An optimization model for tour operators considering bundling of services, pricing strategies and supplier selection with quality aspect

Date of Publication

2018

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

Subject Categories

Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering

College

Gokongwei College of Engineering

Department/Unit

Industrial and Systems Engineering

Thesis Adviser

Charlle Sy

Defense Panel Chair

Dennis Cruz

Defense Panel Member

Ronaldo Polancos

Abstract/Summary

Tourism is a fast-growing phenomenon that has become one of the largest service industries in the world. Due to its increasing impact to the economy of countries, it has gained much attention. With that, the importance of the tour operator's services has grown. Tour operators bundle service products into a single tour package, consequently having the challenging task of playing the middleman between service providers and customers. The services offered by tour operators play a significant role in the overall success of a tourist's vacation experience. Despite having a central role in an emerging industry, several travel agencies shut down due to commercial reasons, conflicting business strategies with their partners, or external economic environments. The current study developed a linear programming model that is designed to adhere to the unique operational dilemmas faced by tour operators. More specifically, the objective of this paper is to develop a strategic revenue optimization for tour operators considering; (I) bundling of packages, (2) supplier selection that considers quality, and (3) service add-ons. The model decides a supplier sourcing and product bundling strategy for a single planning period, while being historically provided with a defined customer profile. The model is logically validated through varying input parameters, and then analyzed given different scenarios. The first scenario deals with the customer demand. When customer demand decreases, it is better for the tour operator to buy individual services rather than quantity discounted services. If customer demand is increased, then quantity discounted services are more favorable than individual services. The second scenario deals with the amount of rooms and seats inside each predesigned package and the result shows that 2 rooms and I seat is the ideal allocation. The model was taken a step further by the analysis of the demand as a function of price through determining the optimal markup price setting. The results showed that the optimal markup price for predesigned packages should be lower than the optimal markup price for the service add-ons, which are not part of the predesigned packages. In order to reach the maximum profit of the tour operator given that customers are price sensitive. Several managerial insights can be made using the model such as; optimal supplier mix, package bundling strategies, and price setting strategies.

Abstract Format

html

Note

Undated; creation date supplied

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Accession Number

TU23264

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F, Henry Sy Sr. Hall

Keywords

Tourism—Linear programming

Embargo Period

2-20-2023

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