What Is the Role of a Tour Operator

Tour operators develop holiday packages that are high in value and low in cost for the tourists.

A tour operator comes as a blessing for tourists, opting for an all-inclusive package holiday. This type of package usually contains tickets to and from the destination, transportation to and from the hotel or other place of residence and tour guide to show around the city. The term 'all inclusive' explains that the package is available at one price either per head or for a couple, as in the case of a honeymoon package.

1. Role
o

A tour operator is more of a service provider, providing the most convenient option for tourists to visit, stay, as well as leave from the city. He works in coordination with several key players of the tourism business such as airlines, hotels, restaurants and tour guides. He is more of a middleman, who connects the customers with these services. Responsibilities

A tour operator is completely responsible for the services rendered to the customers during the holiday. He ensures that all the services mentioned in the allinclusive package holiday are made available to customers. For instance, it's a common occurrence that a tourist does not get a hotel room, despite making reservations through travel agents or other means. A tour operator ensures that such a situation does not arise. He is also responsible for conveying any delay or cancellation of flight, as well as making alternative arrangements for stay and departure. Developing an All-inclusive Package Holiday

Developing holiday packages includes organizing different services in a manner that is affordable for the customer as well as profitable for the tour operator. For instance, airline operators may not always be able to sell all the tickets, where
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some seats are sold to the tour operators in bulk, thus ensuring sale of tickets indirectly. When bulk orders are placed, tour operators are able to negotiate lower prices. This is true in case of every service related to tourism industry. This helps the tour operator in developing holiday packages that are high in value and low in cost for the tourists. Use of Advertising
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Developing an effective ad campaign is an important step in developing holiday packages. This is because a well marketed product is obviously likely to get a good response from potential clients. An advertisement in the form of banner, leaflet or brochure helps a tour operator showcase the packages in the best possible manner. Preparation Required

The main preparation required for creating a package holiday is to have complete knowledge of the city for which the package is being developed. A tour operator must be completely aware of different types of services available including alternatives if needed. Apart from this, he must also make himself aware of government policies and regulations with reference to tourists and travel to foreign countries.

Package tour A package tour or package holiday consists

of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country, and may also include travel between areas as part of the holiday. Package holidays are a form of product bundling. Package holidays are organised by a tour operator and sold to a consumer by a travel agent. Some travel agents are employees of tour operators, others are independent. Organised Tours The first organised tours[citation 1841, chartered a train to
needed]

dated back to Thomas Cook who, on 5 July a group of temperance campaigners

take

from Leicester to a rally in Loughborough, twenty miles away. By 1872 he was undertaking world-wide tours, albeit with small groups.[1] Thomas Cook - the company - grew to become one of the largest and most well known travel agents before being nationalised in 1948. With the gradual decline of visits to British seaside resorts after the Second World War, Thomas Cook began

promoting foreign holidays (particularly Italy,Spain and Switzerland) in the early 1950s. Information films were shown at town halls throughout Britain. However they made a costly decision by not going into the new form of cheap holidays which combined the transport and accommodation arrangements into a single 'package'. The company went further into decline and were only rescued by a consortium buy-out on 26 May 1972[2] [edit]Package tours Vladimir Raitz, the co-founder of the Horizon Holiday Group, pioneered the first mass package holidays abroad with charter flights between Gatwick

airport and Corsica in 1950, and organised the first package holiday to Palma in 1952, Lourdes in 1953, and the Costa Brava and Sardinia in 1954. In addition, the amendments made in Montreal to the Convention on International Civil Aviationon June 14, 1954 was very liberal to Spain, allowing impetus for mass tourism using charter planes. By the late 1950s and 1960s, these cheap package holidays which combined flight, transfers and accommodation provided the first chance for most people in the United Kingdom to have affordable travel abroad. One of the first charter airlines was Euravia, which commenced flights from Manchester Airport in 1961 and Luton Airport in 1962. Despite opening up mass tourism toCrete and

the Algarve in 1970, the package tour industry declined during the 1970s. On 15 August 1974, the industry was shaken when the second-largest tour operator, Court Line which operated under the brand names of Horizon and Clarksons, collapsed. Nearly 50,000 tourists were stranded overseas and a further 100,000 faced the loss of booking deposits. In 2005 a growing number of consumers were avoiding package holidays and were instead travelling with budget airlines and booking their own accommodation. In the UK, the downturn in the package holiday market led to the consolidation of the tour operator market, which is now dominated by a few large tour operators. The major operators are Thomson Holidays and First Choicepart of TUI

AG and Thomas Cook AG. Under these umbrella brands there exists a whole range of different holiday operators catering to different markets, such as Club 18-30 or Simply Travel. Budget airlines have also created their own package holiday divisions such as Jet2 Holidays. The trend for package holiday bookings saw a comeback in 2009, as customers sought greater financial security in the wake of a number of holiday and flight companies going bust, and as the hidden costs of 'no-frills' flights increased. Coupled with the search for late holidays as holidaymakers left booking to the last moment, this led to a rise in consumers booking package holidays.[3]

Dynamic packaging Main article: Dynamic packaging Dynamic packaging is a method that is becoming increasingly used in package holiday booking procedures that enables consumers to build their own package of flights, accommodation and hire car instead of a pre-defined package.[4] United States Tour Operators Association

United States Tour Operators Association

Industry

Travel

Founded

1972

Headquarters

New York, New York

Website

http://www.ustoa.com/

The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) is a 501(c) registered nonprofit professional association representing the tour operatorindustry. Its members are made up of companies whose tours, vacation packages, and custom arrangements encompass the entire globe but who conduct business in the U.S. As a voice for the tour operator industry, USTOA represents this sector in matters pertaining to the travel industry as a whole, both in the U.S. and abroad. Among USTOA's goals are consumer protection and education,[1] and its high standards and work in this area have earned USTOA the endorsement of the United States Government's Consumer Action Handbook.[2] USTOA member companies must meet a number of ethical and financial criteria,[3][4] including participation in the associations Travelers Assistance Program, which among other things protects consumer payments up to $1 million in case the company goes out of business.[5][6] Motto Integrity in Tourism Mission USTOA's mission is focused on improving industry standards[7] and consumer advocacy through the following:

Inform the travel industry, government agencies and the public about tour operators' activities and objectives.

Educate consumers on matters pertaining to tours and vacation packages. Help consumers recoup financial loss arising from an Active Corporate Member's bankruptcy or insolvency.

Help maintain a high level of professionalism within the tour operator industry. Represent the tour operator community and cooperate with other trade organizations and government agencies.

Facilitate and encourage tourism on a worldwide basis. Principles USTOA Active Corporate Members pledge to adhere to the following principles: Ethical Conduct: Members must conduct business with competence and professionalism, representing truthfully and accurately all facts, conditions and requirements relating to their tours and travel packages. Truth In Advertising: Advertising and quoting of prices must clearly show total deliverable prices, accurately identifying facilities, accommodations and services used. Any changes or substitutions must be communicated expeditiously to the travel agent and/or client involved.

Ethical and Financial Responsibility: Active members' business conduct must instill confidence in their financial stability, reliability and integrity. Membership Categories & Standards USTOA has three categories of membership: Active, Associate, and Allied. Active Corporate Members must meet the definition of a tour operator. In addition, they must:

have 16 references from reputable travel industry organizations, plus two from USTOA Active Members.

be in business at least three years under same ownership and/or management. meet specific minimums in terms of passengers and/or sales volume. carry minimum $1,000,000 of professional Travel Agent/Tour Operator liability insurance, with worldwide coverage.

participate in USTOA's Travelers Assistance Program, which among other requirements, stipulates that each Active Corporate USTOA member post a $1 million bond to help protect consumers in case of bankruptcy or other insolvency. Associate Members are organizations, common carriers and suppliers of tour products and services, other entities connected with travel not directly serving travelers on tour itineraries. Includes Worldwide Airlines, Car Rental Companies, Hotel/Resort/Restaurant Groups, Tourist Boards, Trade Associations.
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Allied Members are carriers (other than common carriers) and suppliers whose products or services bring them into contact with travelers on tour itineraries. Includes Advertising & Public Relations, Airlines (Local), Airport Authorities, Attractions, Cruise Operators, Financial Services, Ground Tour Operators, Independent Hotels/Restaurants/Resorts, Insurance & Medical Assistance, Legal Services, Marketing & Travel Related Services, Media, Technology & Reservations Systems, Trade Shows, Visa and Passport Services. Whether you prefer to work at home or abroad, hospitality and tourism offer a variety of opportunities to use and develop your language skills. A wide range of casual or seasonal work is also available, which can help you develop and build your language skills for other careers. 1.1 Product Details:

The tourism product which is mainly destination (tangible) can only be experienced (intangible). The panoramic view of the location (destination), travel to the destination, the accommodation & facility as well as entertainment at the destination all forms the tourism product. Thus tourism is a composite product combination of attraction, facilities and transportation. Each of these components

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has it is own significance in the product mix and in absence of even one single component, the product mix is incomplete.

Attraction of the destination, include: Natural site: Beach resorts, hill stations. Places of historical interest: Monuments, archeological sites and museums. Events: Trade fair, musical festival, games, etc. Cultural attractions: History & folklore, theatre, religion, arts, etc.

Facilities compliment attraction. These make it possible for the tourist to stay & enjoy the attraction. Accommodation: Hotel, hostel, campsites. Food: Restaurants, cafes, bars. Local transport: Taxis, coaches. Recreational facilities: Entertainment, sport activity, shopping facilities.

Accessibility is the means by which the tourists arrive at the location as without the transportation facility the attraction is of no use. Infrastructure: Roads, rail, airport, etc. Equipment: Speed & size of the vehicle.
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With increasing number of destinations, travel methods & choice of accommodations, the firm offers these products in the form of package tours to facilitate consumers to choose from the combinations. These package tours cater to varying tastes, economy, attitudes & the need for exclusive service. The idea that service products are intangible is an important one, but increasingly firms are trying to make their offering more tangible, and thereby increasing their recognition amongst the target-buying group. Tangible gifts such as toiletries, flight bags, even bath robes bearing the companys logo or brand name.

Branding plays a very important role in tourism marketing. Hotel chains, airlines, & travel operators in particular employ tremendous efforts to ensure that their name is widely recognized & synonymous with quality, value etc. Product positioning helps in identifying the images & perceptions of the tourist products as well as tourists organizations, which match the needs of the tourist customers.

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1.2

Technology Details

The tourism industry is broadly people centric. The work starting from destination enquiry, selection, booking, ticketing, etc. everything has a human touch to it. Even now people providing such service sit with their customer to make them decide on their spots. Now, with the advent of modern technologies some jobs such as ticketing & hotel reservations are done through internet and the industry is progressing towards medium contact.

Technology plays a major part in the promotion of a place. Better communication facilities are one of the first prerequisites for growth in the inflow of tourists. This has been made possible with technology. Better technologies in the field of communication with cheaper costs have seen many remote and inaccessible areas of the country get connected to the rest of the world. This connectivity has made these places visible to the world.

Similarly better transportation facilities have led to a dramatic increase in the number of tourists visiting any particular place. The presence of an airport and the availability of frequent flights are a great convenience to any traveller.

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1.3

Investments Investments by the state:

With a view to encourage flow of investments into development of tourism infrastructure, the state tourism has formulated the investment subsidy scheme.This would hinge on the scale of investments and also on the regions where the tourism projects come up. The micro tourism units with an investment up to Rs 25 lakh can avail an investment subsidy of 25 per cent in special tourism zones (STZs) and 20 per cent in other regions. For the mini tourism units with investments in the range of Rs 2550 lakh, the investment subsidy would be 20 per cent of the investment amount or Rs 7.5 lakh for the projects coming up in the STZs. For setting up projects in other regions, the mini-tourism units are entitled toan investment subsidy of 15 per cent of the invested amount or Rs. five lakh. Similarly, the small tourism units pumping in Rs 50 lakh-Rs one crorecan enjoy an investment subsidy up to 10 per cent of the invested amount or Rs 7.5 lakh. In case of projects being developed in STZs, they
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can avail an investment subsidy of 15 per cent or Rs 10 lakh.The medium as well as large tourism units are also eligible for interest subsidy on term loans. The medium tourism units who invest in the range of Rs 1-10 crore are eligible for an interest subsidy of five per cent on term loans while the large tourism units with investments from Rs 10-50 crore can get an interest subsidy on term loans. In case of mega tourism projects with capital investment exceeding Rs 50 crore, the state government may consider a special package, excluding the tax based incentives, on a case to case basis. The interest subsidy would be paid only for the first five years from the commencement of commercial operations of the project. Foreign Direct Investment: Government of India is allowing 100% FDI in Hotels and Tourism, through the automatic route and alsoidentified the investment opportunity of about $8-10 billion in the next 5 years in tourism sector. India hassignificant potential for becoming a major global tourist destination. It is estimated that tourism in India could contribute Rs.8,50,000 crores to the GDP by 2020 ( approx. 1800 million USD) if you properly planto develop and invest on Connectivity Infrastructure, Tourism Infrastructure, Tourism Products, CapacityBuilding and Promotion & Marketing (WTTC report). It is estimated there is a need of around 10 BillionUS $ required for development of tourism as per the different state tourism estimates for

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the next fiveyears. When you think about the long term capital requirement of all states, it is estimated around 56billion US $ for the next 20 years. A rapidly growing middle class, the advent of corporate incentive travel and the multinational companiesinto India has boosted prospects for tourism. India's easy visa rules, public freedoms and its manyattractions as an ancient civilization makes tourism development easier than in many other countries. Inorder to attract more visitors, India needs to increase room supply, open further its skies to increase aircapacity, and upgrade its airports, roads and other infrastructure to global standards. Also tourismdevelopment needs to be pursued with a focus on sustainability. Though the Government of India is allowing 100%FDI in automatic route to India in tourism sector andthere is a wide gap between the demand and supply of hotel rooms and other tourism infrastructureprojects, we have attracted the FDI for a volume of 660.87 million US $ which is 1.46% of the totalFDI inflow into our country from April 2000 to December 2007. Reasons for FDI investment in Tourism: Economic liberalization has given a new impetus to the hospitality industry.

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 The Indian hospitality industry is growing at a rate of 15% annually. The current gap betweensupply and demand expected to widen further as the economy opens and grows. The government forecasts an additional requirement of 200,000 rooms by the turn of the century. The travel and hospitality industry continues to be the sector, which has largely profited from the fastgrowing economy of India. This has largely been due to the 3.9 m tourist arrivals in FY06 (15%growth) over the previous period. The compounded growth in tourist inflow over the last ten years(FY89-FY09) has been 8.2%, while in the last five years, growth stands at 9.1% per annum. This increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the country lifted the countrys standing in the worldof tourist destinations. The country is ranked fourth among the worlds must see countries. Thesector continues to face certain problems. The country continues to be marred by poor infrastructure facilities like poor road management, rail and air and sea connectivity. However, the present government in its endeavor has taken a few initiativeslike opening of the partial sky policy. This allows private domestic airline operators to fly on theIndian skies. Some states continue to be in political uncertainties.

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 As per the 2004 findings, the total number of approved rooms by the Government of India stands ataround 99,000 (estimated). These rooms are further classified into various segments out of which,five star and five star deluxe hotels account for around 27% of the total capacity, three star hotels(22%), four star (8%), two star (9%), one star and Heritage hotels (2% each) and the rest is dividedbetween unclassified and unapproved hotels. A rapidly growing middle class, the advent of corporate incentive travel and the multinationalcompanies into India has boosted prospects for tourism. India's easy visa rules, public freedoms andits many attractions as an ancient civilization makes tourism development easier than in many othercountries. The five star hotel segments have grown the fastest during the last five years at a CAGR of 12%.Further, this segment can be divided into 3 sub-segments Luxury, Business and Leisure. The growthin this segment indicates the genre of travelers coming into the country. Over the last few years thecountry has witnessed a large influx of business travelers in the country owing to relaxation of thegovernments stand on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) for most of the sectors in the country. Many foreign companies have already tied up with prominent Indian companies for setting up newhotels, motels and holiday resorts. The entry of McDonalds,

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PepsiCos Kentucky Fried Chicken,Dominos and Pizza Hut has given an international glitz to the hospitality sector. It costs an average of US$50-80 million to set up five-star hotels with 300 rentable rooms in India.The gestation period is usually between three and four years.

Reasons for Low FDI in Indian Tourism The following are the some of the reasons for low foreign direct investment in this sector. They are: Multitude of taxes: Ours is the highest tax structure on tourism projects in

the Asia Pacific region. Multitude of central and state taxes- luxury tax, expenditure tax - is the fundamental problem plaguing the tourism sector. There is no national wide tax policy there by some international hotel chains are hesitating to establish their subsidiaries in the India. High Taxes: One of the fundamental problems plaguing the Indian tourism sector is a multitude of Central and State level taxes, which lead to an increased cost to
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the tourists. A comparison of the Corporate Tax level in India, which affects the hospitality sector, in comparison with our neighbours, shows Indias poor competitive positioning.

On the indirect taxes front also, India fairs poorly as compared to competing destinations. The followingtable and figure showcases tourism related major indirect taxes benchmarked across comparable locations.

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Delay in FDI Approvals & Govt. Policies: Huge delay in Foreign Direct

Investment approvals in Hotel & Tourism sector. Due to delay in approvals and lack of guidelines in the tourism policy, the Alfred Fords proposed Himalayan Sky Village is pending since last three years. If it is approved it is one of the highest FDI in the country in tourism sector with US$ 300 million which also provides employment to around 3000 people. Highest import duty on imported liquor used in hotels: Under the WTO Negotiations for Market Access under the Agreement of Agriculture (AoA), India
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had bound its tariffs at 100% for primary products, 150% for processed products (this is the relevant category for liquor) and 300% for edible oils, except for certain items (comprising about 119 tariff lines), which were historically bound at a lower level in the earlier negotiations. With the additional duties and sales tax levied by the State Governments the cost of alcoholic spirits sold in hotels to bonafide guests is exorbitant. The international precedence for liquor related levies also do not substantiate the current level of taxes. Rationalization of the tax on liquor is therefore important to make. Service Tax on Tour Operators: The services provided by a tour operator

typically includes a wide range of services covering transportation, boarding and lodging arrangements, local sight-seeing and guide services, etc. which are procured through sub-agencies. Even though 60% abatement is provided, taxation of the gross service amount leads to double taxation and increases the burden for the tourists. Inland Air Travel Tax:Air connectivity and Pricing are proven to be critical

barriers in Indias ability to become competitive in the global tourism market. In the current context, domestic air travel is much more expensive than international destinations located at a similar distance. The disparity between Foreign Travel Tax (FTT) and Inland Air Travel Tax (IATT) is one of the major factors. FTT constitutes between 2%- 3% of the ticket price while IATT effectively constitutes
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12%-13% of the total ticket price, except for north-eastern states where the latter has been exempted. The cost of domestic air travel is too high in India as

compared to international standards. The primary reason for this is costly Aviation Turbine Fuel, which constitutes close to 40% of an airlines operating cost. This in turn is due to the structure of duties and levies prevalent in India. The basic customs duty of 20% with a CVD of 16% results in a total tax of 39.2%. The differential rates of sales tax being charged by state governments further complicate the duty structure. This has led to increased costs to the airlines, which in turn gets passed on to the consumer.

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1.4

OTHER POINTS (if any)

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Travel and tourism The travel and tourism industry includes businesses such as:

tour operators travel agencies business travel specialists villa rental companies airports airlines ferry operators tourist boards and local authority tourist departments. If you are competent in a foreign language, you may be at an advantage for many posts. Though a lot of visitors to the UK speak English, there is a growing awareness in Britain that we could do more to welcome tourists if staff across the leisure and hospitality industry had better language skills. Entry-level positions

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may not always require a degree, but language skills can be an excellent way to get noticed and build a career. Many companies use a tour manager to accompany groups and ensure all arrangements throughout the trip run smoothly. Language skills would be useful when liaising with accommodation, attractions and restaurants and knowledge of culture, history and the country would be essential when pointing out places of interest to the group. Seasonal jobs are also available on cruise ships which often have all the facilities of a town, with employees in virtually every sector, from housekeeping to entertainment. Even some business functions such as human resources, finance and IT can provide shipboard assignments which increase your chances to travel and use your languages. Roles would rarely be graduate-specific and careers at sea tend to be relatively short-lived, but these skills can easily be transferred. Some airlines and holiday companies recruit graduates of any discipline to graduate development programmes in departments such as marketing, finance and information management. Foreign languages will make you more effective, particularly in areas involving direct contact with customers or overseas companies. Outside the graduate programme, staff with languages might work in

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air terminals, or as aholiday representative, and an additional modern language is sometimes needed for air cabin crew. Tourism officers develop plans to attract visitors to a specific site or region and language skills would be useful for such roles in overseas destinations or to promote the UK to foreign tourists. Marketing and sales skills are important in the work, but employers are increasingly concerned with the sustainability agenda.VisitBritain has an overseas network of outlets, from which it markets Britain as a holiday destination. Occasionally there are vacancies for graduates who are friendly, customer-focused and fluent in at least two languages. Hotels and catering Foreign language skills are not usually a requirement for work in British hotels, but having another language may be an asset in establishments and destinations with a high proportion of foreign guests. Applying to international groups with hotels in several countries will increase your chances of overseas postings and language skills would be a further advantage. The roles most likely to use language skills are front of house, such as reception, where excellent communication and customer care skills are essential. It is common for hotels to hire staff from diverse backgrounds, which means language skills and cultural awareness may also help in supervisory roles.

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Some major hotel groups and restaurant chains operate graduate training schemes, but it is common in this industry for graduates to begin their careers in operational roles. Direct experience, from casual jobs or university placements, is highly valued and sometimes a pre-requisite for management training. See hotel manager and restaurant manager. Description of Good Practice

In 2002, First Choice, an outbound tour operator that offers package holidays and flight bookings, developed a strategy aimed at achieving the integration

of sustainability principles into its business processes whilst remaining appropriate to the structure and culture of the organisation. Catalysts for this strategy development included the commitment First Choice had made upon becoming a member of the Tour Operators Initiative, as well as its participation in the UK Sustainable Tourism Initiative. The companys commitment to move towards more sustainable practice is sponsored by the Managing Director of the UK & Ireland Division, thus ensuring leadership from the top of the organisation.

With guidance and facilitation from Forum for the Future, a sustainable
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development think-tank and charity, First Choice embarked on a series of workshops. Initially, the UK & Ireland Board Directors were involved, and subsequently about 25 senior managers. At these workshops, the companys activities were mapped, and their social and environmental impacts identified and prioritised, using the framework developed

by the Natural Step (www.naturalstep.org). These priority impacts became the basis for the companys Sustainable Tourism Policy (see Box 1). The actual wording of the policy was drafted by a subgroup of the senior managers involved, before being reviewed by the entire team, signed off by the First Choice Group Executive Committee and printed in the subsequent Annual Report & Accounts

Benefits

Anticipated long-term benefits of this strategy include:

Environmental protection of the companys core product (beaches, seawater, landscapes, etc.);
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 Improved relations with and benefits to destination stakeholders;

Business practices aligned with investor and consumer expectations;

Attraction and retention of talented employees;

Lower operating costs due to more efficient operating practices; and

Reduced regulatory intervention.

Comments

One year after the development of the Sustainable Tourism policy, First Choice is receiving increased interest from both internal and external stakeholders in its sustainable tourism activities. Work is now underway to develop a formal stakeholder engagement plan to support two-way communication on sustainability issues. Involvement in sustainable development issues has helped First Choice play an active role in the recent launch of the UK's Travel
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Foundation, an independent charity that will fund sustainable tourism projects and which the company will support by facilitating a customer levy on package holidays sold from Autumn 2003 onwards. Description of Good Practice

The Hotelplan Swiss Group, a Swiss tour operator that offers mainly outbound package tours and guided tours, published an environmental report illustrating the actions the company has taken in different operational areas to improve its environmental performance. After the companys

first environmental report was released in 1998, Hotelplan decided to

produce a public report on its environmental activities, taking into account the Global Reporting Initiatives Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and Performance Indicators.

The environmental report is divided into two main sections: statements, which includes the company policy statement and letters signed by the CEO, the
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Delegate of the Board of Directors of Environmental Affairs and the Manager of Corporate Ecology, and descriptions of activities taken in four key action areas product management and development, internal management, supply chain management and co-operation with destinations. Additional information includes the companys goals for 2004 (see Box 1), key financial figures, a glossary and a statement of support by another tour operator.

Among the activities described in the 2001/2002 report are:

Product Management and Development: This section includes the results of a study to assess the overall impact of Hotelplans holiday packages to Tenerife and Crete and a report on the companys efforts to better understand the ecological conditions of its destinations.

Internal Management: This section includes the results of an analysis of environmental impacts generated at the companys headquarters.

Supply Chain Management: This section highlights the progress made in the use of Hotelplans Environmental Award and lists award winners since

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1998.

Co-operation with Destinations: This section discusses the companys actions to support conser-vation and social development, including details on projects supported, goals and benefits achieved and funds disbursed.

The analysis of Hotelplans environmental performance at headquarters is supported by: Quantitative data, presented as inputs (energy and materials) and outputs (products, catalogues, waste disposal and outside transport) in a table that also includes data from the biennia 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, thus providing the opportunity to verify the companys improvements.
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 Diagrams to help visualize the changes in performance from 1998 to 2001, as well as the weight of the different areas in headquarters.

The results of the comparative study of the environ-mental impacts of holiday packages in Tenerife and Crete are also supported by diagrams, which help visualize the different impacts.

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