Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
operational de
nitions to suit particular needs
of researchers or government of
cials; these
studies have not encompassed a systems
approach. Consequently, many de
nitions of
tourism and the tourist are based on distance
traveled, the length of time spent, and the
purpose of the trip. This makes it dif
cult to
gather statistical information that scholars can
use to develop a database, describe the tour-
ism phenomenon, and do analyses.
The problem is not trivial. It has been
tackled by a number of august bodies over
the years, including the League of Nations, the
United Nations, the United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Organi-
zation for Economic Cooperation and De-
velopment (OECD), the National Tourism
Resources Review Commission, and the U.S.
Senate
Tourism is relaxing and
enjoying a vacation with a
stone massage at the Spa
of the Rockies. A massage
allows a comfortable
escape from the
complexities of the modern
world and encourages a
stress-free vacation.
Photo
courtesyoftheSpaofthe
RockiesatGlenwoodHot
SpringsinGlenwoodSprings,
Colorado.
s National Tourism Policy Study.
The following review of various de
ni-
tions illustrates the problems of arriving at
a consensus. We examine the concept of
the movement of people and the terminol-
ogy and de
nitions applied by the United
Nations World Tourism Organization and
those of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Later, a comprehensive
classi
cation of travelers is provided that endeavors to re
ect a consensus of current thought
and practice.
'
United Nations World Tourism Organization De
nitions
The International Conference on Travel and Tourism Statistics convened by the United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Ottawa, Canada, in 1991 reviewed, updated, and expanded on the
work of earlier international groups. The Ottawa Conference made some fundamental recommenda-
tions on de
nitions of tourism, travelers, and tourists. The United Nations Statistical Commission
adopted the UNWTO
'
s recommendations on tourism statistics on March 4, 1993.
Tourism
The UNWTO has taken the concept of tourism beyond a stereotypical image of
''
holiday making.
''
The
of
cially accepted de
nition is:
''
Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to and staying in
places outside their
for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business,
and other purposes.'' The term usual environment is intended to exclude trips within the area of usual
residence, frequent and regular trips between the domicile and the workplace, and other community
trips of a routine character.
usual environment
1.
International tourism
a.
Inbound tourism:
Visits to a country by nonresidents
b.
Outbound tourism:
Visits by residents of a country to another country
2.
Internal tourism:
Visits by residents and nonresidents of the country of reference
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