unit: 9 retail operations -P1,M1

Pearsons BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism - Unit 9 - Retail Travel Operations P1, M1 - Merit - Achieved all criteria P1 describe the retail travel environment M1 explain the importance of links and relationships within the retail travel environment In detail: For P1, learners arerequired to describe the retail travel environment. Evidence must include a description of the role of the different types of retail agents as listed in the content. It is expected that learners should provide named examples of each type of agent to support their descriptions. Retail agents offer a wide range of products and services, and learners should provide a description of the types listed in the content. It is sufficient for learners to describe the term, eg traditional package holiday, and provide an example. These products and services are made available to retail agents through the links with other component industries. Learners should identify and describe the links that exist within the retail travel environment and provide a named example, ensuring coverage of the full range. Learners must also describe the different types of relationships that exist with retail agents, including integration and other types, such as agency agreements and different commission levels. Learners should provide real examples to support their descriptions. One of the examples could be: Althams Travel agent, a regional independent agent has agency agreements in place with a number of tour operators and has negotiated higher commission levels with some of them. The agency agreement states the conditions of the agreement, the process to be used for bookings and for payments and the commission levels. To achieve M1, learners are required to explain the importance of links and relationships within the retail travel environment. For this criterion, learners should develop the information provided for P1. Learners should consider why these links exist and why relationships are formed, explaining how they affect the organisations concerned. Real examples would support learners’ evidence and illustrate their explanations. For example, using the example provided above for P1, learners would progress the description to an explanation of why the organisations have the agency agreement in place and how this benefits both organisations and the customer.