Travel Agents<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nA professional who works on behalf of customers or tour operators arranging travel services for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong>: A travel agent in Janakpur, Delhi booked Virat\u2019s honeymoon to the Netherlands <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- OTAs (Online Travel Agency)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Platforms that act as intermediaries & allow travellers to book hotels, flights, and activities online. Connecting multiple service providers via API in one place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong>: MakeMyTrip, Booking.com <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Inbound Tour Operators<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A company providing services to foreign travel agents and travellers coming to their destination. Customised itineraries, including hotel, activities & cab service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>An Indian tour operator arranging tours for European tourists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Outbound Tour Operators<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A company specialised in foreign destinations providing services to local clients travelling abroad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- DMC (Destination Management Company)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A local company: professional in providing travel or event services (hotels, cabs, activities, transportation) for a specific travel destination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- B2B Hotel Consolidator<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
An intermediary wholesaler who aggregates hotel inventory from different suppliers and then offers it to travel businesses such as travel agents, tour operators, DMCs, etc, by pre-purchasing inventories for the upcoming season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Pax<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
PAX is a common shorthand for \u201cpassengers\u201d<\/em> or \u201cguests\u201d<\/em> when counting the total number of people travelling. It is used in itineraries, bookings, contracts, and communications with hotels, airlines, and ground handlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample:<\/strong> A family booking may show: 2 Adults (ADT) + 1 Child(CHD) + 1 Infant (INF) = total 4 PAX.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Series Departure<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A Series Departure<\/strong> refers to a pre-planned set of group tours or packages that operate on fixed dates over a season or year. Instead of customising each trip individually, the tour operator blocks inventory (flights, hotels, transport, guides, etc.) in advance and runs the same itinerary multiple times. Dates are fixed and announced in advance (e.g., every Saturday from April to June<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\nExample<\/strong>: Weekly Singapore departure every Tuesday for the next two months <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Preferred Partners<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Suppliers or agents with whom the travel business has a long-term, trusted partnership. If two different clients enquire with a DMC for a particular service, then the preferred partner might get a better response, deal and time to make the payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>The Hilton hotel chain is a preferred partner of XYZ DMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- LCC (Low-Cost Carrier)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Low-budget airlines that offer flights at cheaper fares (with fewer services).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong>: Ryanair, IndiGo<\/p>\n\n\n\nTeams & Departments in a Travel Company <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Sales Team<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It is a department responsible for handling incoming leads and potential clients, and through communication, turning them into conversions & bookings. Their target is to improve revenue for the organisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>The sales team consists of consultants and executives handling leads and inquiries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Quotes Team<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It is a department whose core duty is to generate travel quotations with correct itinerary and pricing sold at the time of sales. Their target is to ensure timely replies with correct quotations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>A quoted executive generates an itinerary of 4N\/5D for inquiry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Reservation Team<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The department is responsible for the management of confirmed bookings, suppliers, coordination, and vouchers for accommodations. Their target is to ensure timely confirmation of service deliveries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>After the client has confirmed a package, the reservation team starts to complete the bookings, including the hotel activity transfer confirmed in the package<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Operations Team<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This department is responsible for handling daily tour execution, which includes coordination with the customer and suppliers. Their target is to ensure higher customer satisfaction and make the trip memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>Ensuring that the pick up is at the right time and hotel check-in is done smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Contracting Team<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This department is responsible for negotiation of rates and terms with activity, hotel and transport providers for the upcoming season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>Securing a special prize rate for the upcoming holiday season at the Bali resort<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Accounts Team<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The department is responsible for the management of the financial status of the company, including timely incoming and outgoing payments management, invoices, the ledger, and bank reconciliations. They also assist with timely tax filings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- F&B Dept (Hotels)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The F&B Department (Food & Beverage Department) in hotels is responsible for managing all dining services, including restaurants, bars, room service, banquets, and catering. It oversees menu planning, food preparation, service quality, inventory, and guest satisfaction to ensure seamless culinary experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong>: A gala dinner for the quarterly celebration was organised by the F&B department.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Front Office<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The team is responsible for interacting with the guests directly. Serving them from the 1st point of arrival (check-in) to departure (checkout). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Concierge<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In a hotel, this term refers to the staff member who is responsible for providing personalised services to the guest. They often act as a local expert to the guest or their personal assistant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example<\/strong>: The concierge arranged city tours for 10 pax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Tour Manager<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A professional individual accompanying a group of tourists to manage logistics and other support throughout the tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commercial Terms & Pricing Models<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- Contracting<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It is a process which includes negotiation and management of agreements with various suppliers, including transportation, hotel, or activity for inventory and rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Markup<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
An additional amount is added to the total cost of the flight, service or trip package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Rack Rate<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This amount refers to the standard published pricing of a hotel room before any promotion or discount has been applied. It\u2019s essentially the maximum retail price<\/em> (MRP) in hospitality and travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample: <\/strong>The contracted rate of a resort in Goa could be Rs 6000 per night, but the rack rate is Rs. 10,000\/night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Net Rate<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It is the wholesale price of a service after a certain discount offered to a reseller, such as a tour operator or a travel agent. Before adding any taxes, supplier markup, or commission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- BAR (Best Available Rate)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A dynamic pricing strategy under which the hotel offers the most competitive\/ lowest rate at the time of booking (unrestricted rates). These rates fluctuate according to demand, season or market conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Commissionable Rate<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Commissionable Rate is the portion of a service\u2019s price eligible for travel agent commission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/strong> A hotel room priced at \u20b95,000 with a 10% commissionable rate gives agents \u20b9500 per booking. It helps travel managers calculate agent payouts and manage partnerships efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Static Rates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Fixed-rate contracts, usually during peak season, will not change daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>Holiday season contracted rates for hotels will be valid from November- January <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Dynamic XML<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Real-time, inventory\/rates of travel services or products fetched by API.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Resident Rates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Special discount, which is provided to residents of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>A special hotel rate is given to UAE residents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Non-Resident Rates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
These are standard rates only given to foreign visitors, which are usually higher in comparison to resident rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Complimentary Child Rates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A policy under which a child at a significant age is not charged or is less charged by a hotel or resort. This policy is usually a part of family-friendly offerings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Per Pax Revenue<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Per Pax Revenue is the income earned per passenger in travel services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/strong> A tour earning \u20b95,00,000 from 100 travelers equals \u20b95,000 per pax. It helps travel managers measure profitability, set competitive pricing, and evaluate tour efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- FOC (Free of Charge)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A complimentary service for a product given either by a supplier or the tour operator themselves for free. (FOC = Free of Charge).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example: <\/strong>Give 1FOC to travel agents for every 20 paid Rooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Ancillary Revenue<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This amount refers to the income generated by a travel business from supplementary products or services which are sold in addition to their core offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/strong> For instance, seat upgrades in flight for clients or travel insurance sold to a client in a package\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Affiliate Programs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A performance-based partnership under which travel businesses pay a certain commission to websites or individuals for referring clients & driving sales for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n