A. Integrity
1. Maintaining confidentiality of customers’ personal details
A travel agent, during the course of his employment will come across information of a sensitive and confidential nature, like bank statements, business plans, asset information, passport information, educational background, to mention a few, when they apply for overseas tour packages. The agent must take every effort to maintain confidentiality.
B. Commitment
2. Carrying out due diligence in providing cost effective tour packages
A travel agent may provide local, national and international ticketing and travel services to customers. He should present the services from different air carriers, trains as well as hotels and resorts, to the customers, as per organization’s policies, travel insurers, medical laboratories for health check-up requirements. He must hand hold the customer to arrive at the most cost effective travel plan by assisting in researching and comparison.
3. Warning clients in advance of any hiccups in travel plans
In case a travel agent comes to know of a delay in flights, or incidents in the destination locations which might affect travel schedules, he must intimate customers at the earliest. Overseas travel packages may extend to more than 15 or 20 days. Any emergency foreseen must be communicated by the travel agent to his customer immediately.
4. Handling tour packages in entirety
Where the organization has charged the customer for an all-inclusive tour package, the travel agent must undertake end-to-end coordination with various vendors such as cabs for airport transfers, travel guides and hotel managers, so that the customer experiences a smooth and enjoyable tour package. A travel agent must undertake “[a]rranging reservations for special interest activities business travel, sporting holidays, religious travel, pilgrimage, etc” (Bhatia).
C. Objectivity
5. Alignment with organization vision and mission
The travel agent must put the interests of the organization first and not his personal interests. In other words, there must not be any conflict of interest. He must treat all clients unbiased and should not show favoritism to people known or related to him.
D. Disclosure
6. Exposing all relevant facts of the service sold
There must be full disclosure of cardinal facts relating to the service sold. This will include price differentials, possible changes in timings of flights and trains, cancellation policy and refund policy must be shared in an honest manner. He should “avoid incorrect and misleading statements, doubtful superlatives and any negative reference to his competitors” (“TRAVEL AGENTS ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (TAAI)”). Travel Agents will not concealment material facts to mislead customers.
Works Cited
Bhatia, A. K. The Business of Travel Agency & Tour Operations Management. New Delhi, India: Sterling Publishers Pvt., 2012. Print.
“TRAVEL AGENTS ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (TAAI).” 2017. Web. 3 Feb. 2017.
