Ge Europe

Role of a travel agency is to perform as an intermediary between the producers and consumers of tourism services. Suppliers in tourism industry such as airlines, tourist transport operators, tour operators, hotels etc work with travel agency for distribution of their services. Tourists also avail the services of travel agency for buying the services of the major suppliers. This does not mean that the travel agencies follow the strategies of the principal suppliers for marketing purposes. They have to chalk out their own strategy for promoting themselves.

Travel agencies make effort to add value to the products/services of the major suppliers. They go for their own market research to set the target market. They have to decide on discounts or service charges and finalise their product mix as well as sales and promotional strategies.

Understanding the Market
A travel agency has to take decision which market segment to target. The prospective market needs to be properly segmented. This segmentation could be done on the basis of the motive of travel or their budget. Timing of the travel decisions or services required by the customers could also be the base of segmentation. A customer could require services like tour packages, travel consultancy, ticket booking, handle travel documents (visa, passports etc), airport transfers, hotel bookings etc.

Product Design
Travel agency business is more or less confined to sole proprietorship or partnership firms. Majority of businesses are of small level. A travel agency has to decide on the target market, determine on customer requirements and generate ideas to develop the product. One also has to do the business analysis considering costs, estimate future sales, and profit potential.

A travel agency could have product oriented or market oriented approach in the business. It could emphasise on products and services of tourism supply, disregarding customer needs. However, in a multi-player market, this approach will not work. A market oriented approach would always be better for an agency. It must look at the customer needs and accordingly design its products. Market survey has to be conducted to understand the customer needs and get information about the practices of other agencies. Only when a manager knows about market needs, he can take a decision on the product design of the company. For example, services provided to walk-in customers could be different than those offered to repeat customers.

Colorado has the most breweries per capita than any other state in the United States. Home to many award-winning beers, it’s easy to see why Colorado is called the “Napa Valley of Beer.” Numerous Colorado breweries offer tours during which people can see the brewing process and sample the beer.

Three main types of breweries in Colorado are the corporate beer breweries, brewpubs, and microbreweries. One of the corporate breweries in Colorado is Miller Coors which makes Miller beers, Coors beers, Foster’s, and Keystone Light.

Miller Coors offers a free thirty-minute tour at their brewery in the Denver region. In the Front Range region, the Anheuser-Busch Fort Collins brewery tour gives visitors the opportunity to view the brewing process and sample their products.

Brewpubs is a restaurant that produces its own beer. The beer taps may be connected directly to the storage tanks of the small brewery. Most of the beer that is produced by a brewpub is sold at the restaurant rather than distributed to retailers.

Many brewpubs do not give tours. Their small brewery may be in the basement of the pub or other location on the premises. One brewpub, Dry Dock Brewing Company in Aurora, Colorado, has the brewing beer visible for patrons to see.

A microbrewery also can be called a craft brewery. These small beer breweries often focus on quality and unique flavor. Microbrewery production is less than fifteen thousand barrels per year. Unlike a brewpub, the vast majority of the beer produced by a microbrewery is sold offsite.

New Belgium Brewing Company is one of the largest microbreweries in the United States. Their Fort Collins brewery gives tours and samples. Advanced reservations for the tour can be made on their website. Odell Brewing Company is a large brewery in Colorado’s Front Range region which offers afternoon tours Monday through Saturday.

Breckenridge Brewery in Denver started as a brewpub and grew to a microbrewery that sells beer in fourteen states. Free tours and samples are available upon request when scheduled in advance. Also in Denver, the Great Divide Brewing Company gives tours every day.

Avery Brewing Company in Boulder offers free tours of the brewery at four o’clock pm during the weekdays and two o’clock pm on weekends. Left Hand Brewing in Longmont gives free tours on Saturdays. Their tasting room has daily hours. They hold other events such as art shows, farmers markets, and concerts.

Colorado is an ideal vacation destination for people who enjoy sampling beer and ale. The beer connoisseur has several options for observing the brewing process and trying different kinds of beer. From large commercial processes to brewpubs that might only brew a few barrels at a time, Colorado breweries provide a rich variety in the art of making beer.

Looking for a wonderful place to get away from it all? Would you like to escape the rat race and retreat for a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway? Finding cheap hotels that provide nice service and great access to wonderful tourist attractions in Britain is a snap thanks to the Internet. Just a single online search can connect you to thousands of attractions. Here are some of the best places to stay in Britain for a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway on a budget!

•       Linthwaite Country House Hotel. The epitome of an English cottage –style bed and breakfast, the Linthwaite is a beautiful place to stay. The lovely gardens of the hotel overlook Lake Windermere. You will be greeted by a friendly staff at the base of the white timbered, vine covered, stone walled cottage. The ambience is distinctly Edwardian and unique – gorgeous. It is the perfect place to spend a weekend or a week.
•       Swinside Lodge. A well-appointed, quaint hotel at the foot of Cat Bells, the Swinside Lodge offers lovely views of the English countryside. There’s a relaxing downstairs lounge and a personal chef. You will enjoy the hands-on staff and the comfortable, romantic accommodations. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s the perfect Valentine.
•       The White Swan Inn. It is the picture of old time England. Nestled in the side of a brick building along a traditional English lane, the White Swan is beautiful decorated and fitted to meet your every need. Quaint and traditional on the outside the indoor decorations and furniture is modern. It’s a modern twist on tradition.
•       The Crown and Castle. It’s called the best buy because the budget is affordable and the quality you’ll receive is great. It is a bed and breakfast, providing breakfast and dinner.