Travel Requirements

Whenever tourists travel to a destination, initially there are three things that they need to consider:

1. How are they going to get there?
2. Where are they going to stay?
3. What will they be doing when they get there?      

In order to answer these questions, we must determine their needs for travel requirements.

• Transport
• Accommodation
• Attractions and activities
• General information

Transport is an important part of the tourism industry and a vital ‘need’ of a tourist.  It allows tourists to travel between and within countries.

As travelling has become quicker and more efficient e.g. introduction of new aircraft, it has made travelling easier and enabled people to travel further away from home.

Types of transport may include cruise ships, buses, trains, shuttle busses, aircraft and more.

If you work in the tourism industry, at some point, you will be required to decide which form of transport would be most appropriate for a client.

Accommodation is a ‘vital’ need for a tourist as it is likely they will want somewhere to stay (unless they are staying with friends and relatives) when travelling away from home.

Now that you have established the transport and accommodation needs, you need to think about what they’ll do! To determine our clients needs, it is a good idea to gain an understanding of their reasons for travel. For instance, have they always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower? Or are they looking to spend their time with family at theme parks? By determining their needs, you can personalise their trip to suit their requirements.

As well as the transportation, accommodation and attractions/activity needs, a client may also have other ‘general’ needs that need to be considered. For instance, a business traveller may need access to Wi-Fi or the internet, a family of leisure travellers may need a GPS installed in the rental car and an international adventure traveller may need lots of local advice about the best caving trips to do!