HOTE 2 – Tour Operations
Final Assignment – Design a Tour from Concept to Promotion
The Task:
Here is your chance to put the course teachings into practice – have fun with this assignment and be creative.
Plan and develop a unique multi-day tour from design to promotion stage. Follow the steps for building a successful tour and best industry practices to create a group tour within the following parameters:
- Minimum 20 tour members
- Minimum 7 days
- Minimum 2 destinations
- Escorted with a group leader
- Each tour must include (at a minimum): Accommodation, Transportation, Meal(s), Attractions, Group Leader, appropriate taxes and gratuities.
Remember to include the following:
- Target market – give a description of the demographic group the tour will appeal to and some psychographic characteristics.
- Clearly state the tour’s theme. Provide some market research indicators to back up your choice.
- Include the tour’s objective and why it was chosen.
- Include an inventory (separate section included with final submission).
- Include the tour itinerary for passengers, being mindful of the factors affecting itinerary development. Specifically name hotels, attractions, meal locations etc.
- Include the detailed tour itinerary for the Tour Leader – this will be used by them and cross-referenced to the inventory to ensure the tour runs smoothly
- Include the complete budget/costing for the tour. Make sure the final price is realistic.
- Include the promotional material in the form of a one page (minimum) promotional flyer. Include how, where, inclusions, price, extras, legal terminology.
- Include a schedule on how, where and when the tour will be promoted. Remember traditional and non-traditional distribution methods
- Include a job description for the group leader.
- Include an evaluation that will be provided to participants.
- Include your plan for tour follow-up.
HOTE 2 – Tour Operations
Use the following figures required for budget completion:
Office Administration $1000.00
Profit per person double – 15% of Net
Gratuities for coach drivers – $2 per person, per day
Gratuities for step-on guides – $50.00 per half day
Other gratuities undefined – 15%
Remember if your marketing plan includes selling through the travel trade, you must include a percentage commission, in addition to the profit.
HOTE 2 – Tour Operations
Assignment Details:
For this assignment you will work on your own and prepare a written report in a presentation style. Contents should follow a logical sequence and an index would be appropriate at the beginning of your submission. It is expected that the report will be approximately twelve – fifteen pages in length. A fully detailed Costing/Budget sheet must accompany your work.
All research sources, including costs for budget, must be identified in a reference section. Plagiarism will not be tolerated – you must develop this tour on your own not simply use a tour from a brochure. Tours that are not your own work and have been “borrowed” from established tour operators will receive a mark of 0 for the assignment.
Grading:
This assignment is worth 30% of your final grade and will be marked out of 60.
Marks will apply as follows:
- Target market, theme, objective 5 marks
- Inventory 5 marks
- Tour Itinerary (5 each) 10 marks
- Budget 10 marks
- Promotional material and Distribution 10 marks
- Group Leader job description 5 marks
- Evaluation and Follow-up 5 marks
- Writing and presentation: 10 marks
- neatly presented document
- well-formed sentences
- grammar and spelling error-free
Creativity will be taken into consideration in all the above items – except budget! Use APA referencing style.