Planning Itineraries Flashcards
PRIDE
Pace Routing Interests Detail Energy
The three major regions in Africa popular for independent travel are Egypt, South Africa, and the two countries of ___________ and __________ for safari itineraries.
Kenya
Tanzania
When you are planning a self-drive itinerary, a good rule of thumb is to restrict the amount of driving to no more than how many miles?
150 miles per day
Morocco is often included in itineraries through Iberia. True or False
True
After you qualify the client and conduct destination research, your next step when planning itineraries is to
Book arrival and return air or surface transportation.
An advantage of an open-jaw surface routing (as opposed to a circle trip) is to enable the traveler to visit places located far apart within a short time. True or False
True
PRIDE stands for five important guidelines when planning itineraries: pace, routing, interest, details, and energy. True or False
True
A Canadian tour that includes towns such as Yarmouth, Halifax, and Charlottetown is said to be part of which itinerary?
Canadian Maritime
A hub-and-spoke surface routing is effective when planning itineraries in areas where major cities and points of interest are spread out. True or False
False
The cities of Nanjing and Chongqing are often included on a “Golden Route” itinerary of China. True or False
False
Starting in Berlin, which city would not be included in a ten-day self-drive itinerary visiting the capitals and major sights of Eastern Europe?
Moscow, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw
Moscow
FITs
Foreign (or Fully) Independent tour: a custom made trip.
Potential Specialty Travel Markets - Market Segments
Families Grandparents Honeymooners LGBT travelers Mature travelers Singles Students and youths
Potential Specialty Travel Markets - Membership Groups
Museums/Nonprofit Associations
Natural history organizations
Historic preservation groups
Affinity Groups
Churches and synagogues Senior citizen centers Women’s auxiliaries Kiwanis & Rotary clubs Special Interest Societies
Garden clubs
Theater troupes
Art leagues
Dance classes
Potential Specialty Travel Markets - Hobby or Professional Groups
Art and architecture admirers Teachers and lawyers Antique collectors Food/wine connoisseurs Language learners Photographers Fashion mavens Music lovers
Potential Specialty Travel Markets - Trends
Ecotourism
Socially responsible travel
Volunteer vacations
Cultural tourism
Potential Specialty Travel Markets - Special Events
Christmas
Sporting events
Cultural festivals
Conventions
Potential Specialty Travel Markets - Active Travel
Soft Adventure
Bird-watching, whale watching and animal spotting Bicycling Horseback riding Light hiking and camping Walking Van supported safaris
Hard Adventure
Trekking and mountain climbing Rugged safaris Mountain biking Whitewater rafting, kayaking Hang gliding Scuba diving Bungee jumping Rock climbing
Sports
Fishing
Golfing
Skiing
Tennis
transportation, accommodations, and activities
Tour elements
Air Travel
Air travel is recommended for long-distance travel.
Point-to-point travel can be costly.
Recommend discounted fares that allow stopover privileges.
Suggest an open-jaw routing in order to maximize the surface portion of the itinerary without doubling back.
Rail Travel
Rail travel is recommended for short-distance travel or as a leisurely way to see the countryside.
Rail travel can offer a chance to meet the “locals.”
Because trains usually arrive and depart from city centers, travelers can avoid the hassles of getting from the airport to downtown areas, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Rail travel is sometimes less costly than air and often quicker on certain intercity trips. For example, Eurostar travels between Paris and London in almost the same amount of time it would take to fly, when you consider travel time to and from the airport, check-in time, baggage claim, and so on.
Certain high-speed rail services (for example, the TGV in France and the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan) rival air travel on some short-distance routes.
Recommend a unique and nostalgic trip on a restored luxury train (for example, the Venice-Simplon Orient Express in Europe or the Blue Train in South Africa). These rail trips can vary in length.
Suggest a rail pass for long-distance trips and for multiple stopovers. Examples include the regional pass, such as Scanrail in Scandinavia, or the single-country pass, such as the Swiss Pass in Switzerland. There are several passes to choose from, including the Global Pass to explore up to 28 countries, the Select Pass for two-, three-, or four-bordering countries of your choice, and one-country passes.
Car Rental
Recommend a car rental for independent travelers who don’t want to depend on schedules but want to go at their own pace.
Due to traffic congestion and parking problems, don’t recommend a self-drive car for travelers staying in major cities.
Travelers should avoid driving more than 150 miles per day (less when traveling over rough terrain or in mountainous regions).
The price of gasoline in foreign countries is often higher than in the United States.
It is a good idea to request features - such as automatic transmissions and air conditioning - that may be less common outside the United States.
Travel by Ship
Travel by ship is recommended for coastal sightseeing segments of an itinerary.
Suggest smaller vessels such as riverboats and barges for inland cruise segments on rivers, lakes, and canals.
Many European rail pass programs include free or discounted travel on selected river steamers and ferry services.
Cruise ships may be the most practical means of transportation in certain areas of the world, such as the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Motorcoach
In some major cities, recommend half-day or full-day city sightseeing tour upon arrival to get an overview of the key sites and attractions. Travelers can return to points of interest at their leisure.
Suggest pre-arranged full-day excursions to the surrounding countryside rather than renting a car while staying in the city.
Transfers (or Meet and Greet Service)
Suggest pre-arranged transfers for those clients concerned with language or cultural barriers in certain foreign countries.
Recommend transfers to avoid the hassles of public transportation and the expense of a self-drive car.
Sightseeing Tour Versus Excursion
City sightseeing tours are narrated sightseeing events that take place wholly within the city limits (standard length of time: one-half day or full day).
Excursions are narrated sightseeing events that take place outside of the city limits, with a return to the originating point (excursions can be one-half day or up to several days in length).
Key Questions for Itinerary Planning
Is the destination interesting enough, and does it satisfy the special interests and needs of the client?
Are there enough support services in the area (i.e., accommodations, restaurants, shopping, etc.)? Do the quality and prices of these services meet the client’s requirements?
Has there been a demand for this destination? What reactions or feedback have you received from clients or colleagues who have visited the destination?
Are there any nearby attractions or points of interest that could be combined with a trip to this area?
Does the destination have the necessary infrastructure (i.e., roads, other surface/water transportation systems) to meet the client’s needs?
Useful research aids and resources: Your Clients
Keep track of where past clients have been, conduct follow-up, and keep notes on their comments about such things as accommodations, sightseeing, local ambiance, shopping, and restaurants.
Useful research aids and resources: Travel Guidebooks
Bookstores and libraries carry a huge variety of guidebooks, including such series as Fodor, Frommer, Birnbaum, the Blue Guides, Eyewitness, Fielding, Lonely Planet, and Michelin.
Useful research aids and resources: Computers and the Internet
The Internet is the number one source for travel-related and geographic information. There are thousands of websites containing information on specialty travel, as well as encyclopedic information about every country in the world with accompanying maps and pictures. There are also some excellent online videos that include presentations of hotels, resorts, and destinations.
Useful research aids and resources: National or Regional Tourist Boards
Government-sponsored tourist offices provide in-depth information on a particular country or region. You can find out about the history, geography, and culture of a destination, as well as travel facts such as public transportation, lodging, shopping, cultural and special events, museums, and other attractions. Keep in mind that tourist boards also provide colorful brochures, videos, slide shows, posters, and other promotional items for sales presentations.
Useful research aids and resources: Periodicals
Visit your local library or search online to find travel articles from publications, such as National Geographic, Travel Holiday, Condé Nast Traveler, and Travel and Leisure.
Useful research aids and resources: Specialty Journals
Journals covering special interests, from sailing to art, occasionally publish statistics related to specialized travel and destinations. For example, Museum News, the trade publication of the American Association of Museums, has published an entire issue dedicated to cultural tourism.
Useful research aids and resources: Travel Industry Organizations
The Travel and Tourism Research Association (local and national chapters), Adventure Travel Trade Association, The International Ecotourism Society, The Travel Institute, World Food Travel Association, National Tour Association, ASTA, ARTA, and CLIA can provide up-to-date information that will help you in planning an itinerary.
Useful research aids and resources: Travel Industry Journals
Designed specifically for the travel specialist, publications such as Recommend, Travel Weekly, Travel Agent, TravelAge and Vacation Agent feature specific destinations and specialty travel, plus regular industry coverage.
Useful research aids and resources: Tour Brochures
Tour brochures that you have in your office will list the destinations and points of interest tour operators are including in their hosted and escorted tour packages.
First Step: Transportation
Before you map out the traveler’s day-to-day itinerary, you must first confirm the air and ground transportation segments in order to be sure they are available.
PRIDE: Pace
Pacing is how quickly or slowly the itinerary moves. Make sure to provide a comfortable pace to the trip; don’t overburden each day. A good rule of thumb for self-drive is not to exceed 150 miles per day. Pacing is how quickly or slowly the itinerary moves. Make sure to provide a comfortable pace to the trip; don’t overburden each day. A good rule of thumb for self-drive is not to exceed 150 miles per day. Pacing is how quickly or slowly the itinerary moves. Make sure to provide a comfortable pace to the trip; don’t overburden each day. A good rule of thumb for self-drive is not to exceed 150 miles per day. Pacing is how quickly or slowly the itinerary moves. Make sure to provide a comfortable pace to the trip; don’t overburden each day. A good rule of thumb for self-drive is not to exceed 150 miles per day.
PRIDE: Routing
Plan both an interesting and efficient routing. The route should be scenic, but also practical. Beware of backtracking or driving around in circles.
PRIDE: Interests
Match your client’s interests with the destinations visited, and suggest sightseeing, attractions, and planned activities matching those interests.
PRIDE: Details
Pay attention to detail. When sketching out the day-to-day plan, think of yourself on the trip. Make sure that planned attractions or activities are available when your client is scheduled to be there.