1.5 Source specific product information to meet the sales or operational need.

 

Often you may have to source specific product information that is important to the sale or the operation of that product.

 

For instance, you may have many passengers that have special needs for various reasons and the trained Travel Agent must be able source this information and use it to organise the holiday.

 

Sourcing this information will generally be direct from the “suppliers” of the particular product; however other information may be gained through Tourism associations, websites and other sources as discussed earlier in this resource.

 

Specific information may be required for:-

 

Groups and Special interest travellers - As the individual traveller has their own specific needs, passengers travelling in groups have different needs and wants.  As a Travel agency professional you will learn the specifics of what varies between individual and group travel in terms of discounts, pre-bookings , group arrival and departure requirements and assistance, need for tour leaders, tour guides etc.

Groups may be travelling for a special interest and some examples may be as follows.  Basic research on this special interest will allow you to more efficiently organise the travel arrangements. 

· Golfing - to attend an event

· Bands, orchestras

· Quilting

· Choirs

· Sporting groups

· Dance groups

· Religious group etc.

 

Special needs - The world has opened up has opened up to travellers with special needs and the advent of the term “Accessible Tourism”, focusing on people with access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing, seniors, children etc.

Disabilities - Equipment and facilities to enable travellers with disabilities (including mobility, vision and hearing impairments) to travel,  have been introduced into areas such as airports, planes, trains, buses, hotels, cruise ships, taxis to name a few.  However, it is most important that these facilities are researched and where possible booked prior to travel for those clients in need.  

A travel agent should educate themselves on which airlines provide the best disability services, which hotels or cruise ships have the best or most accessible rooms.  For example, most airlines and airports provide wheelchairs to get immobile passengers through terminals to the gate whilst different arrangements will need to be made for those travelling with their own wheelchair.  For a passenger with a disability, they will rely on the Travel Agent to do the research and planning for them to ensure they have a problem free holiday.

Dietary requirements - Most Tourism products that include meals will be able to provide for varied dietary requirements, and in particular airlines offer numerous options for travellers.

Examples of special meals offered by Qantas include:-

· Child (2-11 years)

· Diabetic

· Fruit Platter

· Gluten Intolerance

· Hindu

· Infant (0-11 months)

· Kosher Meal

· Moslem (Halal)

· Vegetarian (Asian Indian Style)

· Vegetarian (Lacto Ovo)

· Vegetarian (Oriental)

· Vegetarian (Strict Indian)

· Vegan

Again as with disability requirements, it is essential that these are pre-booked to avoid disappointment.

 

Travelling with children - Tourism businesses also recognise that they must cater for travelling families, and in particular those with young children that require special assistance.  Again this requires preparation and pre-booking.

The elderly - The elderly can also be catered for in terms of wheelchair or vehicular transport to airport gates, rooms with safety rails installed in bathrooms etc.  It’s also important in these instances to double check that your clients have sufficient medication for the period that they are travelling, provide them with information about medical facilities at their destination and ensure you are able to source the correct Travel insurance to cover their journey (generally surcharged because of age or pre-existing illness).

 

Specific information for suppliers of product

 

Some wholesalers require the Travel Agent to obtain specific information about their clients in order to make the booking, such as medical history or Travel insurance details.  

Other wholesalers may ask that their own specialised booking form be completed.  In these instances you may be required to ask your clients for that information.  

Other requests might be for fitness to travel or medical certificates to be provided as part of the booking procedure or in the case of an upmarket hotel or “boutique” accommodation or tour provider, you may be asked if the clients have any special meal or other requests.