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We get it. You’re not the homebody type. We aren’t either. Your passion, needs, and desires have shaped our business. Destination experts hand-craft transformative experiences designed specifically with you – our fellow traveler – at heart. We wouldn't trust your experience with anyone else.

Collette Difference guided touring reimagined

Guided Touring Reimagined

We know you want to explore and also dive in. We’re curious travelers, just like you, so rest assured, you’ll experience must-sees and connect with the people and culture that define the destination. You’ll eat in locals’ homes, take cooking classes, travel by trains and tuk tuks, explore cities with food tours, and stay in igloos, castles, and chateaus.

Collette Difference value

Value Beyond Price

Your time is one of your most precious commodities, so you should spend more of it in the destination, not driving between places. We design tours that spend the fewest hours on the coach. One-night stays are a rarity. This is your trip, and you shouldn’t feel rushed. With choice, flexibility, and free time, take it all in – this is your tour.

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Travel with trust. Because this is your trip - something you've planned for and dreamed about. You should feel confident in your journey every step of the way.

Industry-Leading Travel Protection

Cancel for any reason (bad hair day applies) up to 24 hours before your tour leaves and get a full money-back refund. Collette issued a record-breaking $185 million cash back to travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experience & Expertise

We've been doing this for a long time. Since 1918, in fact. Collette is the most experienced and longest-running tour operator in North America. You choose...

Traveling Well

Our team is on the pulse of world events and protocols, so you are kept fully aware and feel well-prepared for your trip.

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Independent

Why Guided Travel

You're a traveler with places to go. We'll take care of the details. You embrace the journey.

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Social Connections

Meet a group of people who share your love of travel. Learn from locals. Forge friendships in the coolest places.

Independence

There's plenty of time built into our itineraries, plus optional tours, Choice on Tour excursions, and more. It's your trip, your way.

Expertly Planned

You know what you want to see and do - let a team of experts handle all the details from the must-sees to centrally-located accommodations and local lessons.

The Best Pacing

Don’t rush – this is your time to see the world. Get more time in the destination, and enjoy an ideal balance of included excursions and free time.

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When you go, capture all those incredible moments, and use the hashtag #GoCollette so that we can share your joy!

2023 travel weekly readers choice

Featured Tours

Collette travelers choose from 160 tours across all 7 continents, as well as 5 travel styles including small group touring and destination spotlights. Check out some trending tours for inspiration on your next adventure.

Explorations

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A Taste of the Balkans featuring Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina & Slovenia

$3,649 pp* $3,999 pp.

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Majestic Cities of Central & Eastern Europe featuring Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest & Krakow

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Painted Canyons of the West featuring Utah’s Five National Parks

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Flavors of Portugal & Spain: featuring Barcelona

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Essence of France Paris, Provence & the French Riviera

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Colors of Morocco

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Discover Croatia, Slovenia and the Adriatic Coast

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Wilderness of Southern Africa: Safari by Land & Water

$3,299 pp* $3,399 pp.

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America's Music Cities featuring New Orleans, Memphis & Nashville

$3,349 pp* $3,699 pp, historical greenbrier featuring washington d.c. & williamsburg, old world sicily & malta.

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Spain's Costa del Sol & Madrid

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  • North America Tours
  • Tour Operators

Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in USA 2024/2025

Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in USA. Below you will find 31 of the best tour operators and travel agencies in USA offering in total 353 tours and holidays through-out USA. Combined they have received 172 customer reviews and an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The top tour activities offered in USA are: Adventure and sport, Wildlife, landscapes and nature & Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history.

  • Tours in USA
  • USA Travel Guide
  • 12 Things to do in the USA

31 Tour Operators in USA with 172 Reviews

Expat Explore

Expat Explore

  • Address 10 Merryweather Place, London, England
  • Response Rate 90%
  • Response Time 2 hours

tours services tour operator

  • Best-in-Class Top 5% of companies
  • Excellent Service Top 10% of companies
  • Superior Service Top 15% of companies

Omega Tours

Omega Tours

  • Address 142 Westmount Avenue, Toronto, Canada
  • Response Rate 96%
  • Response Time 1 hour

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel

  • Address 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Australia

Bamba

  • Address 2461 FM 778, Mineola, USA
  • Response Rate 95%
  • Response Time 3 hours

Infinite Adventures

Infinite Adventures

  • Address 809 W Riordan 100-325, Flagstaff, USA
  • Response Rate 100%

World Expeditions

World Expeditions

  • Address 1B Osiers Road, Wandsworth, London, England
  • Response Rate 82%

Trafalgar

  • Address Picquet House, St Peter Port, Guernsey, London, England

The Coyote Trip

The Coyote Trip

  • Address 182 Mayall Road, London, England

Discovery Nomads

Discovery Nomads

  • Address 27 Gloucester str, London, England
  • Response Rate 86%

Luxury Gold

Luxury Gold

  • Address 33 Kern Road, Toronto, Canada
  • Response Rate 60%

Doctor Gumbo Tours

Doctor Gumbo Tours

  • Address 823 Decatur St, New Orleans, USA
  • Response Rate 50%

Indus Travels

Indus Travels

  • Address 233, 11951 Hammersmith Way, Richmond, Canada
  • Response Rate 98%

Adventures Abroad

Adventures Abroad

  • Address 2148-20800 Westminster Highway, Richmond BC, Canada
  • Response Rate 53%

Costsaver

  • Response Rate 88%

USA Tour Reviews

  • Ms. Rachel T.
  • Mrs. Denise D.
  • Ms. Melanie P.
  • USA budget tours
  • Eco tours in USA
  • USA guided tours
  • USA family tour packages
  • USA luxury tours
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  • USA self-guided tours
  • USA small group tours
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  • World's Best

The Top 15 Tour Operators

Scott Bay is a magazine editor specializing in travel, architecture, and gear. He was previously an assistant editor at Travel + Leisure . His work has also appeared in Wired , Architectural Digest , Wallpaper , Robb Report , Saveur , Daily Beast , and more.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.

Linking up with the right tour operator can take an amazing trip and turn it into a trip of a lifetime . This might seem like magic, but their in-the-know expertise and long-standing relationships open the doors for the seemingly impossible — a private Jeep safari with a professional tracking team in the depths of Torres del Paine or one-on-one cooking classes from a chef that runs a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France. And if any group has traversed the world enough to discern the best tour operators out there, it's the readers of Travel + Leisure .

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

The companies that made the list have the skills and connections to create itineraries that reflect their clients' personal interests. No. 3 VBT Bicycling Vacations curates two-wheeled trips all over the globe . One reader said, "Their staff make all the difference." No. 2 Mountain Lodges of Peru puts together highly personalized trekking adventures to Machu Picchu. As another reader exclaimed, "This is the way to visit Machu Picchu!"

But at the top of the list is Quasar Expeditions. Though primarily known for its cruises (the company won the small-ship ocean cruises category this year), it also operates a roster of dynamic safari-style excursions in South America. Read on to find out what sets it apart and which other companies join it on this year's list of the best tour operators in the world.

1. Quasar Expeditions

Quasar Expeditions is for adventurers. The highly specialized itineraries are designed to make guests feel like they're James Cook or Charles Darwin. "Quasar Expeditions' guides are the ultimate, passionate gatekeepers to the Galápagos Islands," one reader said. "Their enthusiasm and love of the islands and the wildlife encourages you to share in their passion and desire to conserve the natural beauty and habitat of the area while still allowing low-impact tourism." Another raved, "Excellent isn't a high enough rating to describe our experience with Quasar Expeditions. Extraordinary in every way!" And while Quasar is best known for its Galápagos trips, it gets high marks for its Patagonia itineraries, which takes guests into the best parts of Chile's Torres del Paine and Argentina's Los Glaciares — two of South America's most spectacular national parks.

Score: 99.58 More information: quasarex.com

2. Mountain Lodges of Peru

Score: 98.93 More information: mountainlodgesofperu.com

3. VBT Bicycling Vacations

Score: 98.70 More information: vbt.com

4. Classic Journeys

Score: 98.60 More information: classicjourneys.com

5. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.55 More information: tcsworldtravel.com

6. Black Tomato

Score: 97.25 More information: blacktomato.com/us

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 96.84 More information: insidejapantours.com

Score: 96.72 More information: tauck.com

9. Wilderness Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: wildernesstravel.com

10. Trek Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: trektravel.com

11. Geographic Expeditions

Score: 95.70 More information: geoex.com

12. Thomson Family Adventures

Score: 94.89 More information: familyadventures.com

13. Greaves

Score: 94.74 More information: greavesindia.com

14. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

Score: 94.64 More information: duvine.com

15. Odysseys Unlimited

Score: 94.39 More information: odysseys-unlimited.com

See all of our readers' favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2021 .

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2023

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Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2023 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

Images of nature around the mountains and lakes of Slovenia as seen on the Exodus Travels' Lakes and Mountains of Slovenia walking tour

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 12-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

A Taste of the Sweet Life in Slovenia

Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

Groups of hikers walking and camping around the mountains of Kilimanjaro with World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

People visiting famous sites around China with the G Adventures' China Express group travel tour

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,124 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $559 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $800.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

8 Trending Destinations to Visit in 2023

Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

tours services tour operator

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Shots from around Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and accommodations provided by Intrepid Travel's Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 7 million dollars to over 130 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-29 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience unforgettable wildlife encounters on Intrepid Travel’s Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip which includes time with the mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Aerial shots of various islands and coastlines around the Croatia and Dalmation Islands and shot of sailboat belonging to Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Shots of the interior and exterior of the Ocean Adventurer ship and shots of nature around Antarctica as seen on the Chimu Adventures' Antarctica Fly Cruise

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination.

For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina). Can’t stay long? Book one of Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights to Antarctica , which fly as far as the south pole in one spectacular 16-hour day.

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $5,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Collage of images from the For the Love of Travel Lapland Tour

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to nearby destinations like Mexico or Denver—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Collage of shots from DuVine's Holland Bike Tour

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Collage of images from the different cities involved in the Abercrombie & Kent Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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Tourism Teacher

What is a tour operator and how does it work?

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

The tour operator is an integral component of tourism , yet many people are unclear about what a tour operator actually is or what they do.

In this article I will explain what a tour operator is and why tour operators are important. I will also talk about what the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent is, as well as the different types of tour operators.

What is a tour operator?

Definitions of tour operator, importance of tour operators, the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent, what does a tour operator do, products and services sold by tour operators, inbound tour operators, outbound tour operators, domestic tour operators, ground tour operators, the association of independent tour operators, the tour operator: to conclude.

Tour operators are inextricably linked to the package holiday model. The tour operator is the person or organisation who creates the package. A travel agency is then used to sell the package holiday.

In the chain of distribution , the tour operator is represented by the term ‘wholesaler’. This is because the tour operator is responsible for purchasing products of services in bulk and then redistributing them as a packaged product to consumers.

To put it simply, a tour operator is the person or organisation who takes the individual elements of a holiday (e.g. transfer, hotel, transport) and packages these together.

The types of package vary. Most commonly, tour operators are associated with mass tourism and the traditional package holiday market. However, tour operators do also play an important role in the production of niche tourism products and services too.

If you’re looking for a formal definition of a tour operator with a reputable source, you may want to reference Polyther, who in 1993, defined the tour operator as;

‘[an organisation or person] who has the responsibility of putting the tour ingredients together, marketing it, making reservations and handling actual operation’.

Similarly, Holloway (1992) states that;

tour operations undertake a distinct function in the tourism industry, they purchase separate e lements of tourism products/services and combine them into a package tour which they sell directly or indirectly to the tourists .

The Organisation for Economic and Cultural Development (OECD) define a tour operator as follows;

‘Tour operators are businesses that combine two or more travel services (e.g., transport, accommodation, meals, entertainment, sightseeing) and sell them through travel agencies or directly to final consumers as a single product (called a package tour) for a global price. The components of a package tour might be pre-established or can result from an “a la carte” procedure, in which the visitor decides the combination of services he/she wishes to acquire.’

Tour operators are an important part of the tourism industry .

Tour operators make the logistics of organising a holiday much easier for the consumer. This makes people more likely to travel, more often.

Tour operators have a lot of power. If they choose to sell holidays in a particular location, for example, then that location will receive many of the associated positive and negative economic impacts of tourism .

Tour operators are often vertically or horizontally integrated with other organisations, such as travel agents and airlines. This allows for easier management and distribution of products.

Tour operators typically build holidays en masse. This means that economies of scale play a key role in driving down prices- the more you produce the cheaper the product becomes! This is obviously beneficial to the consumer and helps travel agents to have a competitive advantage when selling holidays.

Many people are not aware that a travel agent and a tour operator are actually two totally different organisations and they are not aware of the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent.

In fact, it is quite easy to understand this difference!

A tour operator is the organisation which puts the different elements of a holiday together. And the travel agent is the organisation who sells it to the consumer.

Whilst this differentiation is pretty easy to comprehend, it is easy to understand why people get tour operators and travel agents confused. This is largely because many organisations will operate under the same company. For example, TUI has a tour operator and a travel agent (and an airline too). As a result, many people do not realise that in actual fact, there are two separate organisations doing two separate jobs.

parked boat

Ultimately, a tour operator is responsible for putting the different elements of a holiday together into a commodified package.

To do this, there are a number of different roles and responsibilities that tour operator staff will have. This includes:

  • Data analysis- which destinations will sell best, how many holidays should they sell etc
  • Assessing suitability of accommodation, transfer and transport options
  • Liaising with stakeholders e.g. coach operators, airlines, hoteliers and resort representatives
  • Negotiating contracts
  • Confirming reservations with airlines/hotels
  • Managing and responding to customer feedback
  • Undertaking market research
  • Production of marketing material
  • Providing pricing information
  • Handling bookings, invoicing and issuing of tickets
  • Working with travel consultants from different travel agencies to put holiday packages together

Tour operators have a number of products and services that they sell, depending on their specific business model, business intentions and target market. A tour operator will typically package together two of more elements to form a packaged product, which is then sold at an inclusive price.

Examples include:

  • Package holidays
  • Accommodation
  • Information on destinations
  • Representative service in resorts

Types of tour operator

Tour operators come in all shapes and sizes. Some are large, multinational organisations and other are small, independent business.

Different types of tour operators develop products for different types of tourism . This can include the mass market, niche tourism market, special interest tourism, the luxury market, tailor-made products and dynamic packages .

great wall of china

There are four different types of tour operators, which I will explain below.

  • Inbound Tour Operators
  • Outbound Tour Operators
  • Domestic Tour Operators
  • Ground Operators

The tour operator. types of tour operators.

An inbound tour operator is one who facilitates inbound tourism .

The aim of an inbound tour operator is to bring tourists in to a particular country or countries.

Inbound tour operators will often collaborate with local travel agencies and transport operators to facilitate travel arrangements for their customers.

Inbound tour operator example: A group of German tourists conduct a tour of China, encompassing a visit to Shanghai , Hangzhou and the Yellow Mountains . The tour operator who organises their travel is Chinese-based company China Highlights . This company is based locally in China and they offer local, Chinese tours.

An outbound tour operator is one who facilitates outbound tourism .

The aim of an outbound tour operator is to send tourists out of a particular country or countries.

Outbound tour operators will often collaborate with foreign travel agencies and transport operators to facilitate travel arrangements for their customers.

Outbound tour operator example : A family of four from Liverpool, UK want to book an all-inclusive summer sun holiday in Alicante. They book through TUI , the largest tour operator in Britain, who specialises in outbound travel. They are based in the UK, but they work with foreign partners to facilitate holidays overseas.

A domestic tour operator is one who facilitates domestic tourism .

The aim of a domestic tour operator is to organise travel within a particular country or countries.

Domestic tour operators will often collaborate with domestic travel agencies and transport operators to facilitate travel arrangements for their customers. Domestic tour operators will often also serve the inbound tourism market.

Domestic tour operator example : A group of twenty-something boys from Chicago want to travel to Florida for the spring break holiday. They want to do a tour of the local attractions in the area and have some time to relax on the beach . They organise their travel through the tour company, Trek America . Staff at this company are experts in domestic travel within the USA.

A ground tour operator is an organisation who dopes the ground work as grass roots level.

Many tour operators do not have connections in all places around the world, therefore they build a network of connections to help them run their business.

Essentially, some of the work is passed on to a third party, known as a ground operator. This work may include negotiating local contracts, liaising with local suppliers and providing market data, amongst other things.

This is especially common for small tour operators.

You may also hear ground tour operators referred to as handling operators or handling agents.

Ground tour operator example : A backpacker wants to ‘give something back’ and book a volunteer tourism holiday in Kerala. She wanted to use a known and trusted tour operator to book her trip so she booked it with Intrepid Travel . Intrepid Travel create and sell adventure holidays all over the world, and it is impossible for them to have contacts and every staff in every corner of the globe. Therefore they work with local ground operators, who do the work on the ground. In this instance, the ground organisation is Iris Travel – a tour operator based in Kerela, India.

The Association of Independent Tour Operators , abbreviated as AITO, is a travel industry trade group (like  ABTA  or ATOL) based in Britain. They launched in 1976.

The AITO represents around 120 independent  tour operators  across 200 countries.

These tour operators provide access to a huge range of activities including city breaks, safaris, luxury holidays and much more. The AITO is based in Twickenham, south-west London.

The AITO does a variety of things. Most importantly, you can be reassured that your holiday is well-protected thanks to the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

They assess every member financially as well as by their own business practice code before granting membership; this means that you are guaranteed clear and accurate descriptions of holidays as well as tour standards that are consistently monitored.

Tour operators are an important part of the tourism industry, and with AITO, you have added security when booking your travels through a tour operator. Hopefully after reading this article you are now confident with what a tour operator is, how these organisations work and the different types of tour operators operating the market.

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15 Best Tour Companies of 2024

Looking for the trip of a lifetime? This list of the best tour companies will get you started on your journey.

15 Best Tour Companies of 2024

Guided tours can be a great way to experience a new destination, but you want to make sure you get the best experience possible. How can you find the best tour companies to guide your adventure?

Whether you’re looking for group trips, self-guided tours, river cruises, tours for solo travelers, or overseas adventure travel, you want to find a tour operator that can deliver a seamless, enjoyable, and authentic experience, all without zeroing out your bank account.

Here are the top 15 tour companies out there today. I’ll walk you through what each excels at and how to pick the best one for you.

  • Best Tour Company Overall: Intrepid Travel
  • Best Small Group Tour Company: G Adventures
  • Best for Day Tours: Get Your Guide
  • Best Tour Company for Solo Travelers: Go Ahead Tours
  • Best Tour Company for Families: Adventures by Disney
  • Best Tour Company for Seniors: Trafalgar
  • Best Tour Company for Europe: Tauck
  • Best Tour Company for Italy: Insight Vacations
  • Best Tour Company for Ireland and Scotland: CIE Tours
  • Best Iceland Tour Company: Nicetravel Iceland
  • Best Tour Company for Spain and Portugal: Cosmos
  • Best Egypt Tour Company: Exodus
  • Best Asia Tour Company: Klook
  • Best Tour Company for Israel: Click Tours
  • Best Tour Company for Greece: Epos Travel Tours

Intrepid Travel : Best Tour Company Overall

Interpid Travel

When you imagine travel tours, you may picture massive group tours and a bus packed with 50 noisy, gawking tourists.

That’s not what you get with Intrepid Travel . This company specializes in adventurous and immersive small group tours with an average of 10 people.

Operating on all seven continents, Intrepid offers a huge range of trip types to fit any traveler. You can choose biking tours across New Zealand, river cruises in Europe, trekking in the Himalayas, or wildlife safaris in the Serengeti. There are options for all-female adventures, family expeditions, active trips for adventure travelers, or trips catering specifically to 18-29 year olds.

If you don’t want to spend the trip of a lifetime sitting on your butt looking out a bus window, Intrepid Travel is for you. Their group trips are designed to fully immerse you in the culture and beauty of a new place. Here are two examples of what you’ll get from Intrepid Travel:

With the Alaska: Hike, Bike, & Kayak tour, you are led by an expert guide on a range of active adventures through some of Alaska’s best scenery and national parks. You’ll go sea kayaking, cycle along the rugged Alaskan coast, and hike through Denali National Park.

If you’re looking for more of a cultural experience, the Premium Sri Lanka tour is an incredible journey through the culture, history, food, and wildlife of this island. You’ll explore ancient temples, eat incredible food with locals, and search for leopards in the country’s wildlife preserves.

One last perk: Intrepid Travel is a Certified B-Corp, meaning they are dedicated to doing good in the world. They donate to worldwide relief causes and offset the carbon footprint of every trip they operate.

G Adventures : Best Small Group Tour Company

G Adventures Logo

If you’re looking for small group tours, G Adventures is one of the best in the category. Just like with Intrepid, their tour groups average 10 people, so, with G Adventures, you won’t have to deal with being part of a massive hoard of tourists.

So what sets G Adventures apart? Unlike many tour operators, they focus on helping you get exactly the experience you’re looking for instead of packing every day with a rigid schedule. Every trip offers a wide range of optional activities that you can pick and choose from to personalize your experience. Plus, you can opt for more free time to explore or hang out on your own.

I also love that G Adventures hires all local guides. They put a lot of emphasis on their guides, even calling them CEOs (chief experience officers). That means you get local, insider expertise on your trip. Your tour director will speak the local language, know the best spots to eat, and fully understand the culture.

If you’re looking for big luxurious hotels and resorts, G Adventures probably isn’t for you. Instead of going to the big chain hotels, G Adventures uses locally owned and operated lodgings.

This has two benefits. First, you get a much more authentic local experience. Big hotel chains don’t have the same charm and character as a true local hotel. Second, your money will go toward benefiting the local economy rather than some giant corporation. That’s a big win for G Adventures in my book.

Get Your Guide : Best for Day Tours

Get Your Guide

You may not need or want a fully guided multi-day group tour, But sometimes it’s nice to have the guidance of a local expert for a truly unique experience that you couldn’t get otherwise. Choosing day tours is a great way to get the benefits of guided group tours without being stuck with a tour group for your entire trip.

Get Your Guide is my favorite resource for finding amazing day tours, entry tickets, and other travel experiences. It’s perfect for more independent travelers who can manage the details of their own trip, but are looking for shorter guided tours.

How does it work? Get Your Guide is essentially an online marketplace where you can search for and reserve tours, museum passes, adventure activities, and more.

For example, let’s say you’re planning a trip to Sweden. On Get Your Guide, you could book a dog sled adventure to see the northern lights, a day cruise on an icebreaker ship, a “ghost-walk” historical tour of Old Stockholm, and a guided ice climbing excursion.

I’m already getting excited about that trip.

Go Ahead Tours : Best Tour Company for Solo Travelers

Go Ahead Tours

Solo travel can be a bit intimidating, especially if you don’t have a lot of travel experience. I’ve found that group tours can be a great way to ease some of the stress and make it easier to enjoy your trip as a solo traveler.

Go Ahead Tours is one of the best tour companies that specializes in trips for solo travelers. With their solo trips, you always get a private room at no extra cost, and the other travelers in your tour group will also be solo—so you don’t end up as the awkward 17th wheel in someone else’s family vacation. As a solo traveler with Go Ahead Tours, you get all the benefits and security of a group trip, and you’ll meet other amazing people traveling the world on their own.

Go Ahead Tours focuses on small group itineraries in tour destinations around the globe, from popular destinations to locations off the beaten path. Want a food-centric trip across Italy? Check. Want to visit South America and hike to Machu Picchu? Check. How about a wildlife safari in Kenya? Yep, they’ve got that. Go Ahead Tours offers the best group tours for solo travelers, and you may even make some new friends on the way.

Adventures by Disney : Best Tour Company for Families

Adventures By Disney

Family travel can seem complicated, especially if you have younger kids. Group tours can help simplify planning the dream trip, but tour operators often plan trips focused on adults, so younger travelers may get bored quickly.

Adventures by Disney is one of the few group travel companies that specialize in family-oriented trips and tours, from South America to Scandinavia. Disney Vacations designs their group trips to have something for everyone: wine tastings for the adults, adventure scavenger hunts for the kids, and sights and experiences that will engage your entire family.

Disney Adventures trips are a bit pricier than many other group travel companies, so not all families will be able to afford them. However, if you can make it work with your budget, your family will get an amazing experience that you just won’t find from more mainstream travel.

Trafalgar : Best Tour Company for Seniors

Trafalgar is one of the biggest (and best) group travel companies in the world. They offer hundreds of international trips to popular destinations around the globe.

Trafalgar’s guided tours are great for travelers of all age groups, but they cater particularly to senior travelers. The majority of Trafalgar guests are over 50. It’s also great for family tours to get grandparents and grandkids spending quality time together.

If you’re looking for highly active itineraries with adventure activities packed in, Trafalgar may not be the best for you. They focus more on cultural immersion, history, architecture, and local cuisine. Trafalgar is a great choice if you want to take a deep dive into the essence of your destination.

You can count on having a tour leader who is an expert in the local culture and history, and you will come home with tons of new knowledge.

Trafalgar focuses primarily on land-based tours, but they also offer a range of cruise vacations if you want to travel by sea.

Hotel stays, meals, transportation to/from the airport, and all the logistics are all arranged for you. You can even add on flights, extra hotel nights, and travel insurance so you don’t have to worry about any additional complications for your trip.

Tauck : Best Tour Company for Europe

Tauck

Tauck is another big name in group tours that operates on all seven continents. While they have guided tours all around the globe, Tauck is an especially good choice if you’re looking for a group tour in Europe.

It’s easy to go to European cities, see the major tourist sites, and head home without really diving deep into the culture and spirit of the place. My favorite thing about Tauck is that their European tours are designed to give you more than just the standard tourist experience. Their Yellow Roads of Europe tours take you off the beaten path for a truly unique European experience.

Every Tauck tour pairs you with handpicked expert local guides who will help fully immerse you in the experience.

Tauck offers both river cruises and land-based group tours. If you want a unique European experience, imagine cruising through Western Europe along the Seine.

Insight Vacations : Best Tour Company for Italy

Insight Vacations

Almost every traveler dreams of a bucket list trip to Italy. What’s not to love? Amazing food, amazing sights, amazing culture, Italy has it all.

If you’re looking for the best guided tours in Italy, I highly recommend Insight Vacations . Insight offers tours all over the world, but their Italy tours are especially good. Whether you want to see the major sights, learn to live like a local, or sample the best food from around the country (or all of the above!) they’ve got tours for you.

As an example, you could choose their Best of Italy Tour for your next trip. This 11-day tour includes stays in Rome, Florence, Venice, and more. You’ll learn from local artisans, eat farm-to-table meals on the foothills of Mount Vesuvius, and get a VIP tour of the Vatican (including areas normally off-limits to visitors).

Insight’s tours are all led by local tour guides who speak the language and have in-depth knowledge of the culture and history of each site you visit.

If you’re traveling with a group of 10 or more people, Insight Vacations can also put together custom itineraries specifically for your group.

CIE Tours : Best Tour Company for Ireland and Scotland

CIE Tours

If you’re into history, stunning scenery, charming towns, or good times at the pub, you would probably love touring Ireland and Scotland. CIE Tours is technically based in the US, but it’s partially owned and operated by the Irish government. It specializes in travel to Ireland, Scotland, and a few other European countries.

This dialed-in focus means that there are no better guided tours for Ireland and Scotland. I highly recommend their Taste of Scotland and Ireland Tour . In 11 days, you’ll experience sightseeing in Glasgow and Dublin, a day cruise on Loch Ness, carriage rides through the Irish countryside, and a feast in a historic castle.

Their tours have a great balance of exciting sightseeing and activities with enough downtime to relax or do plenty of exploring on your own. It’s a great way to get all the benefits of group travel without feeling like you have no control over your schedule.

If you want more freedom, CIE also offers independent adventures. They will build an itinerary for you and book your lodgings, admission tickets to attractions, and rental car (or you can opt for a private driver). You can choose from their pre-packaged itineraries, or build your own custom trip.

I also appreciate that CIE Tours has fairly affordable rates that include all admission tickets and most of your meals. Plus, they often offer discounts on airfare!

Nicetravel Iceland : Best Iceland Tour Company

NiceTravel

Maybe you’ve always been intrigued by Iceland’s wild, untamed beauty (I know I have). If you want to experience this first hand, Nicetravel Iceland is one of the best group travel companies in this amazing country.

Nicetravel Iceland by three local Icelandic families, so they have a lot of local expertise. They offer trips ranging from 8 hours to over a week and have itineraries to suit any type of traveler, whether you want to relax in natural hot spring pools or hike along the glaciers and coastlines.

They focus on small group tours, and you’ll never have more than 19 people in your group. Most of their tours start from the capital, Reykjavik, and will drive you to various destinations in Mercedes Sprinter Vans. Way better than the huge tour buses many other companies use.

In addition to standard tours for sightseeing, they also have a range of tour options for more adventurous travelers. You’re in the right place if you want to explore caves, hike on glaciers, or raft down raging rivers.

Cosmos : Best Tour Company for Spain and Portugal

Cosmos

For a tour operator on the Iberian Peninsula, Cosmos is one of the best choices, especially if you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. Cosmos has been guiding group travel for nearly a century, and they employ expert local guides to help you get the most from your trip.

The Cosmos Best of Spain and Portugal Tour is an incredible 13-day group travel itinerary. You will stay in 7 amazing cities across the two countries and visit a wide range of historical sites.

Cosmos is also a good choice for responsible travel, as they have several initiatives to support local communities and planet-focused nonprofits like the African Wildlife Foundation, The Ocean Cleanup, and Trees4Travel. I appreciate companies that are taking steps toward sustainable travel.

Exodus : Best Egypt Tour Company

Exodus Adventure Travels

It’s hard to visit any travel website without seeing a picture of the Great Pyramids. Egypt has captivated the minds of explorers and travelers for centuries, and it is worth having on your bucket list.

If you want a guided tour of Egypt, I highly recommend Exodus Travels . With destinations on all seven continents, Exodus Travels is one of the most popular group travel companies for adventurous travelers, and their Egyptian tours are particularly good.

With 9 different guided tours in Egypt, you can find the perfect itinerary for your trip. Exodus Travels is a true expert in the industry and hires incredible guides for their group travel excursions.

Plus, Exodus Travels also offers trips that are perfect for family travel.

Klook : Best Asia Tour Company

Klook Logo

Whether you want to experience the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo or an adventurous trek to Everest Base Camp, Klook is one of the best group travel companies for Asia.

Klook is more than just a tour operator. It is a marketplace for everything travel, from airline tickets to hotels to tickets to museums, theme parks, and more. Klook offers trips for small groups or individual travelers all around the globe, but they are based in Asia, and that’s where they focus.

Klooks South Korea Tour will take you to Nami Island, through beautiful gardens, and into a centuries-old palace in Seoul.

Click Tours : Best Tour Company for Israel

Click Tours

Click Tours specializes in group travel in Europe and the Middle East, and Israel is by far their most popular tour destination. In Israel, Click Tours will offer trips ranging from 3-day highlight tours to 18-day deep-dive cultural experiences.

They focus on small group travel, and your tour group will have 15-24 guests. That means you get more personal attention and a more authentic experience of the country.

A tour of Israel with Click Tours will focus on historical and archeological sites. You’ll visit temples and ruins that are thousands of years old as well as dive into the amazing food and rich culture of Israel.

Epos Travel Tours : Best Tour Company for Greece

Epos Travel

If you’re looking for a group travel trip to Greece, Epos Travel Tours is a local company based in Tripolis that offers tours across the country.

Since Epos Travel Tours specializes only in Greece, you can expect catered trips and insider knowledge. They are truly the experts in travel to Greece, and their trip itineraries are designed to help you get the most from your trip, whether you want to visit historical sites or delve into amazing food and culture.

If you’re into history and architecture, their tour of Ancient Corinth is hard to beat!

Best Tour Companies FAQ

Which is the best tour company in the world.

In my experience, Intrepid Travel is the best tour operator. They have amazing small-group tours.

What are the top travel companies?

The top travel companies for tours include Intrepid Travel , G Adventures , and Trafalgar .

Is Globus or Trafalgar better?

Trafalgar is usually the better choice. They offer amazing all-inclusive tours around the world.

Are tour companies worth it?

Group travel can be worth it if you want the stress and planning taken out of your trip.

Who is the biggest tour company?

Disney is the biggest tour company by revenue.

How do you know if a tour company is legit?

It is a good idea to look for reviews of a tour company on TripAdvisor.

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Jakob Thygerson

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New York Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable New York tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in New York and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 8227 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of New York travel companies & tour operators with 8227 reviews

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I loved this tour and our guide Jon was great. However it should be advertised as a 3 day tour as the 4th day is just check out of the hotel, no activities.

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Welcome to Advango Tours Inc.

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Tour Operators

Tour operator is an organization, firm, or company who buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen, is called a Tour Operator .

More precise tour operators are primarily responsible for delivering and performing the services specified in a given package tour. They can provide these services themselves as some have their own cars and coaches, hotels, and other travel-related services or can obtain these from the other suppliers. That is why they are called manufacturers of tourism products .

Tour operators are sometimes called wholesalers but this is partially true because a wholesaler buys goods and services in bulk at his own account to prepare a tour package and then retails it through the travel agencies or directly to clients. However, a tour operator who has his own one or more tourists products components, (SOTC, TCI, Thomas Cook, Indo Asia KUONI formulates a new tourist product for example ‘ inclusive tours .’

Tour operators generally offer a variety of package tours to cater to the needs of different kinds of travelers.

Definitions of Tour Operator

Poyther (1993) defines, “tour operator is  one who has the responsibility of putting the tour ingredients together, marketing it, making reservations and handling actual operation.”

Holloway (1992) stated that tour operations undertake a distinct function in the tourism industry, they purchase separate elements of tourism products/services and combine them into a package tour which they sell directly or indirectly to the tourists.

Today, tour operators have become highly competitive. They endeavor to achieve a high volume of turnover, and maximum International and domestic market share by effectively operating. Moreover, the success of many developed and developing nations as tourists destinations depend heavily on a tour operator’s ability to attract tourists, development and promotion of tourism plant, diversification of tourism product and their social responsibilities to develop a remote and backward area.

Types of Tour Operators

Tour operators are basically categorized into four types . These are categories on the basis of their nature of the business and its operations.

Inbound Tour Operators

Outbound tour operators, domestic tour operators.

  • Ground Operators

These are also known as incoming tour operators . Technically, the operators who receive guests, clients/tourists, and handle arrangements in the host country are c alled inbound tour operators . For example, a group of American Tourists is coming through TCI Ltd. to India and the company makes arrangements and handles the group in India then TCI is called an inbound tour operator.

Incidentally, the inbound traffic to the country for the last two decades has been decreasing. Essentially the tour operators need to adopt innovative marketing strategies and should introduce a special interest tour to cater the special needs of Japanese, Americans, French and British people.

Tour operator who promote tours for foreign destinations, maybe business tour or leisure tour is called outbound tour operators . For example a group of American tourists going to a trip of India and Thomas Cook handle arrangement in America like as ticket reservation, hotel booking etc. then Thomas Cook is called Outbound Tour operators in the context of America.

Domestic tour operators are those who assemble, combine tourist components into inclusive tours and sell it to the domestic travelers. In general, these tour operators provide travel services within the tourist’s native country.

The domestic tour operators operate within the boundary of the home country and offer package tour to the travelers viz. Domestic inclusive tours or independent tours.

Ground Operators/Destination Management Companies

These are commonly known as handling agencies and their main function is to organize tour arrangements for incoming tourists on the behalf of overseas operators. Let us take the case of India as a destination that – has a varied culture.

When a tour operator himself promotes beach holidays, wildlife holidays, adventure tours, heritage tours at the different places, the difficulty arises. It is the ground operator then who by handling the incoming travelers in the same season but at different places ensures that the entire operation is according to the package tours or agreements.

Sometime when a handling agency is at a prominent tourist place i.e., Delhi and it has to make arrangements to Goa, then it contracts (If it has no office of its own) with a local operator (known as excursion agent) to handle the arrangement on his behalf.

Why Ground Operators?

Obviously, the tour operation companies do not have close contact with suppliers, governments, destinations and so on. It leaves no choice with the companies but to appoint handling agencies at the destinations.  The main reasons are:

  • Introduction of new products or plant to promote an exotic destination.
  • Lack of Government regulations.
  • Lack of personal contract.
  • Language problem.
  • The company cannot establish its own branch.

Recognizing the very fact that the reputation, performance, and profitability of tour company in its own market largely depends on the efficiency and effectiveness of ground operators, it has because necessary for the company to consider various factors before the selection of a handling agency, they are:

  • Size of business
  • Professional staff
  • Length of business
  • Area of operation/Product line
  • Market share

Functions of Ground Tour Operators

Over the years of functions and activities of the destination, companies have changed drastically to cope with the changing environment of the tourism industry. In fact, today’s destination companies have become more professional and are bound to provide personalized travel services to the tourists. The following functions are performed by ground tours operators:

  • Land arrangement
  • Contract and Negotiate with other vendors
  • Handling of Arrival and departure procedure
  • Planning and organizing local package tour
  • Escorting the tourists
  • Providing market information
  • Costing and pricing package tour

Practically, if we see the working of the travel agencies and tour operators in the industry we find that most of the organizations are performing different types of activities like the retail travel agency , wholesale travel agency, and tour operators.

The travel agency business is no longer an amateurism. Over the last two decades, the pattern and structure of travel agencies have changed to meet tough challenges in the international market. Today, small-scale agencies are finding the travel industry increasingly complex.

Thus, the small and medium scale travel agencies are disappearing or merging or falling instead of rising. On the other hand, a new concept has also emerged i.e. tour operation business . The tour operation business is new but a maturing business at the global level.

Functions of Tour Operator

A tour operator is an organization, firm, or person who is responsible for the actual arrangement of transport and accommodation facilities on any tour or vacations. They are also responsible for operating and providing vacation through contracting, booking, and packaging together of the various components of the tour such as hotel, transportation, meals, guides, optional tours, and sometimes flights.

A tour operator is like a service provider, providing the most convenient option for tourists to stay, visit, as well as leave from the city. A tour operator owns a high volume of travel services across carriers, services, and accommodation. Some most important functions of the tour operators are following as:

Planning a Tour

The most important functions of the tour operators are planning a tour. Tour operators plan a tour and make tour itinerary which contains the identification of the origin, destination and all the stopping point in a traveler’s tours. A prospective tour operator also gives advice to intending tourists in various types of tour programmes, which they may choose for their leisure or commercial travel.

Making Tour Package

Tour operator buys individual travel components, separately from there suppliers and combines them into a package tour. Tour operators make tour package by assembling various travel components into a final product that is called tour package which is sold to tourist with own price tag. Making tour packages is also an important function of Tour Operator.

Arranging a Tour

Tour operators make tour package and also arrange a tour according to tourist demands. Tour operators arrange the tour package and various tourists activities to provide the best experience to tourists/traveler.

Travel Information

Whatever the size of tour operators, it has provided necessary travel information to the tourists. This task is utterly difficult and very complicated. A tour operator must give up-to-date, accurate and timely information regarding destinations, modes of travel, accommodation, sightseeing, immigration, health and security rules about various permits required to travel in a particular area etc.

Reservation

It is a very important function of all type tour operators and travel agencies. Tour operator makes all the reservation by making linkages with accommodation sector, transport sector and other entertainment organizations to reserve rooms, and seats in cultural programmes and transportation.

Travel Management

Tour operators manage tour from beginning to the end of the tour. A tour operator has the responsibility to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance etc. Tour operators provide travel guide, escorting services and arrange all travel related needs and wants.

Evaluate the Option Available

Tour operators evaluate all available options to provide a unique or unforgettable travel experience to tourists during their journey. Tour operators evaluate the various options available for a tour package and provide best of them to tourists.

Tour Operators makes tour packages and promote them into various tourists markets at domestic as well international level. Tour operators promote a travel destination to attract a large group of tourists at domestic as well as international level. In the promotion of tourist destination, tour operators play a key role. Travel agencies or tour operators are called as image builder of a country.

Sales and Marketing

Tour operators do sales and marketing of tourist products. Tour operators buy individual travel components, separately and combine them into a tour package, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly. Tour operators do marketing of tourist destinations and tourism product to attracts the attention of the tourists/travelers.

Taking Care of Glitch

Tours operators are also called handling agencies which handles tour package and take care of all the glitches and problems arises during a tour package. Tour operators fix the glitches and provide the best available alternative to tourists during their journey.

Importance of Tour Operators

Tours operators play a key role in the tourism sector. Tour operators create tourist products, promote them a finally sold them to tourists.

Tour operators provide the best and competitive price to the tourist. Tour operators negotiate with suppliers of tourism products such as hotels, airlines and provide the best possible price to the tourist. Tour operators buy tourist products in bulk and get huge discounts from suppliers. So that they provide tourist products at a cheap price.

Tour operators organized a tour in the best way. They personalize and make sure each and every component of the tour is well-taken care. Tour operators provide the best travel experience during a tour. Tour operators save tourists time and money.

Tour operators provide immediate support systems at the host country as well as a foreign land. When tourists travel to a foreign land and things get uncertain, maybe its a health or loss of documents and need to return back or change of travel plan. A qualified tour operator takes care of all these unseen events with efficiency.

Tour operator caters to the needs of tourists on the based on their taste of travel. Tour operator provides all the best available option according to tourist needs and demands

Difference between Travel Agent and Tour Operator

There is a lot of confusion about the difference between tour operators and travel agents what exactly makes them different. The main difference between a Travel agent and Tour operator are following as:

  • A travel agent is a person who has full knowledge of tourist product – destinations, modes of travel, climate, accommodation, and other areas of the service sector. He acts on the behalf of the product providers/principals and in return get a commission.
  • Tour operator is an organization, firm, or company that buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen.
  • Tour operators are like wholesalers and travel agents are the retailers.
  • A tour operator makes the package holidays up and the travel agents sell them on.
  • Tour operator taking up the bulk of the responsibilities and his fee is obviously much greater than a travel agent.
  • A tour operator has the responsibility to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance, etc.

The wholesale travel agencies may offer or operate the package tours or may specialize in developing tours for inbound as well as outbound travelers. They are often referred to as tour operators, but there is a difference between Wholesale Travel Agencies and Tour operators .

CLIMB

What Does a Tour Operator Do?

Find out what a Tour Operator does, how to get this job, salary information, and what it takes to succeed as a Tour Operator.

tours services tour operator

The Tour Operator plays an essential role in the travel and tourism industry by designing, organizing, and conducting tours and travel packages for individuals or groups. They ensure that the travel experience is seamless, enjoyable, and enriching, taking care of logistics such as transportation, accommodation, and itinerary planning. By maintaining strong relationships with various stakeholders including hotels, guides, and transport services, they are able to curate experiences that meet the diverse needs and preferences of travelers. Their expertise in understanding destinations, cultural nuances, and local attractions enables them to create packages that offer more than just a visit, but a deep dive into the essence of the place. Through meticulous planning and coordination, the Tour Operator ensures that each journey is memorable, safe, and aligned with the expectations of their clients.

Tour Operator Job Duties

  • Design and develop diverse tour packages to meet the interests and requirements of different groups of tourists, including itinerary planning, accommodation selection, and transportation arrangements.
  • Negotiate contracts with service providers such as hotels, transportation companies, and activity providers to secure the best rates and services for tours.
  • Market and promote tour packages through various channels, including online platforms, travel expos, and partnerships with travel agencies, to attract potential customers.
  • Provide detailed pre-tour information to clients, including travel tips, itinerary details, and necessary preparations, to ensure they are well-prepared for the trip.
  • Lead and manage tours, ensuring all aspects of the tour run smoothly, from coordinating transportation to managing schedules and addressing any issues that arise.
  • Offer insightful and engaging commentary on the cultural, historical, and natural significance of tour destinations to enhance the client’s experience.
  • Handle financial transactions related to the tour, including collecting payments from clients, managing budget allocations for different aspects of the tour, and settling accounts with service providers.
  • Collect feedback from clients post-tour to assess the quality of the experience and identify areas for improvement in future tour offerings.

Tour Operator Salary & Outlook

Tour Operator salaries vary based on experience, niche market expertise (e.g., adventure, luxury, cultural tours), language skills, and the complexity of tours managed. Additionally, the size and reputation of the employing company, along with the individual’s negotiation skills and client satisfaction rates, significantly influence earnings.

  • Median Annual Salary: $51,975 ($24.99/hour)
  • Top 10% Annual Salary: $80,500 ($38.7/hour)

The employment of tour operators is expected to grow faster than average over the next decade.

This growth is driven by increasing global travel demand, a rising interest in unique, personalized travel experiences, and the expansion of the middle class in emerging markets. Tour operators, adept at crafting tailored itineraries and navigating complex travel logistics, are essential in meeting these evolving consumer preferences.

Tour Operator Job Requirements

Education: A Tour Operator typically has diverse educational backgrounds, with many having completed some college courses, often in tourism, hospitality, or business management. High school diploma holders also qualify, ideally with subjects focused on geography, history, and languages. Those with Bachelor’s or Associate’s degrees usually major in travel, tourism management, or related fields, enhancing their understanding of global cultures, travel regulations, and customer service essentials. Education in marketing and communication is also beneficial for this role.

Experience: Tour operators often come from diverse backgrounds, with many entering the field with minimal to moderate experience. A significant portion starts with less than a year’s experience, indicating on-the-job training is common and crucial. This training encompasses customer service, itinerary planning, and safety protocols. Some individuals transition into the role with no prior experience, learning entirely through structured training programs offered by employers. Experience in travel planning, group management, and cultural knowledge is beneficial, highlighting the importance of adaptability and a keen interest in travel and culture. Continuous learning and skill development are key components of succeeding as a tour operator.

Certifications & Licenses: Certifications and licenses for Tour Operators may vary by location but generally include a business license and, in some cases, a tour operator license. Specialized certifications such as the Certified Tour Professional (CTP) offered by the National Tour Association can enhance credibility but are not universally required. No specific certifications or licenses are universally mandated across all regions or types of tour operations.

Tour Operator Skills

Itinerary Planning: Selecting destinations and activities that align with clients’ preferences and comfort levels is crucial for tour operators. They must have a comprehensive understanding of local attractions, cultural nuances, and logistical considerations to craft journeys that are both leisurely and adventurous, ensuring a seamless and enriching travel experience.

Risk Management: Tour operators are tasked with identifying potential hazards and taking preventative actions to safeguard their clients’ safety and satisfaction. A meticulous attention to detail and the ability to foresee and address risks, ranging from natural disasters to health emergencies, are imperative for ensuring secure travel experiences.

Supplier Negotiation: Achieving favorable terms with hotels, transportation providers, and local attractions is critical for the profitability and competitiveness of tour packages. Effective negotiation skills, informed by an understanding of market trends and strong relationships, are necessary to secure deals that benefit both the company and its clients.

Customer Service Excellence: Handling inquiries, complaints, and special requests with patience and positivity is essential. Tour operators must efficiently resolve issues and proactively enhance the customer’s experience, transforming potential challenges into opportunities for outstanding service.

Destination Knowledge: Deep familiarity with the destinations offered is required, encompassing local customs, language nuances, and lesser-known attractions. This enables the creation of tours that are engaging, culturally enriching, and provide travelers with a memorable and authentic experience.

Multilingual Communication: The ability to communicate fluently in multiple languages facilitates effective interaction with a diverse clientele. It ensures that all participants fully comprehend the itinerary, safety instructions, and cultural nuances, allowing for more personalized and engaging experiences that foster a deeper connection between tourists and their destinations.

Tour Operator Work Environment

Tour operators often find themselves in a dynamic work environment, where the office can range from a traditional desk setting to the great outdoors, depending on the day’s needs. The workspace is equipped with standard office tools and specialized software for planning and booking tours, requiring a good grasp of technology.

Work hours can be irregular, with peak seasons dictating longer days and the possibility of work on weekends and holidays. The dress code tends to be casual but may require formal attire for meetings with partners or clients.

The role is inherently social, involving constant interaction with clients, vendors, and team members, making a collaborative and adaptable culture crucial. Travel is a significant component, offering opportunities to explore new destinations but also demanding flexibility and resilience.

Health and safety are paramount, especially when conducting tours, necessitating knowledge of first aid and emergency procedures. The pace can be fast, balancing multiple tours and clients, requiring excellent organizational skills and a calm demeanor.

Professional development is encouraged, with many companies offering training in new destinations, languages, or tour management software, supporting career growth within the industry.

Advancement Prospects

Tour operators can advance their careers by specializing in niche markets, such as eco-tourism or adventure travel, to cater to specific client interests and stand out in the industry. Developing a deep understanding of a particular region or type of travel can lead to becoming a sought-after expert, potentially opening opportunities for higher-level positions within larger travel companies or the foundation for a successful independent business.

Progression can also come from embracing technology, utilizing digital marketing, and social media to enhance customer engagement and expand market reach. This digital proficiency can lead to roles in digital strategy or marketing within the travel sector.

Leadership roles are another advancement path. With experience, a tour operator can transition into managerial positions, overseeing teams, or entire operations. This might involve strategic planning, financial management, and business development responsibilities, contributing to the broader success of a travel organization.

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  • Themed itineraries – Food & Wine, Arts & Culture, National Park, Pre & Post Cruise
  • Inclusions – Luxury Motorcoach, Tour Leader, Accommodations,  Attractions & Meals.
  • Destinations – Vancouver, BC. , Portland OR., Yosemite National Park, San Francisco CA.

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We recently used Beeline Charters for a lighthouse tour of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula. We had 42 participants in the tour and they all had rave reviews about the driver, Derick. He as courteous, personable, and most importantly, able to maneuver the coach in all kinds of difficult situations from narrow lighthouse access points to Seattle traffic. We will definitely consider Beeline for our next tour in the vicinity.

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Tour Scoop

The Scoop: What to Know About Intrepid Travel

Local experts, a focus on sustainability, and immersive small group experiences help set intrepid travel apart from other tour operators..

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Intrepid Travel helps travelers see the world in an immersive and impactful way, with a company mission to create positive change through the joy of travel. A leader in responsible travel for 35 years, Intrepid has been recognized by TourScoop as one of the best group travel operators in the world.

In 2018, it became the world’s largest travel company to achieve B Corp certification, and in 2020 it became the first tour operator with near-term science-based climate targets  through the Science Based Targets initiative. Its not-for-profit initiative,  The Intrepid Foundation , has raised more than $13 million for some 135 partners that include Greening Australia, World Bicycle Relief, Gorilla Doctors, and Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

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Intrepid has its own network of destination management companies in 26 countries, providing travelers with local expertise and perspective. Its small group travel tours come in a variety of styles and themes, traveling to more than 100 countries around the globe. Guests experience the well-known highlights, secret spots, and local culture in a responsible and insightful way.

TourScoop Takeaways

  • Destinations: More than 1,150 small group tours offered in more than 100 countries on all seven continents
  • Tour Size Average: Tours average about 10 people
  • Tour Type: Small group guided tours

Intrepid's Morocco Berbers Expedition (Photo: Intrepid Travel)

How to Book with Intrepid Travel

You can book a tour online through  IntrepidTravel.com , by phone at 800-970-7299, or with your preferred local travel agent.

Credibility Check

Intrepid is no stranger to industry awards and recognition, and it’s received some big accolades recently. It was named one of Time’s 100  most influential companies  in 2023 and made Fast Company’s list of the 10  most innovative corporate social responsibility initiatives  that same year. Dr. Susanne Etti, Global Environmental Impact Manager for Intrepid Travel, was also named one of National Geographic’s  Travelers of the Year  for 2024. On  TourRadar , Intrepid Travel has a rating of 4.6/5 based on more than 8,500 reviews.

Tour Destinations

Intrepid tours span the globe, with more than 1,150 small group tour options in more than 100 countries and on all seven continents. Some of its most popular tour destinations include Morocco, Vietnam, Peru, India, Egypt, Cambodia, and Australia.

Intrepid Travel offers four styles of tours for different travel styles and budgets. Its  Basix  trips feature simple accommodations like budget hotels, camping, or homestays and offer lots of free time for independent exploration. Intrepid’s  Original  tours typically feature three-star accommodations, some meals, and included activities, while  Comfort  tours offer a higher level of accommodations and inclusions. The top tour tier,  Premium , includes stays at memorable four-star-level accommodations, exclusive unique experiences, and the company’s most experienced leaders.

Within these four levels, a variety of themed tours are offered. These include  family tours ,  food tours ,  active adventure tours ,  wildlife tours ,  walking and trekking tours , and  cycling tours .

Tour Guides

Intrepid works exclusively with local tour guides. The company believes that the best people to show travelers a destination are people who actually live there. Intrepid Travel’s local leaders know the backroads and hidden gems in a destination and help tourgoers mingle with other locals.

People walking on an Intrepid Travel premium tour in Costa Rica

What’s Included with an Intrepid Travel Tour

Intrepid’s tour prices include all accommodations and transport during the trip, group activities, and local tour guides throughout the tour. Other inclusions vary depending on tour type. For example, Premium tours have more activities and excursions included, while Basix trips have more optional activities for an additional cost. Every tour type except for Basix includes at least some meals.

What’s Not Included

  • Flights to and from your trip 
  • Transfers to and from your trip (for all tour types except Premium)
  • Gratuities for local leaders
  • Optional activities 

Typical Travelers

Intrepid tours are designed for and attract travelers of all ages and interests. Basix trips tend to attract younger travelers, while Premium tours draw in a more mature clientele. The company also offers a range of family adventures that bring together three to five like-minded families. The minimum age for these trips varies depending on the destination and activity level.

Communication

After you book a tour with Intrepid Travel, you will receive your final documents by email or mail about 30 days before departure; these include the itinerary and an Essential Trip Information package. Intrepid consultants are available by phone, email, or live chat to answer questions, and the company proactively informs travelers of any potential changes related to individual travel plans and bookings.

Intrepid Travel’s Loyalty Program

Anyone who’s traveled with the company becomes part of the  Intrepid Insiders  program. Members receive emails with Insiders-only previews of sales, info about new trips, and partner offers.

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Sustainability Efforts

Intrepid has been carbon neutral since 2010, and it carbon offsets all trips. The company continues to look for ways to reduce its carbon emissions, such as by removing short-haul flight legs from some trips. It’s also added  carbon labels  to 500 trips (including more than 100 of its top-selling tours) that detail the emissions generated through the accommodations, transportation, food, activities, staffing, and operations that go into each trip. As a certified B Corp since 2018, Intrepid prides itself on transparency and accountability.

Health and Safety Practices

Intrepid’s Travel Alerts page offers current info on travel alerts and advisories along with entry, health, and visa requirements travelers need to know. The Safe Travels Hub offers even more health and safety info, and Intrepid has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamp for the health and hygiene protocols it has adopted.

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GST on Tour Operator Services

  • Neeraj Bhagat & Co.
  • | Goods and Services Tax - Articles
  • Download PDF
  • 29 Apr 2020
  • 345,372 Views
  • 95 comments

‘Tour Operator’ shall mean any person engaged in the business of planning, scheduling, organizing, arranging tours (which may include arrangements for accommodation, sightseeing or other similar services) by any mode of transport, and includes any person engaged in the business of operating tours. The definition is provided by the Explanation in Heading 9985 of GST Tariff Act, 2017.

For example, Make my Trip, Expedia etc. These companies provide a complete package of tour which includes Boarding & Lodging, Transportation, Local Sightseeing, Guides etc. Now a days, this business has become purely an E-commerce business and all the big companies have their own web portal and mobile app.

Come the new idea of businesses, come more challenges with more complexity and opportunity. With this article an effort is made to descript the Services of Tour Operator under the aegis of Indian GST Laws.

As per Heading 9985 of GST Tariff Act, 2017, The rate of GST would be 5% ( 2.5% CGST+2.5% SGST ) provided following conditions are met,

1. Input tax credit on services availed by the entity will not be available. However, Input Tax Credit on the services taken from other Tour Operator are allowed.

2. The entity shall indicate in its invoice that the amount charged is gross amount and inclusive of charges of accommodation and transportation

Therefore, if an entity offers a package to a customer for let’s say Rs. 1,05,000/- inclusive of everything, then the invoice shall be generated for Rs. 1,05,000/- ( Rs. 5,000/- being CGST & SGST ) and entity has to specifically mention in invoice that amount includes accommodation and transportation etc. No input tax credit on services like hotels, air tickets etc. will be available to the entity. However, Input Tax Credit may be taken on the tour operator services procured from another tour operator.

On the other hand, the entity may charge GST at the rate of 18% ( 9% CGST+9% SGST ) on the total amount. In that case, the entity will be eligible to take all input tax credit like rent, professional fee, lease line, telephone etc. on the services that the entity acquired for providing the underlined services i.e. Tour Operating.

However, most of the input tax credit will not be available to the entity due to the nature and place of supply of those services which are taken by the entity. The main expenditure that entity will occur would be of Boarding & Lodging and Hotel booking. In case of Hotel booking, the place of supply would be the location where the hotel is situated and thus the hotel will charge CGST & SGST on the invoice. If the entity is not registered under GST in the state where the hotel is situated, the entity cannot take the input tax credit on that particular invoice. Same goes with flight tickets. The place of supply in case of air fare, would be the place from where the flight embarks and in case the entity does not have registration under GST in the state from where such flight take-off, the entity cannot take input tax credit of that invoice too.

Let’s understand the situation with an example. Suppose, a customer from Delhi approaches Tour Operator which is situated and registered in Bangalore, Karnataka for a complete package of 5D/6N tour to Kerala. The entity quotes Rs. 1,00,000 ( Excluding GST ) for the tour. The breakup of the charges is as follows,

In this case, entity can opt either to pay 5% GST ( IGST ) on Rs. 1,00,000/- i.e. Rs. 5,000/- and avail no input tax credit or to pay 18% GST ( IGST ) and may avail input tax credit. But the entity is not eligible to take input tax credit on Air fare and Hotel charges as the place of supply, in case of Hotel, would be Kerala and in case of Air fare, it would be in Delhi. However, if the entity get itself registered in Kerala and Delhi, then it is possible for the entity to take input tax credit for these services also but that seems quite unfeasible considering the compliance burden which will be increased for the entity.

Further, in this case the entity must raise an invoice indicating specifically that the amount charged is gross amount and inclusive of charges of accommodation and transportation.

Though, most of the companies do operate as Tour Operator services, the entity may either provide services as an agent and charge commission on its service and take reimbursement in actual for the expenses that entity incurred for providing such services. Generally, small business entity opts for this model as in this model, the entity must pay tax only on the commission that it charges and not whole amount which is not even its revenue.

The entity may also opt to provide the underlined services on commission basis. In that case, the service will be categorized as ‘Intermediary’ and services like Boarding & Lodging etc. will be taken by the entity on behalf of customer. The entity will act as ‘Pure Agent’ and take reimbursement on actual basis from the customer.

As per section 2(13) of IGST Act, 2017 ,

“Intermediary” means a broker, an agent or any other person, by whatever name called, who arranges or facilitates the supply of goods or services or both, or securities, between two or more persons, but does not include a person who supplies such goods or services or both or securities on his own account”

And as per the Explanation to Rule 33 of CGST Rules, 2017,

“Pure agent” means a person who—

  • enters into a contractual agreement with the recipient of supply to act as his pure agent to incur expenditure or costs in the course of supply of goods or services or both;
  • neither intends to hold nor holds any title to the goods or services or both so procured or supplied as pure agent of the recipient of supply;
  • does not use for his own interest such goods or services so procured; and
  • receives only the actual amount incurred to procure such goods or services in addition to the amount received for supply he provides on his own account.”

In this case, the entity has to enter into an agreement with the customer to act as his pure agent and authorize itself to incur the expenses for services like Hotel, Taxi etc. on behalf of customer. The entity, in this case, will charge its commission ( whatever agreed ) from the customer and will take reimbursement of the expenses on actual basis which it incurred on behalf of customer.

Let’s understand this with our previous example. In that case, if the entity enters into an agreement with the customer to act as pure agent, then the entity will charge GST at the rate of 18%   on Rs. 10,000/- only i.e. Rs. 1,800/- and will take reimbursement of Rs. 90,000/- as actual expense incurred on behalf of the customer.

However, in this model, there are certain conditions which needs to be complied with. As per Rule 33 of CGST Rules, 2017,

“Notwithstanding anything contained in the provisions of this Chapter, the expenditure or costs incurred by a supplier as a pure agent of the recipient of supply shall be excluded from the value of supply, if all the following conditions are satisfied, namely, —

  • the supplier acts as a pure agent of the recipient of the supply, when he makes the payment to the third party on authorization by such recipient;
  • the payment made by the pure agent on behalf of the recipient of supply has been separately indicated in the invoice issued by the pure agent to the recipient of service; and
  • the supplies procured by the pure agent from the third party as a pure agent of the recipient of supply are in addition to the services he supplies on his own account”

Taking the previous example further, the entity has to raise an invoice for Rs. 10,000/- and add 18% GST thereupon and will indicate separately in the invoice for the payment made by the entity as pure agent on behalf of the customer.

A graphical flow chart will explain both the options in much better way,

A graphical flow chart will explain both the options in much better way

In case the entity takes services of any other Tour Operator, let’s say for planning the itinerary for the customers for particular packages, the entity can take input tax credit regardless of his choice to act as Tour operator or Agent.

For better understanding, let’s continue with the example cited above. In that case, let’s say 25% is the fixed charges for the other Tour Operator which will come out to be Rs. 2,500/- ( on Rs. 10,000/- ). Now, the other Tour Operator shall charge GST at the rate of 5% ( i.e. Rs. 125/- ). In this case, the entity can take input tax credit of Rs. 125/- even if the entity has opted to pay tax at the rate of 5% on the total amount.

Let’s understand this with graphical depiction,

The entity Opts to pay 5%

The GST shall be charged and paid at the time of payment or invoice whichever is earlier. Therefore, for the purpose of GST, the entity shall recognize its revenue on the payment basis.

However, if the entity opts to act as ‘Pure Agent’ the GST shall be charged when the final invoice is raised or the receipts of the commission whichever is earlier.

About the Author

Amit Jindal

Author is Amit Jindal, ACA working as Manager Taxation in Neeraj Bhagat & Co. Chartered Accountants, a Chartered Accountancy firm helping foreign companies in setting up business in India and complying with various tax laws applicable to foreign companies while establishing their business in India.

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95 Comments

Sir, I am working as an inbound tour operator. I wish to opt 5% of total amount without claiming ITC. But in my ledger ITC always crediting in and the tax amount is adjusting from this ITC credited and no option for challan creation for payment of tax @5%. Is there any method not to credit ITC in my ledgers?

As per article ,Tour operator (T1) can avail ITC on another tour operator T2.mean if tour operator T1 outsource the tour package to another tour operator,T2 then as per the article T1 can take ITC pass on by T2 if billed @5%. Can you please suggest me the notification/section reference as we have same matter in appeal and GST department disallowing the ITC taken on service of tour operator T2

Can a proprietorship Firm (Tour and Travels) charge gst under RCM to a LLP firm and other Proprietor.

Please Reply…

GST is getting complicated to understand,

This might be answered earlier however, let us take an example

We are purchasing a consolidated package from a B2B tour provider let say Rs. 10,500 which reflects as all taxes included. We are using ZOHO accounting to start with.

Under Purchase -> Vendor – Bill is rasied for Rs.10,000 with 5% GST as Inclusive Tax (10,000 + 5 % GST (Rs.500)) Under Sales -> Customer – Invoice , we have raised for Rs.10,500 +1000 = 11,500 with 5 % GST for Rs.10,500 (Inclusive) and 18% on Rs.1000 (Mark up Commission) Here 5 % GST is applied both on Vendor and Customer as Inclusive Tax.

But when we look at GSTR it reflects as Total Payable of Rs.575 (5%) +180 (18 % )

How is the contra entry for this applied, as if we pay 5 % on total it will be a double GST which is 10 % . What is the method to be followed.

Namaskar, this is Satish here from Rana Holidays, Kolhapur.

I need your kind suggestion regarding GST Calculations in below FIT – done by us…

Tour Sector – Mauritius

Taken from B2B Supplier in India – 2HUB – Pls find below Transactions

So what will be the GST in this???

MAURITIUS PACKAGE

Total Invoice from 2HUB Company in India

533957 + 13581 + 2444 = 549982 /- Rs + we have given TCS 30989/- Rs to them

We charged Client as per below

619776 + 30989 (5% GST) + 30989 ( 5 % TCS ) = 681753 /- Rs

So pls suggest how much GST i need to pay….

We are overseas tour operators. Can we pay 18% GST on gross receipt minus air ticket, foreign currency exp, visa exp etc or 5% on Gross receipt only ??

Dear Sir Please suggest, Please do not ignore my question 1.how to show reimbursement value in gst portal. 2.This is to be mandatory to show or not. 3.Can show this in exempt sale.

hi, i am working as commission agent for tour operator based out of India, we collect payment in INR in our Indian registered company account on the behalf of the company based outside country and we make remittance overseas as bulk for all the bookings payment come to us , will the gst 18% applicable on the service charge part only , please guide ?

We are agents for cruise operators who are based outside India. The cruises start and end outside India. We are paid commission for booking Indian passengers on the cruise.

Should we invoice the cruise only part and charge 18% GST on our commission. Or charge 5% GST on the gross.

How is TCS added to this Invoice? Is TCS 5% of the total of (Cruise only + commission + 18% GST on commission. )

I m tour planner and serve whole tpur package service for the tourists. Can I apply 5% on some bills with No ITC claim and 18% on some bills with ITC claim on same month/returns. Suppose I served 6 tours in a month then Can I generate 4 bills on 5 % and 2 bills on 18% slab?

We are franchise of a reputed online travel agency dealing in online and offline tour operator…we earn commission for every sale from the agency and 5 %GST of the entire sale value is collected by the agency on customers behalf…customer is billed directly by the agency….please guide our GST output as we do not have any ITC and are paid commission as intermediator. Also what’s the scenario if total commission crosses 20lakhs in one fiscal year

Namaskar, We are Working as Tour Operator. We are providing Hotel Booking services to B2C and B2B Client.

On Hotel Booking service: Eg. – We Got Hotel at 2000 and we offered same hotel to our B2B Client at 2500 It that case having following queries: 1. Is SAC code 998555 is correct for it. 2. Is it correct for Invoice ? total Billing Value 2500 and Taxable Value 500 { and 9 % CGST and 9 % SGST on Rs. 500/- }

Request to advice following confusion I am in Mumbai buying a package tour with all transport hotel from a tour operator in Assam cost Rs 45000 he is charging me + 5% GST on 45000. I am charging client 55000 with Rs 10000 margin + 5% GST so question is already the tour operator is paying 5% on 45000 so i have to pay 5% on 10000 only or total 55000 plus 5% ? Or Pay 18% on 10000 margin only? we are registered with both 18% and 5%. As for the same client tour operator is paying 5% on 45000 and i am asking cleint 55000 plus 5% so 10 percent on the same client paid at GST ? confused please help

You can either pay GST @ 18% on Rs. 10,000/- and show Rs. 45,000+5% GST as reimbursement of expenses as actual. In this case, no ITC available

You can pay GST @ 18% and take ITC on GST paid on Rs. 45,000/-

You can pay GST @ 5% on Rs. 55,000/- but ITC will not be available.

You have to explore these three option by analysing which benefits you more.

For more details, you can reach out to us on our website

Dear Mr. Joseph, the basic condition being a tour operator is that you provide the services all inclusive, that is to say you don’t give the bifurcation of the amounts charged, say commission etc. You are just invoicing your customer for the package as a whole. So in your case, you will be invoicing your customer, in your example, for 11,500 (exclusive of GST) without showing the markup amount. Now, on such bill, you will be charging GST @5% which comes out to be 575.

Since, you have also taken the input tour operator services, and ITC of 500 is available, your net cash payable will be 75 only. Hope this makes sense.

Dear sir Please reply of my question My question is For example:- sale Total invoice value. 111800 Reimburseable. 100000 Margin /taxable 10000 GST@18%. 1800

Now here my question is

1 What should be value of total invoice, As above mentioned sale example we have to show total invoice value -111800 Or 11800 in GST R 1 or GST R3B in B2B transaction case. 1 What should be value of total invoice, As above mentioned sale example we have to show total invoice value -111800 Or 11800 in GST R 1 or GST R3B in B2C transaction case. 3.how to show reimburse amount in GST R3B or GST R1

4 .what we have to show reimburse amount in exempt supply or not.

The invoice value will remain 1,11,800.- but the actual ale will be considered as 11,800/- (Rs. 10,000/- your commission/margin and Rs. 1,800 as GST). When you raise the invoice, you will indicate Rs. 1 lakh separately for reimbursement of actual expenses which were incurred on behalf of client. In returns also, the sale value will be 11,800.

Please reply what will be invoice value in gst return.

Dear Sir Can we show exempt sale of reimbursement value. Please reply

What is the HSN code or SAC when we are charging 18% on the commission earned

i charge bookings on per head basis including food. what GST should i charge and what code should i use? can i take ITC?

You can charge 5% GST where ITC will not be available else charge 18% and avail ITC

Booked 2 hotels in HP for client based Mumbai. One hotel is giving gross invoice for which we will raise a commission invoice and other hotel is giving net invoice both billed to us. Can we show Hotel cost + commission charged to client + 18% on commission? If so, do we show gross amount of hotel 1 & net amount of hotel 2?

Please elaborate your query a little more. Whether you will charge commission to hotel in case where hotel is giving gross invoice or to customer and whether both hotel booked for same customer.

Dear Sir, We will charge a commission to the client. Both hotel bookings are for the same client. We will also raise a commission invoice on one hotel that gave us a gross rate; this will be our additional income. We will invoice the client for reimbursement of hotel room bookings total of gross & net hotel invoices and add our commission. The client and tour operator are based in Maharashtra while the hotels are in Chandigarh & HP.

On the commission invoice to hotel, you have to charge IGST at 18% and on invoice to customer you will charge 18% CGST/SGST on the commission only and rest will be shown as reimbursement. Else you can charge 5% on the total invoice to customer but in that case input won’t be allowed. You can contact us through our website for detailed legal opinion.

Thank you Neeraj ji.

We received advance from the customer for tour packages and we give cancelation option also to customers, Kindly let us know we need to book the GST liability at the time advance received or at the time of travel date?. as many tours get canceled before travel date, it is difficult to manage to reversal of GST liabilities.

As per GST Laws, you have to book GST at the time of receiving advance and also have to reverse the same when the customer cancel the booking. You can follow the other practice which almost every tour operator do. When the booking is canceled, don’t pay back the GST amount and correspondingly, don’t reverse the GST. You can tell the customer that this much amount is cancelation charges.

Can we make interstate supply while we are paying 5% gst under this scheme

Yes you can.

Hi, When we raise invoice in tours and travels supplier point of view, please answer whether GST is applicable for TOLL and BATA

In case of hotel booking through online platform like Make My Trip, whether the hotel should issue invoice to the guest (B2C) or to the online service provider (B2B)? Here consideration received by the hotel from the online service provider

Yes, the invoice should be to the customer. Online service provider works as a pure agent.

How to file GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B for Travel Agents. Only for railways and flights.

I have a tour oprater service and as itc process if i make 5% gst bill then i am not eligble for itc..I know than but my main quation will get the ITC for other like . i am spening the mony on facebook ads and they are charging me 18% GST will i get the GST itc for this .. if i purhessed any laptop for office purpers and i take the GST bill form Shop then i ma eligible to claim the GST for laptop

In case you are making 5% GST bill you cannot take ITC of Facebook bill and also not of Laptop bill

Its Possible if i make 18% gst or 5 % GST bill. example : I have 6 sales invoice and I make 3 sales Invoice in 18% GSt & rest 3 for 5% GST for any month not every month will i eligble for ITC for all like. facebook, laptop or other purches etc.

Or Its possbile one month i make 18% GST for claim ITC and 1 month 5% GST bill..

You can do that too.

Yes you can take input proportionately. You can take all the input and then reverse proportionately in the proportion of 18% supply and 5% supply. For detailed assistance on this you can connect with us.

Dear Sir Please advise on following question.

We are tour operator and charge GST@5% from our guests. Can any of the guest claim this GST credit against this invoice ? For example, I sold a package tour including hotel and transportation for Rs. 25000+5% GST. We paid 5% GST to govt. We have issued invoice to guest mentioning package cost Rs.25000 + GST. Now can the guest claim credit against this invoice ? There are different answers received on this platform but not satisfactory. Kindly advise. Naresh

Your customer/guest can take input tax credit of this 5%. But you cannot take any ITC for paying out your GST liability except that ITC which is on the services taken by you from other tour operator. You can write to us on our email id detailing your query, and we will reply accordingly.

applying for new GST registration for Tour operator, but stuck in between. as Tour operator is not mentioned specifically under the Business type/category. please advise what category to be selected and what will be HSN number.

If there is no specific category mentioned, you can select Others. The HSN code is 998555.

I have started a new travel agency, Now As of things will charge 18% on flight bookings and 5% on cabs,hotel,visa. .Now my question is should I charge these GST on my margin (Ie 1000₹+18% was flight ticket and I sold for 1200₹) then my invoice to client should like (1200+18%) or (200+18%) for flights..if it’s (1200+18% then invoice value is 1416₹ which he can claim, oR (200+18% =236₹) which he can claim

Second , I’m getting an invoice from hotel people for 12% but I’m giving to client as 5%.. so it should be on whole amount or only on my margin should give ..

Please advice

Regards, Sheriff

Please advice…

In the case flight ticket booking, you have to charge GST at the rate of 18% on the commission value i.e. in your case you have to charge GST on INR 200. In case of hotel booking, you can charge GST both ways either on whole value or only on the commission. In case you are working on commission basis then GST rate would be 18%. In case you are charging GST on the whole amount, GST would be charged based on the room tariff as below,

INR 7,500 28%

If room tariff is below Rs.1,000 then there would be no GST. If it is between Rs.1,000 -2,499.99 then the rate would be 12%. If it is between Rs.2,500 -7,499.99 then 18% and if it is INR 7,500 or more the rate would be 28%. For more detail on this you can reach out to us on our website

Sir my vichele is in tender under govt hospital for staff duty … i will pay 12 percent gst and my annual income is less then 5 lakh what can i do? I should pay or not plsase tell me

If your annual income is less than 5 lakh then you need not to get registered under GST and if you are not registered then there is no liability of GST on you for the services you provide

Dear Sir can we take input tax credit on Input goods & assets or other support service credit while we obtaining 5 % GST Slab ??

No, you cannot.

Dear Sir Can a travel company work as both method as a tour operators and pay 5% gst on whole amount ,and take ITC in case purchase package from other tour operator. As a travel agent and pay gst 18% only on service charge with itc.

Yes, you can work both ways simultaneously. But in that case you have to maintain separate record

I am own a transport which provide staff travelling to company. In this case I have two client 1 client asking for 18% and 1 client asking for 5% while I have one transport can I gave two different types of GST percentages. Can anyone suggest answer for my question

Yes, you can.

What if I am providing Tour service to Government department. is 5% tax applicable to me. As I am charging 5% tax in B2C and government department is paying RCM and not paying me 5%.

Sir I have made partial advance payment of total tour package but now tour is canceled, now I am asking for refund but tour operator says that we have paid 5% GST so this amount will no be paid. Please suggest & confirm.

You are eligible for GST refund also on the proportionate amount of advance that you have paid. You need to talk with the tour agency and ask them to give you a credit note for this.”

Some a portal charged 5% TDS on commission earned (Not 18% GST on commission).

In case airline ticket breakup is Base fare : 13,319, Other Taxes :578, K3 : 668 = 14,565 (Gross fare) Less (Commission earned ) = -327.65 Add (TDS deducted 5% of comm) = 16.38 Nett Payable Amount 14254/-

Can you please advice me how to raise tax invoice if I sell it @14,500 How to get ITC ?

Sir How to Generate invoice only in flight tickets booked by clients. What will be the procedure to claim GST?

In case flight ticket is booked by client himself then you will bill for only your commission as agreed upon and charge GST @ 18% thereupon. You cannot take input on that because the invoice is in the name of the client and not you.”

Sir, we are a travel agency offering bungalows, villas, tours packages and various services. What GST we should charge particularly on bungalows, villas, hotels to our client. Is it on the commission, if yes then customers might clearly know the business inside out and might refrain doing business with us in future. Also on what amount we have to file our ITC to get rebate or input tax credit

Hi Thanx for such an elaborate GST guidlines for travel agents. I just have a question: Many a times guests want a GST credit from their Flight and Hotel Bookings done through us. But these days most of the Travel agents use consolidators inventory for the same and don’t have option to put guests GST in those bookings so that he can get back the GST input. How to deal with these?

Also, in international bookings, how to deal with such GST issues?

Thanx. Atin.

Sir, please clarify, if the entity is working as a pure agent and charging 18% GST on the commission amount only. Will ITC be available on that GST amount on commission?

How much percent gst on visa to be charged to customer as a travel agent

Sir i am a travel agent in Port Blair , if my package cost (separate cost) HOTEL – 22000 CRUISE – 15000 VEHICLE COST = 8000 SERVICE CHARGE = 2000 THEN HOW CAN I GENERATE MY GST BILL , PLEASE ADVICE

How to show reimbursement amount in gst return . If tour and travel agent company paying margin basis gst.

I am working in a tour and travel agent company. I have a problem or confusion in gst return filling that if we are paying tax on margin basis in gst then I want to ask you how to show in gst return . What we have to show reimburse value in gst return in 3b or R 1 as a total invoice value . Please suggest me.

Hello Sir, Whether it is allowed to opt for both the options in the same financial year ie to pay GST @5%/18% for some clients and also act as a pure agent and charge GST @18% on commission for some other clients

Dear sir If we are working as a tour and travel agent and paying gst on services charge , Then in this case how to show total invoice amount in gst return. Suppose we give package to client Rs -1,00,000 including services charge.

Our purchase for of client is -85000 Our magin is -15000 Taxable. -12712 Gst,18%. 2288 Total. 15000 Then in gst return what total invoice value We have to show in gst R1 15000 or 100000 And in gstr3B what taxable value we have to show. -12712. Or another value . Please suggest me .

Where tour operator is preparing invoice on pure agent basis charging gst on only commission amount and taking only reimbursement of hotel booking, whether hotel invoice will be in the name of your operator or the client of tour operator who is service receipent? In case tour operator take hotel invoice in own name, what will be the consequences?

If a company is operating as a pure agent in few places , and as tour operator in few.. Can it bill 18% & 5% respectively and file in GST returns ?

Dear Mr Neeraj, In the below explanation, Is 18% mentioned assuming that the Tour operator has opted for the 18% GST ? or is it charged at 18% for both cases i.e 5% and 18% ? “Let’s understand this with our previous example. In that case, if the entity enters into an agreement with the customer to act as pure agent, then the entity will charge GST at the rate of 18% on Rs. 10,000/- only i.e. Rs. 1,800/- and will take reimbursement of Rs. 90,000/- as actual expense incurred on behalf of the customer.”

Hi Sir, you said generally small businesses act as pure agent and charge GST on commission/ Service charges only, Suppose a tour operator make hotel bookings not as per client requirement i mean fixed number of bookings every month then this tour operator aslo need to charge based on slabs? or how can this is chargable when he sell to their customers

Dear Sir, thanks for your advice. i just want to know the input tax credit allowed between two operators from same service – there is still doubt in this in many minds. So want to find out which particular section is this allowed under the Act? – input credit is allowed from same serivce in B2B. which particular section?

thansk and regards

Dear Sir please check also my quary

Simple and Lucid Explanation. Very nice and helpful

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Niagara Falls tour boat operator files for bankruptcy protection, gets new owner

tours services tour operator

The Hornblower boat cruise approaches the Niagara Falls on July 14, 2020. Glenn Lowson/The Globe and Mail

One operator of the iconic Niagara Falls boat tours that have been a staple of countless vacation plans for more than 180 years has been saved after operator Hornblower Group found a financial saviour.

Years of losses and a billion-dollar debt pushed the global conglomerate with rights to ferry passengers near the falls to file for bankruptcy protection in the United States and Canada. Now, as the San Francisco-based company navigates a complex restructuring process that involves its private equity owner selling a majority stake in the business, Hornblower’s Canadian operations are being touted as key to its recovery.

Hornblower has a deal with the Niagara Parks Commission to be the exclusive provider of Niagara Falls boat tours on the Canadian side of the border through 2043. Roughly 2.5 million guests don ponchos and board one of Hornblower’s three sightseeing vessels in the Lower Niagara River each year, the company said in a court filing last month.

“This longevity, paired with the high volume of clientele, makes Hornblower Canada’s business an essential aspect of the company’s restructuring,” the filing said, noting boats have been taking passengers within soaking distance of the falls since 1840.

The Canadian operations represents a tiny fraction of Hornblower’s global business, accounting for just 7 per cent of revenue in 2023. The parent company boasts operations in more than 100 countries, with roughly 6,000 employees. Scale, however, was not enough for the company to survive the onset of COVID-19.

“In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a direct and profoundly adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating performance,” the filing said. “Hornblower’s losses in 2020 alone exceeded US$287-million on a net income basis.”

Debt quickly started piling up, nearly doubling from US$630-million in 2019 to almost US$1.2-billion by the end of 2023. Annual debt interest charges tripled from US$38-million to US$115-million at the same time as rates rose rapidly over that period.

Geoffrey Morawetz, Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, approved Hornblower’s application under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) for its U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings to be recognized in Canada on Feb 21. Had approval not been granted, however, Hornblower warned in its filing there was “a concern” that the Niagara Parks Commission “may take steps to terminate” its exclusivity deal.

That deal “is critical to the Canadian business,” Hornblower said. “If NPC were to purport to terminate the agreement, this would have a drastic effect on the continuation of the Canadian business.”

The Canadian business – in addition to Niagara Falls tours also includes day cruises in the Toronto harbour and in the Thousand Islands near Gananoque, Ont. – has only recently started to recover from its pandemic-related slump. After reporting net losses of US$11.8-million and US$7.8-million in 2020 and 2021 respectively, the Canadian business only returned to profitability in 2022.

Hornblower is fully paid up on its rental obligations to the Niagara Parks Commission, NPC chief executive David Adames said in an interview.

“Right now we have no concerns,” he said. “As long as they meet all of their financial obligations to us, meaning the rent payments, then everything is fine.”

On Feb 21, the same day Hornblower submitted its bankruptcy filings, the company announced that investment firm Strategic Value Partners LLC would be acquiring a majority stake in the business from private equity investor Crestview Partners LLC. The transaction, which has yet to close, includes US$300-million in debtor-in-possession financing from Deutsche Bank and US$121-million in financing from SVP-managed funds and Crestview.

The company’s total debt is expected to fall by approximately US$720-million once the deal is completed, Hornblower said.

“The steps we are taking to transition the ownership of Hornblower Group and strengthen our financial foundation will have no impact on the land- and water-based experiences and transportation services we provide globally,” Hornblower chief executive officer Kevin Rabbitt said via e-mail. “We are continuing to serve guests in Niagara without interruption.”

In fact, NPC’s Mr. Adames said Hornblower has been approved to start Niagara Falls tours earlier than usual this year. Tours usually do not begin until mid-April or even May, he said, though this year Hornblower tours are set to commence on March 28.

“It is a good way to kick-start the traditional summer tourism season a bit earlier,” Mr. Adames said. “If they go a bit earlier, that really sends a strong signal to the tourism industry that we are geared up for a strong 2024.”

CLARIFICATION: This article has been updated to clarify that Hornblower is only one of the Niagara Falls boat tour operators. While boat tours have been offered for more than 180 years, Hornblower began more recently.

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Kamala Harris tours abortion clinic in historic first for a VP

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Vice President Kamala Harris visited a Minnesota abortion clinic on Thursday , the first time a sitting president or veep has been known to do so.

Harris travelled to the Land of 10,000 Lakes as part of her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, and stopped at a St. Paul Planned Parenthood location that offers abortion services.

The VP met with staff, spoke to reporters and was greeted by clinic Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarah Traxler and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz — who signed a law last year enshrining abortion as a “fundamental right” for women in the state.

“Right now in our country, we are facing a very serious health crisis,” began Harris, who claimed that “extremists” in other states have passed “outrageous” and “immoral” laws that have denied women access to abortion and that she was there to “uplift” the work being done in Minnesota.

Repeating earlier statements she has made since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, Harris argued “one does not have to abandon their faith” to believe that the government “should not be telling women what to do with their bodies.”

Vice President Kamala Harris has been on a nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour.

The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Post.

In 2013, President Barack Obama became the first sitting chief executive to address Planned Parenthood’s national conference in Washington, DC.

Harris’ visit to a clinic goes one step beyond Obama’s verbal support of the controversial organization .

Abortion has been a central topic in the Biden-Harris re-election campaign. Harris has already visited Wisconsin, California, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona as part of her “Reproductive Freedoms” tour, and has been campaigning heavily since Biden’s State of the Union address last week.

Vice President Kamala Harris gives a speech on her nationwide "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour at the South Mountain Community Center during a visit to Phoenix.

Minnesota has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1976, but the March 5 primary saw 18.9% vote “uncommitted” — sending a warning to Biden over his policies toward Israel.

Polls also show a tight race in the state between the incumbent and former President Donald Trump.

Minnesota’s abortion law states that “[e]very individual who becomes pregnant has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth, or obtain an abortion, and to make autonomous decisions about how to exercise this fundamental right.”

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Vice President Kamala Harris has been on a nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour.

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