TO490_glossary - School of Travel Industry Management

GLOSSARY
*Denotes definitions adapted from Charles R. Goeldner & J.R. Brent Ritchie, Tourism: Principles,
Practices, Philosophies, 10 th ed. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
A
*Accommodation- Facilities for the lodging of visitors to a destination. The most common forms
are hotels, motels, campgrounds, bed and breakfast (B&B), dormitories, hostels, and the homes of
friends and relatives.
Adventure and Outdoor Recreation- An emerging tourism sector. Due to changing demand and
characteristics of the visitors, there is a higher demand for activities linked to nature (Ecotourism)
and sport activities.
Adventure Travel- A form of travel in which the perception (and often the reality) of heightened
risk creates a special appeal to certain segments of the travel market. Examples include white-water
rafting and mountaineering.
*Attractions- Facilities developed especially to provide residents and visitors with entertainment,
activity, learning, socializing, and other forms of stimulation that make a region or destination a
desirable and enjoyable place.
C
*Carrying capacity- The amount of tourism a destination can handle.
Competitive Destination- A destination that is able to effectively compete against similar locales to
attract tourists.
Convention and Visitors Bureau- (Destination Management Organizations, or DMO’s).
Government funded bureaus that focus on the marketing, management, and research for convention
centers and local tourism industry.
Cultural Tourism- Covers all aspects of travel whereby people learn about each other’s way of life
and thought.
D
Destination Attributes- Key characteristics of a destination that separates itself from their
competition.
Destination Positioning- Marketing to enhance a destination’s attractiveness to potential tourists.
Direct Impact- The effect of tourism expenditures in an area. Positive impacts include optimizing
for the local economy, balance of payments, investment stimulation, tax revenue from tourism and
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etc. Negative impacts could also take place. These include: inflationary pressure, tension between
locals and tourists, pollution, increase traffic, etc.
Domestic Tourism- Visits by residents of a country to their own country.
E
*Events- Includes a broad range of “occurrences,” happenings,” and “activities” that are designed
around various themes, with a view to creating or enhancing interest in the destination. Local
festivals and mega-events (such as the Olympic Games and world expositions) have prove to be the
most effective.
Expenditures- Sum total of money spent within the borders of a nation or a political subdivision or a
transportation-centered economic area of contiguous states or nations.
H
Heritage Interpretation- Useful to tourism for its academic approach through informing people of a
locale’s history, people, culture etc. Courses can be developed to enable locals to become authentic
interpreters of their area’s cultural, historical, and natural heritage.
Host Community- Local people. Host community’s role in tourism is their interaction with tourists.
The interaction between tourists and host community can be beneficial, harmful or both.
I
*Incentive Tour- A tour arranged especially for employees or agents of a company as a reward for
achievement, usually sales. Spouses are typically included on the trip.
*Infrastructure- The facilities, equipment, and installations needed for the basic functioning and
daily lives of the residents of a region. These include communication systems, water and sewage
facilities, public protection, health, transportation, and the education systems.
International Tourism- Comprised of two parts. A) Inbound tourism- Visits to a country by nonresidents.
B) Outbound tourism- Visits by residents of a country to another country.
L
Leakage- Combination of savings and imports. The more tourism expenditures is circulated within
and maintained in the local economy, there is less leakage.
Lodging Industry- Tourism sector that provides sleeping facilities for visitors. There is a large
variety of lodging options for tourists at the destination. Theses include: hotels, motels, bed &
breakfasts (B&B), pensions, timeshares, and campgrounds.
TO 490, Glossary, page 2

M
Meeting and Conventions- A new trend in tourism where visitors come from different areas and
converge on a destination to attend a meeting. International participants of conventions and meeting
tend to spend more per day during their visit.
O
Operating Sectors- Various components of the tourism industry. These include: transportation,
accommodation, food services, attractions, events, adventure and outdoor recreation, entertainment,
trade sector and tourism services.
S
*Supplier- An industry term meaning any form of transportation, accommodations, and other travel
services used by a travel agency or tour operator to fulfill the needs of travelers.
Sustainable destinations- The ability of a destination to preserve its physical, social, cultural and
environmental resources while it compete in the marketplace.
T
*Timeshare- Concept of dividing the ownership and use of a lodging property among investors. For
example, for $50,000, you can own a hotel unit for one week of the year for the rest of your life.
*Tourism-(1)- The entire world industry of travel, hotels, transportation, and all other components,
including promotion, that serves the needs and wants of travelers. Tourism today has been given
new meaning and is primarily a term of economics referring to an industry. (2)- Within a nation
(political subdivision or transportation-centered economic area of contiguous nations), the sum total
of tourist expenditures within their borders is referred to as the nation’s tourism or tourist industry
and is thus ranked with other national industries. More important than just the total monetary
product value of tourism is its role in the balance of trade. Here tourism earnings from foreigners
truly represent an export industry. Tourism is an “invisible” export.
Tourist Offices and Information Centers- Entities funded by government or local chambers of
commerce to provide visiting and potential tourists information about the destination.
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