THE ROLE OF TRAVEL AGENTS IN THE CHANGING FACE OF TOURISM AND TRAVEL

Traveling has been a part of human life from the very creation of the world. The mankind has always cherished to travel long distances on the earth surface, loved traveling in the wide-open sky like birds and has also longed sailing on high seas.

Surely, Tourism is the biggest exchange earned for India. It is good that the Government has recognized it as an industry. But merely recognition is not enough. We would have to define what exactly we want, workout the target and make plan and comprehensive strategy to achieve them. Even now tourism has not been takes seriously in India, despite the fact that it is the greatest immediate distribution of wealth right from a taxiwallah to the five star hotels.

But we do not have much to show. We don't have enough shops and products for them. One of the differentials is that tourists in India have far more avenues to spend money. Secondly, tourists are by and large flexible. They want to go to there destinations where they set the best deal. A vacationer would like to have better communication facilities, lodging and other services. They would not cover all the way to India just to see our grand old monuments.

Strategies necessary for the further development of tourism are the governments' decision about chartered flights. Let them handle it if we don't have enough planes. Visa system should also be easier and special attention needs to be given to alternative routes, if there are no seats in the flights.  Virgin valleys and hills have been made accessible to the rest of the nation providing better facilities for the growth the opportunity of seeing the multifaceted splendor of India. To contribute to the tourism Industry of the country in a constructive and concrete manner, Vayudoot had launched a special project in 1984. The holiday package tours began with three packages only but to keep up with the ever-increasing response the number and variety of tour has been consistently increased. Linking not only holidays resorts like Simla, Kulu and Dehra Dun the airline had made wild life sanctuaries like the Jim Corbett Park in Uttar Pradesh, Mudumalia in Tamil Nadu and Bandepur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka integral parts of the tourism map.

There are over 100 airlines operating in and from India. All these airlines companies function according to the international laws of territories and human comforts. The specialty features of any airline planes can be certainly there but the minimum standard of comfort amenities set by IATA must be certainly available in each plane. These Airlines are abbreviated by then specific symbol- 'BA' is the abbreviation for British Airways, "KU" for Kuwait Airways' 'AA' for American Airlines, 'IC' for Indian Airlines, 'TE' for Air New Zealand etc.

All these Airlines have the authority to appoint their agents for selling tickets of course these agents must have the IATA -approval and should be registered under government rules. These agents are conversant with the requirements of the particular passenger and accordingly they can endeavor to get them the suitable ticket for travelling by plane like first class rows, club rows, economy rows or seat rows may suit a particular passenger due to his personal conditions/needs and requirement. The travel agent can serve a new passenger by briefing about the checks and time taken in each at the concerned airports, about where he is going to land, the domestic flights in that country etc.

Thus, the travelling agency dealing in air travel ticketing and cargo is an inseparable service centre, which is legally registered and has international approval to function through its registered office/counter. Though there are over 1000 travel agents from the smallest to the largest, yet there is a vast scope for may more to come up as full fledged travel agents in India as a whole and in metropolis particular. The more travel agencies come up, better will be the service standards which will further add to the enjoyments of air travelling. A good and well-organized travel agency can minimize the trouble/fatigue and save precious time of the traveler.