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Difference Between Tour Operator and Travel Agent
Difference Between Tour Operator and Travel Agent
To begin with, we will define what a tour operator and a travel agent
are, and then we will describe the difference between them.
Tour operator is a company that
makes arrangements for travel and places to stay, often selling these in
bulk as package holidays.
The task of the tour operator is the formation of a tourist product
(tour). At the beginning of each season, representatives of the tour
operator conclude agreements with hotels, negotiate with hoteliers on the
cost of hotels, and also organize a charter program. He creates a ready
package tour. So, we can say that a tour operator offers a complete
package and can be considered the manufacturer or wholesaler of the
tourist industry.
Tour operators do not work directly with clients. It means that the
tour can only be purchased at a travel agency. A travel agent sells all
kinds of tourist products – transportation, accommodations, sightseeing
and the like to the general public. A travel agent sells ready package tours
developed by tour operators. The term “retail” distinguishes him from the
tour operator or packager. A travel agent can help you to choose the
ideal package, based on your budget and preferred destinations.
Actually a travel agent is an intermediary between clients and tour
operators.
So, as you can see, the main difference between a tour operator and
a travel agent is that tour operator is the person who is actually
responsible for the planning of the trip/ tour package while travel agent is
the person who is involved in selling this tour package to customers.
1. arrangement - згода d) an agreement between two people
or groups about how something happens or will happen. - тур,
де екскурсовод направляє маршрут, час, інформацію та
місця, які відвідуєте