Class Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

This curricular unit  focuses in the understanding of the touristic distribuition and its dynamic; identofy the concepts and basic terminologies of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators activities; identify the specificfeatures of the touristic products and services and their implication in the activity of  Travel agencies and Tour Operators; understand the process of elaboration of a touristic package; assay the way consumers behave and how it influences the performance of travel agentes and tour operators; initiate students in the use of a Global Distribuition System – GDS Galileo.

Description of contents

1. Tourism Distribution
   1. Structure of Tourism Distribution
   2. Functions of Travel and Tourism Agencies and Tour Operators
   3. Classification of Travel and Tourism Agencies
   4. Concepts and terminology

1. The business of Tour Operators and Travel and Tourism Agencies
   1. Relations between Tour Operators, travel agencies and the tourist system
   2. Travel organization: The assembly and commercialization of the ¿tour package¿
      1. Research phase
      2. Planning phase
      3. Financial evaluation
      4. Negotiation with tourism service providers
      5. Marketing of the ¿tourist packages

1. Global Distribution Systems (GDS)
   1. Main GDS and system functionalities
   2. Air transport reservation procedures

1. Practical learning of the use of GDS Galileo from the perspective of the travel agent
   1. Availability
   2. Booking File -Mandatory fields
   3. Bookinf File – Optional fields
   4. Fares – Overview; Fare Quote; Fare Quote Best Buy

During the course of the theoretical classes, students will have the possibility to contact with the real world, through the
contact with specialists who work in Travel Agencies and Tour Operators,
both international and national, in order to develop creative skills and the ability to solve progressively more complex problems.
ability to solve progressively more complex problems. Thus, there will be
several thematic seminars and study visits.
The Inverted Classroom methodology will also be applied through group work to solve problems, case studies, and learning.
problem-solving, case studies, and peer learning.

Abranja, N., Alcântara, A., Braga, C., Marques, A., & Nunes, R. (2012). Gestão de agências de viagens e turismo. Lisboa: Lidel.
APAVT (2021). O valor economico da distribuição turística em Portugal, EY-Parthenon.
Zhong L., Sun S., Law R.& Li X. (2021). Tourism crisis management: evidence from COVID-19. Current Issues in Tourism, 24:19, 2671-2682, DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2021.1901866
Toubes, D.R.; Araújo Vila, N.; Fraiz Brea, J.A. (2021). Changes in Consumption Patterns and Tourist Promotion after the COVID-19 Pandemic. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 16, 1332-1352. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16050075
Travelport (2017). Galileo for Travel Professionals - Using Travelport Smartpoint 6.0. Ed. Travelport.