Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to proactively sell tourism products and services. It requires the ability to identify specific customer needs, suggest a range of products to meet those needs, provide current and accurate product information and close the sale.
The product can include any international or domestic product sold by any travel organisation. The organisation could be a principal (the supplier) or an agent selling products on behalf of the principal. The sale may be made for a single product or multiple products making up a complete package or itinerary.
This unit applies to frontline sales or operations personnel who operate with some level of independence and under limited supervision. This includes travel consultants, inbound tour coordinators, reservations sales agents and owner-operators of small travel organisations.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
The sale of travel and tourism products is subject to specific regulations under several federal and state or territory pieces of legislation:
• personnel selling travel insurance to a client must meet the requirements of the Financial Services Reform Act (2001)
• inbound tour operators (ITOs), irrespective of their location, selling tours that operate within Queensland are subject to the Queensland Tourism Services Act (2003). They must register with the Queensland Office of Fair Trading. This law also applies to tour guides residing anywhere in Australia when working in Queensland and selling local products. ITO personnel and guides do not need to meet any training or certification requirements.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

What You'll Learn

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
• identify the tourism product requirements of at least three different customers, each in a different sales environment
• sell a combination of at least three different tourism products from the list in the knowledge evidence to each of the above customers
• during each of the above customer service interactions:
• communicate with customers to correctly interpret their requirements
• use different sales techniques in response to different customer types
• integrate product information in the sales process
• complete above sales within commercial time constraints and deadlines determined by the customer or the organisation.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
• types and characteristics of tourism products:
• accommodation
• attractions
• air product
• cruise product
• tours
• transportation
• travel insurance
• vehicle rental
• features of and communication techniques for different sales environments
• sales techniques:
• opening techniques
• qualifying
• recognising buying signals
• strategies to focus customer on specific products
• selling intangible products
• selling add-ons, upgrades and complementary products
• overcoming customer objections
• closing techniques
• ethical and legal commitments relating to the sale of tourism products:
• consumer protection
• products that breach environmental laws
• products that are known to cause negative environmental, cultural or social impacts
• products that breach known or advised customer cultural or religious taboos
• those dealing with Australian-based customers, the general characteristics of the main social and cultural groups in Australian society and the key aspects of their cultural and religious protocols and preferences for tourism products
• those working in inbound tourism, the general characteristics of the main inbound tourist markets and the key aspects of their cultural and religious protocols and preferences for Australian tourism products
• considerations for selling specific products relevant to the specific industry sector and organisation:
• negotiated costs
• contractual arrangements
• commissions and margins
• preferred supplier or agent arrangements
• primary components of consumer protection laws that relate to selling tourism products and, organisational responsibility for supplying products as described or substituting suitable products
• primary components of and actions that must be adhered to by tourism organisations under the Criminal Code Act 1995 for child sex offences outside Australia
• requirements for inbound tour operators and guides selling and delivering Queensland-based products:
• primary components of and actions that must be adhered to by tourism organisations under the Queensland Tourism Services Act 2003
• requirements where travel insurance is a product:
• primary components of the Financial Services Reform Act 2001 and, organisational responsibility for supplying product disclosure statements and providing accurate information on the provisions of the insurance policy
• formats and inclusions used to present information to customers and, styles that cater for those with special needs.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a safe environment, incorporating the use of industry-realistic simulations and scenarios where required.
Assessment must ensure access to:
• computerised reservations systems (CRS) and software programs currently used by tourism and travel industry operators
• internet
• customers with whom the individual can interact. These can be:
• customers in an industry workplace who are assisted by the individual during the assessment process; or
• individuals who participate in role plays or simulated activities, set up for the purpose of assessment, in a simulated industry environment operated within a training organisation.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors and have worked in industry for at least three years where they have applied the skills and knowledge of this unit of competency.

Foundation Skills

• {'skill': 'Reading skills to:', 'description': 'interpret product features, benefits and conditions, and plain English regulatory documents.'}
• {'skill': 'Oral communication skills to:', 'description': 'select and use appropriate verbal and non-verbal language to respond to different personal and cultural customer needs.'}
• {'skill': 'Numeracy skills to:', 'description': 'interpret and calculate any sales and product coordination fees.'}
• {'skill': 'Planning and organising skills to:', 'description': 'promptly source and provide customer information.'}

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