety of tour programmes.
- The size of the business is large in the case of tour operators in comparison to a wholesale travel agency.
Features and Importance of the Travel Agency
Travel agency plays an important role in the travel sector business. Some most important features and importance of the travel agency business are following as:-
- An important link between the clients and principal suppliers.
- Image-Builder.
- Ensures rapid travel services.
- Provider of authentic and reliable travel information.
- A social a continuous process.
- Establishes a good relationship with clients and vendors.
These are the most important features of the Travel Agency Business.
Functions and Services of Travel Agency
Today, Travel Agencies have been recognized as a vital component of travel and tourism and have become an integral part of the travel and tourism industry at globally. They account for more than 90% of international and 70% of domestic tourist traffic
Further, more than 60% of all travel agency revenues are derived from business travel. Most travel agencies sell both commercial and leisure travel but there are many travel agencies that only specialized in one sector or the other.
The operation of each travel agency is based on the scope of its activities and organizational size. Here we discuss the functions of a large scale travel agency that performs all types of activities such as Retail travel agency, wholesaling and tour operations, etc. The main function of a large-scale travel agency are:
Travel Information
Whatever the size of a travel agency, it has to provide necessary travel information to tourists. A travel agency must give up-to-date, accurate, and timely information regarding destinations mode of travel, accommodation, sight-seeing, shopping, immigration, passport, visa, customs clearance and procedure, health and security rules, and various permits required to travel in particular areas, etc.
Itinerary Preparation
The term tourists itinerary is used to identify the origin, destination and all the stopping points in a traveler’s tours. It is a composition of various elements and designed after a detailed study of the market. Travel agencies prepare an itinerary for tour packages.
Airline Ticketing and Reservation
A travel agency sells a variety of tourism products. Airline ticketing and reservation is still a major source of revenue. Travel agencies perform a function of airline ticketing and reservation on behalf of various airlines.
Tour Packaging and Costing
Travel agencies prepare a tour package and sell them to tourists. The coasting and pricing of tour packages depend to a large extent on the ability of travel agents as to how effectively he is able to negotiate with the principal suppliers.
Reservation
It is a very important function of all types of travel agencies. A travel agency consistently makes linkage with the accommodation sector, transport sector and other entertainment organizations to reserve rooms, and seats in the cultural programs and transportation.
Travel Insurance
Some large-scale travel agencies perform additional functions to serve their clients. Travel insurance protects travelers against the person as well as baggage losses resulting from a wide range of travel-related happenings and problems.
Currency Services
Approved travel agency authorized by Govt. body provides currency exchange services to tourists.
Organization of Conference/Conventions
Large-scale travel agencies offer a complete convention/conference package which includes registration of the participants at the venue to be picked up for dropped to the airport/hotel, overhead projectors, slide projectors, TV, VCR, information counter, sightseeing, etc.
Travel Agency Linkages and Integration
Basically, a travel agency serves two types of clients: business travelers and leisure travelers. Incidentally, the requirements of these tourists are different and an agency has to assemble or purchase-related components from the principal suppliers to cater to their needs.
Essentially, travel agencies maintain close ties with Airlines, hotels, car rentals, banks, insurance companies, railways, government, trade associations, foreign tour operators and travel agents, ground operators, cruise companies, and tourism educational institutes.
![travel agency area definition Tourism Beast](https://www.tourismbeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cropped-cropped-cropped-LogoMakr_1xlhM4.png)
Types of Travel Agency
Types of Travel Agency: The travel agencies play a pivotal role in the tourism & hospitality Industry. Significantly, travel agency is a crucial constituent of the tourism & hospitality Industry. As a vital component of tourism industry, travel agency has faced many operational and managerial changes over recent years and needs to constantly evolve in order to continue to meet the needs of tourists and diversity of distribution channels in the volatile tourism marketplace. Thus, understanding how a travel agency operates, remains competitive and meets the needs of customers is essential for any employee of a travel agency and those who want to join this vital sector as career. It is important that learners appreciate the complexity of working within a agency organisation and therefore the wealth of skills and knowledge needed to achieve success during this vital component of the industry. This module aims to develop an understanding about different types of travel agencies operating in the tourism industry. This module also appraises the students to know in brief activities and importance of different types of travel agencies.
![travel agency area definition Types of Travel Agency](https://www.tourismbeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/world-461179_1280-1024x512.jpg)
Various types of travel agencies
The Travel agencies are classified on the following basis:
On the basis of distribution chain
According to the International Institute for the Unification of Private law (UNIDROIT), a travel agency can be of two types. An Intermediary Travel Agency: This type of travel agency undertakes as intermediary to act for another, in obtaining either a journey or a sojourn possible in return for the price for the services.
An Organizing agency : An organizing Travel Agency undertakes to arrange for the general public , a journey or sojourn comprising a series of services.
On the basis of Functions
Retail Travel agency : Retailing mean to sell in small quantity of product / service to the end users. Retailing refers to all or any the transactions which involve sale of products or services to the last word consumers. A retail travel agency is a middleman between producers and tourists who procures goods from the producers /wholesalers and sells it to the final consumers. They form a vital link in the channel of distribution of products/ services because without travel agency the products/ services would not sell nor would it is possible for consumers to buy services of their choice. They have a way stronger personal relation with the consumers and deal directly with the people of various tastes and temperaments. They form the last link in the chain of distribution and give the final selling price to the product/ service. Thus, the retail travel agencies provide important services and solve the problems of the producers and wholesalers on one hand and the tourists on the other hand.
Wholesale Travel agency: As the name indicates, a wholesale travel agency operates at large scale and deals in bulk purchase of products/ services and retail through the retail travel agency. Wholesaler may be defined as the middleman who operates between the producers (from whom they purchase goods) and the retailers (to whom they sell goods). Wholesaler refers to any individual or business firm selling goods/ services in relatively large quantities to buyers (retailers) other than the ultimate consumers. Thus, the producers who sell their products directly to retailers may also be regarded as wholesalers. The specialized knowledge and skill of wholesalers increase the efficiency of the distribution network. The wholesalers provide important services and solve the issues of both the manufacturers and therefore the retailers.
On the basis of Tourism flows:
On the basis of tourism flow types of travel agency are as: Outbound Travel Agency: The outbound travel agencies are those travel agencies which provide product and services to tourists want to visit abroad. Generally, these travel agencies provide convenient location for the purchase of travel product/ service besides offering expert product knowledge and ancillary services.
Handling Travel Agency / Inbound Travel Agency: This is very old form of travel agency which is specialized at a particular destination or location. This travel agency plans and executes of travel packages at destination level. In fact, a handling travel agency represents tour operators at a destination and supervises the delivery of local suppliers.
On the basis of Business or leisure
Travel agencies can be categories on the basis of business or leisure such as: Leisure Travel Agency: These types of travel agencies manly serve holidaymakers with package tours.
Business Travel agency: Today, business travel has become core area for many travel agencies. Business travel agency arrange travel for business travelers and corporations and provide extra services such as reporting and travel management.
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On basis of level of specialization.
Niche Travel agency: Due to the emergence of new form of tourism like ecotourism, Niche travel agencies have evolved. Niche travel agencies and usually small independent travel agencies and specialized in certain products or certain suppliers.
Mass Travel agency: Mass travel agencies are big travel agencies often large scale/ multinational travel companies. These travel agencies generally offer wide range of destinations and products/services having large supplier network. These travel agencies operate on economies of scale.
On the premise of Geographical coverage
Travel agencies is categories on the idea of geographical coverage like Multinational: Multinational travel companies present in many countries, either through own outlets or partnerships. A multinational travel company is one which is incorporated in one country (called the house country); but whose operations extend beyond the house country and which carries on business in other countries (called the host countries) additionally to the house country. Generally, multinational travel company has it’s headquarter within the home country.
National: agency is serving the requirementsof shoppers nationwide. In fact, when a travel company conducts its affairs in its home country is thought as national agency . A national agencyis commonly taxed differently than a distantagencyand should be required to pay duties or fees on the importation of its products/ services. Typically, a national agencyis in a positionto work business in other states or other parts of the country as per the articles of association.
Regional: when a agencyis working at regional level is usuallycalled regional agency . These travel agencies are specialized in certain countries and offer both leisure and business products/ services.
On the idea of Number of outlets
Travel agencies may be categories on the idea of number of outlets like Multiples : Multiples travel agencies are those travel agencies which operate nationwide and owned by large agency . These travel agencies are large scale and think about package holidays. These travel agencies have a sequence of establishments spread throughout the country under one name. Thus, these travel agencies have a large number of clients.
![travel agency area definition Types of Travel Agency](https://www.tourismbeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/tourism-4438308_1280-1024x512.jpg)
Mintiples : Mintiples travel agencies targeta selected region with multiple business line . These travel agencies have number of branches scattered throughout the local area but sometimes operate under different trade names. These have head offices and will acquire independent firms to show them into one in all their outlets.
Independent Agencies: Independent travel agencies usually cater for a special or niche market. Independent agencies have one outlet and frequently specialized in niche markets. These travel agencies and frequently small travel agencies and specialized in certain products or certain suppliers like eco-tour package, adventure tour package or others.
On the idea of Business Model
Travel agencies are often categories on the idea of business model like Offline Travel Agency: the sort of agencyis that the oldest sort ofagency . Generally, offline travel agencies operate through physical offices and face to face customer service/product.
Online Travel Agency: Online agency serving customers through World Wide Web channels. Online agency (OTAs) could be a relatively recent innovation and may be a major growth sector within the global distribution system. OTAs are a style of distribution mechanism where an oversized number of sellers and buyers are connected via an online site provided by an independent third party. The leading international OTAs are:
• Travelocity, owned by Sabre. Travelocity includes the brands lastminute.com, World Choice Travel and Zuji. within the corporate market, Sabre operates through the GetThere.com and TravelocityBusiness.com OTAs • Orbitz which operates the subsequent OTA leisure brands:
1. CheapTickets.com 2. Ebookers.com 3. HotelClub.com 4. RatesToGo.comOn the premise of Size
On the idea of business size travel agencies are often categories like
Small Scale Travel Agency: the little scale travel agencies are those agencies which treat small scale, restricted to a little segment of the tourism market and to a narrow range of products. Small scale travel agencies are very large in number but account for atiny low portion of the overall retail tourism business.
Medium Scale Travel Agency: Medium-scale agency business is that the outgrowth of a successful small scale agency. A agency business with 50 or fewer employees is mostly considered small, while one with 50-150 employees is taken into account to be medium-sized. Large scale Travel Agency: Large scale agency is that business operation whose operates at large scale, having an outsized segment of the market and have a good range of products/ services. .
On the idea of Form
On the premise of business forms travel agencies may be categories like Sole Proprietorship: when a agency business is owned, managed and financed by one man, it’s known sole proprietorship agency. In fact, its debt, obligations and taxes, are the owner’s personal liabilities, and income from a proprietorship is taken into account the owner’s income. this kind of agency is straightforward to begin and simple to dissolve.
Partnership : agency being seen on a partnership basis is jointly owned by two or more individuals. In other words, when two or more persons agreed to contribute money or money’s worth and sharing profit/ loss as per the agreement is knowledge partnership. The partnership style of agency business organization enjoys the subsequent advantages: a. easy formation: Partnership is easy to create, inexpensive to ascertain and straightforward to control. No legal formalities are involved and no formal documents are to be prepared. Only an agreement is required. . b. Combined abilities and judgment: The skill and knowledge of all the partners are pooled together. Combined judgment of several persons helps reduce errors of judgment. c. Direct motivation: there’s no difference between owner and management. In fact, ownership and management of business are vested within the same persons. Thus, every partner is motivated to figure hard and to make sure the success of the firm. d. Close supervision: Every partner is anticipated to require personal interest within the affairs of the business. Different partners can maintain personal contacts with employees and customers. e. Flexibility of operations: Partnership business is free from legal restrictions and government control. Partners can make changes within the size of business, capital and managerial structure with none approval. The activities of partnership business may be adapted easily to changing conditions within the market. f. Corporate: Unlike a proprietorship or partnership a company is taken into account to own its own identity, break free its owners. a company agency is owned by shareholders/ stockholders who are represented by a board of directors. the company variety of agency is incorporated under the businesses Act. the company has differing types of merits like indebtedness perpetual existence, which implies it’s a separate person within the eyes of the law and simple to transfer ownership interests in an exceedingly corporation. The board of directors can authorize the problem of shares of stock in exchange for investors’ capital infusion into the corporate.
On the Bases of Services
On the idea of services travel agencies is categories like
Full-Service agency : A full-service agency could be a agency which offers s all services / products to both international and domestic tourists. Its operation includes every kind of tour packages like holiday and business travel on individual or group based. Further, a full-service agency is also small or large scale concentrating on both leisure travel and business travel.
Corporate/ Business agency : A Corporate/ Business agency are specialized solely in servicing the travel needs of the business or corporate clients. Generally, the merchandise line of corporate agency includes business / MICE and incentive travel.
In-House agency: In-House Travel Agencies are growing these days; and in house agency is simply diversification of product of the many large scale companies to help the corporate to prepare MICE / incentive travel. However, these travel agencies are differ from the company agency within the sense that they work with only 1 corporate account doing mainly business travel but also handling the leisure side for corporate clients. The Ashok Tour and Travel is that the best example of in-house travel of ITDC.
Speciality Agencies: A speciality Agency because the name indicates is specialised in an exceedingly particular market, destination or product. These travel agencies are the results of specific market needs, serving the wants of market segments like senior citizens, incentive groups or adventure travellers. Generally, these travel agencies are intermediaries between the retail travel agencies and also the tourists and are referred to as specialty channelers. These travel agencies may represent either the customer or the supplier and include incentive travel firms, MICE planners/ association executives, and company travel offices. Moreover, incentive travel companies put together and sell travel as an incentive to extend sales. Sometimes these travel agencies sell their ability to style, promote, and manage incentive travel programs.
Types of Travel Agency Types of Travel Agency Types of Travel Agency
Types of travel agency types of travel agency, you may be interested to read this travel agents and tour operators, you might also like.
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travel agency
Definition of travel agency
called also travel bureau
Examples of travel agency in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'travel agency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
1898, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to travel agency
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Is it ‘traveling’ or...
Is it ‘traveling’ or ‘travelling’?
A tale of two variants
Dictionary Entries Near travel agency
travel agent
Cite this Entry
“Travel agency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travel%20agency. Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of travel agency, more from merriam-webster on travel agency.
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about travel agency
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What does a travel agent do?
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What is a Travel Agent?
A travel agent assists individuals or groups in planning, organizing, and booking various aspects of their travel arrangements. They act as intermediaries between travelers and travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and tour operators. Travel agents have in-depth knowledge of different destinations, travel options, and industry trends, which they leverage to provide personalized recommendations and advice to their clients.
One of the primary roles of a travel agent is to help clients navigate the complex world of travel. They listen to their clients' preferences, budget constraints, and desired experiences, and then work towards creating a tailored itinerary that meets their needs. Travel agents handle tasks such as booking flights, accommodations, ground transportation, and excursions, ensuring that all the necessary arrangements are made smoothly. They can also provide valuable insights on visa requirements, travel insurance, and local customs, helping travelers make informed decisions and avoid potential pitfalls.
What does a Travel Agent do?
![travel agency area definition A travel agent with two clients.](https://res.cloudinary.com/hnpb47ejt/image/upload/v1683998503/augl54hukqwrjqaxtdif.jpg)
Travel agents possess extensive knowledge and expertise in the travel industry, including destinations, transportation options, accommodations, and activities. This expertise allows them to provide valuable advice and guidance to travelers, helping them make informed decisions and create well-planned itineraries that meet their specific needs and preferences. They also have access to a wide range of resources and tools that enable them to efficiently search for the best deals, discounts, and promotions available. They can often secure exclusive rates and packages, saving their clients both time and money.
Duties and Responsibilities Here are some common tasks and responsibilities associated with being a travel agent:
- Client Consultation: Travel agents engage in thorough consultations with clients to understand their travel preferences, requirements, and budget. They ask relevant questions to gather necessary information and provide personalized recommendations based on the client's needs.
- Itinerary Planning: Based on client preferences, travel agents create detailed travel itineraries that include destinations, transportation options, accommodations, and activities. They consider factors like travel dates, budget constraints, and any specific requests from clients.
- Reservation and Booking: Travel agents handle the booking process for flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel-related services. They ensure that all bookings are made accurately and efficiently, securing the best available rates and deals for their clients.
- Travel Documentation and Logistics: Travel agents assist clients in obtaining necessary travel documents such as passports, visas, and travel insurance. They provide guidance on the documentation process and ensure that clients have all the required paperwork in order. Agents also handle logistical aspects like seat assignments, baggage allowances, and transportation arrangements.
- Knowledge of Destinations: Travel agents possess extensive knowledge about various destinations, including popular attractions, local customs, weather conditions, and safety considerations. They provide valuable information and recommendations to clients, enabling them to make well-informed decisions about their travel plans.
- Customer Service: Travel agents offer exceptional customer service throughout the entire travel process. They address client inquiries, resolve any issues or concerns that may arise, and provide support during the trip. Agents act as a point of contact for emergencies and assist clients in making alternative arrangements if necessary.
- Stay Up-to-Date with Industry Trends: To provide the best service to clients, travel agents stay updated with the latest industry trends, travel regulations, and changes in travel technology. They attend industry conferences, participate in training programs, and conduct research to ensure their knowledge is current.
- Sales and Marketing: Some travel agents engage in sales and marketing activities to attract new clients and promote travel packages and services. They may participate in trade shows, develop promotional materials, and utilize online platforms to reach a wider audience.
- Financial Management: Travel agents handle financial transactions related to travel bookings, including processing payments, issuing refunds, and managing invoices. They maintain accurate records of financial transactions and ensure compliance with accounting procedures.
- Continuous Learning: Travel agents continuously enhance their skills and knowledge by staying updated on travel industry trends, new destinations, and emerging technologies. They actively seek opportunities for professional development to provide the best possible service to their clients.
Types of Travel Agents There are various types of travel agents, each specializing in different aspects of travel and catering to specific clientele. Here are some common types of travel agents and what they do:
- Leisure Travel Agents: Leisure travel agents focus on organizing vacations and leisure trips for individuals, families, or groups. They assist clients in planning and booking all aspects of their leisure travel, including flights, accommodations, tours, and activities. Leisure travel agents may specialize in specific types of travel, such as beach vacations, cruises, adventure travel, or luxury travel.
- Corporate Travel Agents: Corporate travel agents primarily cater to business travelers and companies. They handle the complex travel needs of corporate clients, including booking flights, arranging accommodations, managing itineraries, and coordinating travel logistics. Corporate travel agents are familiar with business travel policies, negotiated rates, and preferred vendors to ensure cost-effective and efficient travel arrangements for their clients.
- Group Travel Agents: Group travel agents specialize in organizing travel for large groups, such as family reunions, weddings, school trips, or corporate retreats. They handle group bookings for flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities, negotiating group rates and coordinating logistics to accommodate the specific needs and preferences of the group.
- Tour Operators: Tour operators design and operate pre-packaged tours and travel itineraries. They create comprehensive tour packages that include transportation, accommodations, guided tours, and activities. Tour operators often work with travel agents to sell their tour packages, providing them with a ready-made product to offer their clients.
- Destination Specialists: Destination specialists focus on specific regions, countries, or cities. They have in-depth knowledge of the destination's culture, attractions, local experiences, and logistical considerations. Destination specialists provide expert advice and create customized itineraries for travelers seeking in-depth exploration of a particular destination.
- Online Travel Agents (OTAs): Online travel agents operate through internet platforms and websites, offering a wide range of travel services. They allow customers to search, compare, and book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel services online. Online travel agents may also provide customer support and assistance through online chat or call centers.
- Niche Travel Agents: Niche travel agents specialize in specific types of travel, catering to niche markets or specialized interests. Examples include adventure travel agents, luxury travel agents, honeymoon specialists, culinary travel agents, or eco-tourism experts. These agents have extensive knowledge and expertise in their niche area, curating unique experiences and tailored itineraries for clients with specific interests.
Are you suited to be a travel agent?
Travel agents have distinct personalities . They tend to be enterprising individuals, which means they’re adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic. They are dominant, persuasive, and motivational. Some of them are also conventional, meaning they’re conscientious and conservative.
Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if travel agent is one of your top career matches.
What is the workplace of a Travel Agent like?
The workplace of a travel agent can vary depending on their specific employment arrangement. Some travel agents work in traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies, which may be part of a larger travel company or operate independently. In these settings, travel agents typically have a physical office space with workstations, computers, and travel industry resources such as brochures, destination guides, and reservation systems. They may have a reception area to welcome clients and conduct in-person consultations.
With the increasing prevalence of remote work and online booking platforms, many travel agents now have the flexibility to work from home or in virtual offices. They utilize technology, such as laptops, smartphones, and high-speed internet, to communicate with clients, access travel resources, and make online bookings. Virtual travel agents often communicate with clients via phone, email, or video conferencing, offering the convenience of remote consultations.
Travel agents also frequently visit destinations, attend industry conferences, and participate in familiarization trips organized by travel suppliers. These opportunities allow them to gain firsthand experience, build relationships with suppliers, and stay updated on the latest travel trends. While travel agents spend a significant amount of time working at their desks, they also have the chance to explore and experience the destinations they recommend to their clients.
In terms of work hours, travel agents may have a standard office schedule, working weekdays during regular business hours. However, they may also need to be flexible, accommodating clients in different time zones or assisting with emergency situations outside of regular office hours. The workload of travel agents can vary throughout the year, with peak periods during holiday seasons or when there are significant events or festivals happening in popular destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pros and cons of being a travel agent.
Being a travel agent can be an exciting and rewarding career for individuals who are passionate about travel and enjoy helping others create memorable experiences. However, like any profession, there are pros and cons to consider.
- Travel Opportunities: One of the major advantages of being a travel agent is the exposure to diverse travel opportunities. Travel agents often have the chance to visit destinations, experience different cultures, and explore new places as part of their job. This firsthand experience not only enhances their knowledge but also allows them to provide valuable insights and recommendations to clients.
- Personal Satisfaction: For individuals who are passionate about travel and helping others, being a travel agent can be personally fulfilling. The ability to create personalized itineraries and witness the joy and excitement of clients as they embark on their dream trips can be highly rewarding.
- Knowledge and Expertise: Travel agents develop a deep understanding of destinations, travel products, and industry trends. They stay up-to-date with the latest information, including visa requirements, safety advisories, and emerging travel destinations. This expertise allows them to provide valuable advice and recommendations to clients, ensuring they have well-planned and memorable travel experiences.
- Building Relationships: Travel agents have the opportunity to build strong relationships with clients, travel suppliers, and industry professionals. They can establish a network of contacts that can enhance their business and open doors for collaboration and future opportunities.
- Industry Changes and Competition: The travel industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies, online booking platforms, and dynamic pricing models. Travel agents must stay updated with these changes and adapt their business practices accordingly. The rise of online travel agencies and self-booking options has increased competition, requiring travel agents to differentiate themselves and provide added value to their clients.
- Workload and Time Management: The travel industry can be demanding, especially during peak travel seasons. Travel agents may need to work long hours, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate client needs and handle emergencies. Proper time management skills are essential to balance the workload and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
- Pressure for Exceptional Customer Service: Travel agents are expected to deliver outstanding customer service consistently. They must handle client inquiries, resolve issues, and manage expectations throughout the travel process. This level of customer service can be challenging, particularly when dealing with unforeseen circumstances or dissatisfied clients.
- Commission-Based Income: While some travel agents receive a salary or hourly wage, others rely on commission-based income. This means their earnings are directly tied to the bookings they secure for clients. It can take time to build a client base and establish a steady income stream, especially in the early stages of a travel agent's career.
Travel Agents are also known as: Travel Consultant
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What does a travel agency do?
What does a travel agency do? You will almost definitely have heard of travel agencies if you have ever booked a holiday or have an interest in the tourism industry. But what exactly is a travel agency, and what do they do?
What is a travel agency?
Independent travel agents, online travel agencies , visitor information centres, other types of travel agency, what can a travel agency book, big names in the travel agency industry, travel agency business model, a brief timeline of travel agencies, further reading.
A travel agency is essentially the ‘middle man’ between travel companies and the general public i.e consumers. They book all sorts of travel-related experiences for customers on behalf of larger companies.
The main aim of a travel agency is to make the booking process simpler for the public, who might lack the time or confidence to book trips themselves.
Types of travel agencies
So what does a travel agency do? It mostly depends on what type of travel agency you’re looking at. This can be broken down into the following types…
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An independent travel agent is the type you’ll see on Instagram or with their own Facebook pages, their feeds full of snaps from Amsterdam, Bali , or New York City. They tend to partner with a ‘host agency’, who will take a portion of the agents’ commission themselves in exchange for letting them use the company software and access their commission. Travel agents are also able to recruit other people, and in turn get a cut of their commission too. In this way, independent travel agencies tend to be a type of multi-level marketing scheme.
Online travel agencies are much more consumer-focused. They allow individual customers to book their own travel, but as a package or with the added protection from ATOL and ABTA. They act as a broker, allowing you to input your dates, desired destination(s), what board basis you wish to travel and so on. The site then pulls together a package deal, allowing you to book everything in one go with access to booking details so you can make amendments and keep up to date with any changes.
While these don’t offer flights and hotels generally, visitor or tourist information centres are found within cities or tourist destinations. They provide advice, maps, discounts and booking services for tours and excursions such as open top bus tours. These are usually run by local or national governments, or specific tourist boards. They are great for recommendations when travelling somewhere new!
Hotel concierge services work in this same way, often getting commission for booking trips for guests.
I won’t go into too much detail here, but there are other types of travel agencies too. You can learn more in this post about the different types of travel agents .
Overall, what does a travel agency do?
A travel agency does a multitude of things. During non-peak times, they will mostly spend their days researching new or upcoming tourist destinations and what makes them so great, advertising them as somewhere people can book future holidays to.
Travel agencies are also required to keep up to date with safety information for various destinations. They do plenty of research meaning they can tell customers about the best places to go, what they can do while they’re there, what documents they need and so on. This is particularly important now, as travel advice is ever-changing with regards to political conflicts and public health.
But during peak times and in the run-up to these times, travel agents will be busy actually booking trips. Nowadays they mostly do everything via the computer, using the internet to put holiday packages together which include at least the basics – flights and accommodation – for one price. However, they also call travel companies directly in order to get better deals or to see if there are rooms or seats available which might not be showing online for whatever reason. Because of this, travel agencies and agents tend to have great relationships with particular brands.
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Travel agents can book much more than just flights and accommodation. Not all of them can book all of these experiences or features, but it is definitely worth asking if you are using a travel agency to book your next vacation.
- Flights – short haul, long haul, & various classes
- Accommodation – hotels, apartments, and villas
- Airport transfers
- Executive airport lounges
- Airport parking
- Cruises – river and ocean
- Car rentals
- Travel insurance
- Excursions and tours
- Taxi services
- Currency exchange
- Train tickets
- Theme park & water park tickets e.g Disneyworld and Universal in Orlando, Florida
They will also advise on public transport services and timetables, as well as arranging for medical items to be delivered and any access requests you have.
Most travel agencies are actually online, and many of us use them regularly. There are still some in-store travel agencies, but with the impact of both modernisation and the Covid-19 pandemic the majority are online now. Below are some big names within the industry which you will likely recognise.
Expedia – founded by Microsoft in 2001
Cruise.com – specifically for booking cruises
American Express Travel – allows you to earn & use points when booking
Audley Travel – the largest operator in tailor-made travel
loveholidays – a British company founded in 2012
Lastminute.com – offering cheaper travel when you book last minute
Kiwi.com – specifically for booking air and ground transport
Booking Holdings – these are a travel technology company who own Booking.com, Cheapflights, OpenTable and more
Now we’ve looked at the question of ‘ what is a travel agency’, let’s take a look at the generic business model. Generally, travel agencies work in one of two ways. The first way is by receiving commission from the companies they book experiences with for customers. For example, if you were to use a travel agency to book your next holiday which included flights, a hotel stay and a transfer to and from the airport this is three separate components which will be booked through three different companies. The travel agency will receive commission from each of the three companies. There may be other benefits and incentives offered by the travel companies. Commission rates and these benefits mean that travel agencies are more likely to use some companies more so than others who might offer them less in exchange.
Alternatively, travel agencies will charge a fee for their services. This makes it more expensive for consumers to book trips through travel agents and agencies than it would to book themselves. However, as some people don’t feel confident booking themselves, many are happy to pay this additional cost. Holidays booked through travel agencies often come with the added benefit of being ATOL and ABTA protected.
- Cox & Kings were the first travel agency, was established in 1758
- Abreu Agency was the first public travel agency, was established in 1840
- Thomas Cook , one of the most famous travel agencies, was founded in 1841
- Brownwell Travel, the first travel agency in the US, was established in 1895
- Nippon Travel Agency was the first travel agency in Japan, established in 1905
- Intourist became the official state travel agency of the Soviet Union in 1929
- The first travel agency in Australia which went on to become Helloworld Travel, was established in 1951
- Henderson Travel Service became the first Black-owned travel agency, taking Black tourists to various African countries, in 1955
- American Airlines’ Sabre unit created a direct-to=consumer booking tool for flights, hotels and cars in the early 1980s
- Mode Tour became the first travel agency in South Korea, established in 1989
- Hotel Reservations Network, which went on to become Hotels.com, was established in 1991 – at this point, hotels didn’t pay a lot of commission so it didn’t take off
- Travelweb.com, the first online hotel directory, launched in 1994
- The Internet Travel Network sold the first airline ticket online in 1995
- Expedia launched in 1996, funded by Microsoft, and are now one of the biggest travel agencies
- In 2007, as the iPhone was released, more bookings were made online because mobile apps were now in use
- Airbnb was established in 2008
- HotelTonight, specifically for instant same-day hotel room bookings, was launched in 2011
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Meaning of travel agency in English
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- air corridor
- amenity kit
- caravanning
- high season
- phrase book
- post-holiday
- put something up
- ranger station
- tourist trap
- trailer park
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
travel agency | Intermediate English
Travel agency | business english, examples of travel agency, translations of travel agency.
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Understanding the Target Market for a Travel Agency
Are you looking to start a travel agency? Or do you already have one and are looking to expand into new markets? If you answered yes to either question and you’re trying to figure out who your ideal target market is, then this article is for you!
When it comes to the travel industry, there are a lot of different target markets that travel agencies can focus on. Depending on the type of services that you offer, your target market could be singles, families, couples, business travelers, or luxury travelers.
The target market for a travel agency will also change based on the type of travel and travel experiences being offered. For instance, you will attract a different type of customer if are offering adventure travel as opposed to romantic getaways.
Similarly, your target market can change based on the travel destinations that you offer.
In this article, we will analyze the market from different angles and discuss some of the needs of the different segments that constitute the target market for a travel agency.
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Target Market for a Travel Agency: Different Types of Travelers
One way to understand the target market for a travel agency is to classify the various types of travelers into different segments.
Here are the most common types of travelers:
Single travelers/backpackers
Families with small children, families with teenagers, business travelers, luxury travelers.
Each type of traveler has different needs and wants when it comes to planning a trip. Let’s briefly look at each the of needs of each type.
The needs of single travelers or backpackers are quite different from those of other types of travelers. They are usually looking for budget-friendly options and are not as concerned with luxury or comfort. They often want to explore new places and experience new things, so they may be more interested in adventure travel.
Couples often want a romantic getaway where they can relax and spend time together. They may be interested in luxury travel options, but their budget will also be a factor in their decision-making.
Families with small children often have different priorities when it comes to travel. They may be looking for family-friendly hotels and activities, that are reasonably priced. They will also want to consider the needs of their children when choosing a destination.
Families with teenagers often have similar concerns to those of families with young children, but they may also be interested in destinations that offer activities for their teenagers.
Retirees often have more time and money to travel, so they are looking for luxurious and relaxing options. They may also want to consider destinations that offer good healthcare facilities and in general, are safe for older travelers.
Business travelers need convenient and affordable flights, as well as comfortable hotels that are close to commercial areas or their meeting venues. They usually do not have time to explore the destination and are looking for pre-planned tours that offer everything they need.
Luxury travelers want the best of the best when it comes to their travel experiences. They are willing to pay more for luxurious accommodations, top-notch restaurants, and exclusive activities. They often like to explore new places and try out different activities. If you are following price segmentation practices, you can target this segment with your premium travel packages.
Target Market for a Travel Agency: Different Types of Travel & Experiences
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Here are some of the different types of travel and related travel experiences that a travel agency can offer its target market:
Leisure Travel
Adventure travel, romantic getaways, group travel, luxury travel, gastronomic travel.
Each type of travel has different target markets. Let’s briefly look at the target market for each type of travel.
Leisure travelers are looking to relax and escape from their everyday lives. They often want all-inclusive resorts that offer a wide range of activities.
Adventure travelers are looking for new and exciting experiences. They often want to explore off the beaten path destinations and try out new activities.
Romantic getaways are popular among couples who want to spend time together in a relaxed setting. They often want luxurious accommodations and exclusive experiences.
Group travelers often want to travel with a group of friends or family. They may be interested in all-inclusive resorts, but they also want the option to explore the destination on their own.
Luxury travelers are looking for the best of the best when it comes to their travel experiences. They often want to stay in luxurious accommodations, eat at top-notch restaurants, and try out exclusive activities.
Gastronomic travel is a growing market with people increasingly traveling for the purpose of trying cuisines from other parts of their country or other parts of the world. And so travel agencies that can create packages focused on gastronomic experiences can win customers from this segment.
As a travel agency, if you try and offer everything to everyone you may make no one happy. So make sure you pick your market segments well and offer travel services that will appeal to target market segments.
Think of the type of customer you wish to focus on. Is the single traveler or backpacker? Or do you prefer to focus on retirees? Or families with small children?
Once you know who you would like to target, you can then pick from the different travel modes and experiences that would be appealing to your selected target market segments. If you are targeting couples, offer romantic getaways. If you’re targeting retirees, offer group travel options.
Remember, picking the right type of traveler and then offering travel packages and experiences suited to their needs will be your key to success.
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- Travel Terms Glossary
We have provided a glossary for your use. The travel industry is replete with jargon and acronyms and we hope you find this glossary/dictionary of travel terms useful when you run across a term you are not familiar with. We encourage our clients to submit any words or concepts they would like defined or clarified to us on the Contact Us page and we will be happy to reply by email with a definition and include the term or clarification in our glossary/dictionary of travel terms for other clients benefit as well.
A la carte – referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separately; also that a choice of meals may be vailable, such as on a tour.
A la Carte Bar – Also known as a “Cash Bar,” a bar located within one’s hotel room that is pre-stocked with an assortment of snacks and beverages.
ABC – a reference to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles, just off the northern coast of South America (Venezuela). Fabulous for diving, snorkeling and all manner of watersports.
Abeam – A directional term, used on ships and aircraft, which describes something off to the side of the vessel, such as the wings.
Accessible Tourism – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.
Accessible Travel – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.
Actual Time of Arrival – Literally, the actual time of arrival. As opposed to the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).
Add-on – an option, usually at extra cost, added to travel arrangements.
Adjoining rooms – Two hotel or accommodation rooms that have a door connecting them from the inside, allowing the guests to combine the two rooms into one larger room.
Adoption Rate – the percentage of tickets issued through an online booking system compared to the traditional booking channel of agent-assisted reservations.
ADT – Atlantic Daylight Time; Alaska Daylight Time. Advance Purchase Fare – airfare that requires the traveler to purchase the ticket a minimum number of days prior to departure.
Advance Purchase Requirement – APR, or Advance Purchase Requirement, is the requirement that a ticket must be purchased a minimum number of days before the flight departs.
Adventure tour – A tour designed around an adventurous activity such as rafting, hiking, or mountain climbing.
Adventure travel – adventure travel is category of travel involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.
Adventure Traveler – Adventure travelers travel to destinations with the specific purpose of active physical participation and exploration of new experiences.
Affinity Card – These are credit or debit cards issued by a banking institution in partnership and co-branded with a particular frequent traveler program.
Affinity group – A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity, or that are united through regular participation in shared outings. Also see preformed group.
Aft – toward the rear of a ship.
After-departure charge – Charges that do not appear on the guest’s bill at checkout such as telephone or dining charges.
Agent – A person who has the power to act as the representative for another person. Most frequently in travel, a specific kind of agent such as a travel agent.
AIO variables – Activities, interests, and opinions-used to measure and categorize customer lifestyles.
Air mile – a distance of approx. 6076 feet.
Air Traffic Control – Usually refers to the control tower at the airport, but may also be a control center somewhere else in charge of controlling a large area of sky.
Air Travel Card – a credit card sponsored by the airlines, for the purchase of air travel only.
Air Travel – air travel is the action or process of making a journey by aircraft.
Air/sea – a term referring to tickets, trips, fares, etc. that include both air and land-based travel arrangements, such as a cruise package with air included.
Aircraft – Generally speaking, any machine capable of flight. However, in the travel industry, these often mean airplanes.
Airline Alliance – These are agreements of cooperation between groups of airlines. Alliances offer airlines more flexibility and larger networks.
Airline fare – Price charged for an airline ticket. Several types of fares exist and can change with market conditions.
Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) – An organization that provides a method of approving authorized agency locations for the sale of transportation and cost-effective procedures for processing records and funds of such sales to carrier customers.
Airport access fee – a fee paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, etc. – usually passed on to the consumer.
Airport transfer – a transport service to/from an airport to hotel, etc., normally prepaid as part of a package tour, but available separately as well.
Air-Sea – A cruise or travel package in which one or more transportation elements are provided by air and one or more by sea. The package is usually combined with local lodging.
All Inclusive – sold for one price that includes charges and fees that are often added separately.
All-inclusive package – A tour package in which most travel elements are purchased for set price. Also called an all-expense package.
Alternative Tourism – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.
Alternative Travel – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.
Alumni tour – A tour created for customers who have previously traveled with a tour operator. Also called a reunion tour.
Ambassador – The head of a state’s diplomatic mission in another state, usually with offices inside the main embassy.
Amenities – a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place
Amenity package – A cluster of special features, such as complimentary shore excursions, bar or boutique credit, or wine at dinner offered to clients on a given tour or cruise, usually as a bonus or extra feature. Usually used to induce clients to book through a particular travel agency or organization.
Amenity – The facilities and features of a property, usually cruise ship, airline or destination accommodation.
American plan – a hotel’s meal plan that usually includes all three meals each day.
AMEX – American Express (AX).
Amidships – toward the middle of a ship – usually the most stable part of the vessel.
Anniversary travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a date that is remembered or celebrated because a special or notable event occurred on that date in a previous year, such as a wedding anniversary.
Antebellum – describes a building and/or period of time prior to the Civil War, such as an antebellum mansion on a cotton plantation in the southern US.
APEX – an airline term meaning “advance purchase excursion fare” – normally the least expensive fares.
Apron – The area surrounding the gate areas of a terminal, generally used for parking and maintenance of planes.
ARC – Airline Reporting Corporation- the agency that regulates ticket sales and reports to the airlines for travel agencies.
Archipelago – An archipelago is a grouping of islands, essentially. Indonesia and Japan are both archipelago countries.
ARTA – Association of Retail Travel Agents – professional trade group of travel agents only.
ASC Fee – Administrative Service Charge. Usually it’s the same as the change fee, or the fee to exchange the ticket for future travel.
AST – Atlantic (or Alaska) Standard Time.
ASTA – American Society of Travel Agents – trade group consisting of travel agencies, travel agents, and allied members (suppliers, etc.).
ATO – Airline Ticket Office – becoming rarer these days, as carriers continue to reduce customer service.
Attractions – An item or specific interest to travelers, such as natural wonders, manmade facilities and structures, entertainment, and activities.
Autobahn – high-speed equivalent to the US interstate highway system, in Germany and a few other European countries.
Availability – The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.
Average room rate – The total guest room revenue for a given period divided by the number of rooms occupied for the same period.
B&B – A bed and breakfast home or guest house that a proprietor has converted into accommodation(s) for the public. Each room becomes a separate unit for rent and typically breakfast and/or other meals are served as part of the fare.
Babymoon – A relaxing and romantic vacation or getaway taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born.
Back to back – A term used to describe tours operating on a consistent, continuing basis. For instance, a motor coach arriving in a city from a cross-country tour may conclude the first tour upon arrival, then transport a second group back along the same route to the origination city of the first tour.
Back-to-back ticket(ing) – an against-the-rules practice whereby an air ticket is issued round-trip with only one portion to be used. Another is then issued roundtrip, again with only one portion to be used. In effect, this amounts to using one ticket for the outbound part of a trip, and the other for the return. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided – useful only when two roundtrip tickets are less than the cost of a single ticket with no Saturday night stayover.
Baggage Allowance – The amount of baggage a passenger may transport without having to pay extra charges, determined by carrier.
Baggage handler – See porter.
Baggage master – The person who controls baggage handling on a ship.
Balcony – sometimes called a verandah – an outside “porch ” that is usually private, just outside your ship’s cabin. Great for relaxing and port arrivals!
Barge cruising – pleasure cruising along a canal system, such as in upstate New York or in Europe, in converted barges or new ships that resemble them.
Base fare – the basic price of an airline ticket, before ANY taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.
Base – Flight crew term for their home airport; where the flights originate from and terminate at.
Beam – a ship’s width at its widest point; determines whether or not a vessel can pass through the Panama Canal.
Bed and breakfast (B&B) – Overnight accommodations usually in a private home or boarding house, often with a full American-style or Continental breakfast included in one rate.
Bell captain – The person in charge of luggage at a hotel.
Bellboy – Also called “Bellboy” or “Bellman,” a person that is hired by the hotel to assist guests, such as with luggage, running errands, etc.
Bellman – a person who carries one’s luggage to a hotel room.
Benelux – term for the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Berth – usually refers to the bed in a ship’s cabin; also the space at which a ship is docked.
Bespoke tour – a tour that is customized, personalized and tailor-made for the traveler.
Biking Trips and tours – Bicycle trips and touring means self-contained cycling trips or pleasure, adventure and autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Touring can range from single to multi-day trips, getaways or vacations.
Birthday travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a birthday, quite often marking decade birthday milestones such as 40 th , 50 th , 60 th , 70 th etc. birthdays.
Blackout dates – Specific dates in which special fares or promotions do not apply. Typically exist around holidays or special events.
Block – A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages.
Blocked space – seats, rooms, and/or cabins held on airlines, in hotels, or aboard ships. Usually held speculatively and made available at reduced rates.
Boarding pass – a receipt with a seat number, now issued only at check-in at the airport. A ticket is not valid unless a boarding pass has been issued. A Boarding Pass is not a ticket, but allows you to board a plane or ship or other mode of transportation.
Boarding Pass – Bonded – protected or guaranteed by a bond, usually referring to the protection of passenger’s funds.
Booking form – A document which purchasers of tours must complete to give the operator full particulars about who is buying the tour. It states exactly what is being purchased (including options) and must be signed as acknowledgment that the liability clause has been read and understood.
Boutique Hotel – A boutique hotel is a type of hotel, usually smaller and more intimate than a chain hotel, which conforms to a niche.
Bow – Bow is a directional term. Front of a ship or the nose of an aircraft; specifically, the foremost point of the hull of the craft.
Breakage – Expenses budgeted for a tour but not used or expended, thus resulting in additional profit to the tour operator. Examples include meals budgeted but not consumed, currency fluctuations in favor of the tour operator, or the tour selling to much larger numbers of passengers than expected.
Break-even point (BEP) – The point at which revenues and expenses are the same. For example, the BEP is the number of products (or seats, cabins, tickets, etc.) that must be sold for a company to break even. The BEP is calculated as fixed costs divided by the selling price less variable costs. See reasonable number.
Break-even pricing – Pricing a product based on a forecast of the break-even point and the cost of achieving the break-even point.
Bridge – the navigational center of a ship.
Bucket list destinations – Bucket list travel is a list of destinations a person wants to travel to and experience before reaching a certain age or dying.
Bulk contract – An agreement whereby an airline sells large blocks of seats at a discount for resale by a third party.
Bulk fare – A reduced fare for purchases of a large number of tickets.
Bulkhead Seat – Seats located directly behind a bulkhead wall separator. As these seats don’t have the benefit of a seatback in front of them.
Bulkhead – A partitioning wall, usually referring to one within the cabin of an aircraft, or perhaps on another mode of transportation.
Bumping – the airline practice of denying boarding to confirmed passengers who hold tickets on a specific flight, due to an oversold condition. The carrier will ask for volunteers to take later flights, and will normally provide some sort of compensation in the form of vouchers or tickets for future travel. Rules for when compensation must be provided are complicated; ask the ticket agent for a copy of that carrier’s rules, as each has their own set of guidelines.
Business class – While amenities vary based on the airline, business class generally falls between first class and coach.
Cabin – the passenger area on an aircraft; the stateroom aboard a cruise ship.
Cabin Crew – The collective group of flight attendants and the purser as a whole. The cabin crew is responsible primarily for handling the duties within the cabin.
Cabin steward – the person responsible for maintaining/cleaning the cabins aboard ship.
Cabin-(Aircraft) – The section of the aircraft in which passengers travel.
Cabin – A sleeping room on a ship.
Cancellation penalty – the monetary penalty due when travel plans are cancelled, usually after final payment has been made.
Cape – A small version of a peninsula, usually long and narrow, that juts far out into a body of water.
Captain – (Aircraft-The captain is the pilot in command (PIC), which is the person in the cockpit sitting on the left with 4 stripes on their shoulder.
Card mill – a “business “that sells potentially fake travel agent ID cards, usually in a sort of pyramid scheme, whereby the buyer intends only to partake of any legitimate agent benefits.
Carrier – generic term for any company that transports passengers and/or freight.
Carry-on – currently, there are no uniformly enforced airline restrictions concerning carry-on luggage.
Cashless cruising – a term that applies to the system of onboard payment used for most all cruises; the final bill for any such purchases is presented against a credit card or cash deposit given upon check-in. The final statement itemizes the purchases of all passengers in a cabin, such as drinks, shore tours, etc.
Casual research – A form of marketing research that is used to test cause-and-effect relationships between a marketing program and customers.
Cay – pronounced “key” – term for a small island, used primarily in the Caribbean, such as Princess Cay.
Celebrity Travel – celebrity and high net worth travel is an ultra-luxurious travel category describing the highly demanding travel requirements of celebrity and high net worth travelers characterized by the ultra-luxurious travel modalities and destinations with attention to privacy, security and confidentiality.
Certified Tour Professional (CTP) – A designation conferred upon tour professionals who have completed a prescribed course of academic study, professional service, tour employment, and evaluation requirements. The CTP program is administered by the National Tour Association (Lexington, KY) and is open to individuals employed in any segment of the tourism industry.
Certified Travel Associate – (CTA) – a travel professional certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, who has passed a series of rigorous tests, assuring the traveling public of professional competence.
Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) – A designation attesting to professional competence as a travel agent. It is conferred upon travel professionals with five or more years of industry experience who compete a two-year graduate-level travel management program administered by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (Wellesley, MA).
Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) – A designation conferred upon American Bus Association member company employees who successfully complete five correspondence courses (three) required and two electives and written evaluation of eight marketplace seminars.
Chain-ratio method – A method for forecasting market demand by multiplying a base market figure by a series of consumption constraints.
Chamber of commerce – A DMO that operates at the local level and is comprised of businesses that are not necessarily associated with the tourism industry.
Chancery – The physical building that houses an embassy and its diplomatic delegation.
Change of equipment – when a flight, with a single flight number, lands and changes the type of airplane used before continuing on to its destination. Sometimes referred to as a change of gauge.
Charter service – The transportation of preformed groups (organized by someone other than the carrier), which have the exclusive use of the vehicle.
Charter – To hire the exclusive use of any aircraft, motorcoach, or other vehicle.
Chauffer driven tours – a chauffeur tour is a tour driven by a chauffeur employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.
Chunnel – slang for the tunnel beneath the English Channel, from England to France, through which the Eurostar train passes.
Circle itinerary – A travel routing design that overnights in different locations and returns to the point of departure without retracing the travel route.
Circle trip – any trip that involves more than a single destination, but which returns to the initial point of departure.
City guide – A tour guide who points out and comments on the highlights of a city, usually from a motor coach or van.
City Pair – The departure and destination points of an air or rail journey.
City tour – A sightseeing trip through a city, usually lasting a half day or a full day, during which a guide points out the city’s highlights.
Class of Service – The inventory in which a passenger is booked according to the fare purchased. (E.g. a full fare coach class cabin is usually Y class of service)
CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association, located in New York City, NY.
Client list – A printout of the names of all tour participants.
Client mix – Objectives set by companies to achieve percentages of customers from different market segments.
Closed-end question – A question for which the answers are provided for the respondent, who chooses only from those answers.
Closeout – Finalization of a tour, cruise, or similar group travel project after which time no further clients are accepted. Any unsold air or hotel space is released, and final lists and payments are sent to all suppliers.
Coach – the “economy ” section of an aircraft, which may have literally scores of different fares for the same flight.
Collision damage waiver-(CDW) – Optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in case of an accident. Car rental insurance covering any damage to a rental vehicle (CDW) many credit card companies cover their clients in this area if they use that card to pay for the rental. Check with you credit card company to see if you are covered and to what extent.
Commission – Money paid to a travel agency or ARC number by suppliers for generating bookings.
Commission cap – The limit placed on commissions paid to travel agents for the sale of air tickets, regardless of their price; designed to allow airlines to increase their profits at the expense of their primary distribution system – the travel agents.
Commissionable tour – A tour available through retail and wholesale travel agencies which provides for a payment of an agreed-upon sales commission to the retailer or wholesale seller.
Common carrier – Any person or organization that offers transportation for a fee.
Commuter – term referring to the small, regional airlines, sometimes called puddle-jumpers.
Comp policy – Arrangements for free tickets, rooms, meals, etc.
Complimentaries (comps) – Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, gifts, souvenirs, etc.
Computerized reservation system (CRS) – An automated system used by travel agents that contains pricing, availability and product descriptions for hotels, car rentals, cruises, and air transportation.
Concierge – a hotel employee who provides additional advice, recommendations, and other services to guests, such as restaurant reservations. An employee of the hotel whose primary task is to serve as the liaison between the hotel and non-hotel attractions, facilities, services, and the guest.
Concierge Level – special service level normally offered at higher grade hotels that provide the guest additional amenities and information, typically at a higher rate.
Conditions – The section or clause of a transportation or tour contract that specifies what is not offered and that may spell out the circumstances under which the contract may be invalidated (in whole or in part).
Configuration – The interior arrangement of a vehicle, particularly an airplane. The same airplane, for example, may be configured for 190 coach-class passengers, or it may hold 12 first-class passengers and 170 coach passengers, or any other combination within its capacity.
Confirmed reservation – An oral or written statement by a supplier that he has received and will honor a reservation. Oral confirmation have virtually no legal weight. Even written or faxed confirmations have specified or implied limitations. For example, a hotel is usually not obliged to honor a reservation if a guest arrives after 6 p.m., unless late arrival has been guaranteed.
Confluence – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.
Conflux – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.
Connecting Flight – A flight that makes a stop at an intermediate point where travelers must change planes in order to connect to another flight to reach their destination. (I.e. San Francisco to Chicago and Chicago to New York).
Connecting room – Two rooms that are connected to each other by a door.
Consolidation – Cancellation by a charter tour operator of one more flights associated with a specific charter departure or departure period, with the transfer of passengers to another charter flight or flights to depart on or near the same day. Also, selling the same tour with identical departure dates through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.
Consolidator – A wholesaler who purchases airline tickets in bulk and re-sells them to individuals and travel agencies at a discounted rate. These fares tend to have complex restrictions, but can be cheaper than buying direct from the airline. Consolidator fares are found to have the most savings on international flights.
Consortium – A collection of organizations made up of independently owned and managed agencies who band together to increase their buying power.
Consulate – Essentially a satellite office of the embassy, but its roles are limited in scope.
Consul – Head diplomat of the consulate.
Consumer protection plan – A plan offered by a company and/or association that protects the customer’s deposits and payments from loss in the event of company bankruptcy.
Consumer – The actual user of a product or service. See also customer.
Consumption constraints – Issues that limit the number of people in a market who will purchase a product.
Continental breakfast – At a minimum, a beverage (coffee, tea, or milk) and rolls and toast, with fruit juice sometimes included.
Continent – Large landmasses that the world is divided into, by convention, although it is generally-accepted that there are seven.
Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.
Control Tower – Often referred to as simply the tower, the people in the Control Tower oversee aircraft movements at the airport, including ground traffic.
Convenience sample – A collection of research subjects who are the easiest for the researcher to select.
Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) – A nonprofit DMO that operates at the county and city level. A CVB typically encourages groups to hold meetings, conventions, and trade shows in its city.
Co-op tour – Selling a tour through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.
Cooperative (co-op) advertising – An agreement between two parties to share the cost of placing an advertisement.
Corporate agency – A travel agency that usually caters to medium-large sized businesses.
Corporate Rate – a hotel rate that is designed to appeal to the needs of the business traveler. It is not necessarily a discounted rate or the minimum rate offered by the hotel. Corporate rates normally guarantee the best available room at a fixed cost for a specific period of time, typically outlined in a contract between the hotel and company.
Corporate Travel – Corporate Travel is travel arranged by a business for business purposes. A division or department of a travel agency devoted to such travel.
Costing – The process of itemizing and calculating all the costs the tour operator will pay on a given tour.
Cost-plus pricing – See markup pricing.
Couchette – the sleeping compartment of a train that can contain up to 6 beds.
Coupon – See voucher.
Cruise Tour – A land and sea vacation, which combines a cruise with a multi-night land tour to inland destinations that the ship can’t reach.
Cruise – A cruise is a voyage on a ship or boat taken for pleasure or as a vacation and usually docking at several port destinations.
CST – Central Standard Time.
CTA – Certified Travel Associate.
CTC – Certified Travel Counselor – the ultimate in travel professionals, CTC certification can be compared to the “Master’s Degree “of the industry.
Cuisin e – a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes associated with a specific culture or geographic region.
Culinary Tourism – Culinary tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. By combining travel with these edible experiences, culinary tourism offers both locals and tourists alike an authentic taste of a specific culture or geographic region.
Cultural Tourism – Cultural tourism is the category or tourism concerned with a country or region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.
Cultural Travel – This is travel with regard to a region’s culture and history.
Culture – Similar shared traits or characteristics unique to an ethnic group, region, or nation.
Custom tour – A travel package created specifically for a preformed group or niche market.
Customer – The buyer of a product or service. See consumer.
Customized tours – a customized tour is a tour category where an independent travel plan is designed and arranged just for the traveler’s needs, goals and desires. This type of travel includes private airport/hotel transfers, hotels, internal airfare, trains, cruises, performances, events, activities and privately guided tours.
Customs – The common term for U.S. Customs Service, the federal agency charged with collecting duty on specified items imported into the country. The agency also restricts the entry of forbidden items.
CVB – Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (generic term).
Database – A computerized, organized collection of individual customer information.
Day rate – Also called a day room. A reduced rate granted for the use of a guest room during the daytime, not overnight occupancy. Usually provided on a tour when a very late-night departure is scheduled.
Day tour – An escorted or unescorted tour that lasts less than 24 hours and usually departs and returns on the same day. See sightseeing tour.
Deadheading – Making a trip or a segment of a trip without passengers, such as driving an empty motor coach somewhere.
Debark – to get off an airplane or passenger ship.
Deck – the floor area of a ship. Some cruise liners have as many as 11 to 14 decks or more.
Deck plan – the drawing representing the location of the decks, public rooms, cabins, etc. of a cruise ship.
Demand generators – Strategies and programs developed by DMOs and suppliers to generate destination demand. Examples include festivals, events, cultural tours, and consumer promotion.
Demands – A consumer’s wants backed by the ability to purchase.
Demographics – Population measures, such as age, gender, income, education, race/ethnicity, religion, marital status, household size, and occupation.
Denied-boarding compensation – that payment and/or voucher given those bumped from a flight; may be somewhat negotiable – always ask! See “bumping”.
Department of State – the US government agency that, among other things, issues cautions and warnings concerning travel to many points worldwide. Connect to the Department of State for the latest updates for the areas you are interested in.
Departure point – The location or destination from which a tour officially begins.
Departure tax – Fee collected from a traveler by the host country at the time of departure.
Deplane -To disembark, or get off, a plane.
Deposit policy – A specified amount or a percentage of the total bill due on a specified date prior to arrival.
Deposit – An advance payment required to obtain and confirm space.
Descriptive research – a form of marketing research that is used to provide detailed answers about customer markets.
Destination alliance – A DMO that operates as a for-profit association of select suppliers who form a paid-membership network to promote their services to travelers.
Destination management company (DMC) – A for-profit company that operates similar to a CVB by providing planning and execution services for the convention and meeting market.
Destination marketing organization (DMO) – An organization that promotes a location (city, region, state province, country) as a travel destination.
Destination Weddings – a destination wedding a category of travel where couples celebrate their marriage at a destination of their choosing away from home.
Destination – The geographic place to which a traveler is going.
Dine-around-plan – A meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area.
Direct access – Refers to a travel agent’s ability to get directly into an airlines database to get true last-seat availability and correct pricing – a big difference between internet fare ” quotes ” and an agent’s CRS ( Computer Reservations System ).
Direct Flight – A flight that goes from a traveler’s origin to their final destination with one or more intermediate stops. No change in aircraft occurs. (I.e. San Francisco to New York with a stop in Chicago)
Direct marketing – Sales and marketing communication that feature direct interaction between a company and its customers without any distribution intermediaries.
Disaster Tourism – Travel when tourists go to an area that may be or may have been affected by natural disasters, civil strife, or warfare.
Disclaimer – a legal document that advises clients that a travel agent acts only as a middleman in the sale of travel products; any liability ultimately lies with the supplier, i.e. airline, hotel, car rental company, tour operator, railway, etc.
DMC – Destination Management Company
Docent – A tour guide who works free of charge at a museum.
Domestic fare – a fare charged for travel within a country.
Double booking – a not-nice practice of holding reservations to the same destination for the same times/days, on the same carriers but through different travel agencies, when only one reservation will ultimately be used.
Double Double – A room with two double beds.
Double occupancy – the way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room.
Double-occupancy rate – The price per person for a room to be shared with another person; the rate most frequently quoted in tour brochures.
Double-room rate – The full price of a room for two people (twice the double-occupancy rate.)
Downgrade – To move to a lesser level of accommodations or a lower class of service.
Driver guided tours – A driver guided tour is a tour guided by an individual that operates a vehicle while providing commentary in a front-line position who leads participants (individual or groups) on tours, ensures that itineraries are followed, provides commentary in an informative and entertaining manner, and creates positive experiences for tour participants.
Driver-guide – A tour guide who does double duty by driving a vehicle while narrating.
Drop-off charge – the fee added to a car rental when the vehicle is returned to a city other than where it was originally rented. In some states, there is no drop off fee most of the time, such as in Florida.
Duty-free imports – Item amounts and categories specified by a government that are fee of tax or duty charges when brought into the country.
Early Check-In – A perk that allows a guest to check in at an earlier time than the standard check-in time.
Eco/Sustainable Tourism – Eco or Sustainable Tourism is tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, especially to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.
Eco-Conscious Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.
Eco-Friendly Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.
Economic impact study – Research into the dollars generated by an industry and how these dollars impact the economy through direct spending and the indirect impact of additional job creation and the generation of income and tax revenue.
Ecotour – A tour designed to focus on preserving the environment, or to environmentally sensitive areas.
Ecotourism – Tourism directed at exotic and/or endangered destinations while fostering an environmental understanding and conservation.
Educational tour – A tour designed around an educational activity, such as studying art.
Elder hostel – hostel catering to seniors – see “hostel”.
Electronic ticket – a “paperless” airline ticket allowing one to check-in and fly with just proper photo ID. What may look like a ticket is actually just a paper passenger receipt. E-tickets cannot be lost, or used by anyone else, so they are safer than standard paper tickets, which may soon become extinct. One drawback is that e-tickets on one carrier cannot be honored by another, so in a cancelled-flight snafu, the original carrier must print hard copy tickets before another airline can accept them. This presents major paperwork problems for the affected carrier.
Embark – to board a plane or cruise ship.
End suite – in the hotel industry, indicates that a certain feature(s) is directly in the room, or adjacent to that room.
English breakfast – basic meal of cereal, juice, eggs, meats, and other beverages. Common with most hotels in the UK/Great Britain.
Environmental scanning – The process of monitoring important forces in the business environment for trends and changes that may impact a company.
Errors and Omissions Insurance – Insurance coverage equivalent to malpractice insurance, protecting an agent’s or operator’s staff if an act of negligence, an error, or an omission occurs that causes a client great hardship or expense.
Escort – See tour director.
Escorted group tour – A group tour that features a tour director who travels with the group throughout the trip to provide sightseeing commentary and coordinate all group movement and activities.
Escrow accounts – Funds placed in the custody of licensed financial institutions for safekeeping. Many contracts in travel require that agents and tour operators maintain customers’ deposits and prepayments in escrow accounts.
ES T – Eastern Standard Time.
Estimated Time of Arrival – Literally, the estimated time of the transport’s arrival. As opposed to the ATA (Actual Time of Arrival), the ETA is the time that the flight or transport arrives.
Estuary – A body of water connecting a flowing river and a larger body, such as a sea or ocean. Because it is the transition point.
ETA – estimated time of arrival.
ETD – estimated time of departure.
Ethnicity – A term that groups people together with a similar cultural identity; unlike terms such as nationality, ethnicity is more ambiguous.
Ethno-Tourism – Focusing on exploration of indigenous populations and their respective culture and traditions.
E-Ticket – Regarding transportation, especially on airlines, an electronic ticket, or e-ticket, is the digital version of a paper ticket, issued via email.
Eurailpass – a special fare ticket that allows either unlimited train travel, or travel for a certain number of days/weeks, in many European countries (except in Britain, where the Britrailpass offers similar travel in England, Scotland, and Wales).
European pla n – a rate at a hotel that includes no meals.
Exchange order – See voucher.
Exclusive fare – Discounted airfares offered by travel consolidators.
Excursion – a side trip from a main destination, usually at added cost and optional.
Excursion Fare – special airline fares with restrictions such as minimum and maximum stays.
Exotic Travel – Exotic travel refers to a category of travel that is strikingly, excitingly and mysteriously different or unusual. Exotic travel is travel that is completely different than what a traveler is accustomed to and is highly subjective in nature.
Experiential Travel – Experiential travel is also known as immersion travel and is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.
Exploratory research – A form of marketing research that’s used to obtain preliminary information and clues. It is most often used when the marketing problem is ambiguous.
Extension – A fully arranged sub-tour offered optionally at extra cost to buyers of a tour or cruise.
Extensions may occur before, during, or after the basic travel program.
FAM (familiarization) tour – A free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to acquaint them with what a destination, attraction, or supplier has to offer.
Familiarity Tour – A familiarity tour as used in the travel industry it is a tour of a travel destination, travel accommodation, travel activity or travel mode (airline, cruise, ground transportation) to familiarize a travel advisor and provide knowledge and direct experience with the product or service so they can better serve their clients.
Family plan – offered by most hotels, allow children to stay in the same room as parents, at no additional charge. Age requirements vary between hotels.
Family Vacation – a family vacation is a travel category referring to travel involving family members. It is also commonly referred to as multi-generational travel.
Familymoon – A neologism term used to describe a type of honeymoon a newlywed couple can make along with their children from previous relationships.
Fare Aggregator – Fare aggregators’ redirect the users to an airline, cruise, hotel, or car rental site or online travel agent for the final purchase of a ticket. Aggregators’ business models include getting feeds from major OTAs, then displaying to the users all of the results on one screen. The OTA then fulfills the ticket. Aggregators generate revenues through advertising and charging OTAs for referring clients.
Fare Basis – the letters and numbers assigned to a specific fare like an identification number.
Fare basis (code) – The code that determines the price of an airline ticket.
Final Boarding Call – Last call to board before the jet bridge closes and the flight departs, leaving late passengers stranded.
First class – The class which offers the most premium service. Enhanced seating, meal selection, and drink offerings staples of this services.
First Officer – Pilot who is second in command. The pilot in the cockpit sitting on the right with 3 stripes.
Fishing Trips and tours – a fishing trip or fishing tour is a travel tour category where groups of fisherman are provided guided tours and typically lodging with the overall purpose of catching fish.
FIT – foreign independent tour – actually used generically now for a travel package put together by a travel agent from separate components such as car, hotel and airfare, adjusted exactly as the traveler wishes. May include city tours, theater tickets, and other “independent ” options, and may also include custom mapping/routing to accomplish the client’s goals. It now is more commonly used as an acronym for Flexible Independent Travel. It describes a type of travel or tourism that does not incorporate a packaged tour but is nonetheless customized by a travel-selling professional.
Fjord – a narrow inlet from the ocean, usually bounded by cliffs, and with spectacular scenery. Most are located in Alaska, Norway, and New Zealand.
Flight Attendant – Commonly referred to as stewards/stewardesses and air hosts/hostesses, flight attendants are available to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers of an aircraft.
Flight Crew – Sometimes called the aircrew, the flight crew consists of everyone hired by the airlines on a flight, including pilots, pursers, and flight attendants.
Fly/drive tour – An F.I.T. package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components.
Fly-drive package – a travel package featuring airfare, rental car, and perhaps hotels. Usually less expensive than booking each separately.
Folio – An itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits which is maintained in the front office until departure. Also referred to as a guest bill or guest statement.
Fore – Directional term. Towards the front of the craft, lengthwise, such as the bow of a ship or the nose of a plane. Opposite of aft.
Frequent Flier Program – A program that a traveler can enroll in that earns them rewards such as free flights on a particular airline for being a loyal customer of that airline.
Frequent Flier – One who flies frequently.
Frequent Independent travel (F.I.T.) – A custom-designed, prepaid travel package with many
Full house – A hotel with all guest rooms occupied.
Full service hotel – a hotel with restaurant facilities.
Function room – A special room that is used primarily for private parties, banquets, and meetings. Also called banquet rooms.
Funnel flight – a flight, such as on a regional or commuter carrier that “feeds “larger planes which continue on to other destinations. Also, the use of a single flight number for an itinerary that really involves a connection with two separate flight numbers, thus making the itinerary appear to be a direct flight with a change of aircraft as opposed to a connection. Just call it a connection and be done with it.
Fuselage – The aircraft’s main body section, the cylindrical, central piece that contains the cabin and holds the crew and cargo.
Galley – The kitchen/kitchenette area of a plane or train or ship. On a plane, the galley may be a small affair with a simple arrangement and a few carts.
Gate-Airport – The specific area in an airport where passengers board a plane for a flight. Gates are located in concourses.
Gateway – City, airport, or area from which a flight or tour departs.
GDS – Global Distribution Systems – A system containing information about availability, prices, and related services for Airlines, Car Companies, Hotel Companies, Rail Companies, etc. and through which reservations can be made and tickets can be issued. A GDS also makes some or all of these functions available to subscribing travel agents, booking engines, and airlines. The GDS leaders are Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo/Worldspan, Sabre.
Geotourism – this is “tourism that sustains or enhances the distinctive geographical character of a place.
Global distribution system (GDS) – An international computer reservation system that accesses many databases of suppliers, airlines, etc. in different countries, such as Sabre.
Graduation travel – graduation travel is a milestone category of travel which refers to travel celebrating a graduation typically from high school or college.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – solar based time in Greenwich, England, fun which time in all other time zones in the world is based.
Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) – a measurement of the enclosed space in a ship. Cruise ships in the 70,000 ton range are considered “superliners”.
Ground operator – See receptive operator.
Group – several persons, usually 10 or more, traveling together. Group travel is often available at discounted rates.
Group leader – An individual who has been given the responsibility of coordinating tour and travel arrangements for a group. The group leader may act as a liaison to a tour operator or may develop a tour independently (and sometimes serve as the tour director).
Group Rate – A negotiated rate on travel, perhaps a stay or vacation plan, that incentivizes for a large crowd or group that books together.
Group tour – A travel package for an assembly of travelers that has a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation. Group tours are usually prearranged, prepaid, and include transportation, lodging, dining, and attraction admissions. See also escorted group tour.
Group Travel – group travel refers to a category of travel with a group arranged by an outside company or organization or travel with a group of friends and family that you have organized yourself. Some groups are small, private and escorted, while others large.
GST – Goods and Services Tax, such as levied in Canadian Provinces.
Guaranteed share – a cruise term that promises that a companion will be found for a single passenger, at a special rate. That rate will be honored even if the cruise line is unable to find a cabin mate. The rate is usually the going double-rate at that time, and is much less than the single person rate for that cabin.
Guaranteed tour – A tour guaranteed to operate unless canceled before an established cutoff date (usually 60 days prior to departure).
Guest account – See folio.
Guest houses – a guest house is a private house offering accommodations to paying guests.
Guest ranch – a guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.
Guide or guide service – A person or company qualified to conduct tours of specific localities or attractions.
Guided tour – A local sightseeing trip conducted by a guide.
Half pension – a hotel rate that includes breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner. Sometimes called Modified American Plan (MAP) or demi-pension.
Hard-copy – a printed version of a document, such as an airline ticket or hotel voucher.
Head tax – Fee charged for arriving and departing passengers in some foreign countries.
Hidden-city ticketing – another airline no-no; buying a ticket from A to C with a stop in B. The passenger gets off at B, which was the intended destination anyway. The ticket is purchased because the fare from A to C is LESS than A to B.
High season – the time of year when a destination gets the greatest crowds, and thus can increase hotel and rental car rates, etc. As an example, summertime is high season for travel to Europe (just check the airfares!).
High season – See peak season.
Hiking Trips and tours – a hiking trip or hiking tour is a category of travel vacation or getaway where the traveler is walking or hiking as the major mode of transportation.
Honeymoon Travel – Honeymoon travel is a category of travel where a newly married couple travels while celebrating their marriage.
Hosted group tour – A group tour that features a representative (the host) of the tour operator, destination, or other tour provider, who interacts with the group only for a few hours a day to provide information and arrange for transportation. The host usually does not accompany the group as it travels.
Hostel – an inexpensive accommodation, usually dormitory style, popular with the student crowd – thus the term “youth hostel”.
Hotel – a hotel is an establishment providing accommodations, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.
House – A synonym used for hotel.
Hub – an airport or city in which an airline has a major presence and many flights to other destinations. As an example, Delta has a hub in Atlanta. Many carriers use the hub-and-spoke system to maximize profits by keeping the aircraft in the air as much as possible. Flights to the hub are many, and from there flights too many other destinations are scheduled.
Hub-and-spoke itinerary – A travel routing design that uses a central destination as the departure and return point for day trips to outlying destinations and attractions.
Hurricane season – in the Caribbean primarily, and the Southeastern US, a period from June through October during which such storms are likely to occur.
IATA – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
IATAN – International Airlines Travel Agent Network – administers the IATAN card, the only widely accepted form of legitimate travel agent identification.
In season – meaning only available at certain times of the year.
In transit – en route; in the process of traveling.
Inbound operator – A receptive operator that usually serves groups arriving from another country.
Inbound tour – A tour for groups of travelers whose trip originates in another location, usually another country.
Incentive or incentive commission – See override.
Incentive tour – A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.
Incentive trave l – travel as a reward for an employee’s outstanding performance.
Incidental Charge – Items and services billed to a room after their use, such as movies, phone calls, etc.
Incidentals – Charges incurred by the participants of a tour, but which are not included in the tour price.
Inclusive tour – a package tour that bundles transportation, accommodations, transfers, sightseeing, possibly some meals, etc.
Inclusive tour – See all-inclusive package.
Independent tour – A travel package in which a tour operator is involved only with the planning, marketing, and selling of the package, but is not involved with the passengers while the tour is in progress.
In-flight Service – Entertainment (movies, television, etc.), meals, beverages and other items made available during a flight for the convenience of the passenger.
Inside cabin – a stateroom aboard ship that has no window. Sometimes smaller, but at times the same size as an outside cabin.
Intercontinental – Having to do with two continents. In travel, transit from one continent to another. Not to be confused with transcontinental.
interline connection – a flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another carrier – these tickets are usually more expensive than flying all on one carrier but may be the only way to get to a destination in some cases.
Intermodal tour – A tour that uses several forms of transportation, such as a plane, motorcoach, cruise ship, and train.
International Air Transport Association – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
International Date Line – at 180 degrees longitude, the date on one side of this imaginary line, running from the north to the South Pole, is different from the other. The line runs through the Pacific Ocean, and because of it, it is possible to leave one destination on one day, and arrive in another the day before
International Rate Desk – Utilizes all available resources to ensure the lowest fare for your selected itinerary, including splitting tickets, consolidator fares, and available discounts.
Involvement device – An element of direct mail that gets the reader involved in the process of evaluating and/or responding to the solicitation.
Itinerary – A list of a tour’s or entire trip’s schedule and major travel elements.
Jet Bridge – An enclosed, movable connector which extends from a terminal gate to a plane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside.
Jet lag – an upset of one’s biological clock, due to travel across many time zones; not all folks are affected by it.
Jones Act – a law dating back to 1886, that forbids foreign-flagged ships from carrying passengers between US ports with no foreign port stops in-between.
Judgment sample – A sample based on the researcher’s choice of subjects for a study.
Jump Seat – A flight term referring to an auxiliary (extra) seat for persons who are not operating the aircraft, such as the cabin crew or perhaps a trainee.
Kilometer – a measure of distance used in almost all other countries, at about 5/8 mile.
King room – a hotel room with a king bed.
Knot – a nautical measure of speed equaling approx. 1.5 mph. A ship traveling at 15 knots is traveling at about 22 mph.
Kph – kilometers-per-hour – land speed measurement in most other countries. 60 kph equals approx. 36 miles-per-hour.
Land arrangements – all the details of a land portion of a trip (hotel, car, tours, sightseeing, etc.).
Land Destinations – A land destination or travel destination is a place to which one is journeying, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.
Land operator – See receptive operator.
Land Transfers – travel by train, bus, limo or taxi to and from an accommodation, plane or cruise ship.
Land-only – a rate that does NOT include airfare; usually includes most other land-based charges such as accommodations, transfers, taxes, and perhaps other optional items like theme park tickets, rental care, etc.
Last-seat availability – the ability of a travel agent to get, literally, the ” last seat ” for you on a particular flight, either at a certain fare or actually the last remaining seat on an aircraft. See “direct access”.
Late booking fee – a fee due if travel arrangement are made at the last minute. Normally covers express delivery of documents and other last-minute arrangements that may have to be made by a tour operator.
Late Checkout – A more exclusive perk for some guests that allow a few extra hours to check out from the normal hours.
Latitude – imaginary horizontal lines of angular distance, measured in degrees north or south of the equator.
Layover – a period of time spent during a trip, sometimes overnight, while waiting for a transportation connection – usually a change of planes.
Layover – The period of time spent between connecting flights.
LDW – loss damage waiver – additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.
Lead-in price – the lowest available price for a travel product, often pertaining to cabins on a cruise ship. Usually, there are only a few staterooms available on board each cruise liner in this category, but often better accommodations are only slightly higher in price. Rock-bottom price shoppers normally insist on these rates, though they sell out quickly.
Leeward – the side of a ship or an island that is located opposite from the direction of the prevailing wind -the “Leeward Islands” in the Caribbean for example.
Leg – Portion of a journey between two scheduled stops.
Leisure travel – Usually signifies traveling for relaxation, vacation, or to visit friends/family. Travel for pleasure as opposed to business.
Letter of agreement – A letter from the buyer to the supplier accepting the terms of the proposal. This may also be the supplier’s first proposal that has been initialed by the buyer.
Lido deck – usually the deck on a cruise ship that surrounds the pool area.
Limited service hotel – a hotel property without a restaurant.
List broker – A seller of mail lists for direct marketing.
Load factor – The number of passengers traveling on a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft compared to the number of available seats or cabins.
Locater map – A map of an area or a city, showing locations of attractions and hotels.
Lodging – Any establishment that provides shelter and overnight accommodations to travelers.
Logistics – Management of the details of an operation.
Low season – the period when a destination experiences its lowest prices and the fewest number of guests.
Low season – See off peak.
Lower (bed) – in a cruise stateroom, the bed(s) on the floor as opposed to the higher bunks (uppers), if any. On many ships, two lowers can be arranged to make a king or queen bed.
Lowest available fare – the current, lowest airfare available for purchase right then.
Lowest available fare – The most inexpensive flight currently available.
Lowest fare – the lowest published airfare between two cities; may not have seats available at that fare, as the airlines usually have a limited number of those seats on any given flight.
Luxury class – the most expensive, high-class accommodations or category of fare.
Luxury Cruise – Luxury cruises are the most comfortable and convenient way to see the world. Ships are usually smaller in size so the ratio of crew and staff to guests is generally higher than other cruise ships offering that premium service and attention to detail to be expected of exquisite vacations.
Luxury Ocean Cruise – a luxury ocean cruise is an ocean cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury cruise liner or passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.
Luxury River Cruise – a luxury river cruise is a river cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.
Luxury travel – while luxury travel is completely subjective to the traveler, it can be loosely defined at travel that constitutes the state of great comfort and extravagant living.
Luxury vacations – a luxury vacation is a vacation that encompasses a state of great comfort and extravagant living.
Macro-environment – The broad forces in society and the business world that impact most companies.
Management Company – A firm that owns several lodging properties.
Manifest – Final official listing of all passengers and/or cargo aboard a transportation vehicle or vessel.
Market demand – The amount of a specific product or service that may be purchased during a certain period of time in a particular geographic area.
Market forecast – The realistic demand within a given time period for the products produced by all companies within a certain industry or product category.
Market – All existing and potential customers for a product or service.
Marketing mix – The 4 Ps of marketing- product, price, promotion, place (distribution).
Marketing plan – A written report that details marketing objectives for a product or service, and recommends strategies for achieving these objectives.
Marketing research – The function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through the systematic gathering and analyzing of information.
Markup pricing – Pricing a product by adding a standard markup to costs. Also called cost-plus pricing.
Markup – A percentage added to the cost of a product to achieve a selling price.
Master account – The guest account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization. See folio.
Maximum stay – The longest period of time a traveler can stay at a particular destination and still qualify for the promotion or discounted fare.
Media – Communications channel such as broadcast (radio, TV), print (newspapers, magazines, direct mail), outdoor (billboards), and multimedia (Internet).
Meet-and-greet service – A pre-purchased service for meeting and greeting clients upon arrival in a city, usually at the airport, pier, or rail station, and assisting clients with entrance formalities, collecting baggage, and obtaining transportation.
Meeting/conference tour – A tour designed around a specific meeting or conference for the participants.
Microenvironment – Those forces close to a company that impact operations and marketing programs.
Midships – Directional term. Amidships, sometimes termed midships, is the center of the vessel or aircraft.
Minimum connect time – defined as the minimum time necessary between connecting flights – 30 minutes domestically, usually – ideally, at least an hour. The shortest time required in order to successfully transfer to a connecting flight. It is recommended to select a connecting flight that exceeds the minimum connection time.
Mission statement – The concise description of what an organization is, its purpose, and what it intends to accomplish.
Modified American plan (MAP) – meal plan that includes two daily meals, usually breakfast and dinner.
Motorcoach tour operators – Tour operators that own their own motorcoaches.
Motorcoach Tour – A tour that features the motorcoach as the form of transportation to and from destinations.
Motorcoach – A large, comfortable bus that can transport travelers and their luggage long distances.
MST – Mountain Standard Time.
Multi-day tour – A travel package of two or more days. Most multi-day tours are escorted, all-inclusive packages.
Multigenerational Travel – multigenerational travel is a travel category referring to travel with parents, siblings, kids, grandkids, and assorted family members with the goal to broaden horizons, provide opportunities to reconnect and provide an enriching assortment of shared experiences.
Murder-mystery tour – A tour that features a staged “murder” and involves travelers in solving the crime.
Mystery tour – A journey to unpublicized destinations in which tour takers aren’t told where they will be going until en route or upon arrival.
NACTA – National Association of Career Travel Agents – trade group representing primarily independent and home-based agents, now part of ASTA.
National tourism organization (NTO) – A federal-government-level DMO that promotes country as a travel destination.
Nautical Mile – Unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude. Air-Sea distance measurement of approx. 1.1 statute miles.
Negotiated Rate – A discounted rate offered to a company based on the volume of business you agree to provide the selected vendor.
Net fare, net rate – Implies the commission has already been added to the price of the fare.
Net wholesale rate – A rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups of individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers of tours to cover distribution and promotion costs.
Niche market – A highly specialized segment of the travel market, such as an affinity group with a unique special interest.
No show – a passenger who doesn’t show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking. A guest with confirmed reservations who does not arrive and whose reservation was not canceled.
Non Stop Flight – Do not land in between your departure and arrival destinations. (I.e. San Francisco to New York)
Non-Changeable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be exchanged for a different route or flight once it’s been purchased.
Non-refundable – a fare that cannot be refunded either in cash or via a credit card credit; very seldom is there an exception.
Non-Refundable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be returned for cash or credit once it’s been purchased, but may be changeable for a fee.
Nonstop – A flight that travels directly to its destination without connections or layovers.
Non-transferable – A ticket that can only be used by the person who was originally scheduled to fly at the time of purchase.
NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board; investigates accidents and other incidents related to public transportation.
Objective and task method – A process for creating a promotion budget that sets objectives first, then defines the tasks needed to achieve those objectives, and then commits funds necessary to perform the tasks.
Occupancy rate – the percent of hotel rooms expected to be filled during a specific time period.
Occupancy – The percentage of available rooms occupied for a given period. It is computed by dividing the number of rooms occupied for a period by the number of rooms available for the same period.
Ocean view cabin – a cabin aboard a cruise ship with a window, such as a porthole or picture-window, and perhaps a balcony/verandah.
OCV – ocean view, usually in reference to a hotel room.
Offline connection – a change of aircraft also involving a change of carriers.
Off-peak – A less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during these periods.
On-site guide – A tour guide who conducts tours of one or several hours’ duration at a specific building, attraction, or site.
Onsite – An on-site is an expert travel provider that lives in the country they serve and has firsthand knowledge and long-standing relationships with all aspect of travel in their country.
Open jaw – a trip in during which there is no travel by air between two cities, such as a flight to Washington DC, then travel by rental car to Charlotte, NC, then a return by air from Charlotte back to the original departure city.
Open return – an air ticket with no return date specified. Rarely done these days, usually quite expensive and not allowed on most discounted fares.
Open-end question – A question that allows the respondent to provide a free-response answer.
Open-jaw itinerary – A travel routing design that departs from one location and returns to another. For example, travelers may fly into one city and depart from another one. Or a traveler may purchase round-trip transportation from the point of origin to one destination, at which another form of transportation is used to reach a second destination, where the traveler resumes the initial form of transportation to return to the point of origin.
Operations – Performing the practical work of operating a tour or travel program.
Operator – a company providing transportation or travel related services (airline, cruise line, railway, hotel, car Rental Company, etc.).
Operator – See Tour Operator.
Option date – drop dead date on which a reservation must be deposited or cancellation will result.
Optionals – Optional tour features that are not included in the base tour price, such as sightseeing excursions or special activities.
OTA – Online travel agencies, examples include Priceline, Expedia and Orbitz
Outbound – the departure leg of a journey.
Outbound operator – A company that takes groups from a given city or country to another city or country.
Outbound tour – A tour that takes travelers out of the area, usually from a domestic city to another country.
Outside cabin – see “ocean view ” cabin.
Outside salesperson – job description of a travel agency employee who sells travel but is not based primarily in the agency location most of the time.
Overbook – Accepting reservations for more space than is available.
Overbooking – the practice of selling more airline seats than are available on a specific flight, to make up for no-shows. Usually backfires on the carrier and at times can create much consumer ill-will. Requires passengers to be “bumped” – not always voluntarily. To some extent, happens in the hotel industry as well.
Overhead – Those fixed costs involved in regular operations, such as rent, insurance, management salaries, and utilities.
Override – A commission over and above the normal base commission percentage.
Packaged travel – A package in combination of two or more types of tour components into a product which is produced, assembled, promoted and sold as a package by a tour operator for an all-inclusive price.
Passenger facility charge (PFC) – a fee for the use of many airports, added in to the cost of an air ticket – another name for an additional tax on travelers.
Passenger name record (PNR) – The official name of one’s reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS).
Passenger vessel – Ships, yachts, ferries, boats, etc.
Passport/visa service – a service that will take your passport and hand carry, if necessary, to the appropriate embassy in order to expedite a visa. Can be expensive if you have waited until the last minute to obtain a travel visa.
Patronage Program – A program that rewards the customer for loyalty and repeat purchase, such as frequent-flyer programs.
Peak season – A destination’s high season when demand is strong. Also called the high season.
Peninsula – A piece of land that is connected to a mainland or larger piece of land on only one side, while the other sides are surrounded by water.
Per Diem – “by the day;” in the cruise industry, the per-day cost of a cruise, per person.
Per-capita costs – Per-person costs.
Per-capita tour – See scheduled tour.
Perceived value – The ratio of perceived benefits to perceived price.
Personal effects coverage – Additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle.
Point-to-point – refers to the fares between two cities; the service between two cities without additional segments or any continuation.
Port – the place where a ship docks; a place visited by cruise ship; the left side of a vessel.
Port charges/taxes – fees levied by local authorities upon the cruise lines for each passenger visiting a port of call, normally added to the total cruise fare.
Port of Debarkation – Port of Debarkation is the geographic point where personnel arrive on a cruise vessel
Port of Embarkation – Port of Embarkation is the geographic point where personnel depart on a cruise vessel
Port of entry – Destination providing customs and immigration services.
Port-Directional – When facing forward, the side of the ship or aircraft that is on the left.
Porter – A person who handles luggage at an airport, train station, etc.; also called skycap or baggage handler.
Porthole – usually a round, sealed window in a shipboard stateroom.
Posada – a small country hotel (Spanish).
Positioning strategy – The development of a clear, unique, and attractive image for a company and/or product in the minds of target customers.
Positive space – space aboard a ship or aircraft that can be confirmed ahead of time.
Post-Cruise Vacation – a post-cruise vacation is a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of debarkation of the cruise.
PPDO – per person, double occupancy. Most tours and cruises are quoted this way; the average cost to stay in a particular location per day.
Pre- and post-trip tour – An optional extension or side trip package before and/or after a meeting, gathering, or convention.
Pre-Cruise Vacation – a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of embarkation of the cruise.
Pre-deduct commission – When a distributor such as a travel agent takes up front the commission on a sale and sends the supplier the balance of the sales price.
Preferred Supplier – The selection of specific supplier(s) for priority promotion to customers and/or integration in travel packages in exchange for reduced rates and/or higher commission.
Preferred Vendor – The vendor(s) a company specifies as their first choice for travelers.
Preformed group – A pre-existing collection of travelers, such as affinity groups and travel clubs, whose members share a common interest or organizational affiliation.
Prepaid ticket advice – a form used when purchasing an air ticket to be picked up and used by someone else at another airport. E-tickets have reduced the need for this greatly.
Primary research – The collection of data specifically to solve the marketing problem at hand.
Prix fixe – meals offered at a fixed price, usually fairly low, consisting of several courses with no substitutions allowed. Common in Europe.
Profit margin – A dollar value that represents the markup of a product’s price over its costs.
Promotion mix – Promotion tools including advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations.
Promotional group tour – A travel package composed of tour elements that match the specific needs and wants of niche customers who aren’t part of an organized or preformed group.
Promotional partnership – The combination of two or more companies to offer special incentives to customers.
Prop – referring to propeller-driven aircraft.
Property – A specific lodging structure, such as a hotel, and the ground on which it is built.
Property – A general term that may be used by a place of accommodation that denotes the facility.
Protection overbooking – The practice of blocking space that will likely be in excess of what will actually be needed.
Pseudo-agent – someone claiming to be a travel agent who really isn’t. They often produce bogus ID cards, and can disappear when problems arise!
PST – Pacific Standard Time.
Psychographics – Measures of a person’s lifestyle. See also AIO variables.
Public relations (PR) – A management function that determines the attitudes and opinions of an organization’s publics, identifies its policies with the interests of its publics, and formulates and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and goodwill.
Public tours – See scheduled tour.
Published fare – an airfare that is listed in the carrier’s tariff.
Pull strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the customer level by generating awareness, interest, and desire so customers pull a product through a distribution channel by demanding it.
Purser – aboard ship, the person responsible for providing a wide array of services such as information, making change, stamps, etc. Found at the purser’s desk.
Purser-(Airline) – On a flight, the purser is the head flight attendant, responsible for overseeing the attendants and making sure travelers’ needs are met.
Push strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the distributor level by providing resellers with an incentive to push (sell) a product to end consumers.
Quad – a room suitable for four persons.
Quay – a pier – pronounced the same as “key”.
Query – The process of sorting and retrieving information from a database.
Quid – a monetary term for a British pound sterling.
Quota sample – A research sample that involves forming groups based on certain characteristics. A random sample can then be selected form the quota segments.
Rack rate – The published (brochure) rate for a travel component. The price of a hotel prior to discount.
Rate desk – the office of an air carrier that calculates fares for passengers and travel agents.
Reach – The measure of how many people in a market will be exposed to a certain advertisement via a specific medium.
Reasonable number – A forecast of the break-even point for a tour.
Rebate (ing) – the practice of returning part of an agency’s commission on a scale back to the client in the form of a rebate or “discount.” The trade-off is usually little or no personal/customer service. This is practiced often by “800 ” number travel sellers and others who deal in huge volume.
Receptive operator – A local tour company that specializes in services for incoming visitors, often for tour operator groups.
Reconfirm – to double-check a reservation.
Record locator – The number assigned to a reservation in the airlines number. This number is unique, as it will never be assigned again.
Record locator – the number assigned to one’s reservation in an airline’s computer system.
Red-eye flight – An overnight flight that leaves at night and arrives early the next morning.
Referral agent/agency – an ” agent ” that refers business to a travel agency in return for a commission or fee – often as part of a card mill operation
Registry – the formal registration of a ship’s ownership, and the country it is registered in (such as Panama, Liberia, Norway, etc.).
Reissue – the generation of a new ticket that is exchanged for another, due to a change of plans, dates, flights, etc. May involve additional fare, penalties and fees.
Relationship marketing – The process of building and nurturing ongoing, solid relationship with customers.
Repositionin g – the moving of a cruise ship to another home port for all of part of a season, such as the repositioning of ships to Alaska for the summer. Often these cruises are excellent bargains, but will involve one-way airfare home from the port of debarkation.
Res – short for “reservation”.
Research constraints – Those issues, such as cost and timing that will limit the scope of marketing research.
Reseller – See retailer and wholesaler.
Reservation fee – A customer payment for a certain percentage of the travel package price that’s made immediately after booking.
Responsible Tourism – Travel that extends beyond being merely environmentally responsible, to being culturally-conscious and economically-aware, locally.
Retail price – The actual price a customer pays for a travel element or tour.
Retail tour – See scheduled tour.
Retailer – A middleman, such as a travel agent, who sells directly to the customer.
Retirement travel – retirement travel is a category of travel referring to when a traveler is has retired from a career and commences to travel. Travel done after retirement age.
Rollaway – a cot or other bedding that can be added to a hotel room to accommodate another guest. There is often an extra charge for this.
Romantic Destinations – romance destination and romance travel is a category of travel that involves travel involving a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love and often refers to travel associated with a wedding, honeymoon, wedding anniversary, babymoon or another type of romantic getaway.
Room Night – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.
Room Occupancy – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.
Room rates – The various rates used by lodging properties to price rooms. These include- day rate (usually one half the regular rate for a room used by a guest during the day up to 5 p.m.-sometimes called a use rate), flat rate (a specific room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel and group in advance), group rate (same as flat rate), net group rate ( a wholesale rate for group business to which an operator may add a markup if desired), net wholesale rate ( a rate usually lower than the group rate and applicable to groups or individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour folder), and published rate ( a full rate available to or advertised to the public-also called the rack rate.)
Rooming list – A printout of the names of all tour participants that also lists special lodging requests and provides a spot for the hotel or cruise ship to fill in the passenger’s room number.
Round trip – A flight to a single destination and a return.
Run-of-house (ROH) – refers to a hotel room, the type of which is assigned at the discretion of the hotel shortly before you arrive. Usually, the rates are lower.
Run-of-ship – cabin is assigned at the last moment, giving the cruise line the ability to shift accommodations as needed. Usually, you are guaranteed a minimum category of cabin, and sometimes get an upgraded stateroom at no additional cost. Most upgrades are from inside-to-inside cabins, or from outside-to-outside but occasionally an inside-to-ocean view upgrade will occur. It is not always worth the gamble though.
Run-of-the-house rate – A flat rate for which a lodging property agrees to offer any of its available rooms to a group. Final assignment of the rooms is at the discretion of lodging management.
Sabre® – A computerized travel reservation system.
Safaris – Today the negative hunting connotations of the word ‘safari’ are being rapidly replaced by more modern associations with socially and environmentally responsible travel. Safari travel typically implies that the journey will include game viewing and some time spent in wilderness areas (game reserves and national parks). A traditional is usually focused on seeing wildlife, but safaris are definitely not limited to game viewing. Safaris are now for admiring wildlife and birds in the wild, along with a host of other adventures. Safaris have largely developed into vacation trips that actually benefit the wildlife by supporting local conservation efforts and wildlife sanctuaries. As opposed to hunting the animals, visitors get to encounter them and help make a difference in protecting the species. Safari companies either actively contribute towards conservation projects or help generate tourism revenue which is used to manage wildlife projects and game reserves. The modern safari is also a socially responsible journey designed to interact ethically with local communities and have a positive impact on local economies. The cultural interactions offered by reputable safari operators do not exploit local people. The local communities benefit from sustainable tourism through employment and financial gains from selling goods and services.
Sales margin – A term used by resellers to describe profit as a percentage of sales revenue.
Sample – The portion of a population chosen to represent the population being studied for research.
Saturday night stay – A requirement by the airlines that your travel must involve a Saturday night stay over in order to obtain our lowest fare.
Saturday night stay – In order to receive a specialty fare, a Saturday stay over is sometimes required.
Scandals tour – A light-hearted history tour that shows locations where interesting scandals took place.
Scheduled carrier – An airline that offers regularly scheduled flights between destinations.
Scheduled flights – Air flights that are publicly scheduled and promoted by major airlines.
Scheduled tour – A tour that’s set in a tour operator’s regular schedule of tour departures and that’s often sold to the general public. Also called public tour or retail tour.
Sea bands – a product resembling a bracelet that is worn on the wrists and operates via acupressure.
Wearers claim that seasickness can be avoided by their use, thus eliminating the need for drugs such as Dramamine, etc.
Sea legs – the ability to move around on a ship without losing balance and without sea sickness.
Secondary information – Research data that was collected by another company or person and usually for a purpose that’s different than the research objectives and tasks at hand.
Sectioning system (GPS) – system of satellites that allows miniature radio receivers on earth to pinpoint one’s location within a few feet. Most cruise ships make use of this system to navigate the world’s oceans.
Segment – a “leg” or part of a journey, usually in reference to an air itinerary. One take-off and landing during air travel constitutes a “segment”.
Segment – One leg or portion of a trip. The segment begins when you board the plane and ends when you de-board the plane. (I.e. A connecting flight from San Francisco to New York through Chicago equals 2 segments)
Self-drive – a rental car (British term).
Service non comprise – in French, meaning “service not included”.
Shells – Preprinted brochures with photos, illustrations, and graphics but no text; also called slicks.
Shore excursio n – tours that are purchased as an option when visiting ports of call while on a cruise; can sometimes be bought before you cruise.
Shore excursion – A land tour, usually available at ports of call, sold by cruise lines or tour operators to cruise passengers.
Shoulder season – a period of time between high and low seasons, where prices at a destination are between their highest and lowest, and the crowds are thinner.
Shoulder season – Those periods between the peak and off season when destination demand is moderate.
Sightseeing companies – Organizations that provide local guided tours.
Sightseeing guide – See driver/guide.
Sightseeing tour – Short excursions of usually a few hours that focus on sightseeing and/or attraction visits.
Simple random sample – A sample that draws a group of respondents randomly from all members of the population.
Single Room – A room that is only guaranteed to comfortably accommodate one guest. May also be called a “Standard Room.”
Single Supplement – An additional charge added to a solo traveler, when prices were originally quoted for dual occupancy.
Sleeper – the sleeping compartment aboard a train.
Soft adventure – an outdoor travel experience that is not especially physically demanding, such as a canyon horseback trail ride or a hot-air balloon flight.
Sommelier – A wine professional, usually hired by the most upscale restaurants and establishments, on staff to primarily suggest wine and food pairing to patrons.
Spa – a resort area centered around a mineral springs, hot springs and the like, typically where one can find massage, hydrotherapy, exercise, steam baths, etc.
Special event tour – A travel package that features major happenings, such as concerts or sporting events, as the reason for the journey.
Special fare – Any fare that deviates from normal pricing (typically discounted).
Special interest tour – a tour catering to the needs of a specific interest, such as bird-watching, whale-watching, river rafting, mountain biking, rain forest exploration among many others.
Split itinerary – An itinerary in which part of the group does one thing while the other part does something else.
Split Ticket – Issuing multiple tickets for one round-trip journey. This is done to reduce the total cost of the entire reservation.
Sports Tourism – sports tourism refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment.
Stabilizer – a device on most all cruise vessels, to reduce pitch and roll when at sea – the movement that can cause seasickness. Stabilizers are often pulled in at night in order to allow faster speeds when traveling between ports of call.
Standby – Referring to a passenger who does not have a confirmed seat on the intended flight.
Star Service – a critical guide describing in detail many hotel and cruise ship properties. Can be subjective, as it is based on someone’s opinion, but provides a travel agent with a non-commercial point-of-view.
Starboard – the right side of a ship.
Stateroom – A private cabin or compartment with sleeping accommodations on a ship or train.
Step-on guide – A tour guide who boards a motorcoach to give detailed, expert commentary about the city or area being visited.
Stern – the rear of a ship.
Stopover – a planned stayover in a city for a day or more, while enrooted to another destination. Sometimes adds significantly to the cost of an air ticket.
Strategic plan – A report that describes a company’s mission statement, goals, objectives and strategic actions.
Student visa – permission to enter a country, issued to a student, normally for the purpose of attending school in that country.
Subcontractor – A local operator who provides services for a wholesaler.
Suite – a hotel accommodation with more than one room, or sometimes a single room with distinct sleeping and living areas and often a kitchenette. A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation denotes a class of accommodations with more space and amenities than a typical accommodation room. Luxury or upscale accommodations often have a scaled range of suites progressively increasing in size, luxury and amenities starting with a junior suite and culminating in the largest and most luxurious suite which is often called a presidential or royal suite.
Supplier – any company that supplies travel and/or related services to the traveling public. The actual producer and seller of travel components.
Surface – travel over land that does not involve an aircraft.
SWOT analysis – A summary of a company’s strengths and weaknesses, and the environmental opportunities and threats that will most influence it.
T&E – Travel and Entertainment expenses.
Target market – The group of customers who will be the focus of a company’s marketing efforts.
Tariff – a schedule of prices/fares.
Telemarketing – Direct marketing via the telephone.
Tender – a small boat or ferry that carries passengers from an anchored cruise ship to the pier at a port of call. Many ships are too large for existing port facilities at some destinations, and so they anchor just off shore and “tender “their passengers in for their visit.
Terminal – A building where clients report for trips via train, plane, etc.; also called a depot or a station.
TGV – the term applied to the French high-speed train system.
Theme cruise – a cruise devoted to a specific interest, such as big bands, country western, Star Trek, exercise and weight-loss, cooking and cuisine, and many more. There is usually a theme cruise to suit just about any interest.
Theme tour – A tour that’s designed around a concept of specific interest to the tour takers, such as history or sports.
Through passenger – a passenger who is not disembarking at a particular stop while enrooted to the final destination.
Ticket stock – Blank airline tickets.
Tickler system – A method for monitoring reservations and payments that’s arranged by date and points out late payments so customers can be contacted.
Tiered override pla n – When commissions rise proportionately with a corresponding increase in sales.
Tiered pricing – When suppliers offer different prices to receptive operators, tour operators, and group leaders, so each party can earn a profit by marking up the supplier’s price while still offering a fair price to customers.
Tour broker – See tour operator.
Tour catalog – A publication by tour wholesalers listing their tour offerings. Catalogs are distributed to retail agents who make them available to their customers. Bookings by retail agents are commissionable.
Tour Company – A tour company or tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a packaged vacation. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, vacation and itineraries.
Tour conductor – the person who accompanies and is in charge of a tour, often on a motor coach tour. See tour director.
Tour departure – The date of the start by any individual or group of a tour program or, by extension, the entire operation of that single tour.
Tour director – Also called tour manager, tour conductor, and tour escort. The person who is responsible for a group on tour and for most aspects of a tour’s execution.
Tour escort – See tour director.
Tour guide – A person qualified (and often certified) to conduct tours of specific locations or attractions.
See also step-on guide, city guide, on-site guide, and docent.
Tour manager – See tour director.
Tour manual – A compendium of facts about a destination, tour procedures, forms, and other information that a tour operator gives to its tour directors.
Tour menu – A menu that limits group clients to two or three choices.
Tour operator – A person or company that contracts with suppliers to create and/or market a tour and/or subcontract their performance.
Tour order – A voucher given to the purchaser of a tour package that identifies the tour, the seller, and the fact that the tour is prepaid. The purchaser then uses this form as proof of payment and receives vouchers for meals, porterage, transfers, entrance fees, and other expenses. See also voucher.
Tour planner – A person who researches destinations and suppliers, negotiates contracts, and creates itineraries for travel packages.
Tour rate – See group rate.
Tour series – Multiple departures to the same destination throughout the year.
Tour – A prearranged, prepaid journey to one or more destinations that generally returns to the point of origin, is usually arranged with an itinerary of leisure activities, and includes at least two travel elements.
Tourism – The business of providing marketing services and facilities for leisure travelers.
Tourist card – a card issued to a visitor in lieu of a visa, usually for a short duration visit.
Tourist – This is the majority of adult travelers, when not vacationing. Tourists may be couples, families, or just a person or two who visit locations.
Tours – a tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.
Tracking study – A survey of customers before and after implementing a promotion campaign to assess changes in consumer behavior.
Trans-canal – passing through the Panama Canal.
Transcon – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.
Transcontinental – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.
Transfer – Local transportation and porterage from one carrier terminal to another, from a terminal to a hotel, or from a hotel to an attraction.
Transient Occupancy Tax – Also known as a Bed Tax, it is a City or County tax added to the price of the room.
Transient – A person who stays in a place for just a short while; not a permanent resident, such as a visitor or tourist.
Transit visa – A visa allowing the holder to stop over in a country or make a travel connection or a brief visit.
Transportation – Any method of moving travelers from one point in a journey to another, such as air, ship, rail, and motor coach travel.
Travel advisor – a travel advisor simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many advisors specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.
Travel advisory – a travel warning issued by the US Department of State, indicating a special caution should be taken in a country due to political unrest, natural disaster, or other special situation. These can be obtained from any good travel agent, on any area you are considering visiting.
Travel agency – Usually used in the travel industry to refer to an ARC-appointed storefront retailer.
Travel agent – A person or firm qualified to arrange for lodging, meals, transportation, cruises, tours, and other travel elements, typically on a commission basis. A travel agent simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many agents specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.
Travel component – Transportation, lodging, dining, attractions, entertainment, guide services, and other travel elements offered as part of a travel package.
Travel Destination – a place to which one is journeying.
Travel Experience – A travel experience or experiential travel (also known as immersion travel) as it is commonly referred to, is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.
Travel Institute – the primary educational and certification arm of the travel industry. Was formerly the “Institute of Certified Travel Agents” (ICTA), located in Wellesley, Mass.
Travel Insurance – Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either internationally or within one’s own country.
Travel Itinerary – a travel itinerary is a travel plan or organization of your travel and involves all of the details, times and dates concerning things like airline, cruises and train transportation confirmations, hotel, villa and accommodation reservations, rental car information, restaurant reservations and much more.
Travel Policy – A fluid internal document, pertinent to the company’s culture that outlines the guidelines for business travel and expenses within a company.
Travel rewards – Travel reward programs are often referred to as a loyalty rewards program, and they are generally a campaign devised to generate repeat customers for a particular company by offering a point gratification system for the customers’ business. They are also meant to provide customers with a “thank you” for their loyalty to a company’s product or service. That benefit is typically some sort of discount on certain items or services. Travel specialist – a travel specialist is a travel agent or travel advisor that concentrates in a special segment of travel; many travel agents or travel advisors specialize in leisure, group or business travel, or destination specific travel.
Travel Tours – a travel tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.
Traveler – One who travels.
Travelogues – Many travel websites are online travelogues or travel journals, usually created by individual travelers and hosted by companies that generally provide their information to consumers for free. These companies generate revenue through advertising or by providing services to other businesses. This medium produces a wide variety of styles, often incorporating graphics, photography, maps, and other unique content.
Trip director – An escort for an incentive company. Larger companies reserve this title for the person who directs all personnel and activities for a particular incentive trip.
Trundle Bed – Bed that stores itself under another bed, usually on casters. Often found in smaller hotel rooms or in cramped transport accommodations.
Turn – Airline parlance. A flight that leaves base and returns back to base in the same day. Also known as a turnaround.
Turnaway – A potential reservation that couldn’t be satisfied because the tour (or hotel, ship, etc.) was fully booked.
Twenty-four hour time – used extensively in Europe and other countries, 1pm becomes 1300 hours, 4pm is 1500 hours, etc., up to 2359 ( 1159pm ). Midnight is then considered 2400 or “zero ” hours. 1-20am is then 0120 or “one hour, twenty minutes “and so on. Most schedules and timetables in the majority of other countries are listed in the 24-hour format.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites – a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.
Unlimited mileage – No mileage restriction when renting a car.
Unrestricted fare – an airfare that has no special advance purchase, Saturday stay or certain days to travel requirements, and is usually refundable. Many full coach and most first-class fares are unrestricted. An airfare with no limitations. It is typically refundable and has no blackout days.
Upgrade – To move to a better accommodation or class of service.
USTOA – United States Tour Operators Association – a trade association which requires its members to be very financially stable and to have a million dollars or more in funds set aside for consumer protection against defaults. Visit www.ustoa.com for more information.
Value added tax (VAT) – a tax on goods in Europe, which under certain circumstances can be refunded.
Value season – similar to shoulder or low season, when pricing is lower. See off season.
Value – The relationship between the benefits associated with a product or service and the costs of obtaining the product or service. See also perceived value.
Value-added tax (VAT) – A type of tax system which adds a fixed percentage of taxation on products and services at each step of production or service delivery.
Value-based pricing – Pricing a product based on buyer perceptions of value rather than actual product costs.
Variable costs – Costs that change with sales or production levels.
Variance report – A summary of how much a company has gone above or below budget.
Verandah – a roofed-porch, such as connected to a cruise ship stateroom.
VIA rail – the Canadian railway system.
Villas – a large and luxurious country residence. A villa is a fancy vacation home. The word has been around ever since ancient Roman times to mean “country house for the elite.” In Italian, villa means “country house or farm.” Most villas include a large amount of land and often barns, garages, or other outbuildings as well.
VIP experiences – a VIP Experience is the most exclusive way to go behind the scenes or experience a travel destination, accommodation or mode of transportation.
Visa – usually a stamp in a passport allowing entry into a country for a specific purpose and a finite amount of time.
Visa service – a service that can expedite the processing of a visa, sometimes even at the last minute. A fee is charged that varies, depending on the nature of the service needed. Visas are usually stamped into the pages of a valid passport and are issued for varying reasons and periods of time. Not all countries require them, especially for United States Citizens.
Volume incentive – See override.
Volume purchase – The purchase of large quantities of a product or service.
Voucher – Documents that are exchanged for goods and service to substantiate payment that will be or already has been made.
Voyage – a voyage is a long journey involving travel by sea or in space.
Waitlist – A list of clients awaiting transportation or accommodations at times when they are not available. Waitlisted clients are confirmed as a result of subsequent cancellations.
Waiver – a written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something, such as insurance coverage for a trip, for example. Also, the formal acknowledgement of the waiving or dismissal of a requirement, such as a waiver of a penalty for late booking, etc.
Waiver – A written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something.
Walk-up – one who purchases an air ticket at the last moment, usually at the airport ticket counter.
Wants – Ways in which a person satisfies a basic need.
Wellness Travel – wellness travel is a category of travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities
Wet bar – the area of a hotel room that has a bar or other counter space with running water, used for the preparation of drinks.
Wholesale – Sale of travel products through an intermediary in exchange for a commission or fee generally at reduced tariffs.
Word-of-mouth promotion – Personal communication about a product or service from one customer to another.
World Travel Guide – a yearly publication that provides detailed information on most every country in the world, with entries on currency, transportation, climate, visa and passport requirements, sightseeing opportunities, etc. A primary book of knowledge for the professional travel agent.
Yield management – Calculating and analyzing the profits earned per customer.
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Japan issues first 'megaquake' warning after 7.1-magnitude temblor
TOKYO — Japan issued its first warning Thursday about the possibility of a long-feared "megaquake" after a powerful 7.1-magnitude temblor struck off its southern coast, sparking a tsunami advisory but no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.
The ea r thquake occurred off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture on the main island of Kyushu at 4:42 p.m. local time (3:42 a.m. ET), at a depth of about 18 miles, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Three people were reported injured, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, although he added that there had been no blackouts or damage to the water or communications systems reported in the region. Police in Miyazaki Prefecture said there had been 10 reports of damage. Hayashi urged residents to stay away from the coastline.
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Seismologists held an emergency meeting to analyze whether the quake had affected the nearby Nankai Trough — the source of past devastating earthquakes. The meteorological agency ultimately issued what it called a "mega earthquake caution," assessing that the possibility of a large quake was relatively higher than usual but not that one would definitely occur in the near future.
It urged the country's residents to practice increased vigilance for the next week.
"We ask all citizens to carefully check every new information issued by the government, reconfirm their daily earthquake preparedness, and be ready to evacuate immediately in the event of an earthquake," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news briefing.
Earlier, officials issued a tsunami advisory following Thursday morning's quake, warning residents to immediately leave coastal areas of Kochi and Miyazaki prefectures until the warning is lifted. Advisories are issued when the waves are not expected to exceed 1 meter (3.3 feet).
Tsunami waves of up to 1.6 feet were detected along parts of Kyushu’s southern coast and the nearby island of Shikoku about a half hour after the quake struck. Japanese broadcaster NHK said Miyazaki Port had reported a surge of 20 inches.
That said, most of the damage so far has been relatively light. Police in Miyazaki Prefecture said there have been some reports of landslides and some traffic lights have stopped working. NHK said some windows were broken at the prefecture's airport and that the runway had been temporarily closed for checks.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture, concrete walls collapsed and a wooden house was damaged.
Of the people injured across the two prefectures, two are reported to be older women, who were taken to hospital after falling, while another was a female factory worker struck in the back by a falling object.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors on Kyushu and Shikoku remain safe. Earthquakes in areas with nuclear power plants have been a major concern since a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011.
Japan sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' — a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean — and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. A temblor there Jan. 1 in Japan’s north-central region of Noto left more than 240 people dead.
Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo, and Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong.
Arata Yamamoto has been a NBC News producer in Tokyo since 1993.
Jennifer Jett is the Asia Digital Editor for NBC News, based in Hong Kong.
The Travel Glossary - find the best Terms, Definitions and Acronyms
Travel terms, glossary, definitions and acronyms of the travel industry from A – Z. Click on a letter to see the terms and descriptions in our glossary.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Add-collect, adjoining room.
Average Daily Rate. A hotel industry term used to calculate average hotel room rate. Equal to room revenue divided by rooms sold.
advance purchase
The advance time before travel that a fare requires a ticket to be issued, normally 3,7,14 or 21 days.
Agent Error. An incorrect entry made by a consultant during the reservation process.
AEA (see “Association of European Airlines”)
A US based travel agency that has entered into an agreement with BCD Travel to use the BCD Travel trademarks and provide travel services to customers in the affiliate’s territory.
Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)
An independent corporation jointly owned by most of the major United States airlines; ARC collects payments for tickets sold by travel agencies and distributes the monies to the airlines; ARC also governs appointment of travel agencies to sell domestic air transportation.
airport code
The three-letter code used by airlines and the air travel industry to identify airports around the world, e.g. LHR=London Heathrow, JFK=New York John F. Kennedy. http://www.world-airport-codes.com/
airport security check
Airport security checks are procedures and measures for screening passengers and baggage to ensure security against terrorist threats and other dangers. Find out how to get through quickly
airport tax
Tax levied by certain airports throughout the world. In many cases this can be built into the total ticket price, although some airlines will not co-operate, thus making payable locally by the passenger.
On outbound journey’s, airside includes all those areas of the airport terminal after you have passed through passport control. On inbound journey’s, airside includes all those areas of the terminal before you pass through passport control.
A short-hop aircraft for up to 20 passengers, usually flying unscheduled services with a 200 / 500-mile range.
all-inclusive
A hotel program which usually includes all meals, snacks, beverages and activities.
A joint partnership between specified carriers which may include, but not limited to, interlining, code-sharing, joint frequent flyer program participation, and even equity participation of stock ownership.
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, a government-subsidized corporation that operates all passenger train service in the United States.
Automatic Number Identification. A contact center term for a telephone network feature that passes that number of the phone the caller is using to the contact center, real-time.
American Plan. A hotel rate that includes breakfast and dinner, sometimes lunch.
Asia Pacific. A geographical term used interchangeably with ASPAC and often used in reference to the entire Asian market.
Advance Purchase Excursion Fare
applicable fare
The fare to be applied.
Accounts Receivable. Money which is owed by a customer to a company for products or services provided on credit.
ARC (see “Airlines Reporting Corporation”)
An eight-digit identification number issued by ARC to travel agencies who have met accreditation standards.
Arrival Unknown. An ARNK is added to a reservation when there is a break in the itinerary and continuity is not recognized; it does count as a segment when ticketing.
Around-the-world
A continuous journey circumnavigating the globe in one general west-to-east or east-to-west direction in which both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are crossed not more than once each.
ARR (see “Average room rate”)
Asia South Pacific. A geographic term used interchangeably with APAC.
Automated Ticket & Boarding Pass. IATA standard transportation ticket and combined boarding pass which features a magnetic strip containing passenger and journey details.
Average Ticket Price. The average price of all tickets purchased; domestic and international are sometimes calculated separately.
availability
The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.
average room rate (ARR)
Ratio of hotel’s sales revenue to the number of occupied rooms.
back-to-back ticketing
An against-the-rules practice whereby a traveler books a return ticket nested inside another return ticket to avoid minimum stay requirements for the purpose of saving money. For example, the traveler uses the first ticket to fly from origin to destination on Monday in week 1, then he uses the second ticket to fly from destination to origin on Friday in week 1 and back to destination on Monday in week 2, and then he uses the first ticket again to fly back to origin on Friday in week 2. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided. While this will sometimes save money, most airlines do not allow this practice and doing so might result in penalties.
backtracking
Having to return to your original airport of entry in a country to make the return trip home. A time-consuming and costly procedure to overcome by arranging an op-jaw itinerary, which allows you to fly out to one point and return from another.
Carry-on-baggage and checked baggage have many restrictions. Most notable are the number and size of the baggage. Many airlines allow only 1 carry-on bag, plus one personal item (purse, back-pack, computer bag). For checked baggage restrictions and fees, refer to the carrier’s website for details.
banker’s buying rate (BBR)
Exchange rate used to convert from one currency to another; called the ‘buying rate’ because it is the rate used when banks purchase currency from an individual
banker’s selling rate (BSR)
Exchange rate used to convert from one currency to another; called the ‘buying rate’ because it is the rate used when banks sell currency to an individual
Best Available Rate. A hotel industry pricing method for yielding room rates (floating) based on demand while ensuring the best rate is presented for sale to agents, consumers.
A fare without tax.
Measurement of hotel occupency.
blackout dates
Certain dates or periods when travel on specific fares is not permitted (usually holidays).
blocked space
Multiple reservations, often subject to deposit forfeiture, which wholesalers or travel agents make with a supplier in anticipation of resale.
boarding pass
A permit to board a ship, plane, or other form of transportation. In the case of air travel, the card indicates boarding gate and aircraft seat number.
booking code
A letter code used to make an airline reservation at a particular fare level in a computerized reservation system. (CRS/GDS)
Bank Settlement Plan. Outside the USA, a system by which the travel agent community pays carriers for tickets it issues.
Business Travel Account. If a company has a corporate credit card program where certain purchases such as air, rail, and associated transaction fees are centrally billed to one “master” credit card number, this is referred to as the Business Travel Account (BTA). This account allows for the purchase of certain air travel expenses for corporate employees without the need to issue individual credit cards to each traveler for the designated expenses. Because the account has no physical card, it’s often called a “ghost card.”
BTC (see “Business Travel Center”)
Business Travel News. A travel industry publication that delivers news and research to the corporate travel population.
bucket shop
An unlicensed, unbonded travel agency used by some airlines to dispose of excess capacity seats that are available on certain flights.
buffer zone
For taxation purposes, an extension of the US border 225 miles north into Canada and 225 miles south into Mexico border; all cities within this area are assessed the 7.5% US domestic tax when tickets are purchased and sold in the US.
A net fare contract for certain number of seats. Similar to blocked space except that the tour operator, wholesaler, or travel agent usually contracts for airline seats at a low, non-commissioned price without the option of releasing space back to the airline.
A partition (usually a wall) on an airplane separating compartments.
Travel slang for the removal of a passenger from a flight through overbooking; usually applied to those holding concessionary tickets.
bundled pricing
A pricing proposal, always a transaction fee, where elements other than air (e.g. car hire, hotel, rail) are included in the fee with the air transaction.
business class
Level of airline service between First class and Economy class. On European routes business class has now replaced first class as premier service level. Most airlines have their own brand names. (e.g. British Airways – Club World and Club Europe: Air France – Le Club etc.)
Business Travel Center (BTC)
Standard full service and online service in a local call center, undedicated, team environment.
Business Travel Management
Business travel management is the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing business travel for an organization. This includes booking travel arrangements, managing expenses, and developing policies and procedures for business travel.
cancellation policy
The advance time a hotel requires a booking to be canceled by to avoid being billed for the room
carrier (CXR)
Another term for airline.
Credit Card. A system of payment whereby the issuer of the card grants a line of credit to the cardholder, to be used to make payment to a merchant or to withdraw cash.
Collision Damage Waiver. An industry term for optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in an accident.
centralized billing
System under which a travel supplier, credit card company, agency or other supplier consolidates all costs/charges incurred by different employees or departments into one total invoice.
change of equipment
Also known as “change of gauge”. A single flight number used to represent flights on two different aircraft; usually on international destinations.
Notification to an airline or hotel that a traveler has arrived to take a flight or stay at a hotel; some airlines provide curbside check-in while others only allow check-in at the ticket counter.
Advice to a hotel that a guest is leaving the property and usually includes payment for the stay.
A traveler who has had his/her second birthday, but not yet his/her twelfth birthday (this definition may vary by carrier).
Churning refers to any repeated booking or canceling of the same itinerary in the same class or different classes of service in one or more PNRs or GDS.
circle pacific
Travel from IATA Area 1 (North and/or South America) to IATA Area 3 (Asia, Australia, South Pacific) by way of the North Pacific Ocean in one direction, via the South Pacific Ocean in the opposite direction, and at least one flight within IATA Area 3 that crosses the Equator.
circle trip (CT)
A journey from origin to destination with a return to origin in a continuous, circuitous route using two or more fare components
The orgin (from) and arrival (to) points of a trip, usually by air or train.
city terminal
Airline office, usually city center, where passengers may check-in, receive seating details and board special bus/ taxi/ helicopter/ rail/ shuttle services to the airport.
class of service
The interior of an aircraft is divided into sections, each with a different level of service and amenities; common classes of service are first, business, and economy.
Cruise Lines International Association. An association dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry.
Section of a hotel offering higher security and special facilities either for a premium payment or as an incentive/ privilege for frequent users.
club ticket
Fully flexible, redeemable business class ticket valid one year from date of issue. Phrase used primarily in the U.K.
Another term for bus.
Close of Business. A term meaning the end of the business day.
A marketing agreement between two airlines (very common amongst airlines that have an alliance) where a seat is purchased on one airline (the selling carrier), but the flight is actually operated by a different airline (the operating carrier).
combination
Two or more fares shown separately in a fare calculation.
Computerized Reservation System
System used to book and process travel reservations, also known as a Global Distribution System (GDS).
A hotel employee who attends to guests’ needs for special information, theater and restaurant reservations, and any other special requests.
connecting flight
A flight which the passenger must change aircraft.
A stop in a given city for less than 4 hours (domestic US); less than 12 hours (domestic US as part of an international journey); less than 24 hours (international); continuing on the next applicable flight to an onward destination; designated by X/ in a linear fare construction line.
conjunction ticket
Two or more tickets concurrently issued to a passenger and which together constitute a single contract of carriage.
connecting rooms
Two rooms that are side-by-side that have a common connecting interior door.
consolidation fare
A group inclusive tour fare available to travel agents and other operators to construct packages to destinations which are inclusive of accomodation. Consolidation fares, although group fares, are for sale to individual passengers.
consolidator
A person or company which forms groups to travel on charter or at group fares on scheduled flights to increase sales, earn override commissions or reduce the chance of tour cancellations.
A group of independent companies that join together to gain greater profits.
construction point
A city through which fares have been combined for the purpose of pricing an itinerary; a destination city or a turnaround point; a fare break shown on the ticket.
A contact center term for an individual who is calling or visiting your company by phone or through the website, and who is requesting an interaction with an agent.
contact center
An umbrella term that generally refers to reservations centers, help desks, information lines or customer service centers, regardless of how they are organized or what types of transactions they handle.
continental breakfast
A light breakfast of such things as coffee, pastry and sometimes juice.
contract fare / contract discount
A discounted fare agreed upon by the client and a carrier; contract fares require a client give the carrier a certain percentage of its business in all markets.
corporate fare
A discounted airfare for business travelers.
corporate rate
A special rate negotiated between a supplier (hotel or car for example) and a company.
corporate hotel rate
Learn how to get corporate hotel rates .
Corporate Travel Department (CTD)
A CTD (Corporate Travel Department) establishes a direct purchasing relationship between the company and its travel suppliers. The accrediting body, ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation) authorizes the company to function as its own “travel agency” and control it’s financial settlement.
co-terminals
A group of cities/airports considered to be the same point; example: JFK/LGA/EWR.
country of commencement (COC)
The country in which a journey begins; the base fare is converted from NUCs into the currency of the Country of Commencement by using the IATA ROE.
country of payment (COP)
The country in which a ticket is being purchased; the base fare is converted from the currency of the Country of Commencement into the currency of the country of payment using the Bank Rate if the countries are not the same.
Cost Per Mile. A calculation of the average price paid per mile.
Cost Per Transaction. A calculation of the total cost a company incurs for generating a customer transaction.
Customer Relationship Management. A term used for a database that is used to house and maintain customer information.
CRS (see “Computerized Reservation System”)
Corporate Social Responsibility . A concept whereby companies consider the impact to society and the environment of their actions.
Central Security Record. A hotel industry term for the name of the Viewership Management Table used to maintain a list of offices authorized to access a client’s negotiated hotel rates.
Central Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Central Time or CT.
Corporate Travel Department. A company’s in-house travel agency that purchases air transportation and related travel services on behalf of its own employees.
Computer Telephony Integration. A contact center term for the software, hardware, and programming necessary to integrate computers and telephones so they can work together seamlessly and intelligently.
A checkpoint at which imported goods are verified for legality and value.
Data Release Authorization (DRA)
Under a DRA, Client instructs, as of the date specified, BCD Travel to receive, process, and/or transfer certain personal travel data from Client’s travelers, including, but not limited to, transactional ticket-level, segment-level, and traveler-level information, which may include, without limitation, traveler name and address, origination and destination, corporate and/or personal credit card number, passport number, drivers license, travel preferences, and other special needs or any other sensitive data as may be provided by or behalf of the travelers (“Travel Data”).
Decision Source (DS)
A BCD Travel product that allows our customers to interact with their reservation data.
delegate rate
An inclusive rate for meetings on a daily basis. Twenty-four hour delegate rate also includes accommodation. Phrase primarily used in the U.K.
denied boarding compensation (DBC)
Commonly called “bumping,” – When more passengers arrive to take a flight than can actually fit on the plane; although legal, the carrier is only responsible for providing compensation to a traveler if he/she has a confirmed reservation and is checked in and has arrived at the departure gate within a pre-determined time period; compensation may be in cash or in a voucher for future travel; passengers who voluntarily relinquish their seats are compensated with a cash payment or voucher towards a future trip and are then accommodated on the next available flight; if an airline delivers a bumped passenger to his/her destination within an hour of the originally-scheduled time, no compensation is required.
deregulation
Originally applied to American air travel: in 1978, federal law phased out the civil Aeronautics Board and stopped government intervention or regulation of airline routes and fares.
destination
The final stopping place as shown on the ticket; the furthest point on a fare component used to price an itinerary.
Destination Management Company
Company, possibly an incoming tour operator, who organizes local ground services at destination.
differential
The difference between the fares for two different classes of service between two cities; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
direct fare
The fare for one-way or half round-trip travel visa the shortest route operated between two cities.
direct flight
A flight from origin to destination that makes one or more intermediate stops, but passengers do not change planes.
directional fare
Fare valid only in a specified direction of travel.
discount fare
Transportation fare lower than the full published tariff for an airline’s route. A discount fare usually entails certain stipulations regarding purchase or travel (space availbility).
DMC (see “Destination Management Company”)
Domestic travel.
Travel wholly within any one country; typically used to designate intra-US travel.
A hotel room with two double beds and/or accommodating 2-4 people.
double booking
The practice of making reservations for two or more flights, cars or hotels as a type of backup; considered to be unethical.
double occupancy
The way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room, as well.
double open jaw (DOJ)
Travel in which the outbound departure point and arrival and the inbound point of departure and arrival are not the same.
To move a passenger to a lower class of service or accommodation.
drop-off charge
A fee charged for dropping a rental car at a different location from where it was picked up.
Being exempt from any import tax.
economy class
The rear area of the aircraft in which passengers having paid one of the lower fare types are seated.
electronic miscellaneous document – Associated (EMD-A)
Document that allows for the fulfillment of all flight related services and fees (such as bags, seats, meals, etc.). An EMD or EMD-A is linked to a specific eticket coupon in the airline’s database.
electronic miscellaneous document – Standalone (EMD-S)
Non-flight related services (such as lounge access or change fee collection) a stand alone EMD, a EMD-S is issued. To issue an EMD-S a manually created service segment must be in the PNR. Specific services that can be charged on an EMD-S is dependent on the airline’s own requirements.
electronic ticket (eticket)
An airline transportation ticket that is entirely in a GDS; no physical ticket is required for travel.
EMD (see “electronic miscellaneous document”)
Endorsement.
Permission from the plating carrier, the ticketed carrier or the carrier losing air space for the traveler to use the flight coupon(s) for travel on another airline at no additional cost; usually only required for international tickets.
end-on-end combination
A special type of combination in which two round trip fares are combined to produce a complete itinerary.
In this example, the passenger buys a round trip ticket from AAA to BBB (Rule 1), and a separate round trip fare from BBB to CCC (Rule 2). The net effect is to travel from AAA to CCC, but breaking the fare at BBB, which may in some cases be less expensive than the round trip (through) fare from AAA to CCC.
equivalent fare paid
An amount converted into the currency of the country of payment when the published fare is in a currency other than that of the country of payment.
ERA (see “European Regions Airline Association”)
Eastern Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Eastern Time or ET.
Electronic System for Travel Authorization. ESTA is a free, automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. The ESTA application collects the same information collected on Form I-94W. ESTA applications may be submitted at anytime prior to travel, though it is recommended travelers apply when they begin preparing travel plans.
Estimated Time of Arrival. A measure of when an object is expected to arrive at a certain place.
Estimated Time of Departure or Delivery. The expected start time of a particular journey or the expected delivery of a good or service.
e-ticket (see “electronic ticket”)
Electronic Ticket Record.
European Regions Airline Association
Association which aims to identify, protect and promote the interests of regional air transport in Europe. Over 170 memebers including airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airports. www.eraa.org
excess baggage
Baggage in excess of the allowable number, size or weight.
The process of reissuing a ticket due to a change of flight, fare basis, dates or routing.
excursion fare
Round-trip fare with restrictions, such as minimun and maximum stays and the need to purchase well in advance.
executive card
Types of privilege cards available to frequent users of airlines, hotel chains, car rental companies, etc. Most carry benefits and have their own brand names, e.g. British Airways Executive Blue, Executive Silver, Executive Gold and Premier.
executive room
Higher grade than standard room and usually slightly larger, the executive room often has additional facilities for the business traveler such as trouser press, desk etc. and may be located on a separate Executive Club Floor.
Expatriot (or expat)
An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person’s upbringing or legal residence.
explant/ outplant/ offsite
Branch office dedicated to serving a single client that is not located on the client’s premises, but rather operates as a separate part of a BTC.
familiarization tour
A complimentary or reduced-rate travel program for travel agents, airline or rail employees, which is designed to acquaint participants with specific destinations. Often known as “Fam-Trips”.
family plan
A hotel rate that allows children to stay free with adults in the same room.
A combination of letters and numbers used to identify a fare type which may also indicate the rules of the fare
fare component
A fare between two points.
fare ladder
A vertically-written fare construction that includes fare components, surcharges and additional amounts collected.
- fee – bundled air transaction fee An air transaction fee that includes the costs associated with servicing air, hotel and car transactions. Therefore, hotel and car only bookings (not to exceed XX% of air bookings) are not charged a transaction fee.
- fee – management fee Fee assessed in addition to direct costs. Covers primarily overhead and profit. Can be assessed as % of sales, per transaction or fixed amount.
- fee – management fee structure (formerly cost plus offering) Client fee arrangement whereby direct expenses are passed through to the client in addition to management fee. Management fee could be % of sales, fixed fee, or per transaction.
- fee – online booking tool fee (PNR fee) Charged per unique reserved PNR. Additional fees may be assessed for transactions booked on a website accessed via the online booking tool.
- fee – online transaction fee (e-fulfillment fee) Charged per online transaction – that excludes any ‘flow through costs’ charged by the online booking tool provider.
- fee – transaction fee structure Client fee arrangement whereby client is billed per transaction for all major program costs including direct expenses and contribution to overhead and profit, usually at POS.
- fee – unbundled (menu) transaction fee Separately charged per each type of transaction, e.g. hotel, car, rail and air. AM and MIS costs might also be charged separately.
final destination
The last point on an itinerary/fare component.
first class
The cabin on an aircraft where there are fewer seats, more elaborate service and amenities.
FIT (see “Fully Independent Traveler”)
Flag carrier.
The airline that internationally represents a given country; sometimes financed or owned by the government.
flight coupon
A section of an airline ticket; one flight coupon is required to take each flight.
flight/time specific
A fare rule that requires a to fly on a specific flight or at a specific time of day.
FOI (see “Form of Indemnity”)
Form of Payment. The method of payment for a transaction.
form of indemnity
A form that needs to be completed by the passenger in order to claim refund in respect of an air ticket that has been misplaced or stolen.
frequent flyer number
Find out what a frequent flyer number is and how to get one
frequent flyer program
An airline loyalty program that provides awards to travelers who use an airline or its partners.
frequent guest program
A hotel loyalty program that provides awards to guests who use a hotel chain.
frequent renter program
A car rental loyalty program that provides services (such as fast pickup) to those who use a car rental vendor.
front office (FO)
An industry term used for products associated with customer-facing activities. The GDS is a front office system.
fuel surcharge
A surcharge assessed for fuel use applicable for travel between specified points and/or for departure from a specified city.
Hotel rate with accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
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full economy
This is a fully flexible, fully refundable ticket which is valid for one year from date of issue in economy class.
full exchange
Change an already ticketed reservation, with no flown flight segments.
full to full exchange
Change to a ticketed reservation when no segments are flown and the change is to any segment other than the outbound flights. Or when a segment has been flown and there is a change to a remaining flight segment. In either of these instances, the FULL value of the original ticket must be exchanged for the ‘combined’ FULL value of the new ticket.
fully independent traveler
A traveler / tourist not part of a tour group.
One of the world’s CRSs (GDSs).
Area in an airport where passengers for a flight gather before boarding their flight or deplane on arrival.
gateway city
The last domestic city from which a passenger departs prior to arriving at an international destination; the first point of arrival in a given country (e.g., on the journey SFO-CHI-FRA-MUC, CHI and FRA are gateway cities).
GDS (see “ Global Distribution System “)
Gds operations (gdso).
An industry term for computer reservation systems that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines.
GEBTA (see “Guild of European Business Travel Agents)
In the credit card industry a system used by corporations whereby travel related charges made through designated travel agencies are centrally billed but no plastic card actually exists. Often referred to as “Lodge card” in Europe.
global distribution system
An industry term for computer reservation systems that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines. Learn more
global indicator
Two-letter code used to identify the direction of travel applicable to a given fare.
governing carrier
The airline whose fares and rules are used on a given itinerary.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Solar based time in Greenwich, England, from which time in all other time zones in the world is based.
ground time
The time not flying.
A booking solution that allows the booking and managing of all ground transportation services, such as limousines, executive sedans, taxis, vans and parking services.
A fare that offers discounts to groups of varying minimum sizes in selected markets, with various conditions, and usually require round trip travel within a specified time limit.
guaranteed hotel reservations
This means that the hotel will hold the room all night. However if the room is not required, failure to cancel will result in a charge. Where reservations are made on an ad hoc basis, rather than through a regular account arrangement, a credit card number will be required to effect this guaranteed reservation.
Hotel rate for accommodation, breakfast and one other meal.
half round trip fare
Half of a fare designated for use on round-trip journeys.
Fee or tax some countries or cities levy on arriving or departing travelers.
Half of the globe; the North and South hemispheres are divided by the Equator; the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans divide the East and West hemispheres.
higher intermediate point (HIP)
A pair of cities within a one-way or half round-trip fare component that has a direct fare higher than the direct fare between the origin and destination of the fare component; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
hotel sourcing
Hotel sourcing or procurement is the process of identifying, negotiating and contracting with hotels to secure accommodations for a specific group, event or organization.
An airport at which an airline centers many of its schedules, particularly connecting flights to smaller destinations.
(see “International Air Transport Association”)*
IATA Number (see “ARC Number”)
Iata rate of exchange (roe).
Rates of exchange designated by IATA to convert local currency to NUCs and to convert NUCs into the currency of commencement of travel.
ICAO (see “International Civil Aviation Organization”)
Interline e-ticket. An interline agreement between airlines that allow e-ticketing on each other’s flights. Interline agreement between airlines permitting travel service cooperation in areas such as: baggage transfer services, guaranteed connection times.
IGK (see “International Gatekeeper”)
Immigration.
Area at which a traveler’s documentation (e.g., Passport and Visa) are verified to ensure the traveler may enter the country.
implant (on-site)
Dedication operational team, based within an office of the client.
implementation
Phase of launching a new relationship, including e.g. opening a new location, training staff, installing technical equipment, and informing clients, travelers and travel arrangers.
inbound travelers
Travelers coming into a specified location are considered inbound. Travelers departing from the location are considered outbound.
A traveler who has not yet reached his/her second birthday.
Term used in the U.S. to describe an implant.
international departure taxes
Taxes levied on all travelers departing a country on an international journey that are, typically collected at the airport at the time of departure.
Between two airlines; TUS-HP-DEN-UA-LON is an interline journey.
interline baggage agreement
An agreement between two air carriers that a carrier will transfer baggage to the other carrier.
interline connection
When a passenger changes airlines as well as aircraft during a journey (same as off-line connection).
interline ticketing agreement
An agreement between two air carriers that permits air travel of one carrier to be on a ticket issued and/or ‘plated’ on another carrier.
intermediate point
A ticketed point of an international journey at which there is no fare break; an intermediate point may be a stopover or connection.
intermediate stop
An enroute stop at a city between the origin and destination (see also Direct Flight).
International Air Transport Association
The world trade association of international air carriers; appoints travel agencies to sell tickets; determines rules and regulations for international carriers. www.iata.org
International Civil Aviation Organization
Specialed agency of the United Nations with responsibility for civil aviation action in standardization, technical co-operation and the formulation of international aviation law. www.iaco.int
A chronological plan showing a traveler’s booked arrangement.
A special through fare (usually only internationally) that permits travel on two or more different airlines.
The origin to final destination of a fare construction.
BCD Travel provides support for KDS. KDS provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.
On outbound journeys, landside includes all those areas of the terminal before you arrive at passport control. On inbound journeys, landside includes all those areas of the terminal after you’re through passport control.
last date of purchase
The date by which a ticket must be issued – fares are not guaranteed until tickets are issued.
last room availability (LRA)
A hotel industry term for ensuring a negotiated rate is always available when standard inventory is available or when the room type negotiated is available.
LDW (see “Loss Damage Waiver”)
One flight; one part of an entire journey.
Lowest Fare Routing. The least expensive airfare available to a destination.
local currency fare (LCF)
See Country Of Payment (COP).
locator reference
Unique identifying booking number used within a computer reservations system as part of a booking file.
In the credit card industry a system used by corporations whereby travel related charges made through designated travel agencies are centrally billed but no plastic card actually exists. Often referred to as “Ghost Card” in the U.S.
Loss Damage Waiver
Additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.
low cost carrier (LCC)
An airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services.
lowest combination principle
Construction of a fare using a particular combination of sector fares to provide the lowest fare when there is no published fare between two points.
Marine Travel
Specialized travel services, available 24/7, provides travel arrangements (including helicopters and charter aircraft) for marine personnel.
Market Number (MK)
A code all online booking tools (OBTs) add at the time each reservation is made, as a way to track PNRs for online adoption and fulfillment purposes. It should never be removed once added to the PNR.
Married Segments
Two or more connecting flight segments joined, or “married,” meaning that these segments are inseparable and the subsequent rebooking or cancellation of any one flight segment must, at the same time, be applied to the connecting flight segment.
maximum permitted mileage (MPM)
The number of miles that may be flown on a published direct fare between origin and destination; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
maximum stay
The maximum amount of time a traveler may stay at a destination before return is required.
MCO (see “Miscellaneous Change Order”)
Meetings, Incentives and Corporate Events. An industry term for a department within a company that offers meeting planning services to customers. BCD Travel’s department is called BCD M&E
midoffice (MO)
An industry term for the management information (MIS) portion of a travel agency’s system.
mileage fare
A fare based on the total miles flown from the origin to destination; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
mileage surcharge
A percentage of fare increase applied to a fare because the routing exceeds the maximum permitted mileage; the percentage is in 5% increments to a maximum of 25%; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
minimum connection time
The amount of time required to change planes; varies by airport and often varies by carrier.
minimum stay
The minimum time a travel traveler must stay at a destination (or be gone ‘away from home’ internationally) before return travel can commence.
miscellaneous charge order (MCO)
An accountable document issued by a travel agency or airline as proof of payment for a specific fee (such as pet service fee) or as residual amount of an exchange (higher priced ticket exchanged for a lower priced ticket) to be used on a future purchase.
Mountain Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Mountain Time or MT.
National Business Travel Association
U.S. business travel association which is a member of IBTA. www.nbta.org
NBTA (see “National Business Travel Association”)
New distribution capability. Read more
negotiated fare/rate
This is a term used by travel agents to descibe reduced airfares that have been negotiated by their air fare specialists on behalf of clients.
neutral units of construction (NUC)
An imaginary currency established by IATA that allows fares of different currencies to be added together; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
Non Last Room Availability. A hotel industry term for restricting availability of a negotiated rate when occupancy levels are high. Negotiated room rate is not guaranteed to be available.
Net Operating Income. A financial term for the amount by which operating revenue exceeds operating expenses in a specific accounting period.
non-endorsable
This expression often appears in the endorsements box of an airline ticket and it means that the flight coupon on which the worlds appear may be used only on the services of the airline indicated.
non-refundable(NR)
A ticket issued on a fare that does not allow for a refund; most non-refundable tickets can be changed for a fee and any difference in fare.
normal fares
The full fare established for first, business, economy or an intermediate class and any other fares published designated as normal fares.
normal open jaw (NOJ)
Travel from a country and return to the same country with a surface sector at either the origin or turnaround point (single open jaw – SOJ) or at both the origin and the turnaround point (double open jaw – DOJ).
An airline passenger or hotel guest who fails to use and/or cancel a reservation.
National Transportation Safety Board. An independent US government agency that investigates accidents including aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads.
OBT and OBLT (see Online Booking Tool”)
Off-airport location.
Usually a car rental office serving an airport but physically located off the airport site (and often picking up renters at the airport in buses or taxis). When the office is located on-site, the term used is on airport location.
A destination that a carrier does not serve; see also Interline.
off-line connections
When a traveler changes airlines as well as aircraft during a journey (may also be referred to as interline connection). Changes of aircraft with the same airline are known as on-line connections.
offline transaction (traditional transaction)
A transaction that initated by an agent following a call/email request by a client.
Time of year or day of the week when travel is less common.
off-line point
Airline term to describe points (areas or cities) they do not serve.
off-loading
This occurs when an airline has over-booked: that is, it has sold more seats on a particular flight than the aircraft has to offer. The passengers to be off-loaded are usually those who have paid the lowest fares. Off-loaded passengers will normally qualify for denied boarding compensation. Passengers may also be off-loaded at the captain’s discretion if they are unfit to travel due to drink, drugs, illness or for bad behavior.
BCD Travel is a re-seller of onesto. On-esto provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.
Online Booking Tool
A web-based platform allowing travelers to make self-service reservations (e.g. Cliqbook, GetThere).
operating carrier
In a codeshare, the airline providing the plane, crew and ground handling services.
online or online point
On the same carrier; TUS-UA-DEN-UA-LON is an online journey.
online adoption
An account’s use of their predetermined online booking tool.
online high touch transaction
A transaction that originates via an online booking tool, but then requires more than one agent intervention (one touch).
online low touch transaction
A transacion that originates via an online booking tool, and then requires agent intervention or manual review/processing that is initated by the customer.
online transaction fee
(E-fulfillment fee) A fulfillment fee canged per online trasaction – that excludes any ‘flow through costs’ charged by the online booking tool provider.
A BCD Travel office located at/on/in a client’s location.
Term used to describe the principle of showing a client the complete cash-flow cycle, including commissions and overrides.
open date sector
Part of a journey for which no firm reservation has been made (usually owing to changeable plans on the part of the traveler) but for which the fare has been paid.
open jaw ticket
Where passengers fly out to one destination and return from another. Open jaw arrangements save backtracking and make a trip more cost effective.
Much-used term for unrestricted air services between several countries.
open ticket
A ticket valid for transportation between two points but has no specific flight reservation.
originating carrier
The first airline of a passenger’s journey and/or portion of a trip.
Other Service Information. A GDS entry that provides information to a carrier that does not require action for traveler action such as contract discount code, record locators of additional family members traveling together (TCP), age information for children/infants, etc.
Travel from the point of origin to the farthest destination.
outplant (off-site)
Dedication operational team, based within a BTC office.
overbooking
Also known as bumping. Airlines and hotels can predict, with some accuracy, how many travelers/guests will show up for previously made reservations; when more people show up than what is expected, travelers/guests are re-accommodated; see also Denied Boarding Compensation.
Abbreviations for ‘passport and visa’ used in the U.K. Some affliates have a specialist team which advises on and acquires passports/visa on behalf of their clients.
Pacific Asia Travel Association
Association which aims to promote travel to Asia Pacific. www.pata.org
PAR (see “Passenger Account Record”)
Passenger account record.
In Galileo, the profile showing passenger information.
passenger facility charges
An airport-designated surcharge to raise funds for airport expansion, renovation, operating costs, etc.
passenger name record
Record held within a CRS/GDS which gives the personal details associated with a particular booking.
An official document issued by a government to its citizens that establishes an individual’s identity and nationality and enables travel abroad.
PATA (see “Pacific Asia Travel Association”)
Abbreviation for passengers.
Payment Card Industry. Security standards set to help protect account data information.
Time of year or day of the week when travel is most common.
A fee charged by a carrier or vendor for changing and/or canceling a reservation or ticket.
Per diem is a daily allowance given to an employee to cover business travel expenses such as lodging, meals and incidentals while traveling for the company. Learn more about per diem .
Penalty excursion fare. Public excursion fare are within minimum stay requirements, but which has no advanced purchase requirements.
PIR (see “Property Irregularity Report”)
Plate / plated.
See Validating Carrier.
PMS (see “Property Management System”)
Pnr (see “passenger name record”).
Purchase Order. A commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller that indicates the quantities and agreed upon prices for products / services.
point-to-point fares
De-regulation has led to a growing number of these on routes throughout the world. They are low fares in first, business, or economy class between two points by direct flights. Stopovers are usually, but not always, prohibited.
Point of Service or Point of Sale. The time and place in which a transaction is made.
prepaid ticket advice (PTA)
A form used when a person is buying a ticket that will be issued at the airport of the same or a different city. Example: A ticket purchased in Chicago to be picked up by the traveler in and for a departure from Buenos Aires.
pre-trip auditing
A product offered by travel management companies that allows for the review of travel itineries before departure to identify savings or prevent unnecessary expenditure.
pricing unit (PU)
A journey, or part of a journey which can be priced and ticketed as a separate entity; a round-trip, circle trip, one-way, normal open jaw or special open jaw; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
pricing unit concept (PUC)
An alternative method of fare construction for multiple-stopover journeys that uses pricing units; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
primary carrier
Airline flying the governing sector (prime segment).
prime segment
The first “true” international journey; often called the “over-the-water” segment; see also Gateway.
A computerized file containing company and traveler information.
promotional fare
A fare designed to attract passengers who would not otherwise travel.
proof of citizenship
Documentation that establishes nationality.
property irregularity report
Form submitted by passengers to ground handling agents at airports in the event of loss or damaged baggage.
property management system
Computer-based system for controlling hotel inventory, check-in and -out and billing.
Pacific Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Pacific Time or PT.
PTA (see “Pre-paid Ticket Advice”)
Public fares (air).
Fares that anyone can obtain and is available in a regular fare display.
Quality of Service Index. An index developed by the Civil Aeronautics Board to provide a comparative rating of service offered by individual airlines.
A computer’s electronic filing system. Also a contact center term for the holding point for a number of calls or interactions that are waiting to be answered by an agent. The calls or interactions are usually assigned to available agents in a first-arrived, first-answered basis, but may also be assigned based on a company’s routing strategies.
queue group
A contact center term for a group of virtual queues. Also referred to as a DN Group or Group of Queues.
The official posted rate for each hotel room.
rate desk (see “International Rate Desk”)
Rate of exchange (roe) (see “iata rate of exchange”), rearden commerce.
BCD Travel is a referrer for Rearden. Rearden provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.
reason codes (RC)
An industry term for codes used to document and report on traveler decisions and behavior.
reconfirmation
Particularly on international flights, passengers are required to indicate their intention of using the next leg of their itinerary by contacting the appropriate carrier before departure; internationally, reconfirmation is requested 72 hours prior to departure.
record locator
A computerized number that identifies a Passenger Name Record – PNR or other reservation; when speaking to travelers, usually called a confirmation number.
red-eye flight
Usually an overnight flight that arrives early in the morning – great when you don’t want to lose precious sightseeing time at your destination.
If necessary for a passenger to change journey en route, the ticket must be reissued. The value of the original ticket will be offset against the new fare and any extra or refund, calculated. Settlement can be direct with airline or with referral to the issuing agent.
BCD Travel is a re-seller for ResX. ResX provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.
return journey
A journey for which the fare is assessed as a single pricing unit using half round-trip fares.
revalidation
If the passenger’s travel date or flight needs to be changed, without affecting the route, there is not always a need to reissue the ticket. The relevant flight coupon is simply revalidated by means of a revalidation sticker.
Revenue Per Available Room. A hotel industry measure that calculates room revenue divided by rooms available (occupancy times average room rate will closely approximate RevPAR.)
Rate Loading Instructions. A hotel industry term for the instructions provided to hotel properties for loading client-specific or TMC-specific rate codes as displayed in the GDS.
room with facilities
Describes a hotel room which has a bathroom en-suite. In some smaller two-star or three-star hotels facilities may refer to toilet and washbasin only.
round-the-world (RTW) (see “Around-the-World”)
A trip that begins and ends in the same city with no un-flown portions; internationally, with the same dollar amount on both portions .
route deal / route incentive
An agreement between a corporate customer and an airline. The agreement allows for an incentive payment to be made to the cient by the airline as a reward for loyalty.
The carrier and/or cities and/or class of service and/or aircraft type via which transportation is provided between two points.
routing fare
A fare based on a specified routing.
run-of-the-house (ROH)
A flat rate for which a hotel offers any of its available rooms.
Schengen Visa
A special visa that permits holders to travel to any of the 25 Schengen member countries on a single visa (rather than obtaining a visa for each country. It is only issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe for leisure, tourism or business travel. Schengen Visa holders are not permitted to live permanently or work in Europe. The following countries are currently active Schengen Visa members: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
A specific time of year for a fare; High Season is the most popular time of year to travel to a specific destination and fares are more expensive at that time; Low Season is the least popular time of year to travel to a specific destination and fares are less expensive at that time; Fares affected by seasonality are usually indicated as such by fare basis coding and/or seasonality details listed in the fare’s rules.
The distance between aircraft seats, measured in inches and commonly used to show a passenger’s legroom.
security surcharge
Surcharge assessed by a carrier to cover costs of airport and in-flight security.
secondary carrier
Airline(s) flying the sectors preceding and/or succeeding the prime segment.
A journey from one point to another.
A flight; see Leg.
self-service reservations
Situation where the traveler makes his/her own reservations. A reservation generated by the customer using an online booking tool.
selling carrier
In a codeshare, the airline offering the flight for sale, under their vendor code
service fee
A fee charged by a travel agency to a company/individual for travel services.
Service Level Agreement
An agreement stating measurable performance commitments made to our customers.
Regular or schedulable bus/van transportation such as from an airport to a downtown location; regular air service on heavily-traveled routes (e.g., BOS-LGA).
A journey from and/or to an enroute point of a fare component.
Accommodations designed for one person.
SLA (see “Service Level Agreement”)
Designated take-off and landing times allocated to airlines at certain airports.
soft opening
Period when new hotel is open for business although not entirely finished – some services of facilities may not yet operate.
Standard Operating Procedure. A set of instructions that define the official standard for a specific process or situation.
Scope of Services. A document that defines the number, type, and intensity or complixity of services to be provided.
space available
Confirmation of a reservation subject to availability at the last moment.
special needs
Atypical traveler needs such as a special meal or wheelchair service.
split ticket(ing)
Issuance of two or more tickets usually for the purpose of obtaining a lower fare; usually applied to international itineraries to take advantage of fare and/or currency conversion differences.
Spouse fare
This type of are applies to selected destinations on a round-trip only basis and offers a discount of 50% to the spouse of a full first class or business class passenger. Economy passengers also qualify where there is no business fare.
SSR (see “Self Service Reservation”)
Special Service Request. A GDS request for a carrier to provide additional action for a traveler such as special meal, ticket number transmission, wheelchair, etc.
standard room
The normal hotel room type, generally with television, and en-suite bathroom.
A passenger on waitlist or one prepared to travel if space becomes available at the last moment.
Interruption of travel for more than domestic US – 4 hours; domestic US as part of an international journey – 12 hours; international – 24 hours .
stopover charge
An additional fee assessed for making a stopover.
STP (see “Satellite Ticket Printer”)
Any extra literature included with the delivery of travel documents.
sub-journey
A self-contained pricing unit that is combined end-on-end with another self-contained pricing unit on the same ticket; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.
surcharge (Q)
An airline-imposed fee included in fare calculations; see also Excess Mileage Surcharge, Fuel Surcharge, and Security Surcharge.
surface sector
Travel from one point or another not by air (ARNK – which stands for Arrival Not Known).
Travel 24. A BCD Travel department that services customers 24 hours a day when their normal business office is closed.
Ticket Fulfillment Location. An industry term for a virtual ticket printer that is shared by various BCD Travel ARC ticketing locations on the same GDS.
through fare
A fare applicable for transportation via an enroute city(ies) between the origin and destination of the fare that allows for intermediate points of travel.
A contract of carriage for an airline to transport a passenger from one point to another.
ticket on departure
Transportation ticket collected at the point of departure such as an airline ticket counter at an airport.
ticketed point
A city for which a flight coupon has been issued.
time and mileage rate
Car rental rate based on fixed charge for the rental period plus a charge for each kilometer or mile driven during the period of the rental.
TOD (see “Ticket on Departure”)
Tourist card.
A registration form required by certain countries indicating a traveler’s intended stay; used in lieu of a Visa and common in Latin America.
transaction
A Ticket issued; defined as all airline and rail tickets (electronic and paper) issued by BCD Travel or reserved by BCD Travel through a third party, regardless of whether the ticket is subsequently used, refunded, or voided in whole or in part. Cancellation of a reservation before a ticket is issued is not considered a transaction. Optional: Hotel and car booking made, regardless of whether or not the traveler uses the hotel or car reservation.
transaction – domestic air
Domestic – travel between two destinations that are within the same country. e.g. Frankfurt to Berlin
transaction – regional air
Regional – Travel within the same continent. e.g. Madrid to London
transaction – international air
International – Travel between two continents. e.g. New York to London
transaction – offline – traditional
A transaction that is initiated by an agent following a call/email request by a client
transaction – online high touch
Transaction – online low touch.
A transaction that originates via an online booking tool and then requires agent intervention or manual review/processing that is initiated by the customer.
transaction – online no touch
“Touchless E-fulfillment transaction” An electronic transaction entirely processed through an online booking tool and BCD central fulfillment service, without any agent intervention and where invoicing is provided via email.
A point at which the passenger changes aircraft; if the change is to/from the same carrier, it is an online transfer; if the change is to/from different carriers, it is an interline transfer.
transit lounge
An area within an airport for the sole purpose of international flight connections; travelers do not clear immigration or customs to enter the transit lounge as it is considered to be an international point.
transit point
Any stop at an intermediate point which does not fall into the definition of a stopover whether or not a change of planes is involved.
Travel Management Company
A travel management company (TMC) is a company that provides corporate travel services to businesses.
A BCD Travel umbrella brand name for our technology suite, which includes a variety of products listed below. read more
- TripSource:Active Itinerary A single point of access for traveler and travel arrangers for active and historical travel detail, including real time flight status, itinerary details, destination information and invoicing, billing and expense information.
- TripSource:Flight Alert Keeps travelers informed & productive while on the road by providing flight status information, including delays and real-time gate changes, for BCD Travel bookings.
- TripSource:Fulfillment Drive touch-less transactions with as little human intervention as possible while driving traveler contact behavior to minimize touches.
- TripSource:Portal (TSP) A comprehensive global solution to address traveler needs, travel program and corporation objectives. Arming travelers with rich content, productivity tools and critical safeguards for business travel, TripSource:Portal empowers travel programs as a centralized communications vehicle to deliver relevant, timely information and critical alerts to targeted audiences. The Portal expands traveler services while aligning program needs to drive savings, support business objectives and avoid corporate travel program risks.
- TripSource:Profile Manager (TSPM) Drives optimal data management by integrating profile management and online booking, and promoting secure web-based self-service maintenance of traveler-level detail.
- TripSource:Quality Measurement (TSQM) Ensures a means to track and manage supplier & transaction quality in addition to resolution of client concerns.
- TripSource:Rail Search (TSRS) BCD own rail booking tool for Deutsche Bahn only.
- TripSource:Ticket Tracker BCD manages and recovers committed travel dollars. Based on markets and supplier rules, BCD communicates with travelers to prevent loss of committed funds and when to apply unused funds toward future travel.
- TripSource:Trip Authorizer In response to growing concern for compliance, this module enables clients to implement pre-trip authorization requirements as well as post-ticketing compliance reporting.
Transportation Security Administration
twin for sole use
A twin-bedded reserved for sole occupency and charged out at a rate that falls between the single and double room price.
Two Factor Authentication
Also known as 2FA. Method of accessing a secure environment where a person proves their identity with two of three methods
User-Defined Interface Data. UDID remarks are standard and contain predefined reporting information such as lost hotel night reason codes, merchant billing codes or additional traveler data fields.
unlimited mileage rate
Car rental rate that covers all costs, other than insurance and petrol, for the duration of the rental, regardless of the distance driven.
Move to a better class of airline service, larger rental car or more luxurious hotel room.
validating carrier
Airline designated as the “owning” ticketed carrier; the carrier on whose “plate” the ticket is issued. The validating carrier is the carrier to which payment is submitted and is usually the first carrier on the itinerary (domestic) or the carrier on the first international flight (international). If a ticket is issued on multiple carriers or is validated on a carrier not on the itinerary, the validating carrier is responsible for payment to the other airlines on the ticket.
The process of stamping an air ticket or other airline document, at the time of issue, with the issue date, name and location of the issuing office and its IATA code number. Tickets not bearing such a stamp re invalid and will not be accepted by airlines.
value-added tax (VAT)
A general tax that applies, in principle, to all commercial activities involving the production and distribution of goods and the provision of services.
VAT reclaim
Value-added tax, or VAT, is included in hotel, dining and car rental bills and more when travelers go to countries that assess the tax. It can be a significant expense: VAT rates can be as high as 25%. The good news is most T&E-related VAT is eligible for reclaim. The bad news: In the past, it’s been hard to collect. But automation has made VAT reclaim for European Union transactions much easier. BCD Travel has partnered with VAT-recovery firm Taxeo to automate the process.
virtual credit card (VCC)
A VCC isn’t a physical card, but it has many of the same features as plastic corporate cards.
virtual payment
A virtual payment is a terminal-based payment method where the payment is delivered through a virtual card (VCC) instead of by check or cash.
An endorsement or stamp placed into a passport by officials of a foreign government giving a traveler permission to visit; not all countries require visas.
VCC (Virtual Call Center)
A network of call centers where the client calls one phone number, regardless of where they are based, that will be routed through to an available agent. For multi-national accounts this service would be multi-lingual as appropriate.
Virtual Multiple Purpose Document. A document issued by a travel agency or airline, working with BSP, as proof of payment for transactions and services, either related to an eticket already issued (example: rebooking fees) or for services other than flights (for items like surface transportation, transfers, and excess luggage charges).
A traffic document which has been spoiled or canceled.
Documents issued to confirm arrangements or used to be exchanged for services.
A list of people seeking a travel service that is sold out; generally, as other travelers cancel, waitlisted individuals are confirmed in the order in which their waitlist request was received – sometimes prioritized by frequent traveler membership.
When a hotel is sold out and there are no rooms available for a person who has a confirmed reservation, the hotel provide alternate accommodations at a different hotel.
an agreement to pay to use an aircraft with a crew , fuel, and insurance
wide-body aircraft
Aircraft with wide passenger cabins and seating configurations that require more than one aisle. Current models include Boeing 747, 777 or Airbus A380, A350
system that checks hand luggage at an airport, without damaging, for example, light-sensitive film material or laptops.
Yield Management
is a variable pricing strategy, based on understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize revenue or profits from a fixed, time-limited resource (such as airline seats or hotel room reservations).
Zulu Time Zone (Z) has no offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Zulu Time Zone is often used in aviation and the military as another name for UTC +0. Zulu time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), is the time zone used by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. It is the basis for all other time zones in the world.
2FA, or two-factor authentication, is an extra layer of security used to protect online accounts. In addition to a password, users are also required to enter a code that is sent to their mobile device. This makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to an account, as they would need to have both the password and the code.
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Japan Warns of Elevated Risk of Giant Earthquake After Strong One Hits
The official warning came after a 7.1-magnitude temblor struck off the coast of southern Japan on Thursday.
Strong Earthquake Hits Southern Japan
Shake intensity.
![River Akira Davis River Akira Davis](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/06/14/reader-center/author-river-akira-davis/author-river-akira-davis-thumbLarge.png)
By River Akira Davis Kiuko Notoya Hisako Ueno and Victoria Kim
River Akira Davis, Kiuko Notoya and Hisako Ueno reported from Tokyo, and Victoria Kim from Seoul.
Japan’s meteorological agency said on Thursday that there was a higher-than-usual chance that an immense earthquake could hit the country in the next few days, following a 7.1-magnitude temblor off the southern island of Kyushu.
Japan has long expected a major earthquake to occur along the Nankai Trough off its eastern coast. As of last year, researchers said there was a 60 percent chance that an earthquake of magnitude 8 to 9 — even more devastating than the one in 2011 that laid waste to the country’s northeast coast and knocked out cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — would occur in the trough area over the next 20 years.
After the 7.1-magnitude quake on Thursday, Japan’s meteorological agency convened a group of experts to evaluate whether it could be related to the long-anticipated bigger disaster, called a “Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake.”
Experts warn that an earthquake between two tectonic plates that converge along the Nankai megathrust fault, which runs from Kyushu north through Tokyo, could cause devastation. It could extensively damage cities throughout Japan, potentially cause a tsunami and lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
“The possibility of a large-scale earthquake occurring in the area of the Nankai Trough is relatively higher than usual,” the meteorological agency said in a statement late Thursday.
The risk that an earthquake of magnitude of 8 or higher would occur after one with a magnitude of 7 is particularly elevated for about a week after the initial temblor, the agency said.
![travel agency area definition A group of people in bright orange hats crouch on the ground, and a couple of people remain standing. A large statue looms in the background.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/08/08/multimedia/08quake-japan-pinned-nagasaki-wghl/08quake-japan-pinned-nagasaki-wghl-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)
Japan’s meteorological agency issued a “caution” level of warning on Thursday. The next step up would be an “alert,” which would advise residents to evacuate from areas deemed a tsunami risk. The agency said it was the first time Japan had issued a “caution.”
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged people to ensure that they were ready at all times in case an earthquake occurred and they had to evacuate. He told reporters that the government was on high alert.
Earlier on Thursday, a tsunami advisory was issued for coastal regions on the southern Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku after the 7.1-magnitude quake. As of late Thursday evening, the maximum height of waves recorded reached about a foot and a half off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu.
A handful of injuries but no deaths were reported related to the earthquake. Footage showed images of strong shaking in buildings in Miyazaki Prefecture, but damage in the area appeared to be minimal. The earthquake occurred less than 20 miles off the coast of Miyazaki, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Bullet train service was temporarily halted on Kyushu, and the Miyazaki Airport suspended takeoffs and landings to inspect runways for any damage. Both bullet train and airport operations resumed later Thursday evening.
The Kyushu Electric Power Company said its nuclear power plants were operating normally.
Separate from the heightened possibility of a Nankai Trough earthquake, Japan’s meteorological agency advised being alert for aftershocks of a similar magnitude off the eastern coast of Miyazaki Prefecture over the next week. It said that landslides could also be a risk if there is rain in the coming days.
An earlier version of this article used an incorrect map showing an earthquake on Japan’s west coast. The earthquakes occurred on Japan’s east coast.
How we handle corrections
River Akira Davis covers Japan, including its economy and businesses, and is based in Tokyo. More about River Akira Davis
Kiuko Notoya is a Tokyo-based reporter and researcher, covering news and features from Japan. More about Kiuko Notoya
Hisako Ueno is a reporter and researcher based in Tokyo, writing on Japanese politics, business, labor, gender and culture. More about Hisako Ueno
Victoria Kim is a reporter based in Seoul and focuses on breaking news coverage across the world. More about Victoria Kim
Around the World With The Times
Our reporters across the globe take you into the field..
China’s New Great Wall: China has built dozens of villages along its disputed borders , a New York Times analysis found. These outposts are one way that Beijing is projecting its power abroad.
France’s Triumph of Ambition: Away from the Olympics, France may be mired in political problems, but its pride in staging a remarkable Games appears likely to endure for a long time .
Venezuela’s Political Crisis: President Nicolás Maduro believed the Venezuelan government’s control of all levers of power would give him an election victory. Then came the shock .
Summer Camps in Ukraine: As the once carefree summers of Ukrainian childhood and young adulthood are forever altered by war, traditional camps have taken on a more patriotic tone .
A Beloved Italian Path Reopens: After 12 years and a 24 million euro makeover, officials hope the reopening of the Via dell’Amore in Cinque Terre will be an opportunity to rethink tourism in the popular area .
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Strong earthquake with 7.1 magnitude hits off southern Japan, sparking new concern over major quakes
Updated on: August 8, 2024 / 1:40 PM EDT / CBS/AP
A powerful earthquake struck off southern Japan on Thursday, causing mostly minor injuries but raising the level of concern over possible major quakes stemming from an undersea trough east of the coast.
The quake prompted seismologists to hold an emergency meeting in which they raised the level of risk of major quakes associated with the Nankai Trough — the source of past devastating earthquakes — east of southern Japan. They issued an assessment that the potential for a future quake in the area from Kyushu to central Japan is higher than previously predicted.
The agency said it will continue to closely watch movements of plates near the Nankai Trough.
That does not mean there's an imminent danger of a big quake in the near future, but they urged residents on the coasts along the trough — which spans about 500 kilometers (310 miles) — to review their quake preparedness, University of Tokyo seismologist Naoshi Hirata, a member of an expert panel, told a joint news conference with JMA officials.
There is a 70-80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 quake stemming from the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years, Hirata said, adding that Thursday's quake raises that probability even while the timing or exact location cannot be predicted. He urged residents to keep their caution levels high for a week for the time being.
Thursday's quake registered magnitude 7.1 and was centered in waters off the eastern coast of Kyushu at a depth of about 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) below sea surface, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake most strongly shook Nichinan city and nearby areas in Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu island.
The agency said tsunami waves of up to 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) were detected along parts of Kyushu's southern coast and the nearby island of Shikoku about a half hour after the quake struck. Tsunami advisories were issued, but lifted for most areas three hours later, and for all remaining coastlines five and a half hours later.
Officials said nine people were injured on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu, but the injuries were mostly minor. There were no reports of serious damage.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that the government crisis management team was to step up disaster preparedness, and called on residents to pay close attention to information from the authorities in case of another big one and never to spread disinformation.
The United States Geological Survey gave Thursday's earthquake a yellow alert for estimated economic losses, meaning "some damage is possible and the impact should be relatively localized." It gave the quake a green alert for estimated fatalities, meaning "there is a low likelihood of [shaking-related] casualties."
JMA Seismology Department official Shigeki Aoki warned that strong aftershocks could occur for about a week.
Japan's NHK public television said windows were broken at the Miyazaki airport near the epicenter. The airport's runway was temporarily closed for safety checks.
Kyushu "shinkansen" super-express trains returned to normal operations after temporary safety checks, but a number of local train lines in the quake-hit areas were to be suspended through Friday, according to Kyushu Railway Co.
NHK showed dozens of people gathering at a designated hilltop evacuation area.
In Osaki in neighboring Kagoshima prefecture, concrete walls collapsed and a wooden house was damaged, but no injuries were reported.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors, including three that are currently operating, on Kyushu and Shikoku remained safe.
Earthquakes in areas with nuclear power plants have been a major concern since a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
An earthquake on Jan. 1 in Japan's north-central regio n of Noto left more than 240 people dead.
Haley Ott contributed to this report.
- Earthquakes
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What does travel agency mean?
Definitions for travel agency trav·el agen·cy, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word travel agency ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 2.0 / 1 vote.
- travel agency noun
an agency that arranges personal travel
Wiktionary Rate this definition: 1.0 / 1 vote
a company that arranges personal travel and accomodation for travellers
Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes
Travel agency
A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destination. Travel agencies can provide outdoor recreation activities, airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, travel insurance, package tours, insurance, guide books, VIP airport lounge access, arranging logistics for luggage and medical items delivery for travellers upon request, public transport timetables, car rentals, and bureau de change services. Travel agencies can also serve as general sales agents for airlines that do not have offices in a specific region. A travel agency's main function is to act as an agent, selling travel products and services on behalf of a supplier. They are also called Travel Advisors. They do not keep inventory in-hand unless they have pre-booked hotel rooms or cabins on a cruise ship for a group travel event such as a wedding, honeymoon, or other group event.
ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes
Travel agency.
A travel agency is a company or organization that provides various services related to travel and tourism. They assist individuals or groups in planning, organizing, and booking their trips, including accommodations, transportation, tour packages, and other travel-related services. Travel agencies offer expertise and advice on destinations, travel itineraries, visa requirements, travel insurance, and often have access to discounted rates or exclusive deals from airlines, hotels, cruises, car rentals, and other travel suppliers. They act as intermediaries between travelers and travel suppliers, handling all the necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth and hassle-free travel experience.
Wikidata Rate this definition: 4.4 / 5 votes
A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides tourism related services to the public on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, and package tours. In addition to dealing with ordinary tourists most travel agencies have a separate department devoted to making travel arrangements for business travelers and some travel agencies specialize in commercial and business travel only. There are also travel agencies that serve as general sales agents for foreign travel companies, allowing them to have offices in countries other than where their headquarters are located.
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How to pronounce travel agency.
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How to say travel agency in sign language?
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of travel agency in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of travel agency in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of travel agency in a Sentence
Kaan Kavaloğlu :
We are in close contact with the tour operators of different countries and OTA [online travel agency ] colleagues, who confirm that Türkiye is gearing up for another record-breaking summer season at all of its major destinations.
Brad Towle :
We traveled to accommodations, took pictures and registered information almost day and night for many months on end, it was the first time for a community in Japan to start their own travel agency and reservation system for both domestic and international travelers.
Kenya Airways :
If we do not adopt an OTA (online travel agency ) business model, we will become technology companies' sub-divisions, if Amazon wanted to buy two or three airlines that wouldn't be an effort for them. I think the only reason they don't do it is because it is not practical. It is much better to have the problems outside and take the margin yourself.
- ^ Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=travel agency
- ^ Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Travel_Agency
- ^ Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_Agency
- ^ ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
- ^ Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=travel agency
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Taganrog city, Russia
The city of Rostov oblast .
Taganrog - Overview
Taganrog is a city in Russia, the second largest city of the Rostov region. It is located on the northern shore of the Taganrog Bay (the Azov Sea), about 50 km from the mouth of the Don River and the border with Ukraine, 1,144 km south of Moscow, 77 km west of Rostov-on-Don (the capital of the region).
The population of Taganrog is about 245,600 (2022), the area - 95 sq. km.
The phone code - +7 8634, the postal codes - 347900-347942.
Taganrog city flag
Taganrog city coat of arms.
![travel agency area definition Taganrog city coat of arms](https://russiatrek.org/images/arms/sm/taganrog-city-arms.jpg)
Taganrog city map, Russia
History of taganrog.
In the 7th-6th centuries B.C., according to archaeological research, there was a Greek settlement on the territory of present Taganrog. Today, there are no remains of this settlement. It was founded in the second half of the 7th century B.C. and destroyed in the second half of the 6th century B.C., probably by nomadic Scythians.
Taganrog was first mentioned in written sources in 1698. It was founded after the capture of Azov by Peter’s I order as a fortress and harbor for the Russian Navy. Taganrog became the first Russian naval base and seaport on the open coast. It was also the first Russian town built on a regular plan.
The fortress was originally called Troyetsk, then Troitsk and finally Taganrog. Peter I even intended to transfer the capital of the country to Taganrog. But Russia lost the war against Turkey and it determined the fate of the town.
More Historical Facts…
Under the terms of the peace treaty, Russia was to destroy the harbor and the town itself. By February 1712, these works were completed. In 1769, during another Russian-Turkish war, the restoration of Taganrog began by Catherine’s the Great order.
Taganrog lost its military importance after the founding of Sevastopol in 1783. The town turned into the largest trade port in the Russian Empire.
In 1820, A.S.Pushkin stayed in Taganrog during his trip to the Caucasus. He spent the night in the house of P.A.Papkov, the mayor of the town. In 1825, the Emperor Alexander I died in this house (corner of Grecheskaya Street, 40 and Dvortsovy (Nekrasovsky) Avenue). Later, the memorial museum of the Emperor Alexander I was opened in the house.
In May 1855, during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, the English-French squadron entered the Sea of Azov, trying to deprive the Russian army in the Crimea its rear bases. The squadron bombarded Taganrog and tried to make a landing. The gunboat “Jasper” was destroyed by Cossacks during the landing operation near Taganrog. In August, the squadron stopped unsuccessful attempts and left the Sea of Azov.
Fertile agricultural regions located close to the town contributed to its development. Taganrog became an important center for the wheat and flax trade. In 1869, the railroad connected the town with Kharkov and Rostov-on-Don.
In the 19th century, Taganrog continued to be a major center of trade. Today, there are several houses of Italian and Greek merchants that retained since that time. At the end of the 19th century, the local industry began to develop quickly; metallurgical, boiler and machine-building plants were constructed. In 1908, the first power station was built.
In 1918-1920, during the Russian Civil War, the General Headquarters of Denikin (the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian South) was located in Taganrog. Since 1937, the city is part of the Rostov region. Taganrog was occupied by the Germans for almost two years during World War II. After the war, the local economy recovered rapidly.
Taganrog views
![travel agency area definition Taganrog - the view from above](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-russia-city-view.jpg)
Taganrog - the view from above
Author: Egor Selyanko
![travel agency area definition On the seafront in Taganrog](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-view.jpg)
On the seafront in Taganrog
Author: Ann Genergart
![travel agency area definition Taganrog street view](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-street-view.jpg)
Taganrog street view
Author: Andrey Kholyavkin
Taganrog - Features
Taganrog is a seaside city located in the south-west of the Rostov region. The climate is relatively dry, temperate continental. The average temperature in December - minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 24.6 degrees Celsius.
The city got its name from Taganiy Rog Cape on which it is located. It is a large industrial, scientific, cultural, and historical center, one of the largest seaports in the south of Russia.
The largest enterprise of the city is Taganrog metallurgical plant: steel production, steel pipes for the oil and gas industry. Mechanical engineering is well developed in the city: boiler equipment for power stations, forge and press equipment, harvesters. Also there are military, chemical, light and food industry plants.
Public transport is presented by trams, trolleybuses, buses, and minibuses. Railway connects Taganrog with Rostov-on-Don, the cities and towns of the Donetsk region (Ukraine). The highway Rostov-on-Don - Mariupol (Ukraine) passes through the city.
Taganrog gave Russia and the world a lot of outstanding people: A.P.Chekhov (his 150th anniversary was celebrated in 2010), F.G.Ranevskaya, K.A.Savitsky, A.K.Kuindzhi, K.G.Paustovsky, I.D.Vasilenko, A.A.Durov, Ye.V.Obraztsova, M.I.Tanich.
Attractions of Taganrog
Passenger ships and yachts carry out walks in the Azov and Black Seas, the Don River. The following river cruises are available: Moscow-Taganrog-Moscow, Samara-Taganrog-Samara, Moscow-Taganrog-Yeisk-Moscow. The city has a yacht club, boat stations, piers.
Taganrog stone stairs (Depaldo Stone Steps), connecting Grecheskaya street with Pushkinskaya Embankment, is one of the main attractions of the city (the length - 108 m, the width - 6.5 m). Park of Culture and Rest named after Gorky (Petrovskaya Street, 104) is the main resting place after the sea, a park for a family holiday.
- Taganrog Local History Museum (Frunze Street, 41),
- Taganrog Museum of Art (Aleksandrovskaya Street, 54),
- Museum of Urbanism (Frunze Street, 80),
- Literary Museum of Anton Chekhov (Oktyabrskaya Street, 9),
- Museum “House of Anton Chekhov” (Chekhova Street, 69),
- Museum “Chekhov’s Shop” (Aleksandrovskaya Street, 100),
- Taganrog Military Museum (Lesnaya Birzha Street, 20b),
- House-Museum of I.D.Vasilenko (Chekhova Street, 88),
- House-Museum of A.A.Durov (Glushko Lane, 44),
- Gallery “Piter” (Chekhova Street, 2),
- House of Tchaikovsky (Grecheskaya Street, 56),
- Taganrog Museum of Aviation Technology (Tsiolkovsky Street, 42).
Theaters and other cultural institutions
- Drama Theater named after Chekhov (Petrovskaya Street, 90),
- Youth Theater named after N. Malygina (Petrovskaya Street, 89),
- Theater “SaD” (Petrovskaya Street, 104),
- Taganrog Circus (Chekhova Street, 100).
Taganrog city of Russia photos
Pictures of taganrog.
![travel agency area definition Taganrog architecture](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-scenery.jpg)
Taganrog architecture
Author: A.Levushkin
![travel agency area definition Egyptian Pyramid Sculpture in Taganrog](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-russia-city-scenery.jpg)
Egyptian Pyramid Sculpture in Taganrog
Author: Pavel M. Vasiliev
![travel agency area definition Taganrog seaport](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-russia-city-port-view.jpg)
Taganrog seaport
Author: Alena Amplieva
Taganrog places
![travel agency area definition Taganrog railway station](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-railway-station.jpg)
Taganrog railway station
Author: Sergey Kholodilnikov
![travel agency area definition Taganrog university](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-russia-city-university.jpg)
Taganrog university
Author: Max Ivanuk
![travel agency area definition Taganrog water park](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-water-park.jpg)
Taganrog water park
Sights of Taganrog
![travel agency area definition Chekhov's House in Taganrog](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-russia-city-chekhov-house.jpg)
Chekhov's House in Taganrog
![travel agency area definition Ranevskaya monument in Taganrog](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-ranevskaya-monument.jpg)
Ranevskaya monument in Taganrog
![travel agency area definition Peter I monument in Taganrog](https://russiatrek.org/images/photo/sm/taganrog-city-peter-the-great-monument.jpg)
Peter I monument in Taganrog
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A travel agency is a business that helps people and groups choose, plan, and book travel-related services. Flights, hotels, rides, trips, sports, and other things can be a part of these services. Most travel companies know about a lot of different trips that their clients can take that fit their wants and budgets.
Travel agency is a firm which has full knowledge about tourists product - destinations, modes of travel, climate, accommodation and other areas of the service sector.
A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism -related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destination. Travel agencies can provide outdoor recreation, arranging logistics for luggage and medical items ...
Travel agencies can be categories on the basis of business or leisure such as: Leisure Travel Agency: These types of travel agencies manly serve holidaymakers with package tours. Business Travel agency: Today, business travel has become core area for many travel agencies. Business travel agency arrange travel for business travelers and ...
Jul 30, 2023. --. What is a travel agency? A travel agency serves as the "middle man" between the general public, or consumers, and travel firms. On behalf of larger businesses, they arrange ...
Discover what a travel agency is, its definition, functions, benefits, and types. Learn how to choose the right travel agency for your needs.
travel agency: [noun] an agency engaged in selling and arranging transportation, accommodations, tours, and trips for travelers — called also#R##N# travel bureau.
Learn about the different types of travel agents and their business models in this informative article written by Dr Hayley Stainton.
What is a Travel Agent? A travel agent assists individuals or groups in planning, organizing, and booking various aspects of their travel arrangements. They act as intermediaries between travelers and travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and tour operators. Travel agents have in-depth knowledge of different ...
They book all sorts of travel-related experiences for customers on behalf of larger companies. The main aim of a travel agency is to make the booking process simpler for the public, who might lack the time or confidence to book trips themselves. Types of travel agencies. So what does a travel agency do?
Travel agency definition: a business that accommodates travelers, as by securing tickets, arranging for reservations, and giving information.. See examples of TRAVEL AGENCY used in a sentence.
TRAVEL AGENCY definition: 1. a company or shop that makes travel arrangements for people 2. a company or shop that makes…. Learn more.
TRAVEL AGENCY meaning: 1. a company or shop that makes travel arrangements for people 2. a company or shop that makes…. Learn more.
An individual or company that sells tour packages and tour product to travel agents. Tour wholesalers usually receive a 20% discount from accommodations, transportation companies and attractions and pass on a 10 to 15% discount to the retail agent. Travel agency.
The target market for a travel agency can include backpackers, couples, families with small and older children, retirees, business travelers and travelers looking for luxury.
Earthquakes along the Nankai Trough - an area of seismic activity which stretches along Japan's Pacific coast - have already been responsible for thousands of deaths.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 and was centered off the eastern coast of Japan's southern main island of Kyushu at a depth of about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
Japan issued a "megaquake advisory" following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake off its coast. That raised the risk of a larger quake on the Nankai Trough, an underwater subduction zone.
A magnitude-5.3 earthquake hit Tokyo and eastern parts of Japan on Friday evening, the government said, a day after it issued the first-ever advisory about the risk of a huge earthquake in the ...
The travel industry is replete with jargon and acronyms and we hope you find this glossary/dictionary of travel terms useful.
Japan issued a tsunami warning Thursday after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern island of Kyushu.
The Travel Glossary - find the best Terms, Definitions and Acronyms Travel terms, glossary, definitions and acronyms of the travel industry from A - Z. Click on a letter to see the terms and descriptions in our glossary.
The official warning came after a 7.1-magnitude temblor struck off the coast of southern Japan on Thursday.
Travel agency definition: a business that accommodates travelers, as by securing tickets, arranging for reservations, and giving information.. See examples of TRAVEL AGENCY used in a sentence.
The prime minister says the government is "doing everything we can" to ensure adequate police resources are in place.
A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off Japan's southern coast on Thursday.
Rostov-on-Don [a] is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, 32 kilometers (20 mi) from the Sea of Azov, directly north of the North Caucasus. The southwestern suburbs of the city lie above the Don river delta. Rostov-on-Don has a population of over one ...
Definition of travel agency in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of travel agency. What does travel agency mean? Information and translations of travel agency in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.
Taganrog - Overview Taganrog is a city in Russia, the second largest city of the Rostov region. It is located on the northern shore of the Taganrog Bay (the Azov Sea), about 50 km from the mouth of the Don River and the border with Ukraine, 1,144 km south of Moscow, 77 km west of Rostov-on-Don (the capital of the region).
This city travel guide to Rostov-on-Don is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!