UNIT 2

TRAVEL AGENTS

READING

Their role is placed at the bottom of the distribution framework chain. They establish a direct
contact with the potential customer. Sometimes travel agents are referred to as retail travel agents
(Burkart & Medlik, 1981). Those in favour of the term retail travel agent point to some
similarities with the shop owners, justifying the term of retailer, through the following reasons:

They display goods, even if intangible ones, sometimes in the form of brochures;
They occupy the same kind of location sites;
They advertise products;
The offer incentives to customers, such as discounts;
They employ sales staff;
They have buyers who negotiate deals with suppliers.

Those supporting this term consider that all these similarities are more important than the actual
concept and theory of retailing.

However, there is also a different view regarding this matter, namely that the travel agent is
different from a retailer. First, the travel agent does not purchase the product; he is only acting on
behalf of the client as an intermediary. Since this process involves no purchase, he does not charge
the consumer for his services. Second, his financial risk is considerably reduced, because he does
not need to have a stock of goods that must be sold. Third, by acting on behalf of the client, the
agents income is represented by the commission he receives on sale. Finally, another difference is
that travel agents provide services rather than finite goods.

The role of the travel agent can be looked at from a legal perspective. First, the travel agent is
bound to observe his duty towards his principals (Corke, 1987), to abide by certain rules and a code
of conduct. At the same time, the travel agent has a professional duty towards his clients, that of
best meeting their needs.

In the contract of sale concluded for any travel or tourism product, as for any other commercial
situation, the agent is not technically part of the agreement. The contract is concluded exclusively
between the supplier and the customer. However, in the case of a dispute between these two parties,
the agent shall seek a satisfactory solution for both of them.

The agents responsibilities are often comprised in agency or other similar agreements, by which he
has to abide. The terms of the agreements are drawn up by the principals or by custom and trade
practice, which represent various codes of conduct. In Britain, such Codes of Conduct are
established by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

One of the most important responsibilities when a dispute arises is to make all the necessary effort
to prevent direct recourse to principals. When such disputes need reference to the principals, the
agent shall act as an intermediary. In such cases of complaints, the agent is faced, to some extent,
with a conflict of interests, as he tries to provide a satisfactory resolution for both parties.

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GRAMMAR
The Present Simple
Forms of the Present Simple

Affirmative forms:
All persons use the same form, except for the 3rd person singular which adds -s :
He works I work
Jane (=she) works You work
The supervisor (=he or she) works We work
The telephone (=it) works They work

Irregular forms:

be have do say
I am have do say
we / you / they are have do say
He / she / it is has does says*

* The irregularity here lies in the pronunciation / sez /

Negative forms are formed with do or does followed by not or nt:

Cats dont like salad.

This game doesnt work.

Interrogative forms
In questions, do or does comes before the subject.

DO/DOES + SUBJECT + Verb

When do you go to school?
Does Mr. Smith drink?

The Present Simple has three important meanings:

1. It stands for a present state:

The Present Simple often indicates a state which exists now. For example, it refers to a fact
which is always or generally true.

The sun sets in the west.

Some parents have a difficult job.
Are you from Germany? No, I am British.

2. It stands for a present habit:

The Present simple can also refer to an action we repeat regularly, i.e. a habit or custom.

What do you do on weekends? Well, I get up at eight, have breakfast, help

around the house, have lunch and then enjoy the afternoon.

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 The Present Simple can be used with FREQUENCY adverbs like: always, never,
sometimes, ever, usually, and often.

In the weekends I always go to the cinema.

I never go fishing in spring.
I sometimes go hunting in winter.
Do you ever go to church?
I usually go shopping on Fridays.
I often play football at school.

3. It stands for a present event:

This meaning of the Present Simple is less common; it refers to an event which happens at
the very moment of speaking, for example when we describe what we are saying as
offering, accepting, begging.

Form: I / we + verb +

I regret that I stole that car.

We accept your conditions.
I beg you to be more attentive.

The Present Simple has two special meaning:

These meanings are called special because through them the Present Simple describes not
present time, but future or past time.

Referring to future time:

The Present Simple can refer to the future as in the following cases:

(i) in describing fixed or planned events

My train leaves at 8 oclock this afternoon.

Tomorrow is Toms birthday.

(ii) in IF-clauses, WHEN-clauses, etc.

If it snows, well get wet.

They will give us a call when they arrive.

Referring to past time:

The Present Simple sometimes refers to events that happened in the past. This is called the
Historic Present and is used in telling stories, but it is not very used. The Present Simple
makes a story more exciting and vivid.

So he comes through the door, and he says Where were you at 10 oclock? She
replies With John. His face goes white with anger

Exercises

1. Put the verbs in brackets into the simple present:

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 a. I (get up) at 8:00 when the alarm (ring).
b. I (eat) breakfast in a hurry, not to be late for work.
c. Dad (be) off early to the factory where he (run) a label printing business.
d. Mum (drive) to work at 8:30.
e. She (teach) at my school.
f. I (spend) 30 minutes every day reading the newspaper.
g. Homework (take) up most of my evenings

2. Fill in the verb:

a. body search and your luggage ________ (search) by a security officer. You ______
(wait) in the departure lounge until your flight ______ (call) and you _____ (tell) which gate
number to go to. Finally, you ______ (board) your plane and you _____ (show) to your seat by
a flight attendant. When you ___________ (arrive) at an airport, you should go straight to the
check-in desk where your ticket and luggage _____________ (check). You ___________ (keep)
your hand luggage with you but your suitcases ___________ (take) to the plane on a conveyor
belt. You can now go to the departure lounge. If you are on an international flight, your passport
_________ (check), and then your bags ________ (x-ray) by security cameras; sometimes you
________ (give)

3. Write a 200 word passage describing your daily routine, using as many present simple
verbs as possible.

4. Extract the present simple verbs from the following excerpt:

Hilton Summer Opening

Dublin airport is to gain a four star Hilton due to open in summer 2005, with a completion date
earlier rather than later.
Operated under the Hilton International banner the new property joins the Hilton Dublin at
Charlemont Place, the Hilton Belfast and Hilton Templepatrick.
The hotel occupies a focal point in the planned new town center located at Northern Cross on
the Malahide Road, just under two miles from the airport and five miles from Dublin city
center.
All 106 rooms will be air-conditioned and the project includes a function suite with a capacity
for 300 people for banquets and weddings.
Conference and Meeting facilities include a function suite with a capacity for 300 people for
banquets and weddings.
There are nine fully serviced Hilton Meeting rooms with a business center and breakout area.
All rooms are equipped with high speed internet access, wireless LAN, in-room safes, iron and
ironing board and electronic mini bars.
The Hilton Bar- will feature the largest piece of Irish Bog Oak, which is over 4,000 years old,
modeled into the bartop.
Patrick Veale, Managing Director of the PJ Walls Group, said: This is a much-neededhotel in
North County Dublin, and we are very proud that it will be Irish owned and run by a
professional and experienced management team. We believe that the close proximity to Dublin
Airport, the M50 and M1 will make it a very accessible and desirable new hotel location.
David Webster, the newly appointed General Manager of the hotel, has been working with
Hilton for the last four years in both Ireland and the UK, This is part of a continued

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 development strategy for the Hilton International brand in Ireland. We are currently looking at
three additional options in key locations around the country.
The 350m EURO landmark hotel, apartment, retail and business park development, with
extensive landscaped areas, is currently being developed by PJ Walls Group.
(Travel Extra magazine, march 2005 issue)

The Past Simple

Forms of the Past Simple

Affirmative:

I, we, played soccer (recently)

you, he, she, etc. heard about the incident (last week)
gave Barbara a present (ages ago,)

Negative:

I, We, You, didnt play

She, They, did not hear
etc. give

Question:

We, I, play ?
Did (nt) You, She, hear ?
They, etc. give ?

Meanings of the Past Simple

Past time:

The Past Simple places an action at a definite time in the past (marked with bold).

I met Tom in 2001, but we didnt become close friends until quite recently.
For many centuries the Greeks were the rulers of the Mediterranean.

Unreal present or future time:

Past Simple is used in the IF-clause of a WOULD condition to show tht this is not true.

If I owned a truck, I would make o lot of money. (I do not own a truck.)

The Past Simple is used in some polite requests.

Would you mind if I borrowed your pen?

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Other uses of the Past Simple

The Past Simple is used with state verbs to describe a state of affairs in the past.
Once there was a hunter, who lived in a little house at the edge of the forest.

The Present Perfect

Formation

Affirmative
has , have + past participle: I have participated in the contest.
Negative
has , have + NOT + past participle: I havent read the book.
In questions
has , have + subject + past participle: Have you seen the accident?

Uses of the Present Perfect

When talking about something which began in the past and hasnt changed:

I have studied English since I started going to school.

When talking about general experience:

I have visited London, but I have never visited the Royal Navy Museum.

When talking about recent events:

Did you see Armageddon? Yes, I have already seen it.

Talking about very recent events:

I have just seen the movie.

Exercises

1. Say what these people have just done using the Present Perfect

Alice/ride/her bicycle.
The boys/play/football.
Mr. Smith/write/ a book.
I/ visit/ my grandparents.
Hans and Julia/ get/ married.
Mother/ have/ a driving lesson.
My friend/ drive/ a racing car.
I/ buy/ a new dress.

2. Write a 150-word essay about your summer holiday using present perfect verbs.

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3. Find the present perfect verbs:
Tear of the low cost ferry

Low cost ferry looks set to come to the country where low cost air travel was pioneered.
The Irish Sea routes have seen cheaper early bookings offers than is the norm for this time
of year. Although these offers expire on March 8 th the indications are that there is a
fundamental change in fare structures with an emphasis on one-way fares, online booking
and optional extras while on board, such as the newly refurbished Club class on the Irish
ferries Dublin-Holyhead fast ferry, the Swift.
Irish Ferries has indicated it was going to follow the low-cost model successfully developed
by Ryanair and other low cost airlines.
Following their decision to cut crewing costs on their Ireland-France service, Irish Ferries
are now pursuing a low fares policy that is offering double digit discounts on fares when
compared to last year, even in high season.
Typical of these is 29pc cut in the cost of travel in July for a car plus two adults return.
On direct sailings into and out of Ireland up to early June, the return fare for two adults and
car has been cut to 298 EURO, which Irish Ferries say is a saving of up to 166 EURO
depending on sailing compared to the cost of travel overland through the UK.
Holidaymakers traveling from the Continent to Ireland are enjoying discounts well above
30pc.
Irish Ferries are offering unrestricted stay one-way fares for a car plus one adult sailing
mid-week on their Rosslare-Pembroke route. Comparable reductions apply on Dublin-
Hoyhead cruise and fast ferry services.
Bookings can be made on-line at www.irishferries.com up to March 8th.
(Travel Extra magazine, March 2005 issue)

The Past Perfect

Formation

Affirmative
had + past participle: I left after the band had finished
Negative
had + NOT + past participle: Last night I decided not to drive after I had had two drinks.
In questions
had + subject + past participle:

Usage of the Past Perfect

The Past Perfect is used to show that one action happened before another in the past.

I had gone to school when my friends came to visit.

The Past Perfect is used to show the duration before a happening in the past.

We had had the van for five years before it broke down.

Exercises

1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Perfect:

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 At last she showed me the letter he (write) _______ .
I knew that as a girl she (live) _______ in the country.
I was going round to see Helen after dinner. I (arrange) _______ this visit the day before.
The last member of the party was Peter, whom George (know) _______ for some time.
Frank was half an hour late and he asked what we (eat) _______ because he wanted to
order the same.
She knew that he would speak till they (reach) _______ their house.
He read what I (write) _______ on the back of the photo twenty years before.

SPEAKING

Giving a talk

Guidelines for giving a talk. Sample talk. Exercises.

Guidelines for giving a talk

Every now and then you have to give short talks, either to customers or to your colleagues. In order
to be effective and convincing you must first concentrate on their planning. Several points deserve
attention:
-awareness of the audience
-Who are they? What do you know about them? What do they expect you to do or say? What do
they already know about the subject? How much can you tell them in the amount of time at your
disposal? These and other similar questions will help you decide upon the content of the subject
matter to expose on, the amount of information you give out, the general tone in which the talk will
be carried out, the language employed etc.
-the subject matter
The next step is to determine the content to be dealt with, the main parts, and then to sequence the
points in a logical order. A basic rule of organising the parts of the talk is:
-Tell them what you are going to tell. Tell it. Tell them what youve told them.

In other words, the talk should consist of:

--an introduction to prepare the audience for the subject you are going to present
--a middle or main section which presents the information in clear, logical stages
--an end which summarises the main points and acts as a reminder.
The draft or the final outline of the talk should be:
---clear
---well-ordered
---easy to listen to
---accurate
---complete

Sample talk

The following extract will illustrate the basic requirements for preparing and performing such talks.

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-Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Teresa. Let me first welcome you to our tour The
Kralovska Cesta or Royal Mile.
This was the route which was taken by the Kings and Queens of Bohemia on their way to coronations or to
festivities in Prague. We start here at the Powder Tower. It is so called because it served as a
gunpowder store in the seventeenth centuries. It had originally been a tower of the town palace
during the Middle Ages. Let us now walk through the archway and into Celetna street which is so
named after the bread the calt- that was baked here in the Middle Ages. On our left is the old mint
where Bohemian groschen and ducats were coined. A little further down we will pass two houses
that are part of Charles University, which was founded in 13348. Its the oldest university in
Central Europe. Now we enter the Old Town Square. In the centre you can see a memorial to Jan
Huss, the reformer...

(From M. Jacob, P. Strut, English for International Tourism, 1997)

Exercises

1. Imagine you must welcome a group of visitors. You have made the following notes but you
must reorganise them in the correct order. Group your ideas under four or five
headings.

Keys are available at reception.

Dinner starts at 8.00 and is usually served up till 10.30 p.m.
Rooms are on the second and third floor.
Baggage will be brought to your room.
First trip at 10.00 a.m. tomorrow.
Welcome drink in the lounge at 7.20 a.m.
Registration forms have been completed. Just sign them when you get your key.
Lunch is not served at the restaurant.
Full programme on the notice-board everyday.
The bar is on the first floor.
The hotel offers tennis, table tennis, snooker and a swimming pool.
Questions will be answered at the reception.
Book for sauna etc at the hall porter.

2. You must welcome a group of delegates from the company subsidiary who have just arrived
and take them to the hotel. Prepare a short talk to welcome them and make the necessary
introduction. Begin with

--Ladies and gentlemen, Id like to welcome you to...

--Let me introduce myself, I am....

3. As a guide you must say a few words to a group of visitors who visit your town. Tell them a
few words about the town, its history, the places they can visit etc. Pay attention to the ideas
you expose, the order in which you present your ideas, and the language you use.

4.You must meet a group of British businessmen. They want to know more about the
company you work for. Prepare a short presentation of your firm. First write a plan, and
then make a draft of your presentation. Give it to your colleague for a proof reading. Do not
forget to include information on:
---when it (agency, firm, and company) was established
---location
---organisation, offices

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 ---staff, employees
---turnover
---main products
---accomplishments
---objectives
---profit
---firm philosophy (basic principle), logo etc.

5.You work for a new company and the manager has asked you to introduce yourself to the
company members. Therefore you must say a few words about yourself so as to refer to your
background, education, qualifications, experience, and, above all, interests. Do not forget to
link the parts adequately by using effective sentence connectors.

6. Pick up an advertising leaflet and after having read it present it to your colleague.

WRITING

Descriptions

Points to consider. Structure. Expressing impressions and reactions. Writing techniques.

Characteristics of formal and informal style.

The purpose of a description is to convey an accurate, clear and coherent picture of a

person, object, process, event or procedure. A description often serves a particular aim, such as: to
make popular a person, to highlight or advertise a place, to inform people on processes or
procedures.
The aim also establishes the function of the description and dictates what will receive
emphasis and what will not be emphasised. For example, a description commissioned for official
purposes, e.g. a police report, will focus on the persons physical appearance, conveying an
accurate, and clear description, while other types of description may focus on his habits, lifestyle,
strengths etc.

A piece of writing describing a place or a building is a composition that consists of:

1. an introduction, which briefly gives the name of the place or location, and
states the reason for choosing to write about it
2. a main body providing both general and specific information or details about
the object
3. a conclusion which gives voice to the opinions and feelings of the writer .
Descriptions may include: factual information, details relating to the senses to suggest
mood and atmosphere, opinions and impressions regarding a building or a place.
In a description each aspect should be presented in a separate paragraph starting with a
topic sentence.
The description will be more interesting if a descriptive vocabulary will be used, and a
variety of linking words and structures.
The tense forms used for place descriptions are the present tenses. They occur more
frequently in descriptions of places for tourist brochures or magazine articles, while past tenses are
normally used to describe visits to places. Compare for example I visited Madrid last month with
Madrid is situated in the centre of the Iberian peninsula.

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Expressing impressions and reactions

A writer may express his positive impressions:

using a variety of adjectives, such as: delightful, breathtaking, exquisite,
outstanding, overwhelming etc
using a variety of present and past participles of such verbs like: amaze, astonish,
impress, overwhelm, inspire etc
using a variety of nouns in expressions like: to my
delight/amazement/astonishment etc
Negative impressions can be expressed by:
using a variety of adjectives, such as: bleak, barren, neglected, inhospitable etc
using a variety of verbs, such as: disappoint, depress, dismay, terrifz, shock etc
using a variety of nouns, such as: all my distress,/shock

Writing techniques

Writers use various techniques to make their descriptions more vivid and fresh. Such
techniques include:
using the senses to describe weather, surroundings etc
using direct speech
using rhetorical questions
creating suspense or anticipation
addressing the reader directly
using quotations

Characteristics of formal and informal style

Descriptions can be made in a formal or informal style. The style used depends on the
persons addressed and the writers intentions.
The formal style is broadly characterised by an emotional way of expressing ideas,
frequent use of passive forms, non-colloquial English and complex sentences.
The informal style is usually marked by a personal, emotional and chatty way of
expressing feelings and ideas, and the use of colloquial English, short forms, idioms.

Exercises

1. Read the description below and state what style was in written in.

Stonehenge

I have to admit I was a bit shocked when I realised Stonehenge isnt like it looks in the
pictures. I mean, you imagine it being sort of lonely and isolated, but actually there are
tourists everywhere. We couldnt go right up to either because its surrounded by a fence.
Even so, it was pretty impressive. How those ancient people moved such huge stones is
anybodys guess, but they certainly made an amazing structure! I felt tiny standing there.

(V. Evans, Successful Writing, Express Publishing, 1998, page 23)

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2. Re-write the text using a formal style

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