Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to process a range of travel and tourism documentation. It requires the ability to identify and interpret all documentation requirements and to prepare and despatch documents within designated deadlines.
The product can include any international or domestic product sold by any tourism, travel, hospitality, or event organisation. This unit applies to all organisations where travel and tourism documents, including air tickets, are issued to customers, suppliers and sometimes to tour delivery staff.
The unit applies to frontline sales and operations personnel who operate with some level of independence and under limited supervision. This includes travel consultants, inbound tour coordinators, visitor information officers, account managers for professional conference organisers, event coordinators, tour guides, tour desk officers, and operations coordinators. Some larger organisations support a documentation department staffed by entry-level documentation officers who may require more supervision.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Interpret information required for processing documentation. | 1.1.Identify deadline for preparing and issuing documents. 1.2.Interpret existing reservation data to identify all customer details. 1.3.Identify and interpret details of specific products and services confirmed to customer and check prices quoted. 1.4.Identify confirmed bookings held for customers and check costs quoted by product and service suppliers. 1.5.Identify sources of general information required to issue necessary documents. 1.6.Check payment status of customer files and take appropriate action. 1.7.Check for and report any discrepancies in costs and take required action. 1.8.Identify operational documents required by personnel involved in delivering the product. |
2. Process documentation. | 2.1.Prepare accurate documentation within designated timeframes. 2.2.Record required details on documentation with accuracy and according to applicable product conditions. 2.3.Calculate supplier costs and record in supplier documents. 2.4.Action supplier payments within designated deadline. 2.5.Check all documentation for accuracy prior to issue and amend as necessary. 2.6.Process, file and despatch copies of documents according to organisation and supplier requirements. |
3. Finalise processing of documentation. | 3.1.Issue documents and reissue as required. 3.2.Process required refunds or additional payments according to product conditions. 3.3.Minimise use of printed materials and maximise electronic transmission and record keeping to reduce waste. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
interpret and confirm reservation data for at least three different confirmed customer bookings, including at least one international and one domestic booking
for each of the above customer bookings, accurately process both paper-based and electronically transmitted documentation as applicable relating to a travel and tourism product or service, using at least three types of documentation as specified in the knowledge evidence
complete activities within commercial time constraints and deadlines determined by the customer or the organisation.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
different types of reservations and operations systems used to issue above travel-related documentation
sources of general information:
air travel information:
airline schedules and timetables
airline fare manuals
tariffs from airlines
tariffs from consolidators
special bulletins issued by airlines and consolidators
brochures
computerised reservations systems (CRS)
global distribution systems (GDS)
contracts with suppliers
database of product suppliers and their details
internet sites
price schedules
timetables
visa guides
sources of information for:
customer details
supplier details
agent details
product information
product costs
document delivery details
customer details required for processing travel-related documentation:
address for delivery of documents
age
agent details
date required for delivery of documents
name
special requirements to be noted on documents
types of documentation:
air travel documents:
e-tickets
multi-purpose documents (MPD)
credit card charge forms (CCCF)
exchange tickets
briefing notes for crew
bus, coach or other form of transportation tickets
commission vouchers
confirmation letters
delegate information packs
letter of commission disclosure
letters advising sources of information relating to health, safety and regulatory issues for the customer’s attention
letters outlining terms, conditions and liability restrictions
meeting or event confirmation letters
operational itineraries for crew
passenger itineraries
passenger lists
product disclosure statements
rooming lists
sales returns
travel insurance documentation
traveller’s cheque requests
visa and passport forms
vouchers for tourism products or services
specific industry sector:
documentation types and standard formats
documentation requirements for:
conferences
groups
guests or delegates
incentive tours
inclusive tours or optional tours
individual customers
meetings
multiple products and services making up a complete itinerary
one-off touring arrangements
series tours
single product or service
specific organisation:
negotiated supplier costs and contractual arrangements for payments
features of products sold
formats and inclusions used in customer, supplier and crew documents, vouchers, and rooming lists
procedures and methods for paying suppliers
processes involved in actioning supplier payments:
issuing an electronic miscellaneous document (EMD)
requesting payment from the accounts department
self-administering the payment
sending payment by cheque or electronic transmission.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a tourism, travel, hospitality or events business operation or activity that processes travel-related documents. This can be:
an industry workplace
a simulated industry environment set up for the purposes of assessment.
Assessment must ensure access to:
customer and operational files providing reservation and operational information for issuing documentation
computers, printers and software programs currently used by the tourism, hospitality or event industries to administer travel and tourism documents
current product information found in sales kits, brochures, timetables, tour schedules, product manuals, supplier information kits, information databases and CRS
current template documents for each of the documents listed in the knowledge evidence
where assessment covers air documents and tickets:
current airline, consolidator and International Air Transport Association (IATA) documentation or computer data, tariffs and bulletins outlining rules, conditions and regulations
IATA actual or training facsimile air documentation
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
Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement. | |
SKILLS | DESCRIPTION |
Reading skills to: | interpret customer reservation and operational data, and complex itineraries and product information. |
Writing skills to: | record accurate and clearly expressed travel-related documents. |
Oral communication skills to: | discuss customer data and cost discrepancies with colleagues or supervisors. |
Numeracy skills to: | calculate costs quoted to the customer use the 24-hour clock in a written context and then translate it to the 12-hour clock for customer use issue documents with correct monetary value. |
Planning and organising skills to: | prepare and issue documents in correct customer file sequence according to the earliest service dates for customers. |
Technology skills to: | use calculators, computers, software programs and printers when preparing documents. |
Sectors
Tourism
Competency Field
Tourism Sales and Operations