Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
DEFINING TOURISM
The terms
travel
and
tourism
are often interchanged within the published literature on
tourism, though they are normally meant to encompass 'the field of research on human
and business activities associated with one or more aspects of the temporary movement
of persons away from their immediate home communities and daily work environments
for business, pleasure and personal reasons' (R. Chadwick 1994:65). These two terms
tend to be used in differing contexts to mean similar things, although there is a tendency
for researchers in the United States to continue to use the term 'travel' when in fact they
mean tourism. Despite this inherent problem, which may be little more than an exercise
in semantics, it is widely acknowledged that the two terms are used in isolation or in
unison to 'describe' three concepts:
• the movement of people
• a sector of the economy or an industry
• a broad system of interacting relationships of people (including their need to travel
outside their communities and services that attempt to respond to these needs by
supplying products) (Chadwick 1994).
From this initial starting point, one can begin to explore some of the complex issues in
arriving at a working definition of the terms
tourism
and
tourist
.
In an historical context, Burkart and Medlik (1981:41) identify the historical
development of the term
tourism,
noting the distinction between the endeavours of
researchers to differentiate between the concept and technical definitions of tourism. The
concept of tourism refers to the 'broad notional framework, which identifies the essential
characteristics, and which distinguishes tourism from the similar, often related, but
different phenomena'. In contrast, technical definitions have evolved through time as
researchers modify and develop appropriate measures for statistical, legislative and
operational reasons implying that there may be various technical definitions to meet
particular purposes. However, the concept of tourism, and its identification for research
purposes, is an important consideration in this instance for tourism statistics so that users
are familiar with the context of their derivation.
While most tourism topics, articles and monographs now assume either a standard
definition or interpretation of the concept of tourism, which is usually influenced by the
social scientists' perspective (i.e. a geographical, economic, political, sociological
approach or other disciplines), Burkart and Medlik's (1981) approach to the concept of
tourism continues to offer a valid assessment of the situation where five main
characteristics are associated with the concept.
• Tourism arises from the movement of people to, and their stay in, various destinations.
• There are two elements in all tourism: the journey to the destination and the stay
including activities at the destination.
• The journey and the stay take place outside the normal place of residence and work, so
that tourism gives rise to activities which are distinct from those of the resident and
working populations of the places, through which tourists travel and in which they
stay.
• The movement to tourist destinations is of a temporary, short-term character, with the
intention of returning home within a few days, weeks or months.
