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The Log Book

This is the basic working tool of the field operations (discussed further on the next page). Field operations
cover the actual delivery of services and all activities of the travelers from the moment of their arrival to the
time of their departure. In field operations, a Field Operations Supervisor plays the role of the overall
coordinator of all the activities undertaken in the field, from the arrival transfer, to the sightseeing tours, to
the sale and operation of optional tours and other activities, up to the departure transfer. There are also other
personnel in charge in the field, which are as follows (Claravall, 2013):
• Tour coordinator – organizes the details of a tour and manages the travel needs of the professionals
(who deal with travel arrangements of the travelers or clients) and staff involved in a tour.
• Tour guide – offers company and information to individuals or groups of travelers. S/he may be
employed by a tour operator, the accommodation sector (hotel, resort, or apartment hotel),
museums, or historical landmarks working on a pre-established route and visiting a selected list of
locations.
• Airport representative – usually work as hotel personnel who assists guests with their flight
arrangements. His/her duties include: going to the airport to greet VIP guests upon arrival, may also
assist in carrying the luggage of guests; and making transportation arrangements to and from the
hotel.
• Land transportation drivers – these refer to the bus drivers, car rental drivers, and drivers of other
land transportation vehicles.
The activities involved in field operations are categorized into transfers tours and optional tours. Although
optional tours are not indicated in the log book since these are not part of the basic package unless purchased
by the clients. If purchased by the client, optional tours indicate how many are going, on which day, who is the
assigned tour guide, and what vehicle they are using.
• Transfers – are defined as transportation services from a destination’s gateway (airport, pier, or bus
station) to the place of lodging and vice-versa.
o Arrival transfer (transfer-in) entry – shows how many clients are due to arrive on a specific
date via an airline, bus, or vessel to be taken to their assigned hotel or place to stay. It also
shows who would meet them upon their arrival and who would be the assigned tour guide/s
to assist them. This also shows a line-up of the specific transfer services to be in use.
o Departure transfer (transfer-out) entry – shows how many clients are about to depart or leave
with its specific date via an airline, bus, or vessel from where they are to be picked up. It also
shows who would be in charge of sending them off before departure.
• Optional Tours – different journeys for pleasure in which several different places are visited as
purchased by the client via the tour operator.
o Sightseeing tour entry – indicates who and how many clients are going on a particular
sightseeing tour, including its specific date, name of the assigned tour guide, mode of
transportation to be used, and the schedule of their meals (if any).
The rationale for each category is that each service or activity requires the hands-on participation of a tour
guide, a tour coordinator, or an airport representative depending on the type and disposition of the activity
of service. These two (2) categories must always be coordinated, planned, and scheduled. The basic rule and
key to profitability is to “provide the most services, with the least staff and equipment.” This should be the
basis without compromising the comfort, convenience, and safety of the clients as well as the quality of the
services provided.

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In the Philippines, tour operators (TO) that do not own, operate, or manage land transportation equipment or
units normally ask the Philippine Association of Tourism Transport Operators (PATTO) to take care of their
transportation arrangements for their clients.
The Log Book, as defined above, is the basic working tool of field operations, containing an updated record of
all the activities and services (excluding optional tours unless availed by the clients) scheduled on a day-to-day
basis, including who should be responsible for the delivery of each activity and service. The main objective of
a log book is to help the field operations achieve the maximum utilization of the staff and the equipment to
be used. This is where everything that took place in field operations is recorded, planned, monitored, and
revised if need be.
If clients on a specific tour were handled by a local tour guide or a local ground handling company of a
particular destination, then that specific tour should only be written without including the name of their tour
guide. For example, a group flew to Laoag or Cebu that was handled by a local tour guide or local ground
handling company would be recorded as Laoag c/o STI Ilocos Heritage Tours.
Once the booking card for a tour has been completed by the reservations officer (person in charge of placing
the reservations), it goes to the field operations supervisor for recording of what happened to the activities
and services that were provided to the clients on a day-to-day basis in the log book which is still subjected for
revision and amendment if changes arise.
Preparing the log book include pages that contain essential information about a tour group according to its
booking card. The column titles that should be in the log book are as follows (Claravall, 2013):
1. DATE/DAY – is where the date and day of the week are indicated. The day of the week is very important
since the flow of traffic and availability of routes may vary during weekends, weekdays, and especially
holidays.
2. REF (Reference) – is where the assigned transaction number or tour file number in a booking card and
quotation letters is indicated. It is may either be expressed in alphanumeric characters or numbers.
3. GROUP NAME – is where the name of the group of travelers or the name of each passenger is
indicated.
4. PAX – is where the number of passengers or participants is indicated.
5. SERVICE/TRIP – is where the assigned/scheduled trip, service, or activity is indicated.
6. PLACE – is where the name of the accommodation establishment or the place where the clients are
to be picked up, is indicated.
7. P/TIME – is where the scheduled pick-up time of the clients is indicated.
8. FLIGHT – (if applicable) is where the airline code is indicated, as seen on that of a booking card.
9. ETA-ETD - is where the estimated time of arrival (ETA) and estimated time of departure (ETD) of the
clients’ flight or vessel are indicated. It is expressed in military time with 00:00 as 12AM and 24:00 as
12MN.
10. GUIDE – is where the name of the assigned tour guide for that specific service/trip is indicated.
11. COORD (Coordinator) – is where the name of the tour coordinator or airport representative for that
specific service/trip is indicated.
12. VEHICLE – is where the description or code of the type of land vehicle in use for that specific
service/trip is indicated.

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The following table is a log book sample template used in field operations: *Please note that this may vary from a tour
operator to another. Thus, the table is for discussion purposes only.
DATE/DAY: FEBRUARY 28/FRIDAY
REF GROUP PAX SERVICE/TRIP PLACE P/TIME FLIGHT ETA- GUIDE COORD VEHICLE
NAME ETD
A1Z3 James 4 Arrival City of PAL027 1400H Melchor Anna UV1
Family Transfer from Dreams (Urvan
NAIA Terminal Manila 1)
1
A2R4 Swiss 23 Arrival Long Rapids AF192 1630H Angel Miguel B02
Nature +1 Transfer from Hotel (Bus
Explorers’ NAIA Terminal Number
Association 1 to 2)
Pagsanjan,
Laguna
Table 1. Sample accomplished log book
Source: Travel and tour operations in the Philippines 3rd ed., 2013, p. 324
The table above shows two (2) separate groups of travelers having the commencement of their tour on the
same day under one (1) tour operator. With the information found on a log book, the field operations
supervisor can plan, organize, and assign the respective tasks of tour guides (under GUIDE in the table) and
tour coordinators or airport representatives (under COORD in the table), as well as scheduling the vehicle/s to
be in use for its corresponding service/trip. The field operations supervisor is also the one (1) who places
reservations for meals taken outside the hotel and while the clients are on board the vehicle. While the tour
coordinator verifies it with the supplier prior to the arrival of the tour guide and his/her tour group.
Positioning Field Personnel, Equipment, and Other Service Providers
The field operations supervisor is responsible for positioning the field personnel (tour guides, tour
coordinators, airport representatives) on their respective tasks and duties. This also applies to the allocation
of the service/trip equipment or vehicles. Vehicle Assignment Sheet
(Tour Guide and Land
Booking Card The Log Book Transportation Driver)
(Reservations (Field Operations Tour Coordinator
Officer) Supervisor) Tour Guide Assignment Sheet
Tour Guide)
Figure 1. Field operations documentation
Source: Travel and tour operations in the Philippines 3rd ed., 2013, p. 324

The figure above shows the relationship of the reservations department and the field operations. Once the
booking card has been accomplished by the reservations officer, the booking card gets to be forwarded to the
field operations so the field operations supervisor can prepare the log book. It then serves as the basis before
the assignment sheets get to be assigned to the field personnel (tour coordinator, tour guide, etc.).
While reservations for travel components are the responsibility of the reservations department, it is the duty
of the field operations supervisor to reconfirm these at least a day prior to the arrival of the tour group. In
order to ensure that the tour/s that take place on day-to-day are closely monitored, there are other specific
sheets that the field operations fill out after the log book has been accomplished. These field operations sheets
are as follows:

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• Vehicle Assignment Sheet – contains all the details pertaining to the service/trip vehicle (equipment).
It is where the specifications of the unit are detailed, such as the vehicle model type, plate number,
and the code number of the assigned service/trip vehicle. It also includes the name of the driver,
schedules that the assigned service/trip vehicle would be in use. The following are the sections that
need to be filled out in a vehicle assignment sheet (for in-house vehicles only):
1. Vehicle number refers to the specifications of the vehicle, such as the body (car, van, mini-bus, or
bus), plate number, and the code number (UV1), as seen on Tables 1 and 2.
2. Driver’s Name is where the name of the assigned driver is indicated.
3. Date & Day refers to the date and day of the assignment vehicle will be used for a service/trip.
4. Report Time is when the assigned vehicle must report on time, which is normally 30 minutes prior
to the commencement of the service/trip.
5. Depart Time is when the service/ trip is scheduled to depart or leave.
6. Pick-up Place is where the exact location the assigned vehicle needs to report to.
7. Flight & Time refers to the arrival or departure flight number, including time. This is only applicable
if the assigned vehicle will be used as a transfer service.
8. Pax refers to the name of the passengers and how many are the passengers of the assigned
vehicle.
9. Service/Trip refers to the assigned service or trip that the assigned vehicle would be in use.
10. Rep Name is the name of the assigned tour coordinator or airport representative.
11. Guide Name is the name of the assigned tour guide.
12. Prepared By is the name of the person who prepared the vehicle assignment sheet.
13. Date Prepared is the date when the vehicle assignments sheet was accomplished.
The following table is a sample of an accomplished vehicle assignment sheet:
Vehicle Number: UV1 Driver’s Name: George Date & Day: February 28 Friday
Cruz
Report Depart Pick-up Flight & Pax Service/Trip Rep Name Guide
Time Time Place Time Name
1300H 1400H NAIA PAL027 – James Transfer to Anna Melchor
Terminal 1 1400H Family (4) City of
Dreams
Manila
Prepared By: Mina Date Prepared: February 27 Thursday
Table 2. Sample accomplished vehicle assignment sheet
Source: Travel and tour operations in the Philippines 3rd ed., 2013, p. 331
The table above only applies to in-house vehicles and may vary from one (1) tour operator to another. This is
just for discussion purposes only and may not be used by some tour operators. If a tour operator does not
own the vehicles used, then that vehicle assignment sheet would be known as the Trip Ticket. This sheet, along
with the log book, are some of the ways to ensure that everything that takes place in field operations is closely
monitored and documented.
• Tour Guide Assignment Sheet is another form of field operations containing all the details related to
the management of a tour group assigned to a tour guide. It is divided into four (4) sections:
1. Arrival Section refers to all the scheduled activities (meeting, assisting, and checking-in the
guests) upon arrival. These also involve taking care of the guests’ hotel arrangements when
checking-in. The following are the pieces of information found in this section:

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A. Date is when the assignment was prepared.

B. Reference is the reference number found on the booking card and the log book.
C. Tour guide assigned refers to the name of the assigned tour guide.
D. Tour group refers to the name of the tour group of which the tour guide is assigned.
E. Number of Pax refers to the number of expected participants, including those of free-of-
charge (FOC).
F. Tour coordinator refers to the name of the tour coordinator or airport representative.
G. Check-in refers to the accommodation establishment, where the clients would be
staying.
H. Inclusive dates refer to the dates the clients would be staying
I. Rooms Breakdown refers to the breakdown of the rooms occupied for the clients
according to room type (TWB, SWB, and Triple-sharing.)
2. In-town Section refers to sightseeing and tour activities or those that will happen on a day-to-
day basis. The following are the details that must be recorded under this section:
A. Arrival information is where the information about the arrival of the participants is
recorded.
B. Departure information is where the information about the departure of the participants
is recorded.
C. Coordinator is where the name of the tour coordinator during the arrival and departure
of the clients is recorded.
D. Date & Day is where the exact date and day the trip or activity will take place.
E. Trip/Activity is where the names of the trip/s or activities are recorded. It/These is/are
divided into three (3) divisions according to the time of the day:
o AM – refers to the trip/activity in the morning.
o PM – refers to the trip/activity in the afternoon.
o EV – refers to the trip/activity in the evening.
*Note: some tour operators put “At leisure” if the division has no scheduled trip/activity.
But there are also others who simply leave it blank if none is scheduled.
F. Vehicle is where the code number of the assigned vehicle for that trip/activity is recorded
(as per the log book).
G. Meals is where the meals to be taken by the clients according to the time of the day (AM,
PM, and EV); breakfast (BF), lunch (L), and dinner (D)
3. Departure Section refers to all the information on the clients’ departure and check-out
arrangements which are as follows:
A. Check-out refers to the name of the accommodation establishments where the clients
have checked-in.
B. Wake-Up Call Time is when the guests are supposed to be awake and get ready for the
scheduled itinerary for the day.
C. Baggage Collection Time is when the guests’ luggage or bags is/are scheduled to be
collected from their rooms on their way to the assigned vehicle.
D. Check-out Time is when the guests are scheduled to check-out from the hotel for
departure.

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4. Optional Tours is only filled out if the guests availed of an optional tour. This includes the
optional tour inclusions, duration, rate, and date when it will take place. This section already
includes who prepared and approved the assignment.

The following table is a sample of an accomplished tour guide assignment sheet:

Date: February 27 Thursday TOUR GUIDE ASSIGNMENT SHEET REF: A1Z3
Tour Guide: Melchor Tour Group: James Family
Tour Coordinator: Anna Number of Pax: 4
Check-in Inclusive Date TWB SWB Triple-
sharing
City of Dreams Manila February 28 – March 01 1 1

Arrival Date: February 28 By: PAL027 ETA: 1400H Coordinator: Anna

Departure Date: March 01 By: PAL054 ETD: 1400H Coordinator: Anna

Date & Day Trip/Activity Vehicle Meals

February 28 Friday AM - BF -
PM – Transfer to City of UV1 L-
Dreams Manila
EV – At Leisure D – City of Dreams Manila
February 29 Saturday AM – Fort Santiago UV1 BF – City of Dreams Manila
PM – Rizal Shrine UV1 L – Restaurant
EV – Manila Cathedral then UV1 D – City of Dreams Manila
back to City of Dreams Manila
March 01 Sunday AM – Intramuros then UV1 BF – City of Dreams Manila
transfer to NAIA Terminal 1
PM – L–
EV - D-
Check-out Wake-up Call Time Baggage Collection Time Check-out Time
City of Dreams Manila 0600H 0800H Early Check-out (0900H)

Optional Tours Inclusions & Duration Date Rate per Pax

SM Mall of Asia Souvenir shopping – EV February 29 PHP200
(before going back to hotel)

Prepared By: Mina Approved By: Juan

Table 2. Accomplished sample tour guide assignment sheet
Source: Travel and tour operations in the Philippines 3rd ed., 2013, p. 336
The table above is used by some tour operators in field operations for coordination purposes since this
provides the tour guide everything that is scheduled to take place on a day-to-day basis, the contact personnel,
and the arrangements needed on behalf of the tour group. This is just for discussion purposes only and may
not be used by some tour operators. This is also one of the sheets, along with the log book, serving as ways to
ensure that everything that takes place in field operations is closely monitored and documented.
References:
Camilleri, M. A. (2018). Travel marketing, tourism economics and the airline product: an introduction to theory and practice. Cham, Switzerland:
Springer
Claravall, B. G. (2013). Travel and tour operations in the Philippines 3rd ed. Sampaloc, Manila: Accumiro I.T. Solutions.
Robinson, P., et al. (2016). Operations management in the travel industry (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: CABI.

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