Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INTRODUCTION
Bon Voyage!
You are setting off on a voyage to learn about the subject of
tourism
. Assuming that the forecasters
and futurists are correct, you are studying the world
is largest industry. Tourism is alive with dynamic
growth, new activities, new destinations, new technology, new markets, and rapid changes. Record
numbers of tourists are traveling the globe, attracted by an increased variety of tour packages, cruises,
adventure experiences, and independent itineraries. All of these visitors and the activities they
generate change local communities. They have an economic and social impact that cannot be ignored.
In today
'
s society, attention must be paid to environmental issues, cultural issues, economic issues, the
way landscapes are created to appeal to tourists, and how tourists behave.
The
'
is global. It is big business and will continue to grow. Meeting this growth
with well-planned, environmentally sound development is a challenge for planning all over the world,
whether it is Indonesia, Nepal, the United States, Australia, Thailand, or France. The goal of this
chapter and the topic is to raise issues, provide frameworks, and generate your thoughtful
consideration of the issues and changes facing this complex
field as it operates in an increasingly
technological and global age.
tourism industry
WHAT IS TOURISM?
When we think of tourism, we think primarily of people who are visiting a particular place for
sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, taking a vacation, and having a good time. They might spend
their leisure time engaging in various sports, sunbathing, talking, singing, taking rides, touring, reading,
or simply enjoying the environment. If we consider the subject further, we may include in our de
nition
of tourism people who are participating in a convention, a business conference, or some other kind of
business or professional activity, as well as those who are taking a study tour under an expert guide or
doing some kind of scienti
c research or study.
These visitors use all forms of transportation, from hiking in a wilderness park to
flying in a jet to an
exciting city. Transportation can include taking a chairlift up a Colorado mountainside or standing at
the rail of a cruise ship looking across the blue Caribbean. Whether people travel by one of these
means or by car, motorcoach, camper, train, taxi, motorbike, or bicycle, they are taking a trip and thus
are engaging in tourism. That is what this topic is all about—why people travel (and why some don't)
and the socioeconomic effects that their presence and
expenditures
have on a society.
Any attempt to de
ne tourism and to describe its scope fully must consider the various groups that
participate in and are affected by this industry. Their perspectives are vital to the development of a
comprehensive de
nition. Four different perspectives of tourism can be identi
ed:
1.
The tourist.
The tourist seeks various psychic and physical experiences and satisfactions. The
nature of these will largely determine the destinations chosen and the activities enjoyed.
2.
The businesses providing tourist goods and services.
Businesspeople see tourism as an
opportunity to make a pro
t by supplying the goods and services that the tourist market
demands.
3.
The government of the host community or area.
Politicians view tourism as a wealth factor in the
economy of their jurisdictions. Their perspective is related to the incomes their citizens can earn
from this business. Politicians also consider the foreign exchange receipts from international
tourism, as well as the tax receipts collected from tourist expenditures, either directly or
indirectly. The
can play an important role in tourism policy, development,
promotion, and implementation (see Chapter 15).
host government
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