Chapter Eight:  Tours

 

Vacations were invented to give us a break from our jobs. Yet, for some reason, stepping into someone else's muddy, uncomfortable shoes—while on vacation—is gaining in popularity.

At Hallowell, Maine’s Maple Hill Farm Inn, guests pay to handle farmerly duties such as collecting eggs and bringing in hay bales. Tourists visiting one of the U.K.’s Diggerland “amusement” parks can operate a backhoe and other construction equipment. And when you get tired of actually gambling at the casino and drinking at the bar, take a Casino Education Vacation at Florida’s Bartenderdealer.com school.

Ready to ante up your vacation days?

Top Ten Tourists Destinations for 2009:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article4919189.ece

                       

 

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Reading Assignment:

Read Chapter Eight.

 

 

Discussion Questions:

Complete the following discussion questions by typing your answers on your chapter eight word document to be e-mailed to the instructor.  Use the following links to answer the following questions:

 

  1. List the four different types of tours and describe what type of traveler might like each type.
  2. Describe three features of a tour that directly benefit the traveler.
  3. What is the specific benefit of taking a fully escorted tour?
  4. What type of traveler may not be interested in a fully escorted tour?
  5. When is full payment usually due for tours?
  6. What is a “fam trip”?

http://www.famnews.com/

 

  1. Fam trips (continued):

      http://www.famconnection.com/

 

a.       Do you think travel agents really remember everything they see on a fam?

b.      What is the biggest benefit of taking a fam?

c.       Does it sound like a “fam” trip would be fun?

 

  1. What is the difference between “hard” and “soft” adventure tours?
  2. What is the difference between an independent tour and a hosted tour?
  3. What is a “land-only” tour?
  4. With SO MANY travelers booking more and more travel arrangements online, what can a travel counselor do to keep clients booking with them rather than on the internet?

 

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Activity I:

 

Constructing a Tour:

The following site is a one-stop tour planning resource featuring sample itineraries, special offers and over 40 time saving tools designed specifically for travel professionals.  Use this site to answer the following questions:

http://www.thetouroperator.com/

 

  1. Click on a state of your choice- then, using this program, briefly describe a sample tour you might put together.
  2. For the state you choose, list three events you could build a tour around.
 

Activity II :

 

All About FITs

FIT (Foreign Independent Travel) - Foreign Independent Travel or Foreign Individual Travel. An international pre-paid tour (unescorted), but including several travel elements such as accommodations, rental cars, or sightseeing. A FIT operator specializes in preparing and operating FITs at the request of retail travel agents.

 

Go to the following site and answer the following questions:

http://www.geopassage.com/geocontent/travelagents.asp

 

  1. What is the “GeoPassage Travel Agent Program” all about?
  2. What are the benefits of joining?

      http://www.geopassage.com/geocontent/benefits.asp

 

 

Activity III:

 

What is an ecotour?

 

“Ecotourism is that tourism that involves traveling to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural aspects (both past and present) found in these areas. Ecotourism implies a scientific, esthetic or philosophical approach, although the 'ecotourist' is not required to be a professional scientist, artist or philosopher. The main point is that the person who practices ecotourism has the opportunity of immersing him or herself in nature in a way that most people cannot enjoy in their routine, urban existences. This person will eventually acquire a consciousness and knowledge of the natural environment, together with its cultural aspects, that will convert him into somebody keenly involved in conservation issues."

                                                                                Hector Ceballos-Lascurain

 

 

Use the following website to answer the following questions about ecotourism:

http://www.naturetours.com/abt_ecot.html

 

  1. What is unique about how Ecotour Expeditions got started?
  2. What were the first ecotours like?
  3. What is the “compelling idea” behind ecotourism?
  4. How have ecotours changed over the years?

 

 

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Web Site Evaluation:

Go to the following websites and evaluate one of them using the website evaluation template:

 

Bid on a vacation?

http://11thhour.skyauction.com/action/offer?OFFER_ID=824052

 

Do you have every supplier’s phone number handy?  Check this site!  You’ll want to bookmark it.

http://www.johnnyjet.com/

 

Hollywood Tours- Straight from the movies…..

 

Lord of the Rings- Middle Earth Tour

http://www.pacificpathways.com/middletour.htm

Under the Tuscan Sun- Rent a Villa in Tuscany

http://www.villavacations.com/fall_newsletter/index.shtml

Cold Mountain- Relive the Civil War

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04074/284893.stm

Lost in Translation- Stay at the hotel where the movie was filmed.

http://tokyo.park.hyatt.com/?src=luxy.feature