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School: Utpal Shanghvi Global School

Std: 8th –IGCSE Subject: Travel and Tourism

Topic: The Role of Ancillary Tourist Services

Key Words:

Business Plan: An action plan that entrepreneurs draw up

for the purpose of starting a business; a guide to running
one’s business.

City Guide: A person who has a speciality of guiding in the

city only.

Guide: A person qualified to conduct tours of specific

localities or attractions (many reliable guides are licensed).
Packager: An individual or organisation that coordinates and
promotes the package tours and establishes operating
guidelines for the tour.

Service Provider: A person or company that supplies a

particular service.

Stakeholder: Any person, group or organisation with an

interest in, or who may be affected by, the activities of
another organisation.

Step-On Guide: An independent guide who comes aboard a

motor coach to give an informed overview of the city or
attraction to be toured.

Suppliers: Individuals, companies or other organisations

which provide goods or services to a recognisable customer
or consumer.

Tour Escort: The tour company staff member or

independent contractor who conducts the tour. Often called
the tour manager or tour director. It is technically a person
that only escorts the group and does not have charge of the
commentary portion.

Tour Manager: A person employed as the escort for a group

of tourists, usually for the duration of the entire trip,
perhaps supplemented by local guides. The terms tour
director, leader, escort are used for him.
 Fill in the blanks:

1. Ancillary services are the things that are needed to make

any trip complete.

2. One may not recognise the ancillary services in the first

place but these services are needed to have a comfortable
trip and also to be secured and safe while being outside
the home town.

3. Traditionally the information used to be in the forms of

brochures but now because of the advancement and
development, internet is becoming the leading source of
information for the tourists and for tourism operators.

4. All the ancillary services are an indispensable part of

tourism.

5. The travel and tourism industry is focusing on providing the

best hospitality services to the customers and these
ancillary services play an important role in keeping that
mark up.

State whether true or false:

1. Ancillary services are primary motivations for a tourist to

travel – True/ False.
2. Tour Guides are most important ancillary services –
True/False.

3. Which one is not an essential characteristic of Tour

Guides?

i. Strong Communication Skills

ii. Punctuality

iii. Passion for their City

iv. Financial Sound

4. An illiterate person with experience can also apply for

becoming a tour guide – True/False.

5. Tour Escorts and Tour Guides are terms used

interchangeably – True/False.

Complete the following:

1. Sometimes the travel agent receives much higher

commission on the ancillary services rather than selling
holiday packages and flight tickets. Hence, they are an
important source of money to the agents. A number of
companies are now becoming specialised in selling these
services to the travel agents and also directly to the
travellers too.
2. The working condition of escorts are highly demanding and
could also require them to work for days without taking an
off and requires lifting heavy luggage and arranging such
tours to keep everyone happy.

3. The availability of the current information is very

important for the tourist as they need to know about the
weather, local transportation, attractions, currency etc.

4. Although not being a primary part of this industry, they

have a huge role in making this industry work and making
the tour or a tourist more enjoyable and comfortable by
providing the value for money.

5. If all these facilities are provided by the tour operators at

the time of selling the tour packages, chances are there
that the tourist will come back again to that same operator
for other trips as their previous trips was comfortable.

Answer the following questions:

1. What do you understand by ancillary services?

Ancillary service refers to organisations that do not have a

direct role in travel and tourism but plays a supporting
role, perhaps offering related products and services.
“Ancillary Services are facilities and secondary services
that support the primary amenities in tourism sector.
 These are important for the success of the tourism
business. These services are the ‘Extras’ that form the
part of tourists’ experience and make them all more
comfortable and enjoyable.”

2. Write a few sentences on the following:

a. Tour Guides: In the simplest of meaning a tour guide is a

person who guides the tourists around the destination and
tells them about the culture, architecture, history, etc. of
the place to enhance their experience. These guides are
the first people to meet a tourist and the last one to bid
them goodbye when they leave. Tour guides can be divided
into various types. A tour operator may employ a variety of
tour guides or only one type depending on their need.
Individual guides can also choose to be self-employed or
work with a company to promote themselves.

b. On-site Attraction Guides: These guides are the one who

do guiding of a specific or a limited number of venues,
historical place, attraction, garden or destination. They are
required to have an in-depth knowledge of the place and
need to meet and greet the tourists on arrival. Also, they
must know how to manage tourists and visitors while they
all are on the site.
c. City Guides City guides are the one who are specialised in
touring one or more cities. They show tourists the main
attractions of the city and may conduct city walks, bicycle
tours and now-a-days special buses known as ‘HOHO’ buses
have also started. These are Hop On Hop off buses that
are meant for tourism only and are under the public
transportation. City guides often work closely with the
tourism bodies and semi government bodies.

d. Government Guides: The government guides are those who

are employed by the government or agencies and bodies
that are funded by the government. Although these guides
are hired by the government, but it is not necessary that
they may be designated as government officials.

e. Specialised Guides: These tour guides specialised in certain

type of tours such as action and adventure tours, historical
tours, cultural tours, eco tours, nature tours, etc. These
guides must have an in-depth knowledge about the areas
they specialise in and also must be ready to answer any
question and solve any problem the tourist face.

f. Independent Guides Independent guides are those who are

self-employed and may work under tour operators or under
the government agencies or operations on a contractual
basis. These guides must register themselves under the
 local authority for guiding in order to function. Also, they
need to meet certain standards that are set by the law or
the government authorities such as:

Advertising and promoting the place

Conducting ethical practices

Covering insurance.

g. Business and Industry: These guides are specialised guides

whose main job is to lead the tourists to the business
houses and specific places fit for business profit. These
could be employed by the businesses or may be self-
employed. They can also work partially with the business
companies on commission basis which is based on sales
made by the guide while taking the group or tourists on a
tour.

h. Duration Based Guides: These guides are with the tourists

with a specific amount of time which may range from one
day to multiple days. These guides may need to drive the
tourists to different places or may work with an employed
driver also; they may sometimes be required to cook food
or work with a cook.
i. Driver Guide: From the above-mentioned types of guides a
driver guide may be any of the above and just the addition
is that the guide must know to drive a vehicle. They need
to hold a driving licence for the type of vehicle they drive
which may be a car, van, bus or a coach.

j. Tour escorts: Tour escorts are the people who accompany

the tour groups while being on their trips known as
“package tours”. Being on tour and having an escort gives
people a sense of security and the convenience of a
transport facility, accommodation, and sightseeing being
already arranged for them. For different tour groups
different types of facilities are provided which varies
according to the budget, taste, age and money of the
group. Some tours are based on themes too like religious
tours, cultural tours, historical tours, reunion tours,
professional tours, special interest tours etc.

k. Business escorts: Mainly the escorts under tour companies

are of different types. Each escort specialises in one or
two different kind of speciality, for example one may take
people interested in mountain climbing and other may
specialise in market such as students and youths. The tour
companies may also be varying as some may be long
established, and international based while others may
 operate at their head office which may be near the escort
field.

3. What are the basic skills required by a good tour escort?

Basic requirements needed by a tour escort includes;

• Excellent intra personal and communication skills,

• Organisational ability and
• Financial responsibility.
• The escort must always have a backup plan and
• Should always be calm under circumstances such as airline
strike, bad weather conditions and bus breakdowns.
• An escort is expected to be both a leader and a friend.
• Tourism escorts are required to have at least high school
degree and must have experience in this field. Many
colleges and universities offer degree in tourism but mainly
escorts learn their skills on the job.
• Many companies provide training to the escorts and teach
them the skills required.
• Trainees are made to work together with experienced
escorts till they learn the skill and become familiar with
the job.
• A fluency in English and any foreign language is of great
help to the escort and may give them an extra edge.

4. How and to whom is the job of a tour escort beneficial?

• The job of a tour escort is of extreme help to the foreign
internationals who want to explore a distant land in few
days and enjoy as many places as possible.
• The escorting not only helps in increasing the employment
opportunities among the destination people but also helps
in uplifting the economy of the host country with earning
foreign exchange money.
So giving the tourists an escort with their tour package is
surely going to attract them more and help them getting an
easier and more joyful, educational, and experienced tour.

5. Explain in brief.
a. Theme parks.
Theme parks are artificially created parks built and
designed for the purpose of offering visitors
entertainment and whole lot of new experiences.

Theme parks are famous because they have the ability to

generate so many tourists. There is basically no on or off
season and also these parks offer thrill and joy which is
made for people of all ages from children to adults, for
both the locals and the domestic and international tourists
and that is why they are known as amusement parks.
Theme parks have many types, containing various sub
categories- parks such as zoological and botanical parks,
water parks with many different water activities and rides,
science-based parks, amusement parks, shopping centres
 and many others. These parks provide a fun and thrilling
experience.
To get an image of how much theme parks actually boost
tourism let’s take the example of Disneyland in America
which is one of the most famous and tourist famous theme
park in the whole world. It is a very important and
beneficial pull factor for the American economy. The
tourism boosted there after the opening of Disneyland as
the place had a unique concept and was something that
could be enjoyed by people of every age. Disneyland enjoys
a great recognition and reputation in the global market and
has helped in expanding the US’s tourism market to grow
far and wide.
Other than that, theme parks have the ability to generate
employment for a large number of people, both directly and
indirectly.

b. Cruise:

Cruise can be defined as a holiday taken on a large luxury

vessel that takes the passengers on a voyage from one
destination to another. The part of being on the ship is as
much as enjoyable as the part of exploring the destination.
The time spent on the cruise varies from one trip to
another and can be from days to weeks too, but in the end;
it promises a luxurious trip to its passengers.
 The cruises are different from ocean liners as these liners
are used for transporting passengers from one place to
another which is often far away from each other, a cruise
ship takes the passengers on a round trip dropping and
picking then from various tourist destinations and then
again coming back to the original point.

Cruise provides many different luxurious facilities like

food and beverage, casino, pubs, shopping centres, clubs,
accommodation, recreation, and many other services to
attract the tourists. Cruise clubs with air travel to make
the trip all more comfortable and enjoyable for the
tourists.

Nowadays, some cruises are also based on unique themes

for example, yoga, dancing, classical music, Ayurveda,
astronomy, pop culture, etc. These cruises take the
passengers to the destinations that compliment with their
themes.

c. Souvenirs and Shopping:

The concept of shopping while being on a tour to other

county or destination is very old, but nowadays it is
becoming more mainstream and the concept to tour for
shopping only has begun recently.

For many years shopping while being on a vacation was

considered as a luxury but now almost every tourist is
 interested in buying something from the destination.
Sometimes, it is the main motivation for travelling too as
people prefer to buy the products from their original and
authentic destination rather than buying it from their own
city.

Shopping has become one of the biggest activities that

tourist does around the world. It has become a travel
experience in itself in which the customer prioritises both
the quality of the shops and the time they are ready to
spend on the activity. Shopping can be a main interest as
well as is compatible with other types of tourism also, for
example cultural tourism.

While exploring, the tourist might want to buy the

traditional handcrafted clothes or products of that area
and take it with him or her. So, travellers are always
looking for something to buy while being on their trip. So,
shopping can be both attraction and a basic facility which
tourist wants in a destination.

The shopping can range from as little as shampoos to

buying traditional and famous handicrafts. Products
identifying with the tourist destinations are the most
famous.

d. Travel Insurance:
 Travel insurance is a type of insurance that will cover any
unfortunate and unexpected losses that may happen during
travelling either while being on a domestic trip or on
international trip.

The basic policies cover only medical expenses while other

comprehensive policies include coverage for the trip
cancellation, lost luggage, delays or flight cancellation,
public liabilities etc.

While buying a tour package, tourists get a chance to buy

travel insurance too. Some policies cover personal property
damage, rented equipment and rental cars or even the cost
of paying the ransoms. Types of coverages included in
these policies are: trip cancellation, medical coverage,
accidental death or flight accident coverage.

Also, these policies may include emergency services like

replacing lost passports, cash wire assistance and re-
booking the cancelled flights. Some travel insurances also
include duplicating existent coverage from other providers
and give protection for costs that are refundable.

e. Chauffer Service:

Chauffeur service includes providing tourists with a driver

to drive them from one place to another while being on a
trip in a foreign land or in other state. The chauffeur may
drive a luxury vehicle and may be available for either the
whole day or a specific period of time.
 The service is highly helpful as chauffeur are professional
drivers and may help a tourist being at ease at the tourist
destination considering the chauffeur knows the streets of
the tourist destination. Whether one may be a business
professional or a youth just exploring a destination, the
drivers would take them to the desired destination on
time.

Hiring a cab and visiting every destination would be time

consuming and tiring, so it is best to hire a chauffeur who
would know all the streets and the short cuts to a place.

f. Car Rental:

A car rental agency’s main aim is to rent automobiles to

people for a short period of time ranging from anywhere
between few hours to few days. They often collaborate
with various tour operators for increasing their business
and making the tours more comfortable for a customer.
Many tourists are more comfortable having to drive on
their own while visiting a destination, for them car rental is
the perfect option. Not only cars but other type of
automobiles such as vans, buggy’s, motorbikes, and
scooters are also available for rent.

Along with the basic rent of the vehicle the agencies also
offer extra features such as insurance, GPS system,
entertainment systems, mobile phones, Wi-Fi etc.
 Some of the advantages of having car rentals are as
follows:

• With car rental tourist have the freedom to move

anywhere at any time they want. One does not have to
worry about taxi prices, wait for bus or cabs at the stops,
or schedule the cabs beforehand.
• With car rentals tourist can save money by spending it
once and then travelling as much they want.
• Having your own car for travelling gives a type of comfort
that many tourists would want while going on a trip. They
may want some personal and alone time with their partner,
friends or family while being on the road.
• Also, if a car is rented for travelling the cost of travelling
would be low and hence a tourist would be able to save
money too.
So covering a car rental in the tour package would
definitely give the tour package an edge and the tourist
does not have to be worried about travelling in the other
nation or state.

6. Write a short note on Tourist Publication and Information

Centres.
Travel magazines and travel guides like the lonely planet
publications are very popular among the tourists and help in
keeping the tourist up to date and getting them informed
about the newly discovered places, festivities, season,
celebrations, famous places etc. Nowadays, blogging is
 becoming very famous and famous travel blogs have an
immense importance in increasing the number of tourist
and informing the tourist about the culture and some
destinations that may not be that famous but worth
visiting. Also, when a tourist knows about the experience
of other tourists, it is of great help in planning a trip to
that destination. Podcasts are now new ways to get
information about the destination. These are the audios
that can be downloaded over the internet and can be
listened from a portable audio player or on mobile phones.
Having tourist help centres placed at the tourist
destination can help the tourist if they face any problem
while being on the tour. These help centres can provide
tourist the necessary information about the hotels,
accommodation, transportation, accessibility, attraction
and can also help them if they have any problems. Almost
every country has their own tourist site for informing the
tourist and getting them to know about the destination.
They have helpline numbers if the tourist has any queries
too which are working 24x7 to solve the queries. So, having
such options can be of an immense help to the tourists.

7. Travel SIM Card Travel SIM card:

Travel SIM Card Travel SIM card also known as
International Sim cards are prepaid Sim cards which can
be for specific countries or can be for many different
countries all together. These SIMs are very useful for
 those travellers who are on the road frequently, and visit
different countries many times in a year. These SIMs can
help then in reducing the roaming charges and getting some
benefits too. Having a Travel SIM card can immensely help
in reducing the roaming and bill charges while calling and
using the internet. If one uses a domestic SIM the
roaming fee and the calling charges can skyrocket and can
add to the bill. So, it is better to have an International
SIM with which one can stay in contact with the family
members too and also use internet whenever they can even
when Wi-Fi is not available.

8. List and explain Airport Related Services.

Airport related services include Airport hotels, Airport
Parking, Baggage Handling Systems, etc. Now we will
discuss these services in detail.
Airport Hotels: Airport hotels offer fantastic services at
minimal rates, with or without vehicle parking. These hotels
provide access to any or all terminals sometimes or are at
close enough distance from the airport so tourists may
reach the airport in no time.
Airport Parking: Airports provide parking spaces for
vehicles. For example, the cars are put safely at Indira
Gandhi International airport in Delhi on an hourly basis
whereas the tourists fly to any place within the world.
They provide a secure parking facility for guests and
frequent fliers in all terminals. All parking locations are
 well connected to the Terminal buildings. These parking
areas are well maintained and operational 24x7. Convenient
and time-saving Valet Parking Service is there at Terminal
3, IGI airport. The vehicles are firmly put by chosen
personnel in specialised parking zones reserved for Valet
Parking services and brought back once one leave from the
airport.
Baggage Handling Systems: A baggage handling system
primarily consists of various areas that aid various roles
comprising inputs of baggage, screening area, makeup area,
and claim area. Furthermore, the support areas for the
baggage handling system are necessary which contains
space used for motor control rooms, control rooms,
Programmable Logic controller vaults and supplementary
nonconveyor components of the baggage handling system.
And the support areas of the BHS may vary greatly
depending on the air terminal cost, design, and functions.
The input areas to insert baggage into the baggage
handling system are ticket counter areas, baggage check-in
areas and any other conveyor lines.

9. List the Hotels Based Services.

Hotel based services include All-Day Breakfasts, Pick-Up
and Drop-Off services, provide one thing for free of
charge, Bags Forwarding, etc.
i. All-Day Breakfasts: Many hotels provide complimentary
breakfasts to their guests. Some have even started
extending the timeframe to make it more accessible.
ii. Pick-Up/Drop-Off Service: Some hotels, particularly those
outside town centres, provide a complimentary pick-up and
drop-off service for guests. Sometimes, there are
centrally situated hotels that offer this service.
iii. Provide one thing for free of charge “Free” may be a
powerful psychological trigger. Giving a present to your
guests, is going to be appreciated by them. It may be a
bottle of water, a tiny low pack of mints, or a puzzle.
iv. Personalisation: A lot of customers expect personalisation
from the companies they interact with. From contest give
aways to personalised candy wrappers, there are some
ways to let your guest apprehend that you simply
appreciate them.
v. Bags Forwarding: One of the most things which will make
travel inconvenient is bags. If you provide a bags
forwarding service, your guests will travel worry-free, and
proceed as per their convenience while not having to hold
their non-essential belongings with them while travelling.
vi. Rental Vesture: At times, guests might need vesture for an
occurrence they didn’t arrange for. Some luxury hotels
provide a short-lived closet to such guests so that they will
attend their social events or business conferences without
concerning their looks.
10. Write a short note on Forex.
Foreign exchange, or FOREX, is the conversion of one
country’s currency into another. In a free economy, a
country’s currency is valued according to the laws of supply
and demand. In other words, a currency’s value can be
pegged to another country’s currency, such as the U.S.
dollar, or even to a basket of currencies. A country’s
currency value may also be set by the country’s
government. However, many countries float their
currencies freely against those of other countries, which
keep them in constant fluctuation. Foreign tourists need
Forex services at the airport to exchange their currency
which facilitates their travel.