What is a tour operator?

A tour operator is a company that creates and manages travel packages, combining transportation, accommodation, activities, and sometimes meals into a single product sold directly to consumers or through travel agents.

What is the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent?

A tour operator creates and operates the actual tours and travel packages, while a travel agent sells these packages and other travel services to consumers, acting as an intermediary between customers and service providers.

What is an escorted tour?

An escorted tour is a pre-planned travel itinerary led by a professional tour guide who accompanies the group throughout the entire journey, handling logistics, providing information, and ensuring the trip runs smoothly.

Travel Terminology - Copper Hollow

Demystifying Travel Industry Terms

The travel industry has its own unique vocabulary that can sometimes be confusing for travelers. Whether you're booking your first international trip or you're a seasoned globetrotter, understanding these terms will help you navigate the planning process with confidence and ensure you get exactly what you expect from your travel experience.

We've compiled this comprehensive glossary to help demystify common terms used by tour operators, travel agents, airlines, and accommodation providers. Familiarizing yourself with these definitions will empower you to make informed decisions and communicate effectively when planning your next adventure.

Travel Quote of the Day

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." — Saint Augustine

Tour Operations & Travel Planning

Tour Operator: A company that creates and manages travel packages, combining transportation, accommodation, activities, and sometimes meals into a single product sold directly to consumers or through travel agents.
DMC (Destination Management Company): A local company specializing in planning and implementing events, activities, tours, transportation and program logistics in their destination of operation.
Escorted Tour: A pre-planned travel itinerary led by a professional tour guide who accompanies the group throughout the entire journey, handling logistics, providing information, and ensuring the trip runs smoothly.
Independent Tour: A pre-arranged itinerary with confirmed reservations but without a tour guide or group travel component, allowing travelers to explore at their own pace.
FIT (Foreign Independent Tour): A customized, pre-arranged travel itinerary for independent travelers or small groups, typically including transportation, accommodation, and sometimes activities, but without a guide.
Guaranteed Departure: A tour that is guaranteed to operate on the scheduled dates regardless of the number of participants who book, providing travelers with certainty when making plans.
Land-Only Package: A tour package that includes all ground arrangements (accommodations, transfers, activities) but excludes international flights, allowing travelers to arrange their own airfare.
Optional Excursion: An additional activity or tour that is not included in the main tour package and can be purchased separately, providing flexibility for travelers with different interests.

Accommodation Terminology

All-Inclusive: A rate that includes accommodation, meals, beverages (often including alcohol), and various activities or amenities, with little or no additional costs during the stay.
Half Board: An accommodation rate that includes breakfast and one other meal, typically dinner, but excludes beverages other than those served with breakfast.
Full Board: An accommodation rate that includes three meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) but typically excludes beverages other than those served with breakfast.
B&B (Bed and Breakfast): An accommodation rate that includes overnight stay and breakfast only, with other meals and services to be paid for separately.
Room Types: Standard classifications include: Single (for one person), Double (one bed for two people), Twin (two separate beds), Triple (accommodations for three people), and Suite (a larger accommodation typically with separate living area).
Rack Rate: The standard, published price for a hotel room before any discounts or special offers are applied.
Run of House: A booking where the specific room type is not guaranteed; the hotel assigns whatever room is available at check-in, sometimes resulting in an upgrade.

Transportation Terms

Open-Jaw Ticket: An airline ticket where the passenger arrives in one city and departs from another, useful for travelers who want to visit multiple destinations without backtracking.
Stopover: A break in a journey, typically lasting more than 24 hours, allowing travelers to visit an intermediate destination before continuing to their final destination.
Layover: A relatively short stop at an intermediate point during a journey, typically lasting less than 24 hours, often spent in an airport while waiting for a connecting flight.
Transfer: Transportation provided between locations, such as from an airport to a hotel or between hotels, often included in tour packages.
Charter Flight: An aircraft flight hired specifically for a particular group or purpose, not part of a regular airline schedule, often used for package holidays.

Booking & Financial Terms

Deposit: An initial payment made to secure a booking, typically a percentage of the total cost, with the remainder due by a specified date before departure.
Balance Due Date: The date by which the remaining payment for a booking must be made, typically 60-90 days before departure for tour packages.
Cancellation Policy: Terms that specify the refund amount or penalties if a booking is canceled, usually varying based on how far in advance the cancellation is made.
Single Supplement: An additional charge paid by a solo traveler to occupy a room alone, compensating for the lost revenue of not having a second person occupying and paying for the room.
Travel Insurance: Insurance that covers financial losses and medical expenses that may occur while traveling, including trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accidents, and emergency medical care.
ABTA/ATOL Protection: Consumer protection schemes in the UK that provide financial protection for travelers if a travel company fails. ABTA covers land arrangements, while ATOL specifically protects flight-inclusive packages.

Documentation & Entry Requirements

Visa: An endorsement or stamp placed in a passport by a foreign government that allows the bearer to visit that country for a specified purpose and limited time.
e-Visa: An electronic visa obtained online without visiting an embassy or consulate, typically received via email after online application and payment.
Visa on Arrival: A visa issued upon arrival at the port of entry, allowing travelers to apply for and receive their visa at the destination country's border.
Travel Visa Requirements: The specific documents, forms, fees, and procedures required to obtain permission to enter a foreign country, varying by nationality and destination.
Passport Validity Requirement: The minimum period a passport must remain valid beyond the intended stay in a foreign country, typically six months for most destinations.

Special Interest Travel

Ecotourism: Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of local people, and involves interpretation and education.
Cultural Tourism: Travel focused on experiencing the history, heritage, arts, philosophy, and institutions of another region or country, often involving visits to museums, historical sites, and cultural events.
Adventure Tourism: Travel involving exploration or travel with perceived risk, potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion, such as mountaineering, trekking, or white-water rafting.
Culinary Tourism: Travel focused on experiencing the food and beverages of a particular region, often including cooking classes, food tours, winery visits, and dining at local restaurants.
Wellness Tourism: Travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one's personal wellbeing, often including spa treatments, yoga retreats, meditation centers, and fitness programs.

Travel Terminology