Strategic Analysis of the Contemporary Tour Operation Industry

Abstract

Tour operators and travel agencies are the fulcrum of the tour operation industry given their eminent role in the tour operation sector value chain. This chapter addresses an underrepresentation in the current tour operation discourse in the period post WW2. To put the matter into context, at the global stage, fundamental changes have occurred since the end of WW2, notably political cum socio-economic and demographic shifts, advances in education, and increases in per capita income due to dual family income among a raft of other variables. These have arguably boosted demand for packaged tour holiday. However, in spite of the highly fluid environment, there is little academic research on emerging economic jurisdictions in the TO and TAs sub-sectors' strategic intent in light of such profound developments. Very few researches have attempted to interrogate these pertinent issues in the context of emerging markets` view point. This chapter seeks to bridge this gap by analyzing how these fundamentals have informed and redefined the contours of the TO and TAs landscape. The chapter lays claim on and envisages to make theoretical contribution by advancing the frontiers of knowledge in the following specific domains of multi-destination theory, TO and TAs product development, population demographics, TO and TAs work ethic, and TO and TAs commitment to environment protection philosophy which have been understudied in the contemporary travel and tourism literature discourse.