How does a travel agent differ from a travel agent?

Tour operator is a company that forms a package of tourist services for tourists. First of all, this is the organizer who is engaged in the preparation of all the components of the tour. This package of tourist services includes booking tickets and hotel, all kinds of transfers, excursions, guides, as well as visa support. The tour operator sets prices for tours and develops discount systems.

Travel agency - a company (seller), engaged in the implementation of tours organized by tour operators.

In other words, the tour operator creates tours and sells them. A travel agency can only promote and sell vouchers or tours. Each of the two options has its pros and cons: these are what we will consider in this article.

 

The assortment is one of the main advantages in purchasing vouchers in a travel agency. Each travel agency cooperates with several tour operators and can offer customers the maximum choice of destinations for recreation; hotels; departure and arrival dates.

Also an important advantage is the walking accessibility of offices of travel agencies. You can choose an office closer to home or to the place of work.

In case of bankruptcy of the travel agency for tourists there is almost no chance to get their money back.

In the high season, when everything is bought out months before the expected date of the trip, the travel agent may simply not have time to purchase a tour for you.

Advantages of Tour Operator

• Tour operators always have several secured seats for certain dates in the height of the holiday season. Since places are bought out long before the start of the season, their cost can be cheap due to the risk of not selling tickets to these places.

All tour operators have financial support for their activities. This ensures reliability (in case of bankruptcy of the company) when returning money to its customers.

• The risk of force majeure is reduced. Each tour operator carefully studies all information and can advise the client in detail on a particular issue.

Discounts on pre-purchased seats are not always so great.

In addition, the tour operator sets its first and main task to sell its pre-purchased seats, that is, to “impose” its conditions on the client.

 

The choice of a travel agent or travel operator should be approached very responsibly. After all, your journey depends on it: both its safety and its success. It should be remembered that there are travel agencies and tour operators with a bad reputation. Another link in the memory of the cases of bankruptcy of major tour operators, and in the news is about to appear information about the inability of a particular insurance company to pay compensation to its customers. Search in the bowels of the Internet ratings of the most popular tour operators is not worth it, as there are no officially recognized ones. The best rating is based on the reviews of the tourist.

• Number of directions

Here everything is simple: the more countries where a travel agency can send a tourist, the less the risk that in case of problems with any direction, the entire system will be disrupted.

 

• Host companies

This term refers to personal companies or agencies of travel agencies abroad, that is, in countries with which it cooperates. This ensures that you fall into the safe hands of your fellow tour operator.

 

• Consistency with airlines

This factor includes interactions with air carriers. Their abundance and quality of flights. The more agreements – the better, and than the airlines with which the contract for the transportation of tourists, more reliable – the more guarantees for a successful holiday and flight for tourists.

 

• Insurance company and its sustainability

In the event of unforeseen situations (such as refusal, relocation or cancellation of the return flight to their home country), damages fall on the shoulders of the insurance company.

Coral Travel includes not only a variety of destinations (28), but also a service like having your own host companies.

 

TUI is part of one of the largest tourist holdings, TUI Group. The number of positive reviews is 98%.

 

TEZ TOUR occupies a leading position in the Turkish and Egyptian tour market. Actively developing the Chinese direction - Hainan. The number of positive reviews is 98%.

 

Sunmar Tour is the most popular tour operator among young people who specializes in budget tours.

 

Pegas Touristik includes 22 destinations worldwide. Plus, two own airlines – Pegas Fly and Nordwind Airlines. The number of positive reviews is 94%.

 

The oldest, but no less reliable tourist company in Russia.

 

Natalie Tours was once the fourth largest tour operator in Russia. Recently radically redesigned the system of booking tours. The number of satisfied customers is 95%.

 

Anex Tour specializes in destinations such as Spain and Thailand.

 

Biblio Globus offers 53 destinations for recreation. The number of satisfied customers is 95%.

 

Mouxenidis Travel is exclusively engaged in Greece.

 

 

It is from your conscious choice of a “companion” in the person of a tour operator or travel agent that your journey, its safety, reliability and success depends. After reviewing all the pros and cons of these organizations, make your informed choice. Have a good rest!

 

Text by Irina Mitrofanova

Photos: livejournal, travel