Tour Planning and Route Development

Tour Planning and Route Development

• Tour planning involves anticipating and addressing traveler needs, resulting in a more successful trip.
• A comprehensive tour plan includes: route, duration, transport, accommodation, meals, attractions, leisure time, dates, and budget.

Types of Tours

• Packaged Tours (Inclusive Tours): Pre-planned itineraries with an all-inclusive price.
• Escorted Packaged Tours: Guided tours handling all services throughout the trip.
• Group Packaged Tours: Cost-effective tours for group travel, often with set itineraries.
• Independent Packaged Tours: Flexible itineraries tailored to individual preferences.
• Scheduled Tours: Tours with pre-determined departure and arrival times.

Tourist Profiles

• A tourist profile summarizes relevant tourist information (wants, expectations) assisting in meeting traveler needs.

Budget Considerations

• A tour budget accounts for transport, accommodation, meals, attractions (fees, permits), and additional costs (airport taxes).

Time Considerations in Tour Planning

• Time allocation considerations should avoid wasting time while allowing sufficient leisure and relaxation.

Route Planning

• Route planning requires geographic knowledge, various maps, distance tables, GPS, and resources (brochures, guidebooks).

Transport Selection

• Transport selection considers factors like vehicle type (cars, buses, planes), fuel emissions, and environmental concerns (emissions, waste from cruise ships).

Accommodation Selection

• Accommodation choices range from luxury to budget-friendly options influenced by type, quality, location, availability, and budget.

Attraction Selection

• Tour attraction choices depend on the customer's interests, preferences, and preferences, often being a major factor in deciding on a tour.

Activity Selection

• The tour plan's popularity is affected by activities at the attractions and destinations, contributing to the overall customer experience.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

• Itinaries provide detailed daily schedules, including transport, accommodation, attractions, activities, and meals.
• Itinerary types include targeted, general, and individual plans.
• Key aspects to consider while creating an itinerary include transport, accommodation, attractions, activities, and meal stops.
• Essential factors involve time, tour objectives, traveler needs, tour information, route, order, and budget.

Itinerary Presentation

• Presentation should be neat, clear, and engaging (using 24-hour clock, conversational tone).
• Avoid unrealistic promises and include interesting facts and descriptive language.
• Format may include paragraphs or tables, whichever is clearer and more informative.

Tour Budgets

• A tour budget documents all tour costs, ensuring cost-effectiveness and affordability.
• Factors influencing budget design include tour type, group size, transport, and accommodation, adding to other costs.
• Basic budgets show costs, inclusions, exclusions, and optional extras.

Health and Safety

• Tourists should seek advice on potential health risks in destinations, considering climate, wildlife encounters, potential injuries, etc.

Health Risks and Precautions

• WHO: The World Health Organization advises on global health risks, preventive measures, vaccinations (compulsory/recommended), and health certificates.
• High-Risk Destinations: Regions with diseases like malaria, bilharzia, and cholera are considered high-risk destinations.
• TB (Tuberculosis) Risks: Crowded environments, long flights, and public transport exposure can increase TB risk.
• HIV/AIDS Risk: Tourists need to understand HIV/AIDS risks but vaccination is unavailable.
• Travel Precautions (WHO's "6 I's"): Insects (repellents), Ingestion (bottled water), Indiscretion (safe sex), Injury (first aid), Immersion (avoid fresh water sources), Insurance (medical).

Travel Documents

• Essential documents for travel include a passport, visa (depending on the country visited), and health certificates (in some cases).
• Passport Types: Tourist, maxi-tourist, official, diplomatic, temporary.
• Visa Types: Visitor, transit, diplomatic, courtesy, official.
• International Travel Requirements: Requirements like valid passport, visa, sufficient funds, return/onward ticket, and yellow fever vaccination (if applicable)
• International Driving Permits (IDP): Issued by the AA and accepted in various countries.

Time Zones and Travel

• Time zones represent longitudinal divisions of Earth with standard times, impacting travel arrangements (e.g., crossing time zones on flights).
• Time zones, UTC, Greenwich, latitude/longitude, hemispheres are all important coordinates to know when planning a trip.
• Daylight saving time (DST) adjustments can impact travel schedules, and should be considered.
• Travelers should be aware of these adjustments prior to travel.