Next Tourism Generation NTG

What are the shared functional areas?

In the research conducted by NTG the following ares where deemed as common functional areas. A healthy business works like a living being with functional areas taking care of different domains. These functional areas group skills and tasks to manage aspects of the business that have their own protocols and logic. Some basic functional areas such as marketing and finance are shared by just about all businesses. Others, such as legal support and information technology, become more essential as the company grows. General Management Some of the objectives and tasks of the General Management area include: to be responsible of the business / Entity, to define and revise the strategy, goals and plans of the business / entity, to know and develop loyalty relationship with clients and stakeholders, to create and motivate a team of employees and to achieve the goals planned in the strategy in the short and long term. Administrative Services Some of the objectives and tasks of the Administrative Services area include: to manage all licenses and legal authorisations for the business activity, to do the payment of invoices to suppliers, to control bank accounts, to manage bank credit, to do the accounting management, to negotiate with financial institutions and to implement and control quality systems. Human Resource Management Some of the objectives and tasks of the Human Resources Management area include: to facilitate the relationship between workers and owners, to do the salary revisions, to held relationship with social prevention systems, to perform the analysis of the company"s expansion plans. Communication and Marketing Some of the objectives and tasks of the Maintenance and Engineering area include: to perform maintenance activities in hotel public areas like plunging toilets, unclogging drains, repairing all types of hardware, plumbing and electrical equipment and cosmetic items. Also includes to monitor fire Alarm / Life Safety System systems as necessary, to be fully informed of the system operation and to handle emergencies involving the systems and make proper administration as per regulations, to maintain maintenance inventory and requisition parts and supplies as needed. Other tasks that this area also includes are to ensure and maintain water heating control, to respond and attend to guest repairments requests and to understand and operate advanced electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, and boiler systems. Maintenance and Engineering Some of the objectives and tasks of the Health, Safety and Security area include: to ensure security of guest room access and hotel property, to monitor fire Alarm / Life Safety System systems as necessary, to be fully informed of the system operation and to handle emergencies involving the systems and make proper administration as per regulations, to ensure that all emergency procedures are rehearsed, implemented and enforced to provide for the security and safety of guests and employees. Indeed this area includes to ensure the safety of the persons and the property of all within the premises by fairly applying Hotel Regulations by strict adherence to existing laws, statutes etc. Health, Safety and Security Some of the objectives and tasks of the Communication and Marketing area include: to identify new markets and business opportunities, to represent the hotel in events and exhibitions, to build and strength relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings. These activities include : entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc. Indeed this area to work closely with Revenue Manager to ensure that proposed rate negotiations meet the financial needs of the hotel, to perform the website positioning and to perform the online comment review. Technology Development Some of the objectives and tasks of the Technology Development area include: to understand business processes and its interactuation with technology, to know the latest technology developments regarding the business, to create / adapt technology tools to solve business processes, to maintenance technology tools and to support the employees in their technology problems.

What are the specific functional areas of Tour Operator and Travel Agents Sector?

In the research conducted by NTG the following ares where deemed as specific functional areas of the Tour Operator and Travel Agents Sector. A healthy business works like a living being with functional areas taking care of different domains. The specific functional areas group skills and tasks to manage aspects of the business that have their own protocols and logic. Customer care Working in customer care involves engagement with customers to understand their travel and holiday needs and using that information to tailor products to meet those needs. This may mean providing a choice of options and explaining those options. Selling products and services is a fundamental part of the role. This involves collecting and managing payments, managing booking systems, dealing with queries and complaints, monitoring and managing customer feedback including online feedback and, above all, ensuring customer satisfaction. Customer care also involves engagement with other staff and with suppliers. Communication with colleagues and management usually occurs through regular team briefings. Additionally, customer care providers participate in meetings, training and familiarization trips to ensure that they keep abreast of new products and services on the market. NTG social skills are extremely important in customer care as they will allow individuals working in this area to meet customer needs and ensure customer satisfaction. Good NTG digital skills are useful in various aspects of the job including dealing with online feedback and managing booking systems. NTG green skills allow individuals to provide customers with advice and guidance on environmentally sound travel products and experiences. Partner & Supplier Engagement & Management A key element of the work of travel agents and tour operators is having a thorough knowledge of suppliers in the market. Thus one of the areas of work is engagement with partners and suppliers. This involves communicating and negotiating with a range of vendors and in the process, dealing with issues and resolving conflict. Someone working in this area has to make decisions about what vendors to use and which of their products to use. They may also create contracts to formalize these arrangements and therefore excellent negotiation skills and customer relationship management skills are key requirements of the role.Because it is important to stay informed about products and services, participation in meetings, training programmes and familiarization trips are regular activities. Additionally, managing inventory through all distribution channels is part of the job. The ability to upsell and cross sell are important skills and these skills are enhanced through continuous product knowledge development.Partner and supplier engagement is about dealing effectively with people, usually on a one to one basis. Therefore good NTG social skills are key in terms of relationship management, effective communication and the awareness of cultural/geographic market differences. Additionally digital skills are important for various aspects of this area of work through the utilization of various booking systems, communication systems and inventory management tools. Green skills come to the fore when making decisions about product inclusion and product development Product Development and Revenue Management An important area of work for tour operators and travel agents is building and developing new customer experiences, bespoke offerings and marketable holiday/tour packages. This involves compiling travel elements into packages, coordinating prices, inventories and demand, and updating the price rate on an annual basis. It is important to develop and update pricing and inventory management strategies. The aim is to successfully produce the most efficient business mix while maximizing average rate in order to generate revenue for the company.There are a few tasks involved in this process including maintaining permanent communication and coordination with all suppliers, managing inventory and booking channels and devising sales strategies in collaboration and communication with management and relevant teams/departments i.e. sales and marketing. Staff have to learn to understand and forecast rate strategies based on current market trends/analyses. Keeping other staff in the loop is also important and therefore someone working in this area may lead regular revenue meetings with measurable outputs. Social skills are important in that regard.NTG digital skills and analytical skills are useful in this area as much of the work occurs through a digital medium. Green skills also play a role, especially in developing packages using sustainable tourism principles.

What are Management levels in the Tour Operator and Travel Agents sector?

Detail to come.....