A Tour Operator arranges long and short tours, lasting from a half-day to several weeks, with the average trip lasting about five days. The average tour operations company conducts approximately 200 tours a year for individuals or busloads of people throughout the year. While the senior market is constantly growing, more than 1 million student/youth travelers account for approximately US Dollars1 billion in travel expenses annually. A number of tour operations sell airline, cruise, and other travel-related services. For the most part, tour operations are family-owned businesses.
Tours may have a focus on historic spots, art galleries and museums, musical and theater presentations, spectator sports, hiking, adventure, ecotourism, boating, cruising, grandparent/ grandchildren travel, band or class trips, or any other interest a group of people might have. They may be domestic or international or serve international visitors who are touring the United States. They may be budget tours or upscale.
The Tour Operator supervises all staff to determine the operating budget; conducts market research to determine what interest there is in particular tours; promotes the trips; sells the tours and services; and arranges all lodging, transportation, and ticket purchases. He or she may also arrange meals and other entertainment, either as part of the package or as options.
Tour Operators meet with meeting planners and convention and visitors bureau representatives to sell tour services to inbound meeting attendees or to learn what is new and interesting that should be included in upcoming tours. They negotiate prices (factoring in overhead) with hotels, restaurants, attractions, bus or airline companies, and all other providers, as well as with their customers.
They also prepare or oversee the preparation of all necessary materials for the tour guides and then evaluate the comments from guests regarding future trips, including what should be deleted or added to make the trip more enjoyable. The Tour Operator should know about passport/visa requirements, any State Department travel advisories (if international travel is involved), and pertinent legislation pending at the local, regional, state, and national levels.
General managers average US Dollars 45,000 annually, with vice presidents earning about US Dollars 52,000. Operation managers/tour planners make an average of US Dollars 34,000. Most tour operations offer reimbursement for additional training of their full-time employees. Almost all full-time employees are provided with health insurance. About half the companies offer life insurance, and the majority provide a retirement or pension plan. Generally, full-time employees receive two weeks of paid vacation, with a week of sick days and personal time.
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