Source and Provide Destination

Information and Advice

Sources of Information
Sources of Information
Sources of Information
Sources of Information
Accurate, Current, and Relevant
 Essential for the successful sale of the tourist
product.
 Underpins most of the tourism activities
 Essential for the travel and tourism industry
professionals
Sources of Information
• Industry People
- Industry principals, tour wholesalers, tour
operators and national tourism organizations
often employ sales representatives to visit other
industry firms, particularly retail travel agents,
and distribute the latest tourism destination and
product information.
 • Many tour wholesalers hold
destination and product launches,
introducing new destinations and
products to those working in other
sectors of the travel and tourism
industry. This is usually done early in
the year when new tour brochures are
being distributed.
 • To expand and update the
knowledge of industry personnel,
travel and tourism firms and
organizations also hold seminars and
workshops focusing on destinations
and products.
• Where possible, industry personnel undertake
educational and familiarization visits and carry
out site inspections to improve their
knowledge. Educational, and site inspections
are usually provided by principals, tour
wholesalers or tour operators
• Informal discussion with well-travelled
colleagues, customers and others is a
very valuable source of current
destination information.
• Personal travel is even better!
 Brochures, journals and media

• National tourism organisations (NTOs)

and other government bodies distribute
agent's manuals, maps, videos and other
destination-specific information.
• Destination and product updates are a
feature of trade journals
like Traveltrade and Travel Week.
• The general media, particularly newspapers,
journals and television, is an important source
of current destination information. World
news is important to travel industry
personnel.
• Many newspapers and journals also have
travel sections or features. Television provides
travel shows and documentaries on specific
destinations. Visual information of this kind is
very valuable.
• Tour brochures and other industry
publications like in-flight magazines
contain a wealth of destination
information.
 Publications
• Atlases, maps and publications containing
maps are essential to fully understand
the relationship between places and how
they may be arranged in a sequence to
form an itinerary. Maps provide other
information too. For example, many maps
indicate the distances between places.
Since distance and travel time are related,
this type of information is also necessary
for itinerary planning.
• Travel literature is also important. It covers
personal travel narratives, memoirs,
biographies and photographic records of
specific places or journeys. Travel literature
often provides interesting insights into
destinations not otherwise available, thereby
adding another dimension to destination
information.
• Guide books, a range of reference books and
other destination publications are used by
industry personnel. Among the industry
publications areThe World Travel Guide,
the Traveltrade Visa Guide and TIM (Travel
Information Manual), usually accessed these
days as Timatic on an industry CRS (computer
reservation system).
• Industry publications of this kind provide us
with information on a range of issues,
including entry and exit requirements for
destination countries, customs regulations and
health and safety considerations. Many
websites also deal with these issues.
Other sources
• Travel and tourism industry trade shows open to
the industry and/or the public are significant.
• Many industry staff members undertake formal
study to improve their destination knowledge (as
you are doing now).
• Internet, email and fax destination and product
updates are a feature of the industry. These are
the easiest methods to reach a large number of
people quickly, with the latest information.