Unit 1: The Travel and Tourism Industry

✈️ Learning Aim A: Types of Travel, Tourism, and Customer Needs

🔹 A1 – Types of Tourism

• Domestic: Travelling within your own country.
  
  

• Inbound: Tourists from other countries visiting your country.
  
  

• Outbound: Travelling to another country from your home country.
  
  

🔹 A2 – Types of Travel

• Leisure: For fun or relaxation (e.g. holidays, events).
  
  

• Business: For work reasons (e.g. conferences, training).
  
  

• Specialist: Linked to hobbies, health, education, or religion (e.g. gap year, adventure).
  
  

• Visiting Friends & Relatives (VFR): Could be for leisure or business.
  
  

• Day Trips: No overnight stay (e.g. shopping trips, countryside visits).
  
  

🔹 A3 – Travel and Tourism Customers

• Different groups: Individuals, families, seniors, school groups, business travellers.
  
  

• Customer needs: Accessibility, flexibility, dietary, language, cultural, and mobility needs.
  
  

💰 Learning Aim B: Travel and Tourism’s Contribution to the Economy

🔹 B1 – Tourism and the Economy

• Measured through stats: visitor numbers, world ranking, money earned.
  
  

• Key terms:
  
  

  • Leakage: Money that leaves the country.
    
    

  • Multiplier effect: Tourist spending supports other industries (e.g. food, transport).
    
    

🔹 B2 – Employment

• Direct jobs: In tourism (e.g. hotels, airlines, attractions).
  
  

• Indirect jobs: Support tourism (e.g. souvenir shops, insurance, media).
  
  

• Types of jobs: Customer service, admin, management, training roles.
  
  

🔹 B3 – Visitor Numbers

• Analysed by type of tourism, transport used, origin, destination, and purpose.
  
  

• Trends: Track where tourism is growing or declining.
  
  

🏢 Learning Aim C: Travel and Tourism Organisations

🔹 C1 – Ownership Types and Aims

• Private sector: For-profit (e.g. hotels, airlines).
  
  

• Public sector: Government-owned (e.g. tourist boards).
  
  

• Voluntary sector: Charities (e.g. conservation groups).
  
  

🔹 C2 – Key Sectors

• Transport hubs: Airports, stations, ports.
  
  

• Transport providers: Airlines, buses, trains.
  
  

• Tour operators: Create and sell holiday packages.
  
  

• Travel agents: Help customers book travel.
  
  

• Visitor attractions: Natural or man-made (e.g. beaches, museums).
  
  

• Accommodation: Hotels, campsites, apartments.
  
  

• Support organisations: Trade bodies, health and safety, tourist boards.
  
  

🔹 C3 – Interrelationships & Integration

• Interrelationships: Businesses working together.
  
  

• Interdependencies: Relying on each other to provide good services.
  
  

• Horizontal integration: Merging with similar businesses.
  
  

• Vertical integration: Controlling different stages (e.g. airline + hotel).
  
  

🔹 C4 – Technology in the Industry

• Used for booking, promotion, and customer service.
  
  

• Pros: Faster, wider reach, more info.
  
  

• Cons: System failures, tech issues.

🌍 Learning Aim D: External Factors Affecting Travel and Tourism

🔹 D1 – External Factors

• Economic: Recessions, exchange rates, oil prices.
  
  

• Social: Lifestyle changes, holiday trends.
  
  

• Government: Laws, taxes, visa rules.
  
  

• Security & Health: Terrorism, pandemics.
  
  

• Environmental: Natural disasters, extreme weather.
  
  

• Media: News and social media impact decisions.
  
  

🔹 D2 – How Organisations Respond

• Change prices or services.
  
  

• Improve security, tech, or customer service.
  
  

• Join trade bodies.
  
  

• Plan for emergencies or crises.
  
  

• Update staff training and invest in facilities.

Unit 4: Customer service in travel and tourism 

🧍‍♀️ Learning Aim A: Understand Customer Service in Travel and Tourism

🔹 A1 – What Is Customer Service?

• Internal customers = colleagues or staff in the organisation
  
  

• External customers = paying customers or clients
  
  

• First impressions matter! Think about:
  
  

  • Staff appearance and behaviour
    
    

  • Cleanliness of the place
    
    

  • Website or app design and ease of use
    
    

• Customer-focused goals: Respect all customers, solve problems calmly, be consistent and inclusive
  
  

• Why customers choose a business:
  
  

  • Product knowledge and good communication
    
    

  • Reliability and trust
    
    

  • Value for money
    
    

  • Friendly, helpful service
    
    

🔹 A2 – Customer Communication and Satisfaction

• Understand needs of different customer types:
  
  

  • Families, solo travellers, disabled travellers, business customers, international visitors
    
    

• Communicate clearly and respectfully:
  
  

  • Verbal: Ask open questions, listen actively
    
    

  • Written: Use clear, polite language (e.g. emails, brochures, websites)
    
    

• Good service means:
  
  

  • Accurate info, quick help, added extras
    
    

• Deal with complaints by following rules and keeping customers informed
  
  

• Poor customer service = lost trust, bad reviews, legal risks
  
  

🔹 A3 – Impact of Customer Service

• Positive service brings:
  
  

  • Good reputation, more customers, better staff morale
    
    

• Poor service leads to:
  
  

  • Bad reviews, fewer customers, staff stress
    
    

• Follow rules and standards like GDPR and customer rights
  
  

• Use feedback (e.g. social media, surveys) to improve

🤝 Learning Aim B: Demonstrate Customer Service Skills

🔹 B1 – Customer Service Skills and Behaviours

• Use good communication:
  
  

  • Speak clearly, listen well, be polite
    
    

  • Write clearly (emails, leaflets, itineraries)
    
    

• Be professional:
  
  

  • Friendly body language
    
    

  • Stay calm and helpful, even under pressure
    
    

🔹 B2 – Handling Requests and Complaints

• Give accurate info and advice
  
  

• Promote extra services politely
  
  

• Know your limits – don’t promise what you can’t do
  
  

• Record complaints properly, follow rules in emergencies
  
  

• Stay calm and solve problems within company policies

📝 Learning Aim C: Review Own Customer Service Performance

🔹 C1 – Self-Assessment

• Reflect on your skills using:
  
  

  • SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
    
    

• Create an action plan with SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound)
  
  

🔹 C2 – Adding Value

• Improving your customer service helps the business grow
  
  

• Think from the customer’s point of view
  
  

• Create memorable experiences and connect customer service with marketing

📈 Learning Aim D: Improve Customer Service in Organisations

🔹 D1 – Monitoring Customer Service

• Use data like:
  
  

  • Visitor numbers, reviews, complaints, loyalty stats
    
    

  • Mystery shoppers and customer surveys
    
    

  • Competitor research
    
    

🔹 D2 – Role of Technology

• Technology helps:
  
  

  • Customers book and compare online
    
    

  • Collect reviews and feedback
    
    

  • Use mobile apps, e-tickets
    
    

• Watch out: Not everyone can access tech easily
  
  

🔹 D3 – Improving the Customer Experience

• Improve products and services
  
  

• Work with trusted brands
  
  

• Promote services through good marketing
  
  

🔹 D4 – Building a Customer-Focused Organisation

• Update company mission to reflect strong customer service
  
  

• Track the customer journey and improve weak spots
  
  

• Train staff and respond to customer feedback