ABSTRACT
The travel agent acts as an intermediary between the holiday demands of consumers and the commercial suppliers of holiday opportunities. Travel agents are the ‘retailers’ of the tourism industry (Foster, 1985), although they do not carry a ‘stock’ of travel products for resale to the consumer as is the case with other shopkeepers. They ‘market’ the products of tour operators and provide a locally accessible point for the purchase of holidays and travel by acting as booking agents for tour operators and transport companies, as well as a source of information and choice on such services.
