Chapter 2 Businesses in the Travel and Tourism, Hospitality and Retail Industries

Tourism

What is Travel Agency? What do they sell?

What are the jobs in a Travel Agency?

Name the examples of attractions under each category. Pg 18 to 21

Nature and Wildlife Attractions?

Parks
nature
reserves
zoos
aquariums

Historical and Cultural Attractions?

museums
historical
sites
ethnic
quarters

Commercial Attractions?

integrated
resorts
theme parks
shopping
districts

Events?

performing arts
festivals
sporting
events
MICE

What is MICE? Pg 25

Meetings;

Incentives;

Convention; and

Exhibitions.

Hospitality

Types of Accommodations / Hotels? Pg 30

Luxury Hotels

Highest level of customer service and comfort.
High-quality amenities such as free wifi and high-quality toiletries and towels.
Wide range of facilities such as in-house restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a swimming pool and a business centre.
Higher room rates than other types of hotels
Examples: The St Regis Singapore and Mandarin Oriental Singapore.

Botique Hotels

Stylish furnishing in unique themes
Exceptional comfort and personalised service
Similar room rates to luxury or deluxe hotels
Examples: The Scarlet Singapore and Hotel Vagabond

Budget Hotels

Basic amenities and services required for a comfortable stay
Normally without costly services such as room service and personalised service
Reasonably-priced room rates
Examples: Hotel ibis Singapore and Holiday Inn Express

Deluxe Hotels

Wide range of services, amenities and facilities that are almost similar to those of luxury hotels
Lower room rates than luxury hotels
Examples: M Hotel and Parkroyal on Beach Road

Types of F&B? Pg 34 to 36

Fine Dining Restaurants

Interior decorations, settings and furnishings of fine dining restaurants are grand, elegant and stylish
Provide exceptional ambience with well-chosen music and quality tableware
Serve unique dishes that are created using high quality and fresh ingredients that may be imported
Can be found in most luxury hotels.
Staff are well-trained and attentive, and provide high-quality table service
Guests at fine dining restaurants are willing to spend more to enjoy the exquisite food, exceptional ambience and attentive service.
Examples of fine dining restaurants are OSO Ristorante and Tóng Lè Private Dining, which serve modern Italian and Chinese cuisine respectively.

Theme Restaurants

Part of a chain of restaurants based on a common theme or idea
Decoration, food, music and even service staff uniforms are all designed around the same theme
Waitstaff may provide quality service comparable to that of a fine-dining restaurant.
The guests, who are attracted to the theme, come to enjoy the unique experience that the restaurant provides.
Examples of theme restaurants are Hard Rock Café-a rock 'n roll-themed café which serves classic American fare and entertains guests with live music, and DC Super Heroes Cafe-a superhero-themed café which serves food inspired by famous DC Comics super heroes and sells superhero merchandise.

Ethnic Restaurants

Decoration, setting and food served reflect a particular culture
Waitstaff may also be dressed in traditional attire
Staff have good knowledge of the history and culture of the cuisine
Guests go there to enjoy the authentic taste of that particular ethnic cuisine
Examples of ethnic restaurants are Shahi Maharani for Indian Food, Rasa Istimewa for Malay food and Crystal Jade Palace for Chinese food

Family Restaurants

Atmosphere of a family restaurant is family-friendly
Often have a special kids menu as well as activity sheets or play areas for children
Staff are trained to be friendly and attentive to the needs of families, such as by providing high chairs for young children or allocating more spacious areas to large groups of guests with children
Guests come because they value and appreciate the child-friendly environment where the whole family can enjoy a meal together.
Examples of family restaurants are Swensen's, which has a wide range of menu items catering to both adults and children, and Thyme@Aliwal at Arab Street, which organises activities for children

Buffet Restaurants

Offer a wide variety of food that may be consumed in any amount at a fixed price
Food is displayed on counters where guests serve themselves, although some restaurants also serve special items at the table
Staff focus on setting and clearing tables as there is less serving of food and beverages at the tables
Guests usually go to buffet restaurants to enjoy the wide selection and unlimited servings of food
Examples of buffet restaurants are Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts, which serves international cuisine, and Seoul Garden, which offers Asian and Korean steamboat and barbeque items

Coffee Houses (Cafes)

Specialise in serving coffee and tea with simple food items such as cakes, pastries and sandwiches
Food and beverages are normally served over the counter after payment is made
Cafés are normally located in high foot traffic areas, such as shopping malls
The staff are often trained to prepare coffee and tea, and to serve guests quickly
Customers go to cafés for refreshment and leisure
Cafés are nice “chill-out” spots for customers who want a casual meeting place or a break from shopping or work
Examples of cafés are The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, which serves coffees such as lattes and cappuccinos, and Toast Box, which serves local-style coffee and food

Fast Food Restaurants

Serve food and beverages that can be easily prepared and quickly served
Common menu items at fast-food restaurants are burgers, fried chicken, fries, pizzas and desserts
Fast-food restaurants are commonly found in crowded areas such as shopping malls and busy neighbourhoods
The staff are required to serve the customers quickly and accurately
Customers that go to fast-food restaurants are mainly teenagers and young adults who enjoy the affordable prices and the convenience of the location
Examples of fast-food restaurants are Burger King and Subway

Food Courts and Hawker Centers

Popular places to get a meal in Singapore
Many different stalls offering a wide range of food and drinks
Customers can buy their meal from any stall and sit at the common dining area, which is often a large and open space with tables and chairs or stools
Usually self-serviced to allow stallholders to focus on preparing the order
Customers who go to food courts and hawker centres are generally attracted to the relatively low prices and wide range of food choices
Examples of food courts and hawker centres are Kopitiam and Tiong Bahru Food Market and Hawker Centre respectively

Caterres

Provide food and beverages for special occasions, such as parties and business events, for a large number of guests at specific locations
Caterers customise menus and table settings to suit the different requests and budgets of customers
Caterers deliver customers orders and set up the buffet service
Many caterers also provide live-cooking-station and waitstaff at the location
Customers who engage catering services are able to hold their functions at almost any location they want not just in restaurants and enjoy the convenience of having quality food and beverages served to their guests
Examples of caterers are Stamford Catering and Elsie's Kitchen Catering

Retailing

Types of Store Retailing? Describe them.

Vending machines

Pop-up retailing

E-retailing

Push carts

Types of Non-Store Retailing? Describe them.

Convenience stores

Supermarkets

Hypermarkets

Department stores

Department stores are large retail stores that provide shoppers with a one-stop shopping experience by offering a wide variety of products.

Specialty stores

Specialty stores sell a specific range of product and related items such as clothing and accessories, books and stationery, and medicine and toiletries