That depends on which Thomson Tour Line you are referring to. For the UK operation, visit Thomson Tours link from the Related Links section below for more information.
I shall assume that you are asking what an inbound tour operator does In a nutshell, and inbound tour operator is a travel oriented company which promotes and conducts tours within the country they reside in. Basically, a french tour operator conducts tours in France, which could be sold to french travellers or international travellers (more on international travellers) An outbound tour operator, is just the opposite, a travel company that conducts tours outside of their country of residence (more on local travellers)
The inbound tour operator's jobs may vary depending on the country. Usually they line up the ground transportation, hire local guides for narration, arrange attraction tickets, and help with emergencies. They are there to assist the tour director in making sure the tour members get everything they paid for and more. They are especially helpful to the tour director when an unexpected event occurs during a tour. This may include emergencies, deaths, canceled flights, local strikes, floods, changed itineraries, and even volcanoes. Since the inbound tour operator is in the country being visited, they know how to assist in handling the situation and have the resources to help. You may be hired by the outbound tour operator, but while on tour, you are working with the inbound tour operators. Contacting them to confirm, transportation and tours, arrange local guides, help with emergencies, and give suggestions. You will find them extremely helpful. There are also inbound tour operators in the United States. Their tour members and clients are from other countries. Inbound tour operators escort foreign groups throughout the United States. If you're bilingual, this can be an advantage when approaching an inbound tour operator, since some have a difficult time finding professional bilingual tour directors and tour guides. When they can't find qualified U.S. tour directors, they hire directors from other countries, especially German, Italian, and Japanese-speaking guides. A friend of mine commented that "The outbound tour operator is the company which will send you to lead a tour anywhere in the world. The inbound tour operator is the company which is in the country to assist in services while the group on its territory. While on an international tour you may visit five different countries. In each of them inbound tour operator assists for the group. So, one outbound and five inbound operators work for the group." The outbound tour operator develops the tour. It is their responsibility to line up the hotels and air, make all of the tour reservations, arrange tours and attractions, contract inbound tour operators, and hire the tour directors to escort the group. This includes domestic and international tours. I work for outbound tour operators as an international tour director and cruise host. Most outbound tour operators market the tours through travel agents using beautiful brochures, each listing what's included, dates, prices, and so on. When a client visits a travel agent, a good agent will qualify the client, finding out his or her needs and wants. When the client settles on the tour that matches his or her needs, timeline, and cost, the agent then calls the outbound tour operator. At this point, the tour operator takes over the reservation process. Because most tour operators serve a particular market, qualifying the client is extremely important. Clients may chose from deluxe, value, adventure, educational, youth, student tours, and so on. Tours basically visit the same locations and sites, the difference is usually in the hotel arrangements and what is included in the tour package. Deluxe tours will stay in the finest hotels, include all tours, cover all meals, and travel with small groups. A value tour may involve less expensive hotels, include fewer meals, offer optional tours, and travel with larger groups. Other tours may include guest speakers, hikes, camping, and so on. I've been working for outbound tour operators since the early 1980s. I've traveled throughout the world on their land and cruise programs. I've worked for outbound tour operators in Kansas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Georgia. I visited the Los Angeles office of my first tour operator a few times, but I've never been in the other offices or met my managers face to face. We do most of our communication over the phone, Federal Express, and now e-mail. It's a part of the business that I think is unique. Of course, every tour member evaluates my performance at the end of the tour, so each person is always aware of my tour skills. I'm expected to receive 90 percent excellent, which isn't always easy. The outbound tour operator promotes the expertise of the tour director. You also can see how important we are to the whole program; after all, we make it an escorted tour.
The inbound tour operator's jobs may vary depending on the country. Usually they line up the ground transportation, hire local guides for narration, arrange attraction tickets, and help with emergencies. They are there to assist the tour director in making sure the tour members get everything they paid for and more. They are especially helpful to the tour director when an unexpected event occurs during a tour. This may include emergencies, deaths, canceled flights, local strikes, floods, changed itineraries, and even volcanoes. Since the inbound tour operator is in the country being visited, they know how to assist in handling the situation and have the resources to help. You may be hired by the outbound tour operator, but while on tour, you are working with the inbound tour operators. Contacting them to confirm, transportation and tours, arrange local guides, help with emergencies, and give suggestions. You will find them extremely helpful. There are also inbound tour operators in the United States. Their tour members and clients are from other countries. Inbound tour operators escort foreign groups throughout the United States. If you're bilingual, this can be an advantage when approaching an inbound tour operator, since some have a difficult time finding professional bilingual tour directors and tour guides. When they can't find qualified U.S. tour directors, they hire directors from other countries, especially German, Italian, and Japanese-speaking guides. A friend of mine commented that "The outbound tour operator is the company which will send you to lead a tour anywhere in the world. The inbound tour operator is the company which is in the country to assist in services while the group on its territory. While on an international tour you may visit five different countries. In each of them inbound tour operator assists for the group. So, one outbound and five inbound operators work for the group." The outbound tour operator develops the tour. It is their responsibility to line up the hotels and air, make all of the tour reservations, arrange tours and attractions, contract inbound tour operators, and hire the tour directors to escort the group. This includes domestic and international tours. I work for outbound tour operators as an international tour director and cruise host. Most outbound tour operators market the tours through travel agents using beautiful brochures, each listing what's included, dates, prices, and so on. When a client visits a travel agent, a good agent will qualify the client, finding out his or her needs and wants. When the client settles on the tour that matches his or her needs, timeline, and cost, the agent then calls the outbound tour operator. At this point, the tour operator takes over the reservation process. Because most tour operators serve a particular market, qualifying the client is extremely important. Clients may chose from deluxe, value, adventure, educational, youth, student tours, and so on. Tours basically visit the same locations and sites, the difference is usually in the hotel arrangements and what is included in the tour package. Deluxe tours will stay in the finest hotels, include all tours, cover all meals, and travel with small groups. A value tour may involve less expensive hotels, include fewer meals, offer optional tours, and travel with larger groups. Other tours may include guest speakers, hikes, camping, and so on. I've been working for outbound tour operators since the early 1980s. I've traveled throughout the world on their land and cruise programs. I've worked for outbound tour operators in Kansas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Georgia. I visited the Los Angeles office of my first tour operator a few times, but I've never been in the other offices or met my managers face to face. We do most of our communication over the phone, Federal Express, and now e-mail. It's a part of the business that I think is unique. Of course, every tour member evaluates my performance at the end of the tour, so each person is always aware of my tour skills. I'm expected to receive 90 percent excellent, which isn't always easy. The outbound tour operator promotes the expertise of the tour director. You also can see how important we are to the whole program; after all, we make it an escorted tour.
A domestic tour operator is a tour operator that organises tours in their own country, as opposed to an international tour operator who brings people for tours to other countries.
1. domestic tour operator 2. incoming tour operator 3. specialist tour operator 4. mass market tour operator
A tour guide or tour operator is another name for someone who conducts tours.
A person or organisation that operates tours in other countries. So if you are travelling to another country with a tour operator, they are overseas tour operators. They will have offices in your country and you can book with them there, but all the tours they do are in other countries. They do not organise any tours in their own country.
A domestic tour operator is a travel professional or company that designs, promotes, and manages tour packages within one country only. In simple words, if a tour operator organizes trips for destinations inside the same country where the traveler lives, that operator is called a domestic tour operator. For example, in India, a domestic tour operator handles travel to places like Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, North East India, and other Indian destinations. They do not focus on international tours; instead, they specialize in local knowledge, regional travel needs, and domestic logistics. What does a domestic tour operator do? A domestic tour operator plans and manages complete travel experiences inside the country. Their main responsibilities include: Creating domestic tour packages Hotel bookings and local accommodations Flight, train, and road transport arrangements Local sightseeing and guided tours Honeymoon, family, group, and customized tours Adventure and leisure activities Handling permits, local transfers, and on-ground support Because they work within one country, domestic tour operators have strong local connections, including hotels, drivers, guides, and destination experts. Who can be called a domestic tour operator? Any tour operator who meets these conditions can be called a domestic tour operator: Operates tours only within the country Caters mainly to domestic travelers Has deep knowledge of local destinations Works with local suppliers and service providers Offers end-to-end travel solutions for domestic trips For instance, an Indian tour operator who organizes honeymoon packages in Kerala, family tours in Rajasthan, or group tours to Himachal Pradesh is clearly a domestic tour operator. Example of a domestic tour operator A professional like Tinku Kumar, who has over 8+ years of experience in the Indian tourism industry and offers honeymoon packages, holiday packages, family tours, group tours, customized travel packages, hotel bookings, flight and train tickets, local sightseeing, and adventure tours within India, is a perfect example of a domestic tour operator. Such operators also help tourism agencies by planning smooth itineraries, managing logistics, and ensuring memorable travel experiences for clients. Why are domestic tour operators important? Domestic tour operators play a vital role in tourism because: They boost local tourism and the economy They make travel easy for families and first-time travelers They provide cost-effective and flexible packages They offer reliable on-ground support during the tri They understand cultural, regional, and seasonal factors After COVID-19, domestic tourism has grown rapidly, and domestic tour operators have become even more important for safe, well-managed travel. Difference between domestic and international tour operators Domestic tour operator: Operates tours within one country International tour operator: Handles outbound or inbound international travel Both are important, but domestic tour operators are best for travelers who want stress-free travel inside their own country.
A tour agency is usually the company that sells (and possibly bundles) tours, the tour operator is the company that actually offers the tour. For example, Expedia is selling tours (and is hence a tour agency), but doesn't organize or operate them.
A travel agent is someone who can book your travel details - flight, hotel, transportation and even tours, based on your requirements. Their responsibility is to organize your entire vacation, or as much of it as you like. A tour operator is just someone who operates a business that provides tours of a certain area or series of attractions. They will organize and schedule tours for people, and will provide the guide. Their responsibility does not normally go beyond that.
Children, who are allowed on tours by tour operator guidelines, can visit Antarctica, and generally accompanied by at least one adult.
A Wholesale Tour Operator provides travel programmes , tours and associated travel services to Retail Travel Agents or Tour operators selling directly to the public .These travel itineraries are usually sold under the agent or retail operator's brand and as such are sold under their terms and conditions .