Student

I have taken my internship at Sweet Travel Agency in Viana do Castelo which one of the beautiful and charming city of Portugal. Sweet Travel Agency was founded in 2008 by a group of highly experienced staff in air-industry and travel in Portugal. Both in Viana do Castelo and outside of it the Company has established business relations with partners in all spheres relating to travel industry, such as Airlines, Embassies, Hotels, Insurance companies, Cruise Ship etc., that allows offering customers a variety sort of services. Central Office of Sweet Travel Agency entirely faces international standards and has been accredited in International Air Transport Association IATA). All the agents of the Company on reserving and selling the air-tickets are certified experts that have completed suitable training courses on international booking reservation systems (Amadeus, Gabriel and Galileo, Sabre).Sweet Travel Agency is an official agent and serves all local and foreign companies implemented in Portugal on reserving and selling the air-tickets. TAP, Lufthansa German Airlines, Ryanair, Easy Jet, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and other local and foreign airlines assigned Sweet Travel Agency to be their agent on reserving and selling the air-tickets. This allows Sweet Travel to offer its customer’s air-tickets at price of airlines without adding any market extra charge. Sweet Travel Agency strategy is built around vision of taking step further to make dreams come true. For many of its customers, their holidays are the highlight of their year and Agency wants to ensure that those holidays live up to their very high expectations. At the same time Travel Agency also tend to deliver outstanding long-term value to its shareholders. The strategy of Sweet Agency, which was originally formulated when our Group was formed in 2008. Sweet Travel Agency strategies are enlisted on the following:  Increase the value of mainstream Sweet Travel Agency Company core business remains its mainstream business, which is primarily the sale of charter packages where two or more components of travel, such as flights, accommodation, transfers and rep services, are gathered together beforehand and sold to clients through brochures, leaflets and agents, online through our various websites or over the phone from our call centre. The charter package holidays hold very popular as customers appreciate the value for money it provides, the ease of choice and selection, and the security offered. However, in the long term, growth is expected to be moderate in established economies. Cost efficiencies of Sweet Travel strategy is to raise the benefit of its core business and through involving the proportion of higher value product such as all inclusive board basis, four and five star hotels and haul destinations.  Become a leading independent travel provider As independent travel agency where customers get access to Sweet Travel Agency website and arrange their travel itineraries or by helping our travel agency. This function of website keep consumer’s time to spend more time coming to agency or on phone calling procedures. Our new technology really gives so much beneficiation to loyal clients also allows them to prepare their own tour packages. In independent travel, we intend to make new changes and investments on e-commerce which it will contribute us to improve our position as online leading travel agency.  Take role on growth and value through partnerships Although Sweet Travel Agency is new in travel agency, year-by-year with the help of experts wide its partnerships all over the Europe. Agency tries to capture sustainable growth on domestic market and foreign by competing with its competitors to value of them .Company has very important partnership with ”Marcans”- tour operator and travel agency which give more benefit to Sweet Travel Agency in order to take important role in Portugal Region. I would like to underline that main target of the Sweet Company when getting requests from corporate clients are: to perform a request during a short period of time and reduce travel budget of the client. Highly experienced personnel and privilege fare (exclusive price, partner programs and etc) allow the Sweet Company to achieve the targeted goals and justify expectations of clients. Organizational Structure Sweet Travel Agency has just one shareholder, “Marcans” it is Travel Agency and Tour Operator company for Portugal and Spain area, provide great range of hotel distribution care hire ,travel insurance and so on ,at the same time make communication with another European countries. Marcans holds 20 percent of company‘s shares. Board of Staff: Cultural Aspect General Manager of Sweet Travel is really hard-working and easy-going leader. If I give the brief description about her, she always keeps positive attitude to her employees, be kind with delegation from different travel companies. I was observing how the workers respect not only her personality but also her friendship after working hours out of company. She is spending more time to keep in touch her employees in order to know how they achieve the organizational goals. I would like to empathize from my previous experience on tourism company in another country that Manager of Agency is more innovative and goal achiever in every issues regarding to reach company targets. She pays more attention to behavior of workers and their success how they overcome the challenges. I suppose that our manager prefers team-working management style, always discuss tourism related issues with her employees asked their opinion how to undertake challenges. During my practice I saw that group dynamism really helps to our company get more success. Social behavior really I find in the office is on high level .Workers treat each other very kindly ,when problems occurs on sales department the employees assist each other to solve it. Every department approaching to their job is also very preferable .They do not late work in the morning or when their working hours finish do not hurry up home staying for a long time discuss today sales and so on. They feel responsibility about their job in order to keep the image of company and make it leading travel agency in the region. In the of July, there was held training program for employees by our manager and experts on travel industry, on my duty I also participated in this training .Really I finds it so much essential for workers because one more time you understand your responsibility, contribution and tasks in the company, you get in closer with objectives and strategy of company as well, if you do wrong in your job tasks, where the company will take you and verse vice. Experts showed to us during one month, how we achieved organization goals. Some question came up for us .Really did we maximize our revues in comparing with previous months' Did we follow our objectives or keep our good image among other travel agency in the region' How the complaints of customers are solved by our side' How we understand our duty toward the company' Apparently, it was our responsibility to find answers all this questions coming from our manager and experts. I would to point out ,around our travel agency opened three travel agencies during July and August apparently they was competing with us in order to capture the market .Every travel agency in this field has own mission and strategy to qualified on specific area ,for instance ,in business tourism ,leisure activities , winter tourism ,extreme tourism and so on ,by taking into consideration such markets it makes us be alert what we are selling ,our mission and strategy where will take us . Finally, another elements of cultural aspect in our company, it seems to me, it is rewarding system by manager toward employees who carry out more responsibility of company, give his/her contribution to company in order to take it top level and keep its image. Such employees in the Sweet Travel Agency get prize from manager, for instance, certification or additional money for his performance and vocational trip during one week as well. As far as I am concerned, such rewarding system really play very important role in motivating employees of travel agency and make them more responsible towards their job. Such rewarding system is one of priority of the Sweet Travel Agency. Description of task and responsibilities. My internship in Sweet Travel Agency did not take so long time like beginning from July until August during this period I have get so many useful information regarding working mechanism of Travel Agency and its connection with Tour Operator which is very essential for me . As far as I know that this travel agency differentiated from other agencies in this area with worker’s uniform, their punctuality, attitude to clients, communication skill and cultural aspects. Environment in travel agency was quite friendly and kind. I was really feeling better to work close with my co-workers even sometimes under hard working hours. I would like to say as foreign practitioner in Sweet Travel Agency, Director of Sales Department was very serious about internship always pay attention to me how I approach my tasks and responsibilities that is why I always feel responsibility in concerning with my practice, trying not to late work and complete my tasks accurately, all of them were my responsibility in agency. On Sale Department employees was explaining to me how to deal with online reservation system take deep information about procedure on Amadeus, Galileo, often I was finding it somehow difficult to completely understand ,but if I get any question concerning my tasks , with great pleasure they were trying to explain me one more time. My general tasks were answering phone calls, which include: – Giving information about the boats, care hires ,hotels and tourist destination, Visa issues – Booking online Tickets for the public cruises, hotels – Administration work: update costumer files, writing follow up letters, writing day sheets – Issue tickets – Printing tent cards – Finalize Tour Packages. Furthermore every weekend I was getting Tour Operator’s Brochure, looking through hotel’s prices ,location , contact information when the customers was coming to office ,I should have to get more information which tour packages are available and fit to client’s budget. All these information I must handle with beforehand in order to not taking any trouble in looking for with our customers’ holiday destination. My responsibility was how to make kind, welcome , friendly communication with the customers, always follow his/her desire about which tour packages are going to be purchased and offering them fair price and appropriate tour package for their desire. Sometimes it seems to me more difficult to come result about tour package which he/she wants to buy, especially such situation was occurring among young couples but I should always to agree with their choice and be kind to them, even if they make complain about tour package price. Reflection on Problem. If you are working on somewhere it is possible to encounter problems or complaints from customers dealing with their trip. Sweet Travel Office situated little bit on hidden place, far from shopping centre and not to close near municipality .Our Manager spent so many times to solve this problem in order to maximize its revenue and being well-know leading travel agency in Viana do Castelo. Finally we moved main office to city centre where it was so close to “Modello” main shopping centre of city and not far from municipality. I would like to underline that our travel agency was specialized on “Leisure Tourism Activities “ ,not so much on “Business Tourism “. I had some ideas which shared my manager that we can put so many promotions on office windows, it is really so much attractive for tourists, and it would be increase our ticket and tour packages selling. Fortunately, later then I found that our Marketing Department also have such ideas selling also base on Windows Shopping” ,at short time it takes so many glances from visitors who come cross Sweet Travel Agency. Eventually, such sort of promotion increased our revenues. Furthermore, Sweet Travel Agency perfume as online travel agency where consumers can book their tour packages beforehand ,it keeps their time ,they can choice what they want concerning with trip. One time we encountered serious complaints from our loyal client who purchased ticket on our online website from Porto to Barcelona but he got email from domestic airline that make him alert that the ticket was booked twice; more money withdrew from his online payment card. Immediately he made contact with our office ,Sales Management department one more time pay attention the problem and called the client get all useful information ,at short time he was refunded by airlines after only our office keeping in touch with airlines and learning customer problem accurately. Moreover, I met the big problem with our group tour packages which they were sent on holiday to Dominican Republic (North America) but while coming back holidaymakers encountered problems with their flight delaying due to air traffic. It was really serious risk for Sweet Travel Agency’s image and keeps its reputation among loyal clients but being member of ABTA (Association of British Travel Agency) it gives us so much preferences. Immediately, we wrote them email asking their request for providing our group with charter flights in order to bring back the holidaymakers. After some hours we got really pleasant news that they already are going to send special flight for our clients. Being of member of ABTA this problem was solved although so many difficulties. Until occurs such problem with clients, I have never heard about ABTA and ATOl (Air Travel Organizer’s Licensing) it was first time I got more information about this two big non –profit company. Working on sales department require more patient from employee toward your clients, here employee should have ability in effective communication and know how to dealing with every complaints of customers. I welcome every day many clients who come to buy ticket or tour package regarding their desire. I give them several tour package brochures or leaflet to look through tourist destination or prices of hotel that offering by tour operator. Sometimes I find it so nervous to come result with my clients which places they exactly wish to go on vacation. Some of clients ask so much ridiculous question in term of choosing destinations. It really makes clients so tired but I always have been taken into consideration from marketing course the Customer is always “King”, you should agree always with their choice, even if I get nervous and any stress but we should show our “Poker Face” especially on selling products markets really demand like that. One time I met such funny complaint from our customer who bought his tour package to Dominican Republic, actually he was from Portugal. My second internship it has been in north part of Portugal which it is called Valença. It is a city in Valença Municipality. It is a half-castle and half-land city. It comes close to the border of Spain. Valença is also a famous Portuguese landmark to view an ancient castle town. These two parts of this city are not separated from each other and is also near to Viana Do Castelo. I have taken my internship in Regional Tourism Information Centre which the main office for all north part of Portugal. This office is founded 1995 by the Mayor of Valença to provide every information about tourism activity for local and foreign tourists. The objectives of Tourist Information centre give accurate information to tourist through guidelines brochure, leaflets and take advantage of competing with another local and regional tourist offices in the various part of Portugal. Valença Tourism Office provide guidelines to tourists about old down town and castle in Valença and give them useful itineraries matching to their desire including pilgrimage to other tourism destinations which mostly English and Spanish tourists was taking advantageous of it . Personal structure is so simple just was me and my supervisor in the office. We have been so cute friendship during two month internship in the office. Within the first week of my practice, he explained me the history of old city and shows me old places of Valença which then it was so important for me to give basic information about city to tourists who come to office interested in traveling. I have taken so many interesting tasks in the Tourism Office. I welcome kindly tourists in the office, give them city map and explain which parts they can find interesting. Furthermore, I give the brief explanation about city. Main interesting moment for me I find incredible interesting be their guide in the city. I arrange some groups including 10-12 tourists who can speak English, Russian and a little big German then take them to main part of city. I should emphasize here my language skills helped me so much to make communication with foreign tourists. Really sometimes it seems to me difficult to answer so many questions comes up from tourists about city history. Generally, I always try to provide them with appropriate information which they find it useful. In the office, every day I get so many brochures, leaflet and tourist guideless map which is very essential for tourist. So many tourists are very interested to make pilgrimage to “Santiago Compostello” near the border of Spain which is sacred plays for Catholics .Tourists who would like to make pilgrimage to Spain we give them the special verified paper when they reached the Spain there is office which they put they official seal on their paper and provide them with “Pilgrimage Certification”. Sometimes I encounter the challenges regarding Spanish language. As I said previously most tourists who comes office they are from England and Spain, sometimes it is really difficult to understand Spanish and help them, that is why in such circumstances my supervisor keep in touch them. Several times I tried to learn some basic of Spanish Language but it is quite difficult for me although I learnt some common words in order to welcome them kindly Generally, I would like to emphasize it was quite nice to keep in touch with tourists be their guide in the city and make great friendship which it is appropriate to my personality .Moreover, I learnt that Regional Tourism Office also plays important role on developing tourism sphere in the region .If I compare the Regional Tourist Office in Portugal and Azerbaijan, I founded that in our country unfortunaly, still we do not have Regional Tourist Office which they competing with another tourist office on another regions of Azerbaijan. Furthermore, In Azerbaijan, tourist office does not arrange such opportunity for domestic and foreign tourist which they make voluntarily pilgrimage to some interesting place. The government of Azerbaijan still is irresponsible to deal with such problems, do not built accommodation for especially for pilgrimage and have lacks of brochure and guidelines to tourist. Some days earlier I was in National Tourist Office of Azerbaijan in Sahil, just I asked some tourist brochures like domestic tourist they did not give me saying that it is only for foreign tourist, I insisted that it is impossible to see national tourist office such attitude toward local tourist .But in the Valença, I was providing not only foreign but also local tourist with brochure and leaflet. By the one word I would like to say simply Tourism Office benefit for me it was how to deal with tourists and make effective communication and answer their question regarding the history of city. My Complaints about practice in Regional Tourist Office in Portugal. What I did in the Tourist Office it was quite nice and interesting. On other hand I was obliged to do it in order to get my credit from Practical Training Semester from Krems. But being student on Hospitality Management Course, I do not find much more important for future that this internship would be play more key role in my career. This situation happened that It was responsibility to work on Tourist Office because of the irresponsibility of my Coordinator in Portugal. Several times my coordinator promised me he will find good hotel where I can make my internship but then I was frustrated .Several times I was looking for hotel where I could make internship on all departments but hotels do not accept the practitioner who does not know Portuguese completely which it made me so much disappointed . I would like to suggest if ATI want to send any students with Erasmus Program to study on Portugal for future and make students take internship in this country ,get beforehand practical training agreement from Erasmus Coordinator where the student will work ,it is very essential because students would be encounter some misunderstanding in Portugal regarding Practical Training Semester.