Authors: Dr Vinit Kumar Sharma, Muskan
Abstract: The rapid growth of the tourism industry has increased the need for efficient travel package design that minimizes operational expenses while maintaining customer satisfaction. Travel agencies and tour operators frequently face challenges in selecting transportation modes, accommodation facilities, sightseeing locations, and scheduling activities within a limited budget. This study proposes a cost minimization model for designing an optimal travel package using Operations Research techniques. A linear programming framework is developed to determine the best combination of travel services while satisfying constraints related to budget, travel time, accommodation capacity, tourist preferences, and resource availability. The proposed model integrates transportation costs, lodging expenses, meal charges, and attraction fees into a unified optimization framework. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the model significantly reduces total travel expenditure compared with traditional package planning methods. The study contributes to tourism operations management by providing a scientific decision-support tool capable of assisting travel agencies in creating economically efficient travel itineraries. The findings indicate that optimization techniques can improve profitability, enhance resource utilization, and increase customer satisfaction through systematic travel planning.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20524183
