Okuzeka
Tourism & Hospitality vocabulary · Travel Agencies & Tour Operators

Travel agency

Meaning in tourism & hospitality, with examples

/ˈtrævəl ˌeɪdʒənsi/nounCore term

In tourism & hospitality, travel agency means: A business that sells holidays, tours, tickets and hotel stays to travellers, often earning a commission from suppliers.

In Turkish: seyahat acentesi, turizm acentesi, acente

How it is used

Travel agencies sell tour operators' packages and also arrange their own tours, transfers and tickets. Hotels work with agencies through contracts, vouchers and rooming lists. In Turkey, travel agencies need a licence from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and must belong to TÜRSAB.

Example sentences

  1. The guests booked through a travel agency in Hamburg, so the room is already paid.

  2. She worked at a travel agency for five years before joining the hotel's sales team.

Common collocations

  • book through a travel agency
  • local travel agency
  • online travel agency
  • travel agency staff
  • tour operatorA company that puts together holiday packages from flights, hotels, transfers and tours and sells them directly or through travel agencies.
  • OTAShort for online travel agency: a website or app that sells hotel rooms, flights and tours online, such as Booking.com or Expedia.
  • voucherA document from a travel agency or tour operator showing that a guest has booked, and usually paid for, a hotel stay, tour or transfer.
  • commissionA percentage of the price that a hotel or supplier pays an agency or online platform for each booking it brings.
  • package holidayA holiday sold at one price that includes travel and accommodation, and often transfers and meals, arranged by a tour operator.

More terms: Travel Agencies & Tour Operators

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