COURSE TITLE TOURISM OPERATIONS
COURSE CODE MTTM-13
ASSIGNMENT CODE MTTM 13/MTM 13/TMA/2021
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MTTM 13 : TOURISM OPERATIONS
COURSE CODE: MTTM 13 2021
Note: This TMA consists of ten questions, out of which you have to attempt
any five. The question carries 20 marks each and should be answered in
about 500 words. Send your TMA to the Coordinator of your Study Centre.
1. Critically analyze tourism operations from a historical perspective.
INTRODUCTION
It is somewhat unusual but not unique to operate in a business where you play
virtually no part in creating the need or desire for the service or product on offer.
Ask 1000 people if they would like to go on holiday to a foreign land and virtually
they will say yes. Of course, a percentage of those who say yes will not go on
holiday that year due to lack of time or money. Thus, in tourism operations one
should explore the role of tour operators in satisfying the tourists demand from the
tourism system. This is a role based on his/her ability to organise and supply a
holiday. What has been and still is the role of the tour operator in the quite
extraordinary movement of millions of people in past 20 years? Why do tour
operators exist? To answer the first question we must understand that at some
point of time some changes must have occurred in the technical, social and
perhaps economic areas to influence these migratory movements. These changes
must have been so fundamental so as to require a new type of business to service
a hitherto impossible dream, latent in millions of people – the innate desire to
travel! As a result what emerged was the mass tour operating business and
tourism markets. Since then various things have happened:
CONCEPT
a) The technologically improved efficiency of aviation, reservations and marketing,
etc., b) Laws were enacted to facilitate travel,
c) More leisure time was available, and d) Disposable incomes increased –
resulting in higher standards of living as well as higher aspirations for travel
CONCLUSION
These were the elements on which changes occurred virtually simultaneously. This
not only created but also facilitated the need for a business called tourism, which
consequently reshaped the economies of many countries. This vocation has
brought about in a short time scale a change in the traditional method of holiday
transport and accommodation. The national carriers, with the right to routes
protected by law (Air India), initially ignored the potential of tourists. Hoteliers with
more traditional clients simply felt that the two wouldn’t mix and viewed the
stirrings in tourist movements as a ‘flash in the pan’, i.e., a development soon to go
away. Therefore, the tour operators took this as a new, opportunity to take up the
challenge. To charter a plane for all but some obscure affinity group was a new
phenomenon. To package it with campers and hotels was completely a new
dynamic idea and it all happened less than a few years ago. All these
developments clearly indicate at inter-sectoral linkages without which cost effective
packaging would not have been possible for tourism operations.
2. What is the significance of customer care in service industry? How
customer complaints should be handled? Give suitable examples.
INTRODUCTION
The managers’ task in tourism business, includes providing quality service to the
tourists. This naturally includes the concept of customer care. If you ignore this you
will find it difficult to attract customers. Both in the field of inbound and outbound
tour operations there is a fierce competition to win and retain clients. Only those
who really provide good customer care have a hope and scope for surviving in the
business of tourism. Always remember that you are operating in the field of
specialised services wherein your clients have high expectations of the services
you provide or you can provide. Meeting these expectations by your company
largely depends upon how good you are at your job as a manager. You can either
make their dreams come true or turn their dreams in to nightmares. On the one
hand you have a situation wherein when these expectations are not met the
customers remain unhappy or on the other hand, you deliver your services with the
quality beyond their expectations and hopes. Remember, that many of your clients
might be experienced ones who would compare your services and product with
their previous experiences. Customer satisfaction is achieved not only by giving
them value for money but also by winning them for repeat business and good
publicity. Best example of caring for your clients and ensuring that they enjoy a
high quality service is that before delivering the service develop certain checks and
test that you are ready or not. Besides, to offer a quality service to every client
means being able to maintain high standards and to repeat them every time. It
also involves developing new systems and making them work to achieve your
organisations’ quality and customer satisfaction related goals.
5. Write an essay on use of technology in service industry
INTRODUCTION
IT Is Indispensable
The role of technology in the business landscape cannot be overstated. It’s
imperative that you employ a workforce that is techsavvy at least in the basis.
Getting your staff up to date with emerging trends not only boosts productivity,
but it has immense bearing on your bottom-line. Today, the IT department in
every business, big or small is indispensable. IT experts are largely attributed to
the changing dynamics at the organizational level. These experts are becoming
crucial given their capacity to help a business maintain its competitive edge.
Every business relies on technology in big and small ways. As technology evolves,
businesses have an overriding need to incorporate some form of technology.
Simply, the same technology cannot afford to remain at the backend; it’s an
integral component of any discerning business front end. There are several
elements that technology has transformed for the better. Technology contributes
in:
Improving Communication
In many ways than one, technology simplifies communication. Whether it’s a
social connection or you are trying to relay mission critical data, things are no
longer want they used to be. IT is fundamental for effective communication
internally and externally. In house, technology streamlines the types off data
relay that occur between sections or departments. There is a need for an
organisation to stay up to date with new email marketing tactics or ways of
sending company wide data via digital platforms. Externally, technology has
made communication easy and ubiquitous.
Propels Marketing and Business Growth
From an external communication point of view, a business will use new
technology to advertise and break into new markets. Forward thinking
enterprises advertise digitally with a view to drive traffic. Even though yours is a
brick and mortar business, technology has to be part of your marketing mix, if
you expect to grow your revenue. Remember, a highly seasoned IT team is the
key to your success. You need experts who are conversant with search
marketing, web optimization and social media targeting.
Streamlines Decision Making
Decision making in any business is a critical process. You need technology to
streamline the decision making process. There is a need to keep track of
customer and market data. Technology in form of business relevant software
facilitates error free reporting. You have a guarantee of accuracy with metrics
drawn from the finance, marketing and customer engagement departments. It is
technology that captures critical data and helps a business to see its weak areas,
and ways of how to strategize accordingly.
Boosting Your Competitive Edge
Nowadays, other businesses in the same niche as you are spending more to
market and advertise. The need to stay on top of the completion is crucial.
Nobody wants to associate with a brand that is barely visible online. Your
competitors are using technology to weigh you up and to drive their traffic.
Technology is using viable online tools to drive your sales.
Enhancing Customer Relationship
Reputable CRM management systems let you discover what your customer base
wants. It’s advisable to target the right customer at the right time to avoid them
crossing over to your competitor. Even though the technology you rely on is
compatible with your existing systems, there is the issue of smart threats and
cyber threats. The cloud storage makes it critical to have robust cyber security
measures to keep your assets and data safe.
Maintain Industry Relevance
Whether you are in the real estate, health, warehousing or freight industry, there
is a form of technology designed to inject efficiency into your operations. If you
are leveraging these technologies to break into new market, save lives, boost
sales or for crop production module, technology will have made its impact.
What remains is to ensure that you keep on top of things. Technology in the
business landscape is never static. You don’t want to be overtaken by events,
trends or your competitors. Remember, communication is one factor that you
need to grow. Always make sure that you capitalize on advanced communication
methods and channels to stay relevant and wiser.
8. Describe different kinds of accommodations in the organized sectors
INTRODUCTION
1) HOTELS
Hotel is the most important unit of tourist accommodation. Though you are familiar
with its features as a recap we mention them briefly again. The dictionary defines
hotel as “a place which supplies board and lodging”; “a large city house of
distinction”; “a place for the entertainment of travellers” and “a public building”.
We can say that
Hotels
provide accommodation, meals and refreshments for at periods of time for those
who stay on the premises and pay for the services provided. Today, the hotels
provide much more than just accommodation and meals. Services are provided to
the guests based on their needs and now the hotel industry is commonly referred
to as hospitality industry. We can classify hotels on the basis of infra-structure,
facilities and services that are provided by them. Broadly speaking hotels can be
classified on the following basis:
a) room charges or price, i.e., budget, luxury, etc.
b) range of facilities, i.e., five star, no star, etc.
c) location, i.e., resort, etc.
d) length of stay, i.e., transit, residential, etc.
e) ownership and management, i.e., chain, individual, etc.
2) MOTELS
The basic difference between hotel and motel is that it provides parking space to
the travellers travelling by automobiles and the rooms opens to the parking lot. The
history of motels can be traced back to tourist cabins which were located near
highway, catering to businessmen travelling by road. Tourist cabins gave way to
Tourist Courts which provided the same services and facilities but it became a 24
hours business. They offered 20 to 24 rooms around a central parking space with
some garage and refuelling facilities. The concept of motels became very popular in
America as the automobile travelling increased. Over the time many motels started
adding a lot of extra amenities such as swimming pool, restaurants, business
centre and in-room television became standard features. And thus, these motels
also started attracting vacationers as well.
3) RESORTS
A resort hotel is one which is visited by holiday maker or tourists for relaxation,
recreation and/or for entertainment.106 Resort hotels cater to tourists and are
located near place of some scenic beauty, i.e., the sea, mountains or in ‘off the
beaten track destination’. These days, resorts are also found in wildlife
sanctuaries or national parks. The primary reason, as is mentioned earlier, for
visiting a resort is rest and relaxation and these hotels are built with the objective
of indoor recreation activities giving visitors special welcome and atmosphere of
informality. The services and amenities offered by resorts include swimming pool,
tennis court, skiing, boating, surfing and many others. The clientele of resort hotels
is mostly persons with considerable income looking for relaxation and recreation.
4) TIMESHARE APARTMENTS/CONDOMINIUMS
Concept of timeshare, is also popular as vacation ownership or holiday ownership,
offers the purchaser the right to enjoy, for a set period or interval, each year,
vacation time in an apartment or other type of lodging that is a part of a tourist
complex, equipped with a variety of services and facilities. In other words, it is
effectively the advance purchase of time in holiday accommodation. The period of
time sold is usually based on modules of a week, fortnight or a month. Across the
world people enjoy the value of timeshare. Timeshare concept grew into a major
phenomenon and large number of people started using it only in 1980s and 90s.
Origin of this concept can be traced back to 1960s. Since then it has become a
global product. Consumers have option of more than 4000 timeshare resort projects
being consumed by nearly 3.1 million purchasers worldwide. This impressive
growth is largely due to value of this product and its market appeal which doesn’t
recognise any geographical boundary, age or social status. Above all, it provides
flexibility and variety to the holiday experience and choice for purchasers to choose
from world’s most exciting holiday destinations at a very reasonable price.
10. Write short notes on the following: 10 x 2=20
a) Management of guest amenities
All the hotels essentially have a list of amenities that they provide to the
guests in every room. The housekeeping department is the intermediary which
supplies these consumable goods in each room. Table 1 shows the specific
amenities that are provided in almost all the hotel rooms, though more can be
added to it as per requirements.
b) Designing the Restaurant.
The designing of the sitting area of restaurant depends on the type of restaurant.
For example, if the restaurant is only for breakfast buffet, then the sitting
arrangements needs to be centred around or near the buffet table for easy access
by the customers. While designing the guest sitting area one needs to choose the
correct furnishing and furnitures. The guest sitting area should provide some form
of privacy to each guest table and at the same time have optimum utilisation of
space. Each table should be easily accessible by the serving staff and thus save
on serving time. The décor should be pleasant as well as attractive. The ambience
of the restaurant contributes towards the customer satisfaction. Over-doing the
décor is not advisable. Lighting plays an important role for giving the correct
ambience, but one should remember there’s a difference between deductive
lighting and eating one’s meal in almost total darkness. Soft music, if played
completes the relaxed ambience and environment. Air conditioning, though not a
must a few years back, has now become a necessity so as to provide clean and
cool air to the guests.
a) Storage: where the raw materials are stored. This would mean both dry storage
and refrigerated storage area. Storage area is also dependent on the type of
restaurant. For example, a speciality restaurant may require some special storage
facilities for the ingredients.
b) Pre-preparation Area: Kitchen usually has a specified area for cleaning, peeling,
chopping, mixing and combining ingredients.
c) Production Areas: The production areas or food preparation area is best situated.
The production area has hot food and cold food area wherein main courses, soups
and salads and other refrigerated food is prepared, respectively.
d) Bakery: If the manager decides on providing baked food, a separate bakery is
useful.
e) Holding and Service: An area for holding the food prior to service is very
essential.
f) Ware Washing: The washing area is usually near to the dining area but also
close to the main production area.
g) Pot and Pan Area: A pot and pan area would enable the storing of the utensils
when they are not in use.
