Unit 2 At the Travel Agency. Topic 1: Introduction of Tourism Products Background Information How does a typical travel agency introduce to the tourists.

Unit 2 At the Travel Agency

Topic 1: Introduction of Tourism Products

Background Information

How does a typical travel agency introduce to the tourists various tour products or routes?When a tourism organizer wants to recommend a new tourism product or facility to customers, the following key points in sales promotion are for your references: (1)Channels of distributions；(2)Use of technology to reach customers (face-to-face persuasion, E-mail, Fax/Tel etc.)；



(3)Physical location of the tourism facility；(4)Budget for promotion costs；(5)Identifying the target consumers and their psychological needs or wants；(6)Methods used for advertising (media, brochures/leaflets, PR, sales promotion activities etc.)


Situational Dialogue

Mr. White is consulting something about the holiday tours from an office clerk at China International Travel Service.(A: Clerk B: Mr. White)A:Good morning, sir. May I help you？B:Yes, I’m here for an enquiry about some holiday tours. My name is Henry White.A:You are welcome, Mr. White. May I know how many people are there in your group?



B:Four in total. My wife, daughter, son and I. We are thinking about choosing a beautiful and interesting place for spending our holiday. Would you please give us some suggestions?A:Sure. We have arranged enough tour routes to travel to your heart’s content. But do you have anything specific in your mind? B:Yeah. I read in your travel brochure about your flight tour to Beijing which was famous for “Capital of a thousand years”. I’m interested in your seven-day and six-night tour by air.



A:Thanks for your enquiry. In fact, you have made such a reasonable choice, for Beijing tour is now at its peak season. Beijing is the first station of China golden travel line. There are so many wonderful places worthy of seeing.B:Good. May I know your itinerary for this tour? A:Sure. On the first day, the tour group will flight to Beijing and visit Tian’anmen Square, grand view garden, aquarium, CCTV tower and the movie palace.



On the second day, they will head to Badaling Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Olympic Games bird nest, the water cube. On the third day visit the Imperial Palace, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, folk custom museum, Cixi temporary palace. On the fourth day, visit the second pedestrian street in Beijing—wangfujing street, deyun xiangsheng group and empire. On the fifth day…



B:Sounds interesting. Do you have any tour guide who can speak in very good English to give introductions to them?A:No problem. An English-speaking tour guide will accompany you from the beginning to the end.B:Great. That’s what we want. A:Which do you prefer, a package tour or traveling alone?B:A package tour, I suppose. By the way, when will you have a package tour recently?



A:Oh, let me check. A moment, please. Yes, it will be on August 2nd, this Thursday. There are still some vacancies. B:OK, we’ll join the tour group for this Thursday. Then, could you please tell me if the price you have offered in the brochure will cover all the expenses?A:Yes, it will. B:Then, what’s the quotation of this tour?A:Well, it depends. $6,000 for an adult and 50% discount for a child.



B:What are included in the charges?A:Round-trip flight tickets, six night accommodations and three meals a day.B:What kind of hotel we’ll live in?A:Don’t worry about it. The hotel we’ll reserve for you will be of 5 star, which can offer the best services and facilities at the clients’ request.B:Great. Let’s make it.


Vocabulary

brochure 册子client 客人enquiry 询问facility 设施package 包裹，套装软件，包装 peak 山顶，顶点，帽舌quotation 报价vacancy 空白，空缺


Notes

1.I’m here for an enquiry about some holiday package tours. 我是来咨询一下关于节日期间旅游的情况。2.at one’s peak season 处于高峰期Eg. Beijing tour is now at its peak season. 现在正是出游北京的高峰期。


Notes

3.the price you have offered in the brochure 你们在宣传册上的报价

4.A package tour or traveling alone? 包团游还是单独出行？5.round-trip flight tickets 往返机票


Useful Sentences

For a clerk1.Guilin’s mountains and waters rank first in China. 桂林山水甲天下。2.What’s your budget for this trip?你为本次旅行准备的预算是多少呢？3.Could you tell me how long you are going to stay there? 能告诉我你们想在那儿待几天呢？4.Which do you prefer, a package tour or single tour?你想选择包团游还是单独出行？


Useful Sentences

5. How are you going there, by air, by train or by bus?你想选择什么交通工具？是飞机、火车还是汽车呢？6.What are you most interested in? Historic and culture relics, city tours or natural sceneries?你对什么最感兴趣？是历史文化遗迹 , 还是城市观光或者自然风光呢 ?7.Then I’d recommend a three-day package tour to you. 那我就给你推荐一个三日包团游吧。


Useful Sentences

8.I believe this tour will offer you the best services and the most exciting tour programs.我相信参加这个团 , 您一定能得到最好的服务和体验最有趣的旅游项目。


Useful Sentences

For a tour guide1.Mind you, when in Rome, “do as the Romans do”.要注意入乡随俗。2.Have you anything special in mind that you’d like to see? 你们心目中有什么特别想看的地方吗？3.What would you suggest for the schedule/the arrangement? 你们对行程有何建议呢？


Useful Sentences

4.I’ve come to talk over with you our plan in Hong Kong.我想与你讨论一下我们在香港的旅行计划。5.OK, let’s confirm all the details of the itinerary.好的，我们来确认一下日程表中的所有细节。6.You look a bit recovered from the jet-lag. Now, let me say a few words about our itinerary from Monday to Wednesday. 看起来你们已经从时差中调整过来了。我就简单说说我们从周一至周三的行程安排。


Useful Sentences

7.If you don’t want to go shopping, what would you suggest instead, then? 如果不想去购物的话，那你们有何建议？8.So, that’s to say, after breakfast, we’ll visit the famous Disneyland Park.也就是说，用过早餐之后，我们会去著名的迪斯尼乐园游玩。9.I’d like to take a few minutes to check with you about all the details of our journey.我想花一点时间与你确认一下我们行程中的所有细节。


Useful Sentences

For a tourist1.I should like to visit the noted places of Xiamen.我很想看看厦门的名胜。2.Please tell me some of the attractions I should visit.请告诉我一些应该去游览的地方。3.Can you recommend me several good sightseeing routes to take? 你能不能给我推荐几条最佳的观光路线？4.Where can I get information on sightseeing tours? 我在哪儿能拿到观光指南？


Useful Sentences

5.What is the price of this tour? 这次观光的费用是多少？6.What kind of nightlife do they have here? 这里有什么夜生活吗？7.What does the city tour include? 市区游览包括哪些地方？8.Does the route include three meals? 这条观光线路提供一日三餐吗？


Useful Sentences

9.OK. We know that Hongkong is a Heaven of Shopping, I’m eager to see…好的，我们知道香港是个购物天堂，我们迫不及待地想去……10.I don’t know where to start, but The Window of the World is a must.我不知道从哪里开始，但世界之窗是必不可少的。11.That’s what I really want! I can’t wait for it. 那才是我真正想去的地方！我都有点等不及了。12.Are there any famous Buddhist temples in Xi’an? 西安有什么著名的佛教寺庙吗？


Useful Sentences

13.We prefer to visit the City of Universities in Guangzhou. At what time do you think will be convenient? 我们想去广州的大学城看看，你认为安排在什么时间比较方便？14.It’s said that The West Lake is very beautiful, is it possible for us to go there? 听说西湖很美，我们有机会去看吗？15.Thank you for all you’ve done for us. 谢谢你为我们所做的一切。


Exercises

1. Complete the following dialogue according to the Chinese in brackets and then read it in roles.(A: Tourist B: Clerk)A:My friends and I, five people altogether, want to go to Shanghai. Could you arrange it for us?B:Of course. ______________________________ (你们打算去几天？ )A:Well, three days.B:Would you take ____________________ (包团旅游还是个人旅游？ )


Exercises

A:_____________________________________________ (包团旅游。 )B:How are you going, _________________________ (坐火车还是乘飞机？ ) A:By air.B:Here is three-day package tour.A:_________________________________(这条线路都包括什么景点？ )B:It includes ________________ (世博园 ), the Nan-shan Pasture and Huangpu River, etc.


Exercises

A:____________________________________________ (费用是多少？ ) B:3,000 Yuan for one person.


Exercises

2. Role Play. Make up a dialogue based on the following situation and role-play it to the class.Supposing you were an receptionist at a travel agency, now there is a couple, Mr. and Mrs. White come to visit you and ask for some information about tour routes to Xi’an. Please recommend some routes to them and give brief descriptions to the attractions concerned, and their prices, accommodations, transportation and services available as well.


Knowledge Links

How to Write an Advertisement in Tourism Promotion

The tourist industry, as a third industry, a service or hospitality industry to promote people-to-people understanding and earn hard currency, cannot survive let alone thrive without a continued increase in the incoming tourist traffic. This is where tourist promotion comes in.


Knowledge Links

Advertising is a nonpersonal sales presentation usually directed at a large number of potential customers. It involves mass media such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and billboards. The tourism industry has come to realize the tremendous potential of this form of promotion, and during recent decades, advertising has become increasingly important in marketing. The ultimate purpose of ads. is to appeal and stimulate travel desires and needs by designing some creative and attractive visual images, words or symbols.


Knowledge Links

The layout of a written advertisement usually consists of four parts: a very striking headline, brief but persuasive body, clear signature or easily identified logo (address, contacting manner etc.), some impressive pictures or illustrations.A good advertisement may take any form, but it must accomplish the following goals:


Knowledge Links

(1) Appeal to the potential customer. The appeal of an ad. is the special significant benefit the product will provide. There are different appeals to different groups of people. Therefore, it is imperative to select the right appeal.(2) Inform and motivate. An effective ad. should contain all the basic content the customer may want to know about the product or service. The copy should be able to induce interest, and an impulse toward the final buying action.


Knowledge Links

(3) Be capable of instant understanding by the audience or receivers addressed. The advertisement should be clear and apparent to enable the reader to understand at a glance.(4) Be believable and impressive. No over-statements or excessive exaggeration should take place. Such practice will only be counter-effective.To quote a Chinese saying: “By knowing the opponent and yourself, you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat”.


Knowledge Links

An ad. should be viewed from the point of view of keen competition. Make direct promotional comparisons with leading competitors and find out the strengths and weaknesses of your products and services versus the competitors’. Then try to advertise your own unique aspects. If we can not claim a better quality, can we claim better service? However, marketers who contemplate comparative advertising should take precautions to assure that they can back their claims. Failure to back such claims may lead to disputes and lawsuits.

Topic 2: Helping to Make Reservation


Nowadays, travel agency usually help the tourists to make reservation on the Internet. So if you are considering a website for your travel agency or if you are looking to improve your current website, here are a few tips to help you evaluate your website.


Travel is a lifestyle industry. Looks are important. Whether your message is “good value for your money”, “extreme adventure”, “luxury” or “all of the above”, the graphic content of your site should reinforce this. More people are surfing with higher speed connections and HTML has progressed to a point where an experienced developer can put a lot of punch on a page and still have it download quickly.

(1) Look good.


There should be continuity to your look, unifying the elements from your brochures, newspaper and fax marketing. Having a patchwork of marketing material can make your company look like it was cobbled together. While looks are important, you should not sacrifice usability. All the old-school rules about good interface design still apply.

(1) Look good.


If your site links off to a third party booking engine, take the option to have your branding included on the page. Otherwise it looks to the user like you’ve pushed them out your door. If there is a fee involved in placing your branding on the site, we suggest you buy it if you can afford to.

(2) Put your name up front.


It really does help with customer loyalty. If at all possible, avoid using a “frameset” to include your branding. (Your HTML person will know what this is if you don’t.) Framesets are old, clunky and not search engine friendly. They should be used as a last resort if the third party will not permit you to co-brand using templates.

(2) Put your name up front.


Content management tools will help you keep your page content up-to-date, but you can also be leading edge by giving your customer opportunities to create a profile, add themselves to a targeted newsletter subscription list, enter a contest or interact with your real-life agents. Online marketing tools, email request managers and even online chat helps your customer get the information they need, but they also have to give you their information. Give the user many opportunities to contact a real person.

(3) Be fresh.


Travelers are always looking for useful third party information that can help them make their buying decision. Instead of just linking off to a third party website, consider co-branding opportunities with other providers. You may even be able to integrate a currency converter or real-time weather application directly into your site. By adding useful tools to your site, you increase the likelihood that a user will come back to your site to find information in the future.

(4) Offer value add services.


If you provide your visitors with the option to send the page to a friend or email a page, they may even do some viral marketing for you. Your website should act like another agent on your staff. It should look nice, be courteous to the user and employ all of the skills necessary for closing a sale. Your site can be designed to ask questions, narrow the user’s choices, provide information and recommendations, close the sale and then sell add-ons like insurance.



It can also offer the option of talking to you or your agents at any point in the sales-closing process. In conclusion, there are many factors that can contribute to the success of your travel website or any website for that matter. The key is to remember that your website is your presence on the Internet and should be as important as your physical location. If you invest the time, money, and effort to make your website as professional and trustworthy as your physical office, your customers will be more likely to do business with you online.




Mr. White is calling CITS for room reservation in Beijing.(A: Clerk B: Mr. White)A:Good morning, CITS, Beijing branch. Zhang Li is speaking. May I help you？B:Good morning, Miss Zhang, our family will leave for Beijing from New York next Thursday, would you please help me reserve one suite and two single rooms at Beijing Capital Hotel for a week?A:May I know your arrival and departure dates, please?



B:From Friday August 3rd to Thursday August 9th.A:That will be six nights. One moment, please…let me check and see if there is any room available. Oh, so sorry to tell you all of the single rooms for August 3rd at that hotel have been fully booked. Shall I contact any other similar hotel in Beijing for you, instead?B:Then what would you recommend to me, please?A:Shangri-La Hotel, another five-star hotel in Beijing, which just locates at the downtown.



B:Yeah. Would you please help me book a suite and two single rooms?A:May I have your surname and initial, please?B:Yes, my name is Henry White W-H-I-T-E.A:Is this a family booking, Mr. White? B:Yes, I book the room for my wife, daughter, son and I.A:I see. B:How is the room rate, please?



A:For a suite, $1,500 per night and for single room, $800, plus 15% service charge. The total comes to $14,400. B:That’s quite expensive, do they offer any discount?A:I’m afraid not, since it is at peak season now.B:Maybe you are right. Now would you please confirm the details about my reservation again?



A:Yes. A suite and two single rooms at Shangri-La Hotel, the arrival time is on Friday August 3rd, the departure time is on Thursday August 9th, six nights in the name of Mr. Henry White. The total cost is $14,400. Am I right, Mr. White?B:That’s right. I will reconfirm it one week before our departure.A:That’ll be fine. Thank you for your reservation.


Vocabulary

available 可用的，有效的initial 开始的，最初的，字首的recommend 建议，推荐，劝告，介绍reconfirm 重新确认，再证实


Notes

1.CITS Beijing branch 中国国旅北京旅行分社2.Beijing Capital Hotel 北京首都大酒店3.Shangri-La Hotel 香格里拉饭店4.have been fully booked 全部预定出去了5.May I have your surname and initial? 请问您的姓名和拼写字母？


Useful Sentences

For a receptionist1.Good morning. Reservations, can I help you? 早上好！我是预订接待生，有什么能帮到你吗？2.Just a moment, please. I’ll check for you and see what’s available.请稍等，让我查查还有哪些可以预订。3.What kind of room would you like? How many rooms do you need? 你想预订什么样的房间？几个房间呢？


Useful Sentences

4.May I know your arrival time and departure time at hotel, please? 请问你到达和离店的时间分别是什么时候呢？5.Can you confirm those payment details in writing, please? 请你用书面形式确认一下所有的付款事宜，好吗？ 6.If you change your mind, please notify us as soon as you can.如果你改变主意了，请尽快通知我们。


Useful Sentences

How to offer and get room rate1.How much a day do you charge?每天收费多少 ?2.How much does a double room cost?一间双人房要多少钱呢 ?3.RMB1,280 per night, with breakfast.每天 1 280元，送早餐｡4.We charge RMB1,680 for a deluxe twin per night.双人对床房，每间每天 1 680 元｡


Useful Sentences

5.We can do a standard/deluxe double room for RMB1,680 per night.我们有标准 /豪华双人房，每天每间 1 680 元｡6.The price/rate for a minimum of 5 rooms is 20 percent off.如果起订 5间房，房价可以享受 20%的优惠｡7.Can I get a discount?有优惠 /折扣吗 ?8.I’m sorry, there is no discount.对不起，我们不提供折扣｡


Useful Sentences

9.There’s a reduction for children.儿童可以减价｡10.We have already cut the price very fine.我们已经将价格降至最低限度了｡


Useful Sentences

How to get information from the customers1.How long will you plan to stay?/How long will you be staying?您打算住多久呢 ?2.What type of room do you require?请问您要哪种房型 ?3.How many rooms will you require?请问您要订多少间房呢 ?4.May I know who I’m talking with? (Making a phone)请问您是哪位 ?


Useful Sentences

5.May I have your name/telephone number, please?请问您的名字 /电话号码 ?6.Who is the booking for?请问要以谁的名义来订呢 ?7.May I have the way to contact with you?如何与您联系呢 ?


Useful Sentences

Booked up 1.I’m sorry, but we’re booked up.很抱歉，我们没有空房｡2.I’m sorry, but we have no vacancies at the moment.对不起，我们现在没有空房｡


Exercises

1. Complete the following dialogue according to the Chinese in brackets and then read it in roles.Simon White is calling the hotel receptionist to make a reservation.(A: Receptionist B: Bimon White)A:______________________________________________________________________(早上好，我是订房部的接待员，有什么可以帮到你吗？ )B:This is Simon White calling from America. ______(我想要订一间房｡ )


Exercises

A:___________________________________________________________________ (好的，怀特先生｡您打算住多久呢？ ) B:Four nights, please.A:________________________________________(您要订哪天的房呢？ )B:From August 8th to 11th.A:____________________________________(您打算要哪种房型？ ) Mr. White?


Exercises

B:I’d like to book a double room for myself and my wife. What’s the rate?A:____________________________________________________________ (标准双人间每天 1 280元，豪华双人间每天 1 680 元｡ )________________________ (您要哪一种？ )B:I’ll take a standard double room. It is about 40 US dollars per night, isn’t it?


Exercises

A:Yes, Mr.White, a standard double room, ________(时间是从 8 月 8日至 11 日｡ ) Am I correct?B:Yes, you are right.A:___________________________________________ (你们几点钟到酒店呢 ?)B:________________________________________________ (大约下午 6 点｡ )A:________________________________________ (我们要怎样联系您呢 ?)


Exercises

B:You can call my number, 13876538867.A:_______________________________________ (感谢您的来电。 ) Mr. White, _____________________ (期待您的光临｡ ) Goodbye.B:That’s fine. Thank you. Goodbye.


Exercises

2. Role Play. Make up a dialogue based on the following situation and role-play it to the class.Supposing the Whites, will go to Paris to spend their holiday from Dec. 3rd to 7th, now the couple comes to your travel service, asking if you can offer hotel reservation service for them. If yes, they want you to book two standard rooms at the downtown of the city, with the price of no more than 2,000 Yuan per room each night. As an office clerk, you make a reception for them.


Knowledge Links

How to Write a Reservation Letter and Reply to it

Letters making reservations need not be long, but they should be definite. It is well to specify the number of reservations wanted, the location or position preferred, the accommodations or appointments, preferred single or double bed ， the date or dates of the reservations, and the price or rates.


Knowledge Links

Please request confirmation of the booking if you are writing from a fixed address and if there is time.Letters acknowledging reservations should be courteous and appreciative. If the reservations have been made, the letter should give all necessary details to avoid any misunderstanding.If you need to ask a travel agency to make a reservation at hotel for you, you may write a letter or send fax or E-mail to them.


Knowledge Links

The words in it should be brief, clear and direct and the layout should be standard. Moreover, while writing a reservation letter, you have to follow the six steps below:(1) Making the reservation;(2) Clarifying the dates/days and number of guestrooms reserved;(3) Requesting the rates;(4) Mentioning the purpose of the stay;(5) Mentioning special requirements, if any;(6) Providing contact details.


Knowledge Links

Reservation Letter Beijing Branch, CITS

89 North Zuo’an Rd,Beijing, 100010 010

China June 2nd, 2010

Shangri-la Hotel,32 London Bridge Street,Southwark, London SEI, SW7 2AZ,United Kingdom


Knowledge Links

Dear Sir or Madam,I’m a tour guide from CITS. I would like to book a standard double room for my tourists from May 9th to 10th, inclusive for May 10th. They are Linda Smith, Henry Smith. I would like you to provide them with the rooms facing to south, if available. They’ll arrive at Beijing International Airport at 6:00 p.m. on June 12th. I wonder if you offer a pick up service over there. We’ll be very obliged if you can reply to us at your earliest convenience. Please call me by the number 13654786628.


Knowledge Links

Yours faithfully, Li Zhang Reservation Department


Knowledge Links

An Acknowledgment of a Letter Requesting Reservations

Dear Miss Zhang,In accordance with your recent request, we are pleased to reserve for you a standard double room for June 12 to 15 inclusive. The rate will be $180 a day.We look forward to greeting you on your arrival.

Cordially yours,Jack Jordan

　　　谢　　谢！

Unit 2 At the Travel Agency. Topic 1: Introduction of Tourism Products Background Information How does a typical travel agency introduce to the tourists.

Documents

beijing tour

flight tour

tour group

day slide

tourism facility

night tour

tour routes

single tour