ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the diverse range of intermediaries in the travel and tourism industry and the challenge of technology for the travel agency sector. It discusses issue associated with regulating the tour-operator sector together with the impact of large integrated operators and the effects of consolidation and concentration in the tourism sector. Retailing tourism products to consumers is a key element in the production, selling and distribution of tourism services, where different organizations link the supply to the source of demand. The European statistics agency Eurostat produces a report – Tourism Trips of Europeans in which it outlines the travel behaviour of over 500 million Europeans and which illustrates the scale and volume as well as activities they undertake. Tour operators have the ability to purchase services and elements of the tourism experience from other principals or suppliers at significant discounts by buying in bulk. New tourism is characterized by more experienced travellers who have a growing environmental concern.
