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When planning your travels or buying your airline tickets, you
have probably come across definitions and terms that might have
seemed strange to you. Granted, many of the definitions and
terms become more understandable as you become familiar with the
industry as a frequent flier. While there are many terms for
hotel room types, car types, and travel amenities, the area that
we shall attempt to define would be tours.
Tour operators try to make their brochures and websites as
attractive, informative and understandable as possible; however,
in reading this information you will undoubtedly encounter some
terminology that is new and unfamiliar. To assist you, here's a
glossary covering some of the terminology you will most most
frequently find in brochures, fliers, and on websites.
Accommodations:
* Single Room: A room with one bed for one person.
* Twin Room: A room with two beds for two people.
* Double Room: A room for two persons with a
double bed. * Triple Room: A room for three
persons, usually consisting of twin beds (or double beds, plus a
rollaway bed. * Ocean Front: A room directly
facing the ocean. Usually it is on the first floor with a door
that exists onto the beach. * Ocean View: A room
from which it is possible to view the ocean, whether the room is
on the first floor, the 12th floor, or on a hillside. *
Service Charges/Taxes: Service charges are a fixed
percentage automatically added to room and meal charges. The
city, state or federal government sets taxes.
Air Transportation:
* Add-on Fare: The cost of air travel from a
domestic city to another domestic city from which the
tour/vacation package originates and vice versa. * Baggage
Allowance: The weight or volume of baggage that may be
carried by a passenger without additional charge. *
Connecting Flight: A segment of an ongoing trip, which
requires a change of aircraft, but necessarily a change of
airline. * Direct Flight: A flight on which
passengers do not have to change planes, but may involve one
more stops enroute. * Non-stop Flight: Service
between two points with no scheduled stop enroute.
Car Rental:
* Drop-off Charge: Fee charged by a car rental
company to defray the cost of returning the vehicle to its
original location. * Value Added Tax (VAT): Tax
imposed by governmental authority.
Charter Travel:
Thanks to improved Federal regulations and a new generation of
operators, air charters have become the preferred way to reach
many of the world's most popular vacation destinations for
reasons of value and convenience. Here's how they
work: The tour operator rents an airplane and sells the
seats, often in combination with a hotel package and perhaps
other ground components. The result is a substantial savings.
Conditions:
* Force Majeure: An event or effect that cannot be
reasonably anticipated or controlled (such as storms or war).
Consular Information Sheets: Governments issue Consular
Information Sheets for every country of the world. They include
such information as location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in
the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health
conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and
entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug
penalties. If an unstable condition exists in a country that is
not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of
the condition(s) may be included under an optional section
entitled Safety/Security.
Documents:
* Passport: An official government document
certifying identity and citizenship and granting permission to
travel abroad (overseas). * Visa: An official
authorization appended to a passport permitting travel to and
within a particular country.
Escorted Tours:
The most traditional tour product is also the most
misunderstood. The options are so varied that it's easiest to
identify the few elements they share: Group travel, usually by
motor coach but sometimes by ship, or train; a set itinerary,
with lodging, activities, and most meals included and a tour
director to coordinate, guide, and manage the trip. Traveling on
an escorted tour provides a measure of security and peace of
mind. And today, more tour operators build in free time on group
tours, giving travelers the best of both worlds.
Independent Travel:
There's no group on these trips, no guide and no fixed
itinerary, unless the client wants one. The sole difference
between this and fully independent travel is that by booking
through a tour operator from its available inventory, your
clients get the advantage of group buying power, without the
group.
Package Travel:
Like group tours, packages tend to have fixed itineraries, with
ground transportation and hotels booked in advance. But like
independent travel, there's no organized group; clients are on
their own, free to do as they please at each destination, but
they still have the convenience and reliability that come with
booking through a tour operator.
Public Announcements:
Public announcements (PAs) are a means to disseminate
information about terrorist threats and other relatively
short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant
risks to the security of American travelers. The PAs are made
when there is a specific threat that cannot be countered. In the
past, Public Announcements have been issued to deal with
short-term coups, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates
of specific terrorist events.
Tours:
A group of people traveling together who follow a pre-planned
itinerary. Most tours include accommodations, a number of meals,
sightseeing, land transportation, and/or other transportation,
plus the services of a professional tour manager or escort who
accompanies the group.
Travel Warnings:
Travel warnings are issued when the State Department decides,
based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans
avoid travel to a certain country. Countries where avoidance of
travel is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as
Consular Information Sheets. You may also want to review
specific country Background Notes.
Vacation Packages:
Vacation packages are designed for those traveling
independently. They include a combination of two or more travel
services (e.g. hotel accommodations, car rental, air
transportation) that are offered at a package price. Many
vacation packages offer a choice of components and options,
thereby enabling you to customize the package to your tastes,
interests and/or budget.
Vouchers:
Documents issued by tour operators to be exchanged for
accommodations, sightseeing and other services.
MMIV, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW
About the author:
Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer,
conducts lectures, seminars, and writes articles on his theme:
... helping you maximize your potential. For more
information visit www.exe
cutiveandgrouptravel.blogspot.com.