FREE TIME ACTIVITIES - LEISURE

If you want to see some of the activities people want to do when going on holiday have a look at the following webpage. http://www.sundayriver.com/EventsActivities/SummerActivities/index.html
There you will see an activity guide for visitors who go to the four season resort Sunday River in Newry, Maine -The USA-. They go from 'berry picking' to 'whale watching' or 'mining tours'.
Which one is your favourite? Why? Can you practise that activity in Spain? If so, where? Which of those activities would you recommend to a couple with two children aged 12 and 8?

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Here is a summary of a travel insurance policy by Churchill Travel taken from the website http://www.churchill.com/travel/travelpolicydocuments.htm.
Read it and answer the following questions:


1. How many sections are there? Write them down.
2. If your luggage is delayed for more than 12 hours after your arrival at your final destination, what does the policy cover? In which section can you find this information?
3. How much will they pay you if your departure is delayed because of a strike that had been announced on TV or radio when you booked your trip? Where did you find this information?
4. What happens if you arrive late at your departure point because your transport breaks down? In which section did you find this?
5. How much money will you receive if all the snowboarding facilities in your resort are closed due to snow conditions? Where can you find this piece of information?
You can check your answers below (in a few days)
Travel Policy Summary CHT54

MAKING SUGGESTIONS

If you work in the field of tourism you will realise that you will have to make suggestions when dealing with the clients. Have a look at some of the formulas Kenneth Beare shows in this page http://esl.about.com/od/grammarstructures/a/f_suggestions.htm and do the quiz that follows.

BOOKING A HOLIDAY

If you want to practise for the orals here there is a very useful link. There you can see the most common questions people ask when they contact a travel agent. They are related to types of rooms, facilities, flighst, clothing, etc. As a travel agent, I know this is not enough, so there you will also be able to see the answers.
Once you are on the page, in order to see all the questions and answers, choose the topic you are interesting in from the list you have on your left.
http://www.hoho.co.uk/html/qlanzarote.html
 
Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones


Another interesting link is http://www.languages.dk/archive/ws1_materials/Spanish_scenarios.pdf. You will see several dialogues. Number 4 takes place in a travel agency but there are some others which are also interenting in the field of tourism.


And if you want to practise listening, visit
http://www.audioenglish.net/english-learning/english_dialogue_air_travel_reservations_airline_2.htm where you will find a dialogue that also takes place at a travel agency.
You can see the tapescript below.
(AudioEnglish.net)
Reservations clerk: — Northwind Airways, good morning. May I help you?
Mary Jones: — Yes, do you have any flights to Sydney next Tuesday afternoon?
Reservations clerk: — One moment, please... Yes. There´s a flight at 16:45 and one at 18:00.
Mary Jones: — That´s fine. Could you tell me how much a return flight costs? I´ll be staying three weeks.
Reservations clerk: — Economy, business class or first class ticket?
Mary Jones: — Economy, please.
Reservations clerk: — That would be €346.
Mary Jones: — OK. Could I make a reservation?
Reservations clerk: — Certainly. Which flight would you like?
Mary Jones: — The 16:45, please.
Reservations clerk: — Could I have your name, please?
Mary Jones: — My name is Mary Jones, that´s M-A-R-Y J-O-N-E-S.
Reservations clerk: — How would you like to pay, Ms. Jones?
Mary Jones: — Can I pay at the check-in desk when I pick up my ticket?
Reservations clerk: — Yes, but you will have to confirm this reservation at least two hours before departure time.
Mary Jones: — I see.
Reservations clerk: — Now you have been booked, Ms. Jones. The flight leaves at 16:45, and your arrival in Sydney will be at 9:25 a.m., local time. The flight number is NWA 476.
Mary Jones: — Thank you.

HOTEL FACILITIES, THE PALACE HOTEL.

Here you can see a ppp about the Palace Hotel in Madrid. The pictures were taken by me when visiting the hotel in 2009 with a group of students of Travel Agencies. Have a look at the different types of room, pieces of furniture and equipment, and some facitilites this splendid hotel offers. Then write a brief composition about it. Be ready to do this orally too.

The Palace Hotel by MMD is licensed under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No comercial-Sin obras derivadas 3.0 Unported License.
Palace Hotel