Pre-Tour Preparations

1
Pre-Tour Preparations
2
Learning Objectives

• To know how to start preparation for a tour.
• To prepare a checklist for a multi-day
  international tour.
• To understand fund transfers and standard vendor
  payment arrangements.
• To prepare a rooming list.

3
Documentation Considerations

• Currently valid passports

4
Documentation Considerations

• Currently valid tourist visas
• Health cards with all required immunisations
  documented
• Completed entry cards
• Completed currency control cards (for some
  countries)
• A paid-for airline ticket for travel out of the
  country (for some countries)

5
Tour Managers Work File

• Itinerary
• Contact list
• Agreements or contracts
• Accident report form
• Death report form
• Supplier evaluation form
• Tour evaluation form

6
Pre-tour Monetary Considerations

• Fund transfers
• To market the tour a long time before departure,
  collecting substantial up-front deposits at about
  the same time that vendor deposits are required.
• To transfer sufficient funds to the destination
  country and held in a bank in the currency of the
  country until the money is needed to pay tour
  vendors.
• Vendor payments
• Pre-Payment arrangements
• On-the-spot payment
• Credit and Post-tour billing

7
Tour Managers Preparation

• Searching for information relevant to the
  itinerary and collect general information about
  the destination.
• Attending a briefing and ask about anything that
  is unclear.
• Review itinerary and vendor arrangements and
  make confirmation calls.
• Check and review all the materials given. Be
  familiar with passenger names and any special
  client information or requests.
• Prepare rooming list
• Other preparations

8
Rooming List

• Tour name and code
• Escorts name
• Hotel name, address, check-in and check-out date
• Room No. (to be assigned)
• Passengers tag no. name, and special
  instructions
• Room for escort and driver
• Agreement between the tour operator and the hotel
  on room charges.
• Room and tax charges applied to the master folio,
  incidental charges will be billed to the
  individual rooms and the respective guest is
  responsible.

9
Summary

• Tour company should prepare a work file for the
  tour manager with a control form in front.
• The work file should contain all the documents
  and forms to be in use on the tour.
• Fund transfers need to be carefully managed to
  minimise currency fluctuations.
• Tour manager must make sure he has all the
  documents and related materials and has prepared
  the rooming lists.
• Reference
• Chap 10, Essentials of Tour Management, Fay,
  Betsy 1992, Prentice Hall, G154.7 Fay
• Chap 7, Tour Design, Marketing, Management,
  Poynter, J.M. Prentice Hall, G154.7 Poy