The travel industry is vast and expansive in nature. There exist multiple avenues through which a person can contribute to this ever-growing industry and consequently make a good amount of money. Due to the diversity of the platform, it can get confusing to comprehend who is engaged in what task.
One of the most common mix-ups takes place between what is known as a ‘travel operator’ and a ‘travel agent’. This blog will explain the significant difference between travel agent and tour operator. These two designations are different, but confusion arises because of the similarity in the terminology.
These two professions have characteristics that overlap each other, and in that sense, a travel agent can do specific tasks that are more likely to be done by a tour operator and the other way around.
In other words, travel agents and tour operators tackle the objectives of the travel and tourism sector. However, legitimate differences broadly divide the nature of both job descriptions.
Once you are aware of the difference between travel agent and tour operator, you will find it easier to avail services from each one of them in a more seamless manner.
What is a Travel Agent?
In the simplest terms, a travel agent is a representative of the travel and tourism industry who sells travel services directly to the end consumer. In this case, the end-consumer could be an individual, a group, or a corporation.
A travel agent is not in charge of creating the various travel services that customers look forward to buying, and their principal task is to act as a middleman between the tour travel companies and the clients. A travel agent makes it easier for the customer to find and avail of the right services at any time.
Becoming a travel agent takes more than knowing about the available travel services available in the market. In order to become a successful travel agent, one needs to imbibe excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Since the travel agent handles people, their overall people-handling skills take precedence over everything else.
Among other things, travel agents make customers aware of the different individual or compact packages that travel companies sell. When they are able to sell one or more of these services, they get a share of the profit.
What is a Tour Operator?
Tour operators are generally entities who are the real brains behind a particular travel service compilation. It could be an individual or a group of individuals who come together to build travel packages for interested travellers.
Tour operators work closely with various service providers, such as airlines and hotel chains, to coordinate a travel itinerary. A tour operator will work under the strict guidelines of travel regulations of the country where the operations will take place.
While plying their trade, tour operators could sell their services directly to the client or do it via a travel agent. A tour operator works in tandem with the latest offerings of the airline, hotel, and other allied industries to squeeze out the best deals for their prospective clients.
Be it transport and accommodations services, flights and airline tickets, hotel bookings, sightseeing, food, and lodging, it is the job of the tour operator to get everything sorted in the first place.
Once the entire structure of the services is compiled and adjusted per the end-user’s needs, they launch their travel services via online or offline means. In a way, the travel agent is dependent on the tour operator for success at both ends.
Seven Difference Between Travel Agent and Tour Operator
The main difference between a travel agent and a tour operator is that the latter is the architect of travel ideas and packages, which they then sell to either the travel agents linked to them or directly to the customers.
On the other hand, a travel agent will not develop travel plans from scratch but sell the same generated by tour operators they are working for or attached to.
Since travel agents are wholly dependent on tour operators for giving them the opportunity to sell services to clients, they make it a point to maintain camaraderie with a host of tour operators.
A travel agent will have close connections with several travel companies/tour operators as it increases their chances of getting hold of better deals and offers. They then bring those deals in front of the customer. Travel agents could maintain these links via the online mode or offline mode, or both.
This bond between a travel agent and a tour operator is based on mutual trust. Tour operators only allow specific travel agents to advertise and sell their services. Likewise, there will be travel agents who will work for only a chosen set of tour operators.
There will be instances when a tour operator would be more likely to sell its services to the clients via a travel agent. This happens when the tour operator is dealing with cases like international packages and targeted niche packages.
In some countries, such as the UK, the government has mandated that tour operators are required to engage travel agents to sell some specific services. This has been done with an eye to providing more employment opportunities to the local populace.
Importance of Knowing the Difference Between Travel Agent and Tour Operator
From the standpoint of the consumer, it becomes crucial to understand the difference between the travel agent and the tour operator. This is because as the end-user, you are supposed to know where you will find the correct information when trying to connect with either one of them.
There are often moments when customers blame travel agents for anomalies in services, which are the tour operators’ responsibility. The reverse is also true in other cases. When an instance like this occurs, it culminates in customers fighting with the travel agents and the tour operators.
The end user must also understand that a travel agent will not have total control over tour operators’ services. The travel agents go to great lengths to ensure that the customers are happy and satisfied with their travel experience.
However, in case there emerge untoward incidents, the customer should also fully cooperate with all the parties to come to an amicable solution.
At the end of the day, it is up to the consumer to determine which travel operators are rated highly in the public domain. Once they are confident of their choice, their next task would be to opt for a well-known travel agent who is diligent in their work and customer-friendly.
Once these two aspects are taken care of, the consumer can simply relax and interact with only the travel agent or both. Since travel is generally an expensive affair, you as a consumer must dedicate enough time to select only high-value tour operators and travel agents.
People mostly go on travels to recharge their exhausted minds after many days of hard work. Ergo, the right choice before the journey will go a long way in ensuring you have a memorable trip with your loved ones.
Now that we discussed the difference between travel agent and tour operator, we would like you to check out our other Pathfndr blogs. They will surely give you valuable insights into the travel and tourism industry.