Itinerary Planning and Tour Packaging MODULE – 6A
Travel and Tour Operation
Bussiness
22
ITINERARY PLANNING AND Notes
TOUR PACKAGING
The core business of travel companies, especially wholesalers and tour operators,
is derived from selling tour packages. For any tour package to be designed, a
well thought planned itinerary is most essential. Itinerary is central to any tour
package around which all the other features are incorporated. A lot of planning,
additions, deletions go into the process before final itinerary and the route along
which a tour should be organised. The next stage is to design and package a
tour around this itinerary which is developed into a final product for sale to
prospective clients. Travel industry offers listless tour packages from tailor-
made, customised to specialised. Hence, itinerary planning and tour packaging
are considered to be central to the business of travel companies. In this chapter,
we will learn about all that is necessary in formulating a feasible itinerary and
designing a marketable tour package.
OBJECTIVES
After studying this lesson, you will be able to:
z explain the meaning and types of Itinerary;
z develop steps for preparing Itinerary;
z provide background information for preparing Itinerary;
z list Do’s and Do Not’s of an Itinerary;
z prepare Itinerary for FIT and GIT Tours;
z explain the meaning and types of Tour Packages;
z prepare Package elements and how to deal;
z identify with Package Tour Formulation Process;
TOURISM 25
, MODULE – 6A Itinerary Planning and Tour Packaging
Travel and Tour Operation
Bussiness z prepare Tour Brochure Designing; and
z prepare about Tour Voucher, Docketing and Programming of tours.
22.1 MEANING AND TYPES OF ITINERARY
22.1.1 Meaning of Itinerary
Notes An itinerary is a plan of a journey showing the route and the places that the
visitor will visit. Thus, it is a schedule or timetable produced in association with
a package tour. It is basically designed to identify the route, day-by-day journey
format, origin, destination, and all the enroute halting points, period of halts
along with accommodation, mode of travel, activities and other services offered
during a visitor’s tour.
An itinerary is not just a piece of information but a selling point aimed at
convincing potential customers. Itineraries are also produced for travellers’
booking flights; it then includes departure time, airport, terminal details, flight
number, baggage limits, transits, seat allocation and minimum check-in time,
which doesn’t really include any marketing element. But package tour itineraries
play a key role in attracting clients.
The quality of a tour package is determined by the suitability, nature and
comprehensiveness of a tour itinerary. It is generally printed in tour brochures
but only after the clearance from the expert team as it includes logical inclusion
and sequential arrangement of a variety of features.
22.1.2 Types of Itinerary
A package tour itinerary may be divided into five types with the primary
objective of reminding the duties and responsibilities of different stakeholders
involved in organising a package to such as tour managers, vendors, coach
drivers, interpreter, escorts and guides. Thus, the five types of itinerary can be
tourist’s itinerary, tour manager’s itinerary, escort or guide’s itinerary, vendor’s
itinerary and coach driver’s itinerary. Another classification of itinerary may also
be done keeping in mind the needs of tourists and convenience of tour operators
such as GIT itinerary, FIT itinerary, Tailor-made itinerary and special interest
itinerary. Let us now learn the nature of these types in detail.
Classification to remind individual responsibilities:
z Tourists’ itinerary
Tourists’ itinerary is given to a particular tourist for his reference as part
of the package tour. A tourist expects the tour to be organised as per the
itinerary mentioned in the package tour he/she has purchased. For planners
26 TOURISM
, Itinerary Planning and Tour Packaging MODULE – 6A
Travel and Tour Operation
it is important to check its feasibility. Generally planners organise FAM trips Bussiness
in advance to have the feel of the itinerary and identify the limitations and
they are rectified before they are incorporated into a package tour and made
available for the reference of the tourists. Hence tour planners should take
into consideration various aspects such as purpose of tour, budget,
accommodation, transportation, choice of destinations and attractions,
activities at destinations, legal issues, host and guest behaviour and so on.
They may also keep certain things as optional. Notes
Basically, a tourist itinerary is a reference for the tourist to follow during
his journey like points of halt, hotel, time taken between two points, meal
plans, activities, attractions to visit etc. apart from arrival and departure
points/time and check-in check-out time. Tour operators are expected to
strictly follow the itinerary. If they intend to change or modify it that should
be only in the interest of safety and security of the guests. And they should
take their client into confidence before doing that.
z Tour manager’s itinerary
The role of tour manager is crucial to any package tour as he/she has to
perform different duties from planning to actual operation of the tour
continously on the spot. Professional expertise, knowledge of different travel
issues, crisis management and his/her own personal experiences matter a lot
in organising a tour. Tour manager’s itinerary includes the complete details
of the whole tour from day one to the last day. Apart from the general details
as listed in a tourist’s itinerary a tour managers itinerary also carries
information about alternative arrangements, contact details, quick references,
differential rates and tariff details, details of coach drivers and escorts and
guides. This helps him/her to have complete control over the smooth conduct
of the tour as well as to execute contingency plans if required at times.
z Escort or guide’s itinerary
An escort or guide should know in detail where the group is being taken
to, what activities and events are to be organised, time management of the
tour and other group details. Vast experience, knowledge of practical ground
difficulties, presence of mind and readiness to handle crisis of an escort or
guide adds to the successful conduct of a tour. The escorts being physically
with the group/tourist all through the journey, they are more than expected
to deliver and keep the image of the company in high esteem.
z Vendor’s itinerary
Vendors play a major role in delivering what is mentioned in the clients
itinerary. Hence it is unavoidable but to be aware of the specific parts of
the itinerary so as to make the necessary arrangements in advance and
delivery to the fullest satisfaction of the guests when they arrive at their
TOURISM 27
Travel and Tour Operation
Bussiness
22
ITINERARY PLANNING AND Notes
TOUR PACKAGING
The core business of travel companies, especially wholesalers and tour operators,
is derived from selling tour packages. For any tour package to be designed, a
well thought planned itinerary is most essential. Itinerary is central to any tour
package around which all the other features are incorporated. A lot of planning,
additions, deletions go into the process before final itinerary and the route along
which a tour should be organised. The next stage is to design and package a
tour around this itinerary which is developed into a final product for sale to
prospective clients. Travel industry offers listless tour packages from tailor-
made, customised to specialised. Hence, itinerary planning and tour packaging
are considered to be central to the business of travel companies. In this chapter,
we will learn about all that is necessary in formulating a feasible itinerary and
designing a marketable tour package.
OBJECTIVES
After studying this lesson, you will be able to:
z explain the meaning and types of Itinerary;
z develop steps for preparing Itinerary;
z provide background information for preparing Itinerary;
z list Do’s and Do Not’s of an Itinerary;
z prepare Itinerary for FIT and GIT Tours;
z explain the meaning and types of Tour Packages;
z prepare Package elements and how to deal;
z identify with Package Tour Formulation Process;
TOURISM 25
, MODULE – 6A Itinerary Planning and Tour Packaging
Travel and Tour Operation
Bussiness z prepare Tour Brochure Designing; and
z prepare about Tour Voucher, Docketing and Programming of tours.
22.1 MEANING AND TYPES OF ITINERARY
22.1.1 Meaning of Itinerary
Notes An itinerary is a plan of a journey showing the route and the places that the
visitor will visit. Thus, it is a schedule or timetable produced in association with
a package tour. It is basically designed to identify the route, day-by-day journey
format, origin, destination, and all the enroute halting points, period of halts
along with accommodation, mode of travel, activities and other services offered
during a visitor’s tour.
An itinerary is not just a piece of information but a selling point aimed at
convincing potential customers. Itineraries are also produced for travellers’
booking flights; it then includes departure time, airport, terminal details, flight
number, baggage limits, transits, seat allocation and minimum check-in time,
which doesn’t really include any marketing element. But package tour itineraries
play a key role in attracting clients.
The quality of a tour package is determined by the suitability, nature and
comprehensiveness of a tour itinerary. It is generally printed in tour brochures
but only after the clearance from the expert team as it includes logical inclusion
and sequential arrangement of a variety of features.
22.1.2 Types of Itinerary
A package tour itinerary may be divided into five types with the primary
objective of reminding the duties and responsibilities of different stakeholders
involved in organising a package to such as tour managers, vendors, coach
drivers, interpreter, escorts and guides. Thus, the five types of itinerary can be
tourist’s itinerary, tour manager’s itinerary, escort or guide’s itinerary, vendor’s
itinerary and coach driver’s itinerary. Another classification of itinerary may also
be done keeping in mind the needs of tourists and convenience of tour operators
such as GIT itinerary, FIT itinerary, Tailor-made itinerary and special interest
itinerary. Let us now learn the nature of these types in detail.
Classification to remind individual responsibilities:
z Tourists’ itinerary
Tourists’ itinerary is given to a particular tourist for his reference as part
of the package tour. A tourist expects the tour to be organised as per the
itinerary mentioned in the package tour he/she has purchased. For planners
26 TOURISM
, Itinerary Planning and Tour Packaging MODULE – 6A
Travel and Tour Operation
it is important to check its feasibility. Generally planners organise FAM trips Bussiness
in advance to have the feel of the itinerary and identify the limitations and
they are rectified before they are incorporated into a package tour and made
available for the reference of the tourists. Hence tour planners should take
into consideration various aspects such as purpose of tour, budget,
accommodation, transportation, choice of destinations and attractions,
activities at destinations, legal issues, host and guest behaviour and so on.
They may also keep certain things as optional. Notes
Basically, a tourist itinerary is a reference for the tourist to follow during
his journey like points of halt, hotel, time taken between two points, meal
plans, activities, attractions to visit etc. apart from arrival and departure
points/time and check-in check-out time. Tour operators are expected to
strictly follow the itinerary. If they intend to change or modify it that should
be only in the interest of safety and security of the guests. And they should
take their client into confidence before doing that.
z Tour manager’s itinerary
The role of tour manager is crucial to any package tour as he/she has to
perform different duties from planning to actual operation of the tour
continously on the spot. Professional expertise, knowledge of different travel
issues, crisis management and his/her own personal experiences matter a lot
in organising a tour. Tour manager’s itinerary includes the complete details
of the whole tour from day one to the last day. Apart from the general details
as listed in a tourist’s itinerary a tour managers itinerary also carries
information about alternative arrangements, contact details, quick references,
differential rates and tariff details, details of coach drivers and escorts and
guides. This helps him/her to have complete control over the smooth conduct
of the tour as well as to execute contingency plans if required at times.
z Escort or guide’s itinerary
An escort or guide should know in detail where the group is being taken
to, what activities and events are to be organised, time management of the
tour and other group details. Vast experience, knowledge of practical ground
difficulties, presence of mind and readiness to handle crisis of an escort or
guide adds to the successful conduct of a tour. The escorts being physically
with the group/tourist all through the journey, they are more than expected
to deliver and keep the image of the company in high esteem.
z Vendor’s itinerary
Vendors play a major role in delivering what is mentioned in the clients
itinerary. Hence it is unavoidable but to be aware of the specific parts of
the itinerary so as to make the necessary arrangements in advance and
delivery to the fullest satisfaction of the guests when they arrive at their
TOURISM 27
