Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Travel agency and tour operation

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Tourism

  • 109 Accesses

Travel agencies and tour operators are two related but can be independent business models that operate as intermediaries between suppliers and tourists. In many cases, travel agencies are also tour operators and vice versa, particularly in countries other than the United States. This is understandable considering the history of their evolution in different countries.

Structure and history

Travel agencies can be defined as a sector that books, sells, and arranges travel, tour, and accommodation services provided by suppliers of the industry (Bhatia 2013). Some are primarily engaged in making travel arrangements and reservation services. These agencies include online-only booking systems such as Expedia.com. Others offer their own packages and thus act as tour operators.

Tour operators are businesses that plan, package, market, and sell multiple vacation elements, including air or surface transportation and accommodations (USTOA 2014). Package tours are generally sold through travel...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 729.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bhatia, A. 2013 The Business of Travel Agency and Tour Operations Management. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J., and C. Oster 1987 Deregulation and the Future of Intercity Passenger Travel. Boston: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, L. 1990 Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Travel Agency. Clifton Park: Cengage Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • USTOA 2014 United States Tour Operators Association www.ustoa.com (20 April).

  • Zhou, Z. 2004 E-commerce and Information Technology in Hospitality and Tourism. New York: Delmar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Z., and L. Lin 2000 The Impact of the Internet on the Use of the Print Brochure. Proceedings of the CHRIE’s Annual Conference, 19-22 July, New Orleans, Louisiana.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Niagara University, 5795 Lewiston Rd, NY, 14109, USA

    Zongqing Zhou

Authors
  1. Zongqing Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zongqing Zhou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, USA

    Jafar Jafari

  2. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

    Honggen Xiao

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this entry

Cite this entry

Zhou, Z. (2016). Travel agency and tour operation. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01384-8_206

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation