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SERVICES: SECTOR BY SECTOR

Tourism and travel-related services

Tourism plays an important role for nearly all WTO members, especially in terms of its contribution to employment, GDP, and the generation of foreign exchange. Tourism-related services are typically labour-intensive, with numerous links to other major segments of the economy, such as transport, cultural and creative services, or financial and insurance services.

Tourism and travel-related services include services provided by hotels and restaurants (including catering), travel agencies and tour operator services, tourist guide services and other related services.

A crucial aspect of trade in tourism services is the cross-border movement of consumers (mode 2). This permits a variety of workers, including those in remote areas, to become services exporters — for instance, by guiding tourists, performing in local events, or working in tourist accommodation. While digitalisation offers great potential for many aspects of tourism services, the sector continues to depend highly on the cross-border movement of both customers and employees, and remains strongly linked to transport services.

Current commitments and exemptions

Tourism commitments have been undertaken by over 133 WTO members, more than in any other service sector. This indicates the desire of most members to expand their tourism sectors and to increase inward foreign direct investment (FDI) as part of their efforts to promote economic growth.

The level of commitments by sub-sector varies widely for tourism and travel-related services. Commitments on services provided by hotels and restaurants are the most frequent, with a significantly smaller number of WTO members making commitments on travel agencies and tour operator services. Only about half of members with commitments on tourism have included tourist guide services, and only a few members have made commitments for the “other” tourism services category.

• Schedules of WTO Members with Specific Commitments on Tourism Services

Treatment of the sector in negotiations

Tourism services, like other services covered by the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), were included in the services negotiations that began in 2000.

One of the earliest documents was a proposal for a GATS Annex on Tourism, originally sponsored by the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Honduras ( S/C/W/127 and S/C/W/127/Corr.1 ). The proposal had two main aspects: more comprehensive treatment of the tourism sector (with respect to classification issues), and the prevention of anti-competitive practices. As part of the plurilateral process, a joint request was made by a group of developing countries, asking for improved tourism commitments for all modes of supply.

• Proposals and related negotiating documents on tourism services

Additional information

Search Documents Online These links open a new window: allow a moment for the results to appear.

• Secretariat background notes on tourism services (Document code S/C/W/* and keyword “tourism and Background Note”)   > search    > help
• Tourism services (Document code S/CSS/W/* or TN/S/W/* and Title “Tourism”)    > search

You can perform more sophisticated searches from the Documents Online search facility by defining multiple search criteria such as document symbol (i.e. code number), full text search or document date.

Some useful links 

• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
• OECD Tourism Unit (Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities)

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The 3 types of travel and tourism organisations

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There are many different types of travel and tourism organisations. From tour operators to airlines, to tourist boards and conservation activists, each organisation is different. However, most travel and tourism organisations can be grouped into one of three categories: private, public or voluntary. In this article I will explain what’s meant by each type of thew types of travel and tourism organisations.

Types of travel and tourism organisations

What is a private travel and tourism organisation, aims of private travel and tourism organisations, tour operators, travel agents, transport organisations and hubs, visitor attractions, accommodation providers, what is a public travel and tourism organisation, aims of public travel and tourism organisations, tourist information centres, tourist boards, local transport organisations, regulatory bodies, government bodies, what is a voluntary travel and tourism organisation, aims of voluntary travelled tourism organisations, pressure groups, types of travel and tourism organisations: to conclude, further reading.

Travel and tourism is big business and there are many different types of travel and tourism organisations. Many argue that the tourism industry is the biggest industry in the world, employing more people than any other industry! There are many different components of tourism , meaning that there are a wide range of organisations that are involved in the operational logistics of tourism management.

The types of travel and tourism organisations can be broadly separated into one of three categories: private, public and voluntary. Below, I will explain what is meant by each type of organisation.

Private travel and tourism organisations

The first, and most common, types of travel and tourism organisations are privately owned. The majority of the travel and tourism industry is made up of private travel and tourism organisations. This includes many of the well-known companies that most of us are familiar with.

A private organisation is one that is owned by an individual person, a group of people or company.

Sometimes private organisations are public limited companies (PLCs). This means that the company is owned by many people who buy shares in the organisation. These shares are sold on the stock market. The price of shares goes up and down depending on the market value of the company.

Private travel and tourism organisations come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small companies, often known as small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Others are large companies, multinational companies and conglomerates.

Staff who work for a private travel and tourism organisation are generally paid a salary. Although travel and tourism salaries are often quite low, especially in developing countries!

These types of travel and tourism organisations have several aims. First and foremost, most private organisations aim to make a profit. Their most dominant motive is making money.

Many private travel and tourism organisations will also aim to increase their market share. This means that the company wants more customers than its competitors.

Private companies will often aim to grow their business and increase their turnover each year. In other words, they want to make more and more money every year.

Increasing revenue can be difficult and complicated. The infographic below gives you some idea of the aspects that need to be considered by a travel and tourism organisation when planning for growth and development.

Image is an important part of being a successful travel and tourism business. Private organisations will often try to portray a good image and/or improve their image. They can do this through taking on social projects , demonstrating a commitment to environmental conservation or through charitable acts.

This is often referred to as corporate social responsibility.

Another way that private travel and tourism organisations can make more money and increase their profit is to diversify the range of products and services that they offer. In other words, the more different products/services that they sell, the more customers that they can potentially attract.

Examples of private travel and tourism organisations

There are many different private types of travel and tourism organisations. In fact, most organisations in the travel and tourism industry are privately owned! Below are some examples:

A tour operator is an organisations who puts together, or builds, a holiday.

There are many tour operators all over the world in all shapes and sizes. You may be familiar with some of the larger brands, such as TUI and Hays Travel.

A travel agent is the person who sells you a holiday. They can also sell individual travel products, such as flights or ancillaries (e.g. insurance, car hire, attraction tickets). There are several different types of travel agents .

Examples of travel agents that you may be familiar with include Cooperative Travel, Crystal Corporate and Virgin Holidays.

Transport is a key component of tourism and there are different methods of transport depending on the holiday.

A hub is a connecting point, where passengers may change transport options. For examples major airports bus station or a railway station.

Examples of major transport operators that you may be familiar with includes British Airways, Virgin Trains and Mega Bus.

Examples of major hubs include London Heathrow Airport, London Waterloo train station and London Victoria bus station.

Do you enjoy learning about travel and tourism? Follow my stories on Instagram for more on tourism theory and everyday travelling fun!

Many, but not all, visitor attractions are private travel and tourism organisations.

The types of visitor attractions vary widely, from theme parks to botanic gardens to historical buildings.

Examples of private visitor attractions that you may have heard of includes Disney Land, Paris, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Brighton Sea Life Centre.

Most accommodatio providers are privately owned.

There are many different types of accommodations ranging from bed and breakfast to caravans to hotels.

Accommodation providers that you may be familiar with include Hilton Hotel, Travel Lodge and Airbnb. Airbnb is a major player in the tourism industry in recent years- you can learn all about this business (and get a discount off of your first booking!) in this article- what is Airbnb?

Public travel and tourism organisations

Public travel and tourism organisations make up an important part of the travel and tourism industry . Public organisations provide many of the essentials fundamentals that enable the tourism industry to function. These types of travel and tourism organisations are less common than private organisations, but are an important part of the travel and tourism industry.

These types of travel and tourism organisations is an organisation that is owned or funded by the government.

Public organisations can be local organisations, i.e. smaller companies theatre based in specific local areas. Public organisations can also be national organisations, i.e. they operate on a country-wide level.

Public travel and tourism organisations will likely have paid staff as well as volunteers, who are unpaid.

The main aim of these types of travel and tourism organisations is to provide services to the public.

Public organisations are allocated funding by the government. The amount of funding that is allocated to a particular area depends on a number of factors, including a needs assessment and the government budget.

Each year the government will decide where and how to allocate money that is raised largely through taxes. You can learn more about how this is done in the short video clip below.

Public organisations should ensure that the best level of service is maintained. However, public organisations often have limited funds compared to private organisations. Therefore service levels are often lower in public organisations theatre directly comparable with private organisations (i.e. they are the same type of business operating in a similar way).

Unlike private organisations, public travel and tourism organisations are not profit-driven. Whilst many organisations do need to make money to survive, their main focus is not profit, but instead is the level of service. This means that prices can be kept lower for consumers.

Privatisation in travel and tourism Privatisation is a controversial topic within the tourism industry and beyond. Privatisation is the process of selling public organisations to private companies. By selling public organisations, the government can raise money and focus their efforts in alternate areas. However, this means that the government no longer have control over aspects such as pricing and service quality. There are many examples of privatisation in the travel and tourism industry. In the UK, British Airways was improved considerably when privatised- under government control the airline was about to fold. On the other hand, since much of British Rail has been sold to private companies prices have risen significantly and there is a lot of dissatisfaction amongst consumers with regards to service levels.

When public organisations make profit, the intention is that this money is reinvested. The money may be reinvested directly into the same business. Alternatively, the money may be allocated elsewhere within the annual government budget.

Examples of public travel and tourism organisations

Public organisations are some of the most important types of travel and tourism organisations. They are often the backbone of the rest of the industry, without which it could not operate. Below are some examples of public travel and tourism organisations.

A tourist information centre (TCI) is an organisation that provides information to tourists.

Tourist information centres will often be located in tourist areas such as towns and cities and coastal destinations. They are also typically found at airports or major transport hubs.

Tourist information centres often provide free information such as maps, apps, brochures and leaflets about tourism in the area.

A tourist board is an organisation whose responsibility is to provide information about and promote a particular tourist area.

Tourist boards can be regional or national. Their job is to encourage tourism in the are within which they are based.

Tourist boards that you may have heard of in the UK include Visit Britain (the national tourist board), Visit Cornwall and Visit Oxford (regional tourist boards).

There are some visitor attractions theatre publicly owned.

In the UK, we have many museums and exhibitions theatre public organisations. The government subsidises entrance costs at some of the public tourist attractions.

By keeping a tourist attractions as a public organisation it enables protection and preservation of the area and of the attraction itself.It also enables sustainable tourism management by assessing capacity levels and visitor numbers.

Public tourist attractions that you may have heard of include the Natural History Museum in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Great Wall of China .

Many transport providers are publicly owned.

Buses, trains and airports are often public organisations. Although, as I previously stated, sometimes these are privatised.

By keeping public transport publicly owned it generally enables prices to stay lower, although the service may be inferior to private transport companies, who may choose to investor money into their products and services in anticipation of greater financial outcomes.

A regulatory body is an organisation with the purpose of regulating. These organisations will monitor and assess, imposing requirements and rules as needed. Regulatory bodies set standards and enforce compliance.

Regulatory bodies in the UK include the Bank of England and the Financial Policy Committee.

A government body is a group of people who are given the responsibility of exercising governance. These people are responsible for making decisions and agreeing law.

Government bodies are typically separated into sectors of the economy. Examples include the Department of Agriculture and the Department for Education.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations

The voluntary sector plays an important role in our society. There are many different types of voluntary organisations, some of which can be defined as tourism-based organisations . Lets learn a little bit more about these types of travel and tourism organisations.

A voluntary travel and tourism organisation is a company that is not profit making. For these types of travel and tourism organisations, any profit that is received is directed back into the business, not into the hands of CEOs or shareholders, as would be the case with a private travel and tourism organisation.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations are often funded through charitable donations or government grants. Sometimes they operate aspart of a legacy.

Some voluntary organisations charge entrance fees to help with maintenance and running costs of the business.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations will often rely on unpaid volunteers to operate. There will also usually be some paid staff, although salaries in the charitable sector are typically quite low.

For these types of travel and tourism organisations, the aim of a voluntary travel and tourism organisation is to preserve or protect particular areas of society or natural environments.

This can include environmental protection and conservation, such as a turtle breeding programme in Costa Rica or a volunteer tourism project operating in the Amazon rainforest.

Voluntary travel and tourism organisations may focus on the conservation of buildings, particularly if they are of historical or cultural value . They may also work with tourism stakeholders on landscape designs and features, often to ensure that any new development is in keeping with or does not negatively inflict on the current landscape.

Many voluntary travel and tourism organisations will work to lobby or campaign on particular issues. This will likely include cultural preservation, environmental protection and economic distribution. If there is a proposed development thatchy do not approve of, the voluntary organisation will often campaign against it.

Many voluntary travel and tourism organisations will centre around the concepts of conservation and sustainability.

Examples of voluntary travel and tourism organisations

There are many voluntary travel and tourism organisations around the world. Some examples of these types of travel and tourism organisations include:

Some visitor attractions are non-profit, voluntary travel and tourism organisations. Sometimes these are natural attractions and sometimes these are man-made attractions.

Examples include many National Trust organisations and conservation-based projects, such as elephant rescue programmes in Thailand or maorinebiology research programmes in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia .

Some transport is operated on a voluntary basis. This will often be associated with other charitable projects or as an incentive to encourage visitors to visit particular area.

There are a number of charities that are associated with the travel and tourism industry.

Organisations such as World Wildlife Fund and the International Animal Welfare Charity are directly linked with a number of tourism-based projects and initiatives.

A pressure group is an organisation which campaigns for change.

There are a number of pressure groups that are not tourism-based, but that are related to tourism management, such as Animal Aid and Friends of the Earth.

There are also pressure groups that are solely tourism focussed, such as the Aviation Environment Federation or Tourism Concern (note- Tourism Concern has recently ceased operations).

As you can see, there are many different types of travel and tourism organisations. These range from large to small and from profit-making to non-for-profit. There are three main types of travelled tourism organisations, which are private, public and voluntary.

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6 of the best travel assistance companies in 2024

What are travel assistance companies, what should you look out for in your travel assistance solution, does my company need to use a travel assistance company, the 6 best travel assistance companies for your business.

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Travel assistance companies help with travel issues, travel assistance companies help with emergencies, 1. travelperk.

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10 Most impactful travel technology companies in 2024

5 best corporate travel management apps

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Chapter 7. Travel Services

7.3 Tourism Services

Many organizations can have a hand in tourism development. These include:

• Sector-specific associations
• Tourism and hospitality human resources organizations
• Training providers
• Educational institutions
• Government branches and ministries in land use, planning, development, environmental, transportation, consumer protection, and other related fields
• Economic development and city planning offices

Consultants

The rest of this section describes Canadian and BC-based examples of these.

Sector-Specific Associations

Numerous not-for-profit and arm’s-length organizations drive the growth of specific segments of our industry. Examples of these associations can be found throughout this textbook in the Spotlight On features, and include groups like:

• BC Hotel Association
• Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC
• Restaurants Canada

These can serve as regulatory bodies, advocacy agencies, certification providers, and information sources.

Tourism and Hospitality Human Resource Support

Tourism HR Canada — formally the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) — is a national sector council responsible for best practice research, training, and other professional development support on behalf of the 174,000 tourism businesses and the 1.75 million people employed in tourism-related occupations across the country. In BC, an organization called go2HR serves to educate employers on attracting, training, and retaining employees, as well as hosts a tourism job board to match prospective employees with job options in tourism around the province.

Training Providers

Throughout this textbook, you’ll see examples of not-for-profit industry associations that provide training and certification for industry professionals. For example, the Association of Canadian Travel Agents offers a full-time and distance program to train for the occupation of certified travel counsellor. Closer to home, an organization called WorldHost, a division of Destination BC, offers world-class customer service training.

You’ll learn more about training providers and tourism human resources development in Chapter 9 .

Educational Institutions

British Columbia is home to a number of high-quality public and private colleges and universities that offer tourism-related educational options. Training options at these colleges and universities include certificates, diplomas, degrees and masters-level programs in adventure tourism, outdoor recreation, hospitality management, and tourism management. For example, whether students are learning how to manage a restaurant at Camosun College, gaining mountain adventure skills at College of the Rockies, or exploring the world of outdoor recreation and tourism management at the University of Northern BC, tomorrow’s workforce is being prepared by skilled instructors with solid industry experience.

Spotlight On: Emerit

Emerit is Canada’s award winning training resource developed by Tourism HR Canada in collaboration with tourism industry professionals from across Canada. For more information on Emerit, visit the go2HR website .

Government Departments

At the time this chapter was written, there were at least eight distinct provincial government ministries that had influence on tourism and hospitality development in British Columbia. These are:

• Tourism, Arts, and Culture
• Advanced Education, Skills, and Training
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Environment & Climate Change Strategy
• Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development
• Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation
• Jobs, Economic Development, & Competitiveness
• Public Safety & Solicitor General

Ministry names and responsibilities may change over time, but the functions performed by provincial ministries are critical to tourism operators and communities, as are the functions of similar departments at the federal level.

At the community level, tourism functions are often performed by planning officers, economic development officers, and chambers of commerce.

A final, hidden layer to the travel services sector is that of independent consultants and consulting firms. These people and companies offer services to the industry in a business-to-business format, and they vary from individuals to small-scale firms to international companies. In BC, tourism-based consulting firms include:

• IntraVISTAS: specializing in aviation and transportation logistics advising
• Chemistry Consulting: specializing in human relations and labour market development
• Beattie Tartan: a public-relations and reputation management firm

For many people trained in specific industry fields, consulting offers the opportunity to give back to the industry while maintaining workload flexibility.

Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality in BC - 2nd Edition Copyright © 2015, 2020, 2021 by Morgan Westcott and Wendy Anderson, Eds is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What is customer service in travel and tourism? Quick-start guide

Global travel is booming — especially since COVID. The travel industry contributed $7.7 trillion U.S. dollars to global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 alone.

Travelling the world is an incredible experience. And the business opportunity within the travel industry is just as impressive. But, if you’re not offering great customer service, it can be a nightmare – both for the traveller and for the business.

If you want to ensure you reap the benefits of the growing travel industry, you need to know how to provide optimal customer service. In this guide, we’ll break down how to optimise your customer service in travel and tourism so you can grow your business.

What is customer service in travel and tourism

Travel is one of the most powerful industries in the world. With billions of dollars spent annually on tourism, there's an opportunity to capitalise on the industry for customer service that stands out. But, if your customer service is failing behind in travel, then your business will fall behind.

Travel and tourism is built on the foundation of great customer service. The reason it’s different from other industries?

Customer service in travel is incredibly timely. People are moving to and fro on set timelines and schedules and one hiccup or error could send their entire trip down the drain.

So service has to be fast in order to succeed in travel. On top of that, people expect superior customer service because there’s a lot more money on the line.

Customer expectations for the travel industry experience

The average household spends about $2,100 on travel each year . When people book trips for thousands of dollars, they expect great service. If something were to go wrong, it would be an incredible loss.

In travel, customer experience is arguably more important than advertising. This is because the customer experience fuels the entire operation. If a consumer has one bad travel experience, they’re telling everyone they know. That’s why poor travellers customer service experiences on airlines blow up on social media.

But, if you’re able to offer great service, customers will spread the good news themselves. Great customer service in travel impacts word-of-mouth marketing, which can lead to exponential growth or collapse in business.

The evolution of customer service in travel

20 years ago, if you wanted to book a trip across the world, there was only one way: travel agents. You would drive across town to your brick-and-mortar travel agent, and look at your options. Then, you’d book a trip, get your tickets, and wait until it was time to show up to the airport.

Your travel agent did it all for you. Nowadays, customer service in travel is much more self-service. You can do it all right from your smartphone – no matter where you are.

Customer service within travel for 2024

10 years ago, you had to call in or wait for a response from a customer service agent. But, as technology advanced, so did the speed at which customer service teams could help people.

Consumers can now book trips quicker, analyse prices easier, and get their questions answered in seconds without having to drive 20 minutes across town – or without having to wait 10-30 minutes to get through to someone on the phone.

Thanks to technology like AI and chatbots, consumers are able to get the help they need the moment they need it. Social media allowed for even quicker responses. But, there was one problem: with so many ways to get a hold of a company, it became incredibly challenging for travel companies to manage all the conversations on different platforms.

But now, with customer service platforms like Trengo , travel companies can serve their customers instantly without letting their inquiries slip through the cracks.

Because software like this will show every single conversation in one place: whether it’s coming from email, Instagram, Facebook messenger, or from your chatbot.

Key components of effective customer service

If you want to remain competitive with your travel business, you need to offer good customer service. But, if you want to grow as a business, you need to offer customer service that goes above and beyond.

Here’s how to improve customer service in travel agency and other tourism companies:

Speed and reliability

Quick responses are a given for any successful travel business today. You need to offer fast replies to inquiries in order to be seen as reliable.

Kind and courteous

Customers don’t just want fast responses with the right information. They want to feel that you’re empathetic towards them. They need travelers customer service teams to be kind, courteous, and understanding. 

Looks matter

This doesn’t mean your team needs to be attractive. It means you need to have great branding – and it needs to be congruent with your service. Keep a professional website, and chatbot, and ensure your team is writing and speaking professionally with customers.

Personalisation

Modern customer service chatbots allow you to personalise the experience for your customers automatically . You can then take those conversations and let your human support members carry on with the personalised data to serve the customer (i.e. “Are you excited for your upcoming trip to Hawaii, John?”)

Multilingual support

Travel customer service isn’t just about your local travel agent anymore. It’s about global teams serving global customers. You need to ensure you have a diverse, multilingual team to help serve international customers.

Challenges in providing quality customer service

Good customer service isn’t a nice-to-have anymore. Consumers demand more than ever.

A Think with Google study found that great customer service is the number one factor of high-value travellers. Nearly 60% of them admit that customer service matters most to them when picking a company to travel with.

Technology has made it so service is back in the hands of the customer. If you aren’t providing great customer service, you’re going to get beaten out by the competition.

Here are a few challenges in providing quality customer service (and tips to overcome them). ‍

Planning trips

The booking process has become much more technological. You need to offer fast responses to people who are comparing different travel companies.  If you’re not fast, consumers will pick a competitor. Offer a chatbot that responds with personalised messages when your live support team is off the clock.

Help out exactly how consumers want it

Every customer is different. They want to be able to get the help they need how they want it. If you’re only offering one way to contact your team, you’re falling short. You need to offer multiple communication options (i.e. social media, phone number, email, live chat, etc.).

Lack of personalisation

Consumers expect more. This holds true with personalisation as well. You need to ensure you’re collecting first-party data like name, phone number, age, purchases, and booking information. Make sure you’re offering personalised advice and capturing and storing data digitally by using a platform like Trengo .

Technology’s role in enhancing customer service

Back in the day, you had to visit your local travel agency if you wanted to book a trip or ask a question about your booking. Then, you could phone in to call centres. Eventually, that moved to email. Now, technology has enabled fast-paced customer support.

In a 2023 Skift survey of travel and hospitality executives, 66% agreed that customer service was a high-priority digital investment in their business. Customer service beat out every single option, with customer engagement and retention at 60% and revenue optimisation at 55%.

If you want to provide stellar service in your travel or tourism business, then you need to leverage the right technology. Here are a few need-to-haves when it comes to customer service technology:

• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Customer service software

By integrating all four of these technologies, you’ll have a proper foundation to offer great customer service to your travel customers quickly to keep them coming back for years to come.

Training and development for customer service teams

The right technology can be a major help in your customer service strategy. But, if you’re not providing adequate training to your support, it doesn’t matter how robust your technology is.

Here are some key tips to provide optimal training for your support team:

1. Effective communication

Customer service revolves around one core skill: communication. If your team isn’t able to communicate quickly and effectively, you’ll lose customers. You need to develop communication skills with your team, starting with empathetic listening and tone of voice.

2. Productivity

Offering service that goes above and beyond for a single customer is crucial.

But, if it’s taking all day to resolve a customer’s inquiry, there’s a problem. The reality is that your team needs to be able to handle high volumes of tickets and inquiries to be productive. Otherwise, your time to resolve tickets will slow down and you’ll need to pour more resources into your support strategy.

3. Foreign language training

You also need to ensure you’re training your teams on multiple languages to ensure you can serve a global audience.

For the most part, you should always ensure your team can speak your target audience’s native language. And, you should almost always include English language training as the top secondary language. Or when your team is not there yet, rely on automation, like chatbots, that'll service customers in their own language .

4. Problem-solving

Your customer service team isn’t just there to provide a friend for your customer. They’re working to solve customer problems. Your team needs to understand the fastest path to solve problems. This means having a service playbook at hand, templates to respond to customers, and an internal knowledge base that’s easy to access.

To go above and beyond, you should ensure your team has adequate knowledge of the places you’re offering travel experiences for (and can offer personalised tips).

Measuring the impact of customer service

Customer service is harder to measure than revenue. It’s not always black and white to determine how well a customer was helped.

But, it’s not impossible.

There are key metrics you can (and should) measure to determine the impact of your service:

Customer satisfaction score (CSAT): After an inquiry, ask every customer “How satisfied were you with [company] and [customer service representative]?” Give a scale of 1 to 5.

Net promoter score (NPS): This is one of the most common customer service metrics. Simply ask your customers, “How likely are you to refer us to a friend?” Then, give them a scale of 1 to 10.

Average resolution time (ART): This is simply the average amount of time it takes for your customer support team to fully resolve a customer’s inquiry. Software like Trengo can track this by individual representatives or by team.

Offer a travel experience that goes above and beyond

Travel is all about the experiences consumers have. Customer service is a major part of the travel experience – and it can make or break a trip.

If you aren’t offering great customer service as a travel or tourism company, your customers will quickly find a competitor to do business with.

By understanding the key concepts of great customer service, providing your team with the right development, and leveraging the right technology, you will be well on your way to providing exceptional service.

Deliver worldwide customer delight

Take your customer experience to the next level, and lean on the right customer service software. With Trengo, you can give your travel customers the best experience possible to ensure they keep coming back for years.

Learn more about how Trengo provides end-to-end travel experiences that lead to world-class holidays.

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Home > Blog > Customer Service for Tourism Industry: Tasks You Can Outsource to a Call Center

Customer Service for Tourism Industry: Tasks You Can Outsource to a Call Center

Customer experience can make or break businesses in the tourism industry. Traveling is highly unpredictable and easily affected by inclement weather and other uncontrollable factors. With much room for error, you need a solid customer service team on standby to smooth over any possible hitches that could impact your clients.

As the sector bounces back from the pandemic with a renewed force, let’s find out how you can elevate your customer service for tourism industry for 2023 and beyond. 

Why Invest in Outsourced Customer Service for Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Before we delve deep into the many customer support services travel businesses can outsource to call centers, let’s first tackle why good customer service is important in the tourism industry.  

Customer service can make or break a person’s travel and tourism experience.

Today’s travelers always look for exceptional deals when booking flights or hotels. They want the best value for their money and know how to get it.

In this cutthroat market with evolving customer expectations , you need exceptional service to set you apart from the competition. It will determine whether your passengers will book their next trip with you or ultimately avoid your business. 

A solid customer service that focuses on customer needs can make all the difference in avoiding missed flights and accommodation issues.

A recent study revealed that good customer service is the most critical consideration for high-value travelers , with the majority (60%) saying that it matters most when choosing a travel business.

Offering excellent customer service can boost your agency’s reputation.

Travelers, especially tourists, are visual storytellers. They document their memories on social media with photos, videos, and vlogs. One study even found that as many as 89% would post about travel destinations , 83% about great accommodations, and 67% would post about their transport experience. 

Tourism businesses seeking to broaden their reach can thus leverage the strong substantial media influence on the traveler demographic to their advantage. As experts argue, word-of-mouth referrals remain to be one of the most effective marketing strategies as it organically helps build brand awareness. 

But how do you create a travel experience worth posting about? The key is exceptional customer service . 

Think of every successful touchpoint as an opportunity to tap the personal networks of your clients; moreover, using your brand hashtags in their posts directly drives traffic and engagement for your account.

Customer service isn’t just about addressing your customer’s needs. It’s also about establishing your credibility as a brand and strengthening customer loyalty through your interactions with guests .

Outsourcing can help tourism agencies deal with the holiday rush or seasonal demand.

Demand spikes during certain times of the year are challenging for travel businesses. Holidays, special events, and peak travel seasons can all lead to a surge in bookings and strain businesses struggling to keep pace.

Whether it’s summer, Thanksgiving, or winter, people typically want to go home and visit or travel with their loved ones. So businesses can expect increasing customer calls about booking rates and deals. 

While this can be overwhelming for your in-house team to handle alone, you can outsource your customer service to ensure every client gets the quality customer service they deserve .

Working with certified customer service experts can help relieve the burden from your in-house team so they can focus on more critical aspects of your travel business. 

Read More: Celebrating World Tourism Day: How Outsourcing Can Help the Travel and Tourism Industry Rebound Post-Pandemic  

What Customer Support Services Can Tourism Agencies Delegate to Call Centers?

Booking Flights and Itineraries

When booking international flights, there are other things that passengers are looking for other than an affordable ticket. A recent study found that travelers find customer service, food, schedules, and the brand’s reputation more important than the price .

Travel is often viewed as a luxury; for many people, it is a chance to escape the stress of daily life and create lasting memories. As such, they are often willing to spend more on things like comfortable seating, good food, high-quality service, and unique experiences they will remember for years.

Some might even be willing to pay more for services that provide convenience, such as faster check-in, priority boarding, or personalized services that make the travel experience more pain- and hassle-free.

Since this entails more frequent and complex touchpoints, it’s essential for tourism agencies to invest in their customer service. With the right call center, your clients can receive guidance and assistance when booking their flights, hotels, itineraries, transportation, and other travel packages.

Proactive Communication on Safety Protocols Through Email Support

Traveling is already a cause of significant anxiety for many people, but since the pandemic hit, more travelers are now concerned about their safety and well-being. 

Clients need constant reassurance that they will stay in a safe environment that adheres to recommended health guidelines. Otherwise, they might end up canceling their bookings.  

While communication is a simple yet effective strategy to avoid such unwarranted cancellations and travel disruptions, a recent study found that almost half (40%) of travelers are unsatisfied with the safety protocol communication they get from travel businesses.

Get ahead of the competition and build client trust by working with an outsourced team that prioritizes transparency for a safe and memorable travel experience for all.

Working with an offshore customer service team helps your clients stay updated on important protocols and travel advisories that could impact their plans. An outsourced CS team can also inform travelers about your safety, cleanliness, and sanitization measures to help alleviate guests’ concerns in the post-pandemic era.

Finding Directions and Travel Routes

Travel businesses and airlines typically deal with a lot of international clients. 

For instance, a US tourist agency may have to book trips for clients who want to travel to Latin America or Asia. Clients expect your staff to be familiar with local attractions in their destination. This includes booking agents and customer service representatives, not just front desk officers.

While your in-house staff members can just as quickly research their destination, having someone from the area can play to your advantage. Fortunately, you can work with global outsourcing companies such as SuperStaff, which has a nearshoring office in Colombia and an offshoring location in the Philippines . 

SuperStaff can provide your clients with valuable first-hand information and recommendations so they can make the most of their stay and create memorable experiences. We can also provide your clients with maps, brochures, and other resources to ensure they know the area.

Additionally, having team members in the area will surely put your clients’ minds at ease, knowing that if something goes wrong, they can contact someone locally.

Multilingual Support

Since it is inherently international, multilingualism is critical in the travel industry. It elevates the travel experience for clients who come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. 

By speaking in their client’s native or preferred language, travel businesses can ensure smooth communication with their customers – and ultimately, avoid misunderstanding when it comes to booking.

Multilingual customer support also promotes cultural sensitivity as it shows respect for the client’s culture and customs. Moreover, speaking multiple languages can help you reach a broader market since travelers are more likely to book with a company that can communicate with them in their native tongue.

Multilingual services also show that you are customer-centric and committed to the exceptional client experience. 

As much as 71.5% of customer service leaders report that multilingual support has helped improve their customer satisfaction rates, which would lead to positive reviews and a more excellent bottom line.

Omnichannel Support

The expectations of this generation’s tech-savvy travelers are rapidly evolving.

When it comes to customer service in the hospitality industry , they want speed and convenience in a platform of their choice.  

If businesses want to succeed in an increasingly competitive market, they must build a strategy that puts the customer’s needs at the forefront of their operations. This means carrying customer support across various channels – phone, email, social media , and chatbots.

Since omnichannel technical support is crucial for client satisfaction , businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors and build a strong foundation with exceptional customer service skills toward long-term success.

Level Up Your Customer Service for Tourism Industry

Since customer service is critical for success in the tourism industry ,  businesses can elevate their customer interactions and maintain a steady stream of loyal customers with SuperStaff’s top-notch 24/7 support .  

Apart from ensuring that your clients can reach you anytime, anywhere, we also feature a full suite of business and knowledge process outsourcing solutions designed to drive your efficiency and boost your profits.  

Contact us today and explore how SuperStaff can take your business to the next level.

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Covid-19: measures to support travel and tourism.

Compilation of country and international policy responses aims to share and monitor worldwide measures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 crisis in the travel and tourism sector and accelerate recovery

Policy Measures

UNWTO COVID-19 dashboard on country measures to support travel and tourism is a policy tracker with up-to-date policy responses by countries and international institutions to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 crisis in the travel and tourism sector, restart tourism and accelerate recovery. Based on information from governments, international organizations and online official public sources, UNWTO has launched an online interactive dashboard on country and international policy responses to COVID-19 covering 220 countries and territories and more than 30 international and regional institutions.

This UNWTO COVID 19 policy tracker covers 220 countries and territories and more than 30 international and regional institutions. It monitors worldwide policy measures on aid and relief packages adopted by governments and international and regional institutions to address the impact the impact of COVID-19 and support businesses, jobs and households. The interactive map allows to search measures by categories (fiscal and monetary measures, jobs and skills, market intelligence and public-private partnerships, measures to restart tourism and domestic tourism) and by countries and regions. As the situation evolves countries start lifting borders restrictions and tourism takes steps to reopen, with policy initiatives increasingly focusing on measures to restart tourism . Among them, the COVID 19 tourism policy tracker includes examples of measures on health and safety protocols to promote safe, seamless travel and to restore confidence  as key priorities for countries to support travel and tourism along with marketing and promotion campaigns to boost international and domestic tourism demand .

International Tourism and COVID-19

Loss of 850 million to 1.1 billon international tourists Loss of US$ 910 billion to US$ 1.2 trillion in export revenues from tourism 100 to 120 million jobs at risk

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Country Profile – Outbound Tourism

international tourism expenditure departures (outbound trips) benchmarking tool for source market performance and trends.

Global and Regional Tourism Performance

international tourist arrivals and  receipts and export revenues < international tourism expenditure mode of transport and purpose of visit source regions.

Country Profile – Inbound Tourism

international arrivals receipts and export revenues from tourism benchmarking tool for destinations on key indicators.

What Are Examples of Tourism Services?

By Alice Nichols

Tourism services refer to the various activities and facilities that are provided to tourists during their travels. These services can range from transportation and accommodations to sightseeing tours and recreational activities. In this article, we will explore some examples of tourism services that are commonly offered to travelers.

Transportation Services

One of the most essential tourism services is transportation. Tourists need a reliable mode of transportation to get around in a new place, whether it be by air, rail, road or water. Airlines, trains, buses, taxis, and rental cars are all examples of transportation services that cater to tourists.

Accommodation Services

Another critical tourism service is accommodation. Travelers need a place to stay while they explore new destinations. Hotels, motels, hostels, resorts and vacation rentals like Airbnb are examples of accommodation services that cater to tourists.

Food and Beverage Services

Food and beverage services are also an important aspect of tourism. Restaurants, cafes, food trucks, bars, and clubs are examples of places where tourists can enjoy local cuisine and drinks.

Sightseeing Tours

Sightseeing tours provide an excellent way for tourists to explore a new destination with the help of a guide or tour operator. Walking tours, bus tours, boat tours and helicopter tours are examples of sightseeing tours that cater to tourists.

Recreational Activities

Tourists may also want to engage in recreational activities during their travels. Beach activities such as swimming or surfing; mountain climbing; skiing; zip-lining; bungee jumping; kayaking; snorkeling and scuba diving are just some of the many recreational activities that tourism service providers offer.

The Bottom Line

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