HOLIDAY REPRESENTATIVE

Resort representative are the first point of contact for holidaymakers at their destination. They represent the tour operator and ensure the success the clients’ holiday.

Representatives meet each party of holidaymakers on their arrival at the airport and accompany them by coach to their accommodation. Usually they hold welcome meetings after arrival to give the holidaymakers information about resort facilities and attractions. Resort representatives arrange regular times to meet holidaymakers to make announcements and deal with enquiries and problems. They keep an information board, and they also may arrange, book, and sometimes accompany excursions and sightseeing trips and arrange car or ski hire.

Resort reps need to be available at almost any time to give advice, solve problems, and deal with emergencies such as loss of passport or money, illness, or difficulties with accommodation. The completion of paperwork is an important aspect of the job. This involves keeping records and writing reports of complaints and incidents such as illness.

Representatives’ work is seasonal. Hours of work are variable. Representatives often work from early morning to late evening and at weekend and can be on call 24 hours a day.

holidaymaker отдыхающий

party группа

arrival прибытие

to make an announcement сделать объявление

variable подвижный

coach автобус

RURAL TOURISM

Rural areas have attracted tourists for well-over two hundred years and, nowadays, rural tourism is a significant sector of the overall tourism market in many countries - over a quarter of all Europeans, for example, spend their main holiday in the countryside. However, as rural tourism has become increasingly popular, the number of activities in which tourists participate has also grown, putting greater pressure on the rural resource base. At the same time, the economic and social structure of the countryside has been transformed; income and employment in the agricultural sector has declined dramatically and, as a result, tourism has become a favoured means of regenerating the rural economy.

There are two key characteristics of the countryside:

1. It is not natural. That is, most rural areas have been influenced or transformed by human intervention.

2. In many countries, it is a multi-purpose resource. That is, a number of different demands (including tourism) compete for a share of the countryside.

The demand for rural tourism is considered from a variety of perspectives:

1. Volume. This is measured in terms of tourists (i.e. overnight stayers) and day-visitors to areas/places defined as rural.

2. Characteristics of demand. Rural tourists are often more affluent, better educated, although surveys show that all socio-economic groups visit the countryside.

3. Activities. Visitors to the countryside participate in variety of activities, some of which are more 'traditional', such as hiking, horse-riding or fishing, and others which are not rural in character but depend upon the rural environment.

4. Motivation. It is assumed that tourists visit the countryside primarily to experience its intrinsic qualities. Although for significant numbers of visitors, it is the opportunity to participate in specific activities.

to participate принимать участие

to put pressure on оказывать давление на

to decline ухудшаться

human intervention вмешательство человека

multi-purpose многоцелевой

to compete конкурировать

affluent богатый

volume объем

to assume допускать, предполагать

intrinsic присущий, свойственный