27346 Tour Operator and Wholesaling

Subject level: Undergraduate

Handbook description

This subject seeks to provide students with knowledge and skills associated with management level positions within the tour wholesaler, inbound tour operator and local tour operator sub-sectors of the tourism industry. In doing so it overviews the nature and characteristics of these tourism industry sub-sectors, examines marketplace trends and issues impacting upon them and discusses their marketing, management and operations. A key aspect of this subject is the development of skills and knowledge in students such that they can analyse case specific data and recommend appropriate management/marketing responses.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. describe the nature and characteristics of the inbound, local tour operator and tour wholesaler sub-sectors of the Australian tourism industry
2. identify marketplace trends and issues impacting upon the marketing and management of inbound tour operators, local tour operators and tour wholesalers
3. discuss marketing, management and operational practices specific to inbound tour operators, local tour operators and tour wholesalers
4. analyse case specific data and recommend appropriate management or marketing responses.

Contribution to graduate profile

This is an elective subject in the Bachelor of Management in Tourism and Bachelor of Management in Tourism and Hospitality programs which draws upon the foundation knowledge and skills students have developed in introductory subjects in marketing and tourism. The subject is designed to provide students with an understanding of the marketing and management of businesses involved in the packaging of tourism product. In performing this role it: overviews the nature and characteristics of these tourism industry sub-sectors; examines marketplace trends and issues impacting upon them; and discusses their marketing, management and operations. A key aspect of this subject is the development of skills and knowledge in students such that they can analyse case specific data and recommend appropriate management/marketing responses.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching strategies will include lectures, tutorials based on prescribed readings, case study discussions and practical exercises, site visits, and independent student assignment work. Content for this subject will be supported by UTSOnline.

Content

• Nature and characteristics of the Australian inbound tour operator, local tour operator, and tour wholesaler sub-sectors of the tourism industry – historical development, industry associations, functions performed, types and sizes of firms, licensing and ownership
• Forces currently impacting upon each sub-sector, e.g. exchange rates, changing market place needs, disintermediation, visa requirements and market fragmentation
• Management of Inbound Tour Operators (ITO)
• Management of Local Tour Operators and Tour Wholesalers
• Case Studies in ITOs, local tour operator and tour wholesaler marketing and management.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Assignment (Individual)

Assessment item 2: Final Exam (Individual)

Required text(s)

Faculty of Business, 2006, Guide to Writing Assignments, Faculty of Business, UTS, Sydney (www.business.uts.edu.au/resources/guide.html)

Recommended text(s)

Stear, L, 2005, A Model of a Highly Industrialised (International Travel) Tourism System, Lloyd Stear, Sydney (available from UTSOnline)

Indicative references

Buhalis D, 2003, eTourism – Information technology for strategic tourism management, Prentice Hall, London, England.

Bitner M, Booms, B, 1982, Trends in Travel and Tourism Marketing: The changing structure of Distribution Channels , Journals of Travel Research.

Carey, S and Gountas, Y, 1997, Tour operators and destination sustainability, Tourism Management Vol 18, No 7 pp 425-431

Evans, Campbell & Stonehouse, 2003, Strategic Management for Travel and Tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, England

Hall (2007) Tourism in Australia, Development issues and change (5th edition), Pearson, Essex England

Harris R, Jago L, King B, 2005, Case Studies in Tourism & Hospitality Marketing, Pearson Hospitality Press, Sydney, Australia

Holloway, J, 2006, The Business of Tourism, 7th edn, Longman, Harlow, Essex, UK.

Kotler, P, Bowen J.T, Makens, J.C, 2006, Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism (4th edn), Pearson International Edition, Pearson Education, Australia

Laws, E, 1997, Managing Packaged Tourism, International Thomson Business Press, London.

McIntosh, R, Goeldner, C and Brent Ritchie, J, 1999, Tourism: Principles, Practices and Philosophies, 8th edn, Wiley, Chichester, NY.

Middleton, V. T. C. and Clarke, J. 2001, Marketing in Travel and Tourism, 3rd edn, Heinemann, Oxford, UK.

Pearce, P., Morrison, A. and Rutledge, J. 1998, Tourism: Bridges Across Continents, Irwin-McGraw-Hill, Sydney, Australia.

Richardson, John I, Fluker, Dr M, 2008, Understanding and Managing Tourism (2nd edn), Pearson Education, Australia.

Weaver, D and Lawton, 2006, Tourism Management, Wiley, Milton, Qld, Australia.

Weber, K and Ladkin, A 2003, The Convention Industry in Australia and the United Kingdom: Key issues and Competitive Forces. Journal of Travel Research 42;125

Swarbrooke, J. and Horner, S. 2001, Business Travel and Tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford UK.

Academic journals

Annals of Tourism Research

Current Issues in Tourism

Tourism Management

Journal of Travel Research

Cornell Quarterly Journal of Hotel Administration

Websites

Tourism Australia www.tourism.australia.com

Tourism Research Australia www.tra.australia.com

Australian Bureau of Statistics www.abs.gov.au

United Nations World Tourism Organisation www.unwto.org/index.php