P12-18 Blueline tours, Inc., operates tours throughout the United States. A study has indicated that some of the tours are not profitable, and consideration is being given to dropping these tours to improve the company’s overall operating performance.

One such tour is a two-day Historic Mansions bus tour conducted in the southern states. An income statement from typical Historic Mansions is listed below:

Ticket Revenue (100 seat capacity X 40% occupancy X
 

$75 ticket price per person) ………………………………… $3000 100%

Variable expenses ($22.50 per person) …………………………… 900 30

Contribution Margin ……………………………………………. 2100 70%

Tour expenses:

Tour promotion …………………………………………………… $ 600

Salary of bus driver ……………………………………………… 350

Fee tour guide …………………………………………………….. 700

Fuel for Bus …………………………………………………………. 125

Depreciation of bus …………………………………………….. 450

Liability insurance, bus ………………………………………… 200

Overnight parking fee, bus ………………………………….. 50

Room and meals, bus driver and tour guide ……….. 175

Bus maintenance and preparation ………………………. 300

Total tour expenses …………………………………………………………… 2950

Net operating expenses ……………………………………………………. $ (850)

The following additional information is available about the tour:

a. Bus drivers are paid fixed annual salaries; tour guides are paid for each tour conducted.

b. The “Bus maintenance and preparation” cost above is an allocation of the salaries of mechanics and other service personnel who are responsible for keeping the company’s fleet of buses in good operating condition.

c. Depreciation of buses is due to obsolescence. Depreciation due to wear and tear is negligible.

d. Liability insurance premiums are based on the number of buses in the company’s fleet.

e. Dropping the Historic Mansions bus tour would not allow Blueline Tours to reduce the number of buses in its fleet, the number of bus drivers on the payroll, or the size of the maintenance and preparation staff.

Required:

1. Prepare an analysis showing what the impact will be on the company’s profits if this tour is discontinued.

2. The company’s tour director has been criticized because only about 50% of the seats on Blueline’s tours are being filled as compared to an industry average seat occupancy could be improved considerably by eliminating about 10% of its tours, but that doing so would reduce profits. Explain how this could happen.