Unit 2 Travel Services
Text A Tour Operators
Touroperators can be considered the wholesalers of the tourist industry. Theirproduct, which is a service rather than tangible (有形的)merchandise, is the packaged tour. Packaged tours offer transportation, hotelaccommodations, and transfer to and from the airport.The tourist pays a lower price for this package than if he were trying to makeall the arrangements on his own. In addition, the tour package may offer meals,entertainment, sightseeing, a rental car, and many other extras.
Thefirst tour in the modem sense was put together by Thomas Cook in 1841. Cook wassoon offering tours all over the world, and the idea gained acceptance veryquickly not only in England, but also in other European countries and in theUnited States. The firm of Thomas Cook & Sons has remained a major force inthe travel industry, despite the number of changes in ownership. Its principalrival for many years has been the American Express Company(1). BothCook and American Express operate as tour packagers as well as retail travelagents; that is, they sell the tours which they package directly to the publicthrough their own travel offices and through other agents.
Amongthe major tour operators or packagers on the scene today are the airlinesthemselves. Several of them have gone into the hotel business. Shippingcompanies are also tour operators. Cruises are a form of tour, withthe ship taking the place of a hotel for purposes of accommodations. Indeed,cruising is almost the only kind of passenger operation that is offered by theshipping companies now that scheduled passenger liners (客轮)have almost become a thing of the past.
Thegreat increase in tourism that took place in the 1960s, especiallyin Europe, was in part the result of the emergence of a number of firms whosechief business was packaging and operating tours. Some of them took advantageof the ITX fares(2)on the scheduled airlines. Others began to specialize in chartering (租、包)entire planes, which permitted them to offer still lower prices. Both tourismin general and the tour operating companies themselves expanded very rapidly.
Therapid expansion, however, has also resulted in many changes in management and methodsof operation for the firms in the business. A sounder (健全的)financial base became necessary, since tour groups were sometimes left stranded(使搁浅)because tour operators did not have sufficient cash to pay the price of theaircraft charter. Some of the tour operators have now been absorbed byconglomerates (企业集团), the huge modern corporations thatengage in many different kinds of business. Others have close ties withparticular charter airlines or hotel chains. A few have become involved inresort development. A good deal of experimentation has taken place in what isstill basically a new business.
Othertours are put together by all sorts of clubs and organizations whose mainpurpose is not travel. They may be as diverse as cultural groups, suchas garden clubs and opera societies, or labor unions. They are the basis formany of the affinity (密切关系) groupcharters—toursfor people with similar interests and tastes. The tours that are arranged bythese organizations include the normal components of the travel package. Toursare also arranged for employees and their spouses by corporations. Thecorporations typically offer these vacation trips as a reward for superiorsales effort or as an incentive (激励) to improveperformance.
It ispossible to distinguish between two general types of tours. One is the holiday packagethat has a resort hotel as its destination. While local sightseeing orentertainment may be included in the package, the tours are generally of the“no frills (附加值, 虚饰)” variety—in other words, without expensive extras. The major attractions usuallyinclude sun, sea, andactivities such as golf or tennis that are offered by the resort itself. Localcolor is not even an important consideration. Many of the vacationers arehardly aware of what country their hotel is in.
Thesecond is the guided tour that features sightseeing or some other specialattraction. These tours are accompanied by a guide who is in charge of travelarrangements and activities. The activity offered by the touris its principal attraction. Most of these tours include several different destinationsand a good deal of local travel within one region. Thus, theyrequire careful arrangement and coordination of accommodations, localtransportation, luggage handling, and all the other details thataccompany any kind of travel.
Thepublic derives many advantages from packaged tours, the most obvious being theprice. When airplane seats and hotel rooms are reserved in blocks by the touroperators, considerable savings are passed on to the customers. These savingshave been reflected in the last few years by the great increase in tourism.Many people would never travel at all without the price inducements (诱因)offered by packaged tours.
Asecond advantage is the opportunity for the tourist to make all his travelarrangements in one place at one time. The independent traveler(3)—onewho does not travel as a member of a group—oftenhas to go to considerable trouble to put the different pieces of his triptogether. Airline seats may not be available when he wants them, or he may notbe able to secure the hotel accommodations that he wants. Even when a travelagent makes the arrangements, these difficulties still exist, but with thepackaged tour they are eliminated for the consumer. The tour，inother words, offers convenience as one of its inducements.
A thirdadvantage can be summed up in the term accessibility (可达性).Tours make it possible for people to visit many remote or rugged areas thatwould otherwise be too difficult for them to try to see on their own. (959words)
Notes
(1) the American Express Company: 美国运通公司。创建之初，它只是一家从事快递服务的公司，主要在美国经营货运和贵重物品运送业务，后来逐渐发展成为一家在全球范围内开发并销售金融产品的公司。如今，美国运通公司已成为全球旅游服务、财务及网络服务供应商，是全球知名度极高的品牌之一。
(2) ITX fares: 定期航班为旅游团队提供的优惠票价。除了票价打折外，有些航空公司会为达到一定人数的团队提供一张至数张免费票，如16人免1人的票等。
(3) independent traveler: 散客，自助旅游者，也称independent tourist，简称为IT，而旅游业中常用的 FIT 指的是foreign independent traveler/tourist.
Exercises:
A. Readthe passage and answer the following questions.
1. Why can’t we say tour operators’product is considered as tangible merchandise?
2. How does Cook lead the first tour inthe modern sense?
3. How do Cook and American Express selltheir tours?
4. What are other tour operators excepttraditional tour companies like Cook and American Express?
5. How did the tour operating companiesdevelop rapidly in the 1960s?
6. What changes did the rapid expansionmake in management and methods of operation for tour operators?
7. What are these two general types oftours?
8. What are the advantages of packagedtours?
B.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1. Tour operators can be considered thewholesalers of the tourist industry. Their product, which is a service ratherthan tangible merchandise, is the packaged tour.
2. Both Cook and American Expressoperate as tour packagers as well as retail travel agents; that is, they sellthe tours which they package directly to the public through their own traveloffices and through other agents.
3. Indeed, cruising is almost the only kindof passenger operation that is offered by the shipping companies now thatscheduled passenger liners have almost become a thing of the past.
4. A sounder financial base becamenecessary, since tour groups were sometimes left stranded because tour operatorsdid not have sufficient cash to pay the price of the aircraft charter.
5. One is the holiday package that has aresort hotel as its destination. While local sightseeing or entertainment maybe included in the package, the tours are generally of the “no frills” variety —inother words, without expensive extras.
