Tour operators are certain enterprises of the tourism industry.

Definition

The term is ambiguous: After general linguistic usage tour operator an enterprise is called, which provided or from third (so-called service providers) procured routistic products over switching of a travel agency or by own selling possibilities (chains, Internet) sold to the final consumer. On the kind of the product it does not depend thereby. It can concern accommodations (hotel room, vacation homes, camping stays), around flight and course ticket, rented car, in addition, around additional service such as luggage, resignation or travel health insurances as well as around combinations of it.

In a closer, legal sense tour operator is however only, who sells so-called package tours, thus a whole of cruising power outputs, on the special legislation (above all travel treaty right after "§"§ 651a FF. BGB) Apply.

Demarcation tour operator - travel agency

The borders between tour operators and travel agency often are flowing. In the present profound structural change of the tourism economy travel agencies organize own journeys increasingly on the search for specialized niches to smaller extent and are thereby tour operators at the same time. After the iurisdiction of the European Court of Justice Garrido, R-S. C-400/00, of 30.04.02) become them this even already if they arrange the customer several individual performances when desired individually to a package.

Parallel the classical large tour operators sell under the present costing and rationalization pressure their products/their journeys increasingly directly in the customers, for example over Internet.

A tour operator is responsible for the achievements of its executing aides (hotel, airlines, bus transfer partners). The customer does not have to call its requirements in thus with each individual Leistungserbringer. A travel agency sticks opposite to the customer meanwhile for the technical consultation and normal forwarding of its reservation to the tour operator, is however not not responsible for errors in the achievement contribution. Therefore complaints are to be placed also not against the travel agency, but always against the tour operator.

Tour operator in the German-language countries

Germany

Altogether it might give a few hundred tour operators. Some the most well-known are:

The six large organizers are:

• TUI AG
• Thomas Cook AG
• REWE tourism
• FTI frog tourism GmbH
• all route air passage GmbH and
• route GmbH.

At route and ATT is involved Thomas Cook AG with 10%

To the medium-size tour operators belong:

• Ameropa journeys GmbH
• Inter Chalet holiday house GmbH
• Novasol GmbH
• Nazar Holiday travel meeting GmbH
• Sea-route German Branch OF Carnival
• Olimar journeys GmbH
• Interhome GmbH

Admitted if regional tour operators, which did not develop salient own lines, like for example "“Hetzel journeys"” for Southern Germany or "“BFR"” and "“Unger"” for Berlin/Brandenburg, could not maintain ground at the market. These organizers could differ in their product range not from the large tourism companies and please are thereby the competition pressure to the victim.

Niche organizers however, who offer products ("“only we"” have), which for companies with their mass production are too have quite chances at the market.

Switzerland

• Kuoni among other things with the marks Kuoni, Helvetic route, net journeys
• Hotel plan among other things with the marks hotel plan, Esco, Escolette, easy simply holidays, M-Travel
• TUI Suisse with the marks Imholz and journeys
• Travelhouse
• Direct journeys among other things with the marks direct journeys, Pick Pay journeys, field man route
• Farmhand journeys

Austria

• Gulet tourism, part of TUI
• Neckermann Austria
• Austrian tourist agency
• regional organizers such as Christophorus journeys, geo journeys among other things

Organization of tour operators

Beside the generalists offering a variety from tourism products in the industry also a whole set of special tour operators was established. Thus some enterprises specialized for instance in study, speaking, youth or expedition journeys. Some offerers put their emphasis on flight, others on bus journeys. Also there are Nischenabieter for certain countries and continents.

Tourism companies

From TUI, Thomas Cook and ITS developed larger tourism companies, which act in the meantime European-wide. With vertical and horizontal structures the classical demarcations of the routistic service providers are ever more waived.

Horizontal integration

Traditionally the routistic product of "“foreign achievements"” was arranged, i.e. hotels, airlines etc. did not belong to the tour operator. With the horizontal integration the organizers try to bundle and obtain over synergies cost advantages the entire creation of value chain of the product journey in a possession. Hotels/hotel chains, airlines and Incomingagenturen are integrated with the organizer in a company.

Examples:

• to Thomas Cook belong today: Thomas Cook airlines (actually and shortly probably again: CONDOR) and hotels and/or hotel participation like for example Iberostar.
• To Its formerly independent airline LTU belongs.

If the horizontal integration in the routistic boom times proved up to the year 2001 as favourable, this concept in the crisis periods represents a load since 11 September 2001 increasingly and proves for the necessary flexible reactions and Verschlankungen for some market participants as hindrance.

Vertical integration

With the vertical integration the organizers try to bundle production and the selling in a possession for example over own travel agencies/participation in travel agency chains, in order to steer the sales in the travel agency purposefully at their product.

Sources

See also: Overview tourism

Articles in category "Tour operator"

We found here 3 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 6 related websites.

• European Tour Operators Association
  Trade association representing the interests of international inbound and intra-European tour operators...


• Federation of Tour Operators - FTO
  FTO work on behalf of their members to ensure the continued long term success of the air inclusive holiday's.


• Indian Travel Agency,Tour Operators in India,Tailormade Tours to ...
  India Travel Agency/Outbound tour operators from India offering summer vacation packages, online hotel reservations, air tickets booking, usa travel, ...


• UK Tour operators web directory
  Web directory for tour operators in England, Wales, and Scotland.


• United States Tour Operators Association
  USTOA - a professional association representing the tour operator industry, composed of tour companies...


• Welcome to the Tour Operators Initiative
  This is the Tour Operators' Initiative, a network of tour operators committed to sustainable development.