Tour Operators & travel Agents are different in Malaysia! And the public have had the wrong perception for long time. In Malaysia, Tour Operators and Travel Agents are different and play different roles. In a factory scenario, a Tour Operator is like the production department and the Travel Agent is like the Sales Department…

A Tour Operator is the organizer and provider of package holidays. It is often referred as the Ground Handler. The Tour Company will make contracts with hotels and resorts, airlines and ground transport companies like private cars, buses, vans, ferries and trains & etc. With all the necessary pricing and information compiled, the Tour Operator will draft detailed tour packages and distribute to Travel Agents in Travel Agent Directory in Malaysia and even overseas.

The roles & responsibilities of a Tour Operator are booking and arranging:

- Transportation: Chaffered Car, Chartered Bus & Van, Air Ticket, Train Ticket, Ferry Ticket, Cruise Ticket, other transit modes and even special vehicles like trishaw.
- Tour Guide: All Tour Guides must be licensed by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia after attending and examined in a professional Tourist Guide Courses.
- Sight Seeing: Entrance for tourist destinations, eco-tour, adventures tour, jungle trekking, snorkeling & scuba diving, island hopping and even handicraft or cultural & living experiences.
- Food & Beverage: Breakfast, Tea Time or Tea Break, Lunch & Dinner, whether by set, buffet or packed food.
- Accommodation: Hotels, Resorts, Service Apartments, Camping Sites, Dormitories, Training Camps, Chalets, Tree Houses or traditional houses & habitats that accommodating travelers.
- Activities: Tele-match, treasure hunt, paint ball, team building, outside office meeting…
- Special Events: Company dinner, karaoke contest.

On the other hand, Travel Agents do not operate tours. Travel agencies gives traveling advices to travelers, promote and sell the tour packages that they have from various Tour Operators, then administer the tour bookings. Travel Agents usually are set up in prime locations with heavy traffic such as beside the main roads, inside crowed shopping malls or at the ground floor of a landmark building.

The roles & responsibilities of a Travel Agent are:

- Selling ells travel related products and services, particularly package tours to end-user customers on behalf of third party travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, tour operator and tour companies, and cruise lines & etc.
- Most travel agents have a special department devoted to travel arrangements for business travelers, while some agencies specialize in commercial and business travelers.
- Some also serve as general service agents for foreign travel companies in different countries.
- Act as an agent for tour packages:
- Buy tour packages or tour services at discounts & sell with profits.
- Get commissions from suppliers & other tour companies.
- Act as a ticketing agent for transportation (e.g. airlines, ferry, bus, train & etc).
- Other commercial operations are undertaken: insurance, travel guides, car rental, Bureau de change, private tour guide & etc.
- Offer impartial travel advice to the customer.

Next time, if you traveling in small group less than 10 travelers, it is advisable to engage a Travel Agent. Do not try to find the best travel agent in Malaysia. There is no such myth! Just go with the travel agent that suit your traveling needs and budgets or the tour agent that you trusted the most. However, if you are organizing a group tour like company tour, a Tour Operator will be able to provide you a more suitable tailor-made service.

The above information are guidelines and advices that 88Holidays provided to its Corporate Clients in organizing group tour. It is simple but useful information to help organizing a successful company tour with many years experiences.

A modern city with modern people following the latest modern trends and still holding on to their tradition is what defines Bangkok. Wait till you see the Bangkok palace and then for sure you will have nothing else to talk about. With prim and properly managed gardens to amazing contours, all is a part of the beautiful city. Cheap air tickets to Bangkok from your reliable companion Globester can make this much sought for trip an even better ordeal.

Dividing a city on any grounds is a bad option but to do that to make travel planning easy is a great idea. Pick up a map and divide the city into sectors that you can visit in a single day. There is so much to see that you will need a travel plan to see all things worth seeing and manage time with respect to that. Visit the Siam Square and shop as much as you want to. A perfect getaway for shopaholics and people who want to collect souvenirs; this place is full of handmade and ready made commodities for you to pick up. The amount that you save after buying cheap air tickets to Bangkok with Globester can be utilized better in shopping and fun retreats.

The Patpong district comes alive with the rising moon and is a great place to party or to share a few cozy moments with your loved ones. This area is famous for being the vital force in Bangkok when the day ends and you are sure to find great people around you for company. The weekend markets in and around the Phahonyothin Road is another swift place to pick up some amazing dresses and other things. The Old City is full of sights to be visited and include both modern styles and ancient structures. Visit the temple of the Sun God and feel how the warmth around fills your heart with immeasurable love and affection for all. All this and much more is waiting to be served on a silver platter, all you have to do is to book your cheap air tickets to Bangkok today and that too in just a few clicks.

Wat Pho is home to reclining Buddha figure that steals your senses and makes your heart the ruler. It is in complete harmony with the world around that we find the world around us. Take a break from city life and give yourself into the hands of a pampering and tranquilizing trip. Massages and spa treatments can give you an edge over the other travelers. Pamper yourself to the core with all these rejuvenating opportunities and that too at much lower prices than usual. River cruises and adventure sport options make the trip a complete fun package.