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Unlock This CourseWhen a customer walks into a travel agency, calls a hotel, or chats to a tour guide, they often don't just want facts they want advice. That's where recommendations come in. A recommendation is when a travel professional suggests a product, destination, service, or activity that they believe will suit the customer's needs.
Think of it like a friend who's been everywhere telling you, "You'd love Lisbon it's got great food, it's not too expensive and the weather in May is perfect." That's a recommendation. In travel and tourism, doing this professionally and accurately is a core customer service skill.
Key Definitions:
A good travel professional doesn't wait to be asked. If a family mentions they have young children, a proactive agent might say, "I'd also recommend adding a kids' club to your resort it gives parents a break and children love it." This shows expertise and care and it builds trust with the customer.
Sometimes customers come with a specific question: "What's the best beach in Thailand for snorkelling?" A reactive recommendation means listening carefully and giving a focused, helpful answer for example, suggesting Koh Tao for its clear waters and affordable dive schools. The key is accuracy and relevance.
The best recommendations aren't random they're based on what the customer actually wants and needs. Before making any suggestion, a travel professional should find out as much as possible about the customer. This is sometimes called needs analysis or profiling.
A few smart questions can make all the difference. Here are the key things to establish:
When are they travelling? How long for? A two-week holiday in August has very different options to a long weekend in January.
What are they willing to spend? Never recommend something way outside a customer's budget it wastes their time and damages trust.
Are they adventurous or relaxed? Do they want culture, beaches, or nightlife? Do they have any special requirements such as accessibility needs?
Imagine recommending a lively party resort to a couple celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary that would be a disaster! Or suggesting a remote jungle trek to someone with mobility issues. Getting to know the customer before making recommendations is not just good manners it's essential professional practice and a key part of the iGCSE syllabus.
Different customers need very different recommendations. Part of being a skilled travel professional is recognising the type of customer you're dealing with and adjusting your advice accordingly.
Recommend child-friendly resorts with pools, entertainment and safe beaches. All-inclusive packages work well because they reduce stress around meals and costs. Destinations like the Canary Islands, Florida, or Center Parcs are popular choices. Highlight kids' clubs, shallow pools and proximity to airports.
Recommend romantic destinations with privacy and luxury the Maldives, Santorini, or Bali. Suggest private villas, sunset cruises and spa packages. Avoid busy family resorts. Emphasise exclusivity, scenery and special touches like champagne on arrival.
Recommend destinations with strong backpacker communities, hostels and group tour options. Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia) and South America are popular. Highlight safety, social opportunities and value for money. Solo travellers often appreciate flexibility, so tailor-made itineraries work well.
Recommend destinations with good healthcare, accessible transport and comfortable accommodation. River cruises (e.g., along the Rhine or Danube) are hugely popular. Avoid long-haul flights if health is a concern. Emphasise comfort, guided tours and relaxed pacing.
Before its collapse in 2019, Thomas Cook was one of the UK's largest travel companies. Their trained travel consultants were expected to follow a structured approach to recommendations. When a customer came in asking for "a nice holiday in the sun," consultants were trained to ask a series of profiling questions before suggesting anything.
For example, a family of four with a budget of £3,000 for two weeks in August would typically be directed towards Majorca or Tenerife both well-served by UK airports, with reliable weather, family-friendly resorts and all-inclusive options within budget. A consultant who immediately suggested the Maldives (far too expensive) or Iceland (wrong climate expectations) would have failed the customer.
Lesson: Recommendations must be realistic, relevant and based on what the customer actually tells you not what you personally find exciting.
This is a really important topic for your exam. Not all recommendations are made purely in the customer's interest. Sometimes travel professionals are incentivised to recommend certain products for example, a hotel chain might offer commission to agents who book their properties. This creates a potential conflict of interest.
Commission is a payment made to a travel agent or consultant when they successfully sell a product. It's a normal part of the industry but it can lead to biased recommendations if the professional puts their own earnings above the customer's needs.
Based purely on the customer's needs. The agent recommends the best option for the customer, even if it earns less commission. This builds long-term trust and repeat business.
Influenced by commission, personal preference, or company targets. The agent steers the customer towards a product that benefits the business more than the customer. This is unethical and can damage reputation.
Good professionals aim to recommend products that genuinely suit the customer AND are commercially viable. This is the sweet spot happy customers, good sales and a strong reputation.
It's not just what you recommend it's how you say it. A recommendation should sound confident, helpful and personalised. Here are some examples of strong recommendation language:
Some travel businesses train staff using the AIDA model when making recommendations:
You don't need to memorise AIDA for the exam, but understanding the structure of a good recommendation is very useful.
Virgin Holidays (now Virgin Atlantic Holidays) built a strong reputation for customer service by investing heavily in staff training around recommendations. Their consultants were trained to listen first, recommend second. They used a system called "discovery questions" open-ended questions designed to uncover what the customer truly wanted, not just what they asked for on the surface.
For example, a customer asking for "a beach holiday" might actually want a cultural experience as well they just didn't know how to ask. A well-trained Virgin consultant might suggest Barbados over a purely resort-based destination, because Barbados offers both stunning beaches and rich local culture, food and history.
Result: Higher customer satisfaction scores, more repeat bookings and stronger word-of-mouth referrals. This shows that great recommendations aren't just good customer service they're good business.
Upselling and cross-selling are important skills in travel and tourism but they must be done in a way that genuinely benefits the customer, not just the business.
A customer books economy class. The agent mentions that for £80 more, they can have extra legroom and priority boarding perfect for a long-haul flight. The customer feels the upgrade is worth it. That's successful upselling.
A hotel receptionist tells a guest that for £30 extra per night, they can have a sea-view room instead of a car-park view. The guest is celebrating a birthday it's an easy yes. Timing and context make all the difference.
A travel agent sells a holiday to Florida and then recommends travel insurance, a car hire package and a Universal Studios ticket bundle. Each addition enhances the trip and earns extra revenue. Done well, the customer feels looked after, not sold to.