what is tourism ?

 WHAT IS TOURISM?

 

“Tourism is the sum of phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of nonresidents, in so far as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected to any earning activity.”

– Professors Hunziker and Krapf, Berne University, Switzerland

 

“Tourism is the temporary short-term movement of people to destinations outside the places where the normally live and work and their activities during their stay at these destinations.”

 – Tourism Society, Britain

 

 “Tourism can be defined in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home environment.”

 – Tourism Society, Cardiff

 

FIVE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM

 

-A combination of phenomena and relationships

-Two essential elements: the dynamic element (the journey) and the static element (the stay)

-To and from destinations outside the place of residence and work

-Movement to destinations is temporary and short-term with the intention to return

-Visit purposes not connected with paid work.

 

Visitor

 

- any person visiting a country other than that of earning money

- all travelers who engage in tourism; basic unit for the whole system of tourism statistics

- those persons who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence but outside their usual environment for a period not exceeding twelve months and whose main

purpose of visit is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.

Classifications of Visitors

 

*International Visitor (Intercontinental & Continental)

*Domestic Visitor (Interregional & Regional)

*Tourist or Overnight Visitor

*Excursionist or Same-day Visitor

 

Tourist

 

-also known as overnight visitor

-person who, visits a country other than that in which he usually resides for a period of at least 24 hours.

-temporary visitors staying at least 24 hours, whose purpose could be classified as: leisure, business, family, mission and meeting

 

 

Excursionist

 

-also known as same day visitor

-temporary visitors staying less than 24 hours in the destination visited and not making an overnight stay, including cruise travelers, but excluding travelers in transit

 

 

Other Travelers/ Non-visitors

a. Nomads

b. Transit passengers

c. Refugees

d. Members of the armed force

e. Consulates/ diplomats

f. OFWs/ OCWs

g. Commuters

h. Crew

i. Students

j. Temporary workers

 

 

Elements of Travel

 

1. Distance- the difference between local travel or travelling within a person’s home community

and non-local travel or travelling away from home

2. Length of stay

3. Residence of the traveler- the origin of the traveler

4. Purpose of Travel:

a. Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR)

b. Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions (MICE)

c. Outdoor recreations

d. Entertainment

e. Personal

f. Others

 

The Nature of a Tour

 

a. Package Tour – also known as INCLUSIVE TOUR, is an arrangement in which transport and

accommodation is bought by the tourist at an all-inclusive price and the price of the individual

elements cannot be determined by the purchaser itself

b. Independent Tour – an arrangement in which the tourist buys these facilities separately, either

making reservations in advance through a travel agent en route during his tour

c. Independent Inclusive Tour – the tourist travels to his destination individually

d. Group Inclusive Tour – the tourist travels in the company of other tourists

 

The Tourist Product

 

- consists of what the tourist buys

- combination of what the tourist does at the destination and the services he uses during his stay

 

 

 

Characteristics of Tourist Product

 

1. Service – intangible item, it can’t be inspected by prospective purchasers before they buy

2. Largely psychological in its attraction – collection of services; the temporary use of a

strange environment plus the culture and heritage of the region and other intangible benefits

such as atmosphere and hospitality

3. Tends to vary in standard and quality over time – a tour package cannot be consistently

of equal standard

4. Fixed – no changes can be made to meet the changing demands of tourists during a particular season

 

The Tourist Destination

 

- a geographical unit where the tourist visits and stays

- it may be a village, town, city, district, region, island, country or a continent

- the success of a tourist destination depend upon the interrelationship of the 3 basic factors:

 

1. Attractions – may be a site and event attractions; sights, experiences, and activities

in the destination

▪ Site Attraction – one in which the destination itself has appeal

▪ Event Attraction – one in which tourists are drawn to the destination solely because of what is taking place there

▪ Natural Attraction – include mountains, beaches, and climate features

▪ Manmade Attraction – include buildings of historical or architectural interests, theme Parks

2. Amenities – or FACILITIES include accommodation, food, local transport, communications, and entertainment at the site; ancillary services that make one’s stay in the destination enjoyable, such as banking services, telecommunications facilities, shops, etc.

3. Accessibility – having regular and convenience of transport in terms of time/distance

to the destination from the originating country at a reasonable price; transportation and Infrastructure

 

Tourist Services

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1. Passenger Transport – which provides the means to reach the

destination; it can be between public or private, domestic and

international, and among various modes: land, sea, air, and rail

2. Accommodation, food and beverage, and entertainment

▪ Accommodation – lodging facilities

▪ Food and Beverages – the necessity to eat; fast food, restaurant and others

▪ Entertainment – amusement and recreation

3. Travel Agent and Tour Operator

▪ Travel Agent – the distributor of the product, provides an intermediary function between the tourist and the providers of transport and accommodation

▪ Tour Operator – the manufacturer of the product, combines the individual components of a holiday into a product, which is then sold directly to the public or through travel agents

 

Importance of tourism

 

Tourism has become one of the world’s major industries that provides the following potential benefits:

1. Contribution to the balance of payments.

2. Dispersion of development.

3. Effect on general economic development.

4. Employment opportunities.

5. Social benefits.

6. Cultural enrichment.

7. Educational Significance.