Identifying and prioritizing travel packages (tours) in travel service offices

Dissertation

Master

Field: Executive Management MBA

Abstract

In this research, we investigate and identify the factors influencing the choice of travel packages by travelers. First, according to the knowledge of the existing market and the current activity of travel service offices, and according to the knowledge of the behavior of travelers and tourists, we prepare a model for choosing travel packages. Then, a questionnaire is prepared and according to the results obtained, we obtain the weight coefficients of the comparative vectors. We also solve the model by using the ANP method and choosing several options. It should be noted that we obtain the coefficients of the comparative vectors for the selection options with a separate questionnaire and according to the opinion of experts. Finally, we compare the results obtained from the software with the actual sales results for a one-year period of one of the travel service offices and analyze the similarities and differences in the results. Keywords: travel packages, marketing and network analysis process. Chapter First

Introduction and generalities of the research

1-1 Introduction

Travel and tourism service offices act as an intermediary element between the main service providers such as tour operators or transport companies and hotels on the one hand and tourists requesting travel on the other hand. In fact, they are considered to be the frontline of the first encounters of the applicants with the tourism industry. The success or failure of these intermediaries has a strong impact on the success or failure of the programs of tourist destinations and tourism service providers. The types of agencies or travel service offices in Iran, based on clauses A, B and C of Article 1 of the Regulations for the Supervision of the Establishment and Activity of Travel, Tourism, and Pilgrimage Service Offices, subject to approval letter No. 14404/T 23203 dated 4/5/1380 of the Council of Ministers, Travel agencies are divided into the following three categories:

a) Agencies referred to in Paragraph A of Article 1 of the aforementioned regulation, which are under the direct supervision of the Civil Aviation Organization, and their main task is to sell tickets for various domestic and foreign airlines.  Such offices not only do not have the right to organize tours, but they also do not have the right to sell tours of other organizing offices because they are not allowed to enter into tour contracts with travelers. In addition, this type of travel agencies can become a member of IATA by complying with the relevant regulations and rules.  In addition, the holder of this license can apply for the issuance of Rajaa train tickets and Foundation trains and sell train tickets in addition to plane tickets. Also, it is possible to book a plane (charter) by these travel companies.

b) The agencies mentioned in paragraph b of article one of the aforementioned regulation, which are under the direct supervision of the Organization of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, and their main task is to organize all kinds of domestic and foreign tours, hotel reservations, obtaining visas and other Activities related to the tourism industry. Such offices do not have the right to organize tours on the route of Saudi Arabia (Hajj), Syria and Iraq, and such offices are called the so-called licensed agencies of paragraph B.  

C) The agencies mentioned in Clause C of Article 1 of the above-mentioned Regulations, which are under the direct supervision of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, and their main task is to organize all kinds of pilgrimages inside and outside the country. Such offices do not have the right to conduct tours in non-pilgrimage routes, and such offices are called so-called licensed agencies under clause P.  

The important point is that the travel agencies in the country can have any of the mentioned licenses separately or a combination of two or all three licenses. In that case, the relevant agency will be under the direct supervision of all the organizations from which it has received its licenses.

Agencies are of two types in terms of global classification:

Tour Operator:

These agencies are tour operators and with large investments of hotels and airlines, they guarantee the tourist rail and bus, and then provide it to the second type of agencies at a reasonable price. From the legal point of view abroad, tour operator agencies or tour wholesalers do not have the right to directly advertise passenger registrations, but send the (registered) passengers in exchange for handing over a portion of the profit to the second-tier agencies.From the legal point of view abroad, tour operator agencies or tour wholesalers do not have the right to advertise passenger registration directly, but in exchange for handing over a portion of the profit to the second-tier agencies, they send the (registered) passengers.

Tour Retailor:

These agencies are known as retailers and they operate by accepting passengers and entering into contracts with wholesale agencies.

In this research, with the help of marketing methods We seek to distinguish and identify the needs and desires of customers. These demands and requirements play a significant role in the formation of travel packages provided by travel service offices. This work is done with the help of marketing methods and the output of those packages are packages that contain some requirements and demands, the purpose of which is to provide the best welfare advantage to the customers, so in order to prioritize these packages with the goals of competitive advantage and package desirability, and according to the non-linear relationships between the needs and demands of customers in different packages, we use the Analytic Network Process method.

1-2 Research Objectives

In order to separate travel service packages and prioritize them

1-3 Necessity and importance of research

The tourism industry as one of the most important phenomena of the third millennium has had a significant impact on the economic growth and dynamism and cultural exchanges of countries during the past half century with its exponential growth. So that many experts have called the current century the century of tourism. Paying attention to the category of tourism becomes more important when according to the available statistics, the tourism industry is considered as the second source of income of more than 49 developing countries and it is a strategy to increase the income and alleviate the poverty of these countries. According to the forecast of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), by 2010, more than 43% of the world's employment will be related to the tourism sector (Mohammadi Deh Cheshme and Zangiabadi, 2017). According to the WTO forecast, the number of tourists will reach 1.6 billion by 2020. Based on the statistics provided by the same organization, more than 50% of the employment problem in developing countries can be solved through the development of this industry. 1-4 research questions The question that arises is: Is it possible to design more customer-friendly packages according to the knowledge of the audience in the travel service industry and according to the current routine of the process?

What is between the customers (in Iran)?

Are the results obtained consistent with the current trend of demand?

1-5 Assumptions

1- Customers are reasonable and have rational demands.

2- Customer satisfaction is directly related to the improvement of service quality.

1-6 Key words and related definitions

Packages Travel:

A package is basically a combination of individual travel and tourism products that are marketed under a specific brand and sold at a single price. Most of the products are sold in the travel and tourism markets, however, the product of important business trips and many conferences are also packaged in this way.

The comprehensive tourism product is defined as a package and based on 5 main components including destination attractions, destination facilities and services, destination access (including transportation), destination image and brand, and the marketing price of comprehensive tours and product packages for customers. A comprehensive tour operator is a manufacturer of a tourism product that buys package components from tourism service providers and sells them as a package under the brand of a single entity. Marketing: Marketing is a process through which individuals and groups meet their needs and desires through the production and exchange of products and value with others. In other words, marketing consists of: identification ( customers, competitors and the whole market), introducing (goods and services to customers) and creating satisfaction (for customers and ourselves). 

Network analysis process:

ANP method is one of the new MCDM methods that Mr. Dr. Saati presented in 1996, and due to the consideration of dependencies in this method, it can be considered a new approach in MCDM methods. This method has many applications in the real world, and one of the reasons for this is the consideration of dependencies.

1-7 Thematic, spatial and temporal domain

1-7-1 Time domain

This research is related to the period from the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2012.