Unit 1 – Introduction to Tourism

Unit Overview
Over the years, tourism has become meaningful to all economies.
The need for discovery has caused movement of people of
differing languages and cultures. Generation of income has led
many governments to seek another way to garner revenues and
development employment opportunities.

As a tour guide in this era, “a dying breed”, you will be interacting

with the people on whom your existence depends. An answer to
what is tourism and the history of this revenue earner will be the
focus of this Unit.

Let us explore the subject of tourism together.

By the completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Provide knowledge of why tourism is part of the services

industry
Outcomes for Unit 1
Outline the components and services that comprise the
tourism industry

Recognize the linkages of tourism in the economy

Establish career opportunities available in the tourism

industry Differentiate between service and servitude

 Unit 1:1 The Tourism Industry
Unit Overview
There are many places of interest in this world. With the millions
of people around, the desire to learn and see more of the world,
people engage in tourism. The tourism industry is the bedrock of
most modern economies for it includes countless components that
influence the survival and livelihood of the residents. Despite the
obvious economic advantages of the industry, the esthetic benefits
to the buyer and service provider cannot be underestimated.

By looking at the linkages that exist within the tapestry of this

industry, the benefits and development of it is vital.

By the completion of this unit, you will be able

to: Define “tourism”, “tourists” and the tourism
industry List the reasons for the importance of
Objectives for Unit 1:1
tourism

1. Explain the different forms of tourism

2. list two (2) means of transportation that is
commonly known Discuss the history of tourism
3. Discuss one reason why people travel
4. Explain three (3) factors that influence travel
decisions
5. Explain the importance of the tour guide being
knowledgeable about the push/pull factors of
tourism
6. Identify the various organizations that are
involved in the tourism globally
7. Analyze the benefits and costs of tourism
Definitions
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business
purposes. In 1976, the Tourism Society of England's
definition was: "Tourism is the temporary, short-term
movement of people to destination outside the places where
they normally live and work and their activities during the
stay at each destination. It includes movements for all
purposes." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism#cite_note-2

Another definition for tourism by the World trade

Organization is that “tourism comprises the activities of
persons traveling to and staying in places outside their
usual environment for not more than one consecutive year
for leisure, business, and other purposes.”
http://pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/Product
s/103 4/1034-1.pdf

Tourist
The World Tourism Organization (1995) defines tourists as
people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual
environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more
than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes
not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within
the place visited”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism#cite_note-
2

Tourism industry
This industry is comprised of the group of businesses that
provide the activities in which tourists are engaged in while away
from home. This will be discussed in more detail under “Sectors
of Tourism”. One definition by Goeldner and Ritchie (2006)
Tourism
– Principles, Practices, Philosophies, is that “tourism is a
composite of activities, services, and industries that deliver a
travel experience.”
Forms of Tourism
There are many forms of tourism in which persons traveling can
engage. These forms are as follows:

1. Domestic tourism – residents of the country travel

within this country

2. Inbound tourism - non-residents travel in the

given country

3. Outbound tourism – residents travel to another country.

Further to these forms the United Nations also derived different

categories of tourism which combine the three (3) basic forms of
tourism. These categories are as follows:

1. Internal tourism which will comprise domestic

and inbound tourism

2. National tourism comprises domestic and

outbound tourism

3. International tourism – consisting of inbound

and outbound tourism.

In Korea, the Tourism Organization there coined the term

“Intrabound Tourism which differs from domestic tourism in that
the former encompasses policymaking and implementation of
national tourism policies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism#cite_note-2

So as you would see, there is correlation in the forms of tourism

however you look at it. Hence, the forms of tourism can be
summarized as internal and international
History of tourism
It may be a stretch to state that the first unofficial form of tourism
occurred with the nomads, as they moved form place to place in
search of a better way of life. True based on the definition of
tourism this would not be accurate, yet it proves the point of
tourism.

For each nation, country or people, the history of tourism is

different. Generally, early times of tourism mentions the
pilgrimages to Rome and Mecca and the Grand Tour in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

“Each nation has a story.”

Niches of Tourism

With the general term “tourism”, there are many different categories or
niches of this industry. There is ecotourism, sustainable tourism, sports
tourism and cruise tourism, space tourism and LGBT tourism. The list
of adjectival tourism continues. Complete Activity 1.
Types of travellers
Goeldner et al (2003) wrote that “the underlying
conceptualization of tourism is that of a traveller. A traveller is
someone who makes a trip between two or more countries or two
or more localities within his/her country of usual residence.”
However, he further noted that travellers are categorized as
visitors. For our purposes we will subdivide these visitors into two
general groups.

Tourist is the generic term used for persons, but of course there
are exceptions.

Excursionist – this is the same-day visitor. This visitor spends less

than twenty-four hours (24 hours) in the country visiting. For
example: cruise ship passengers. However, crews of airplanes or
cruise ships are not counted in this classification.

Tourist – these visitors stay in the country for at least one night
but less than one full year. For example: when someone from
Barbados takes a two-week vacation to the Bahamas.

Based on the niches of tourism, there are several types of tourists

that may emerge. The choice of factors such as amenities, and
attractions determine the label, such as:

§ Naturalist – where travel is not first class, no

accommodation and stay away from catered tourist
attractions.

§ Organized Mass Tourist – these are usually

vacationers on a packaged tour; there may be chartered
flights and the requiem visit to major attractions.

§ Explorer – this type of tourist mixes with the

host community but remain in the “tourist bubble”.
They plan their own trip and avoid organized tourist
attractions.

According to Cohen (1972) the explorer role is where the trip is

organized independently (not part of the mass tourist group) and
is looking to get off the beaten track. However comfortable
accommodation and reliable transport are sought and, while the
environment bubble is abandoned on occasion, it is there to step
into if things get tough”.
 § Drifter – this type of tourist immerses themselves
in the culture of the host community – avoiding tourist
attractions and may live with the members of the
community.

The drifter role as described by Cohen (1972) notes that “all

connections with the tourism industry are spurned and the trip
attempts to get as far from home and familiarity as possible. With
no fixed itinerary, the drifter lives with local people, paying
his/her way and immersing him/herself in their culture.

Purpose of travel
Have you ever wanted to get away from the normal everyday activities of life? If yes, what
were your reasons?

eople travel for a myriad of reasons; some of these are:

• Health – going to see a doctor for a medical emergency; going to a tropical country
to enjoy the sun and sea for therapeutic treatments or other medical emergencies.

• Leisure – vacations or holidays or just for fun and relaxation

• Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) - part of leisure, this category may be to attend
a reunion at the Alma Mater University or college. It may also be a spend time with
family after a long time.

• Religious reasons- such as for pilgrimages and religious festivals

• Business – to transact some form of business deal or present a proposal to overseas

investors

• Meetings, incentives, conventions and events – this category may be considered

under business. It looks at the different reasons that someone on business may choose
to travel. However, with events, there may be a segment that is there not on business
but pleasure or leisure. The event may be for a music festival, for example, St Lucia
Jazz Festival or a cultural event such as Crop Over Festival in Barbados or the Rio de
Janeiro Carnival in Brazil.
To see attractions - a visit to see the beauty of the Taj Mahal in India or the historical exhibits
packed within the Smithsonian 19 museums may be pull factors for persons to visit a
destination (See Figures 1 and 2 below). To engage in outdoor recreation and adventures
such as skiing, bird watching. Even planning and attending various events, seasonal or not
such as the Summer or Winter Olympic Games is a form of tourism.

Attractions may be defined as:

• The facilities, activities, locations or sights that a tour visits, such as a monument,
museum or natural wonder. (Mancini 2003)
• 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. (Goeldner et al 2006)
• For the tourist, all this may be considered to be an opportunity to broaden their frame
of reference – education and wanderlust.

Figure 1 - Taj Mahal in India

 Figure 2 - Peacock Room at the Smithsonian Museum

§ Educational reasons – a linguistic class engaging in

language exchanges with students from other parts of the
world or visiting a place of interest in fulfillment of an
internship.

§ Transit reasons – this is a special count of visitors that

do not stay-over in the country but are passing through
onwards to the final destination. For example: a passenger
form Barbados may stopover in transit to Los Angeles in
Miami. In some countries the statistics for this reason is not
counted in that for tourists.

All these reasons may be categorized into two main categories –

business or leisure. From these two broad categories you may
have a combination of business and leisure in one trip. These
categories are then coalesced into the particular reason for travel.
Factors that influence travel
We have already seen the reasons why persons may travel; as their
purposes vary so too do the factors that influence the travel
decision.

Factors that influence travel decisions

v Climate

v Distance between countries

v Attractions – natural and man-made

v Communications – transportation infrastructure –

can it be traveled by one means of transport or node of
transport

v Cost

v Cultural links / Language

v Political factors

Why do tour guides need to know the motivations for

travel?
Tour-guides need to be familiar with the places where people
come, as this affects the ways people behave. Tour-guides need
to be aware of cultural differences and the expectations and level
of service may vary.
Modes of transportation
At one time or other, people desire a change in environment and
culture. The desire to escape from the challenges and stresses of
life and achieve certain personal goals stimulates the travel
desire.

So how do we move from one place to another? It is usually by

some form of transportation. It can be by road, by air or by water.
• Cars
• Buses
• Trains
• Aircrafts/ aeroplanes - for long distances across many
geographical planes
• Cruise-ships
There is a network of routes along which the vehicles travel –
roads, tracks, air and sea lanes. At times these nodes become
interchanged.

Transportation infrastructure from the generating country to the

destination is affected by the nodes or means of transportation.

Tourism Organizations
In the history of the world, the need for order has been realized as
a sure fact. Even within tourism, the need is even greater for in
looking at employment issues, revenue generation or carrying
capacity of the island, organization is crucial.

There are many international organizations involved in tourism.

However, before we look at the international organizations there
are national tourist boards/bureaus and regional agencies that form
the structure of tourism.

Some of the regional and international bodies that have oversight

of tourism or development of statutes and other legislation are as
follows:

1. Caribbean Tourism Organization

– this regional organization was established in 1989 after a
 merger with the Caribbean Tourism
Association. http://www.onecaribbean.org/aboutus/

2. UNWTO or World Tourism Organization – that

since September 27, 1980 celebrated “World Tourism
Day”. This organization was established in 1974.
http://www.unwto.org/

3. World Trade Organization – established in1995. It

operates a system of rules for trade where nations can settle
disputes and negotiate agreements related to trade barriers.
Its history goes back to 1944. http://www.wto.org/

4. The World Travel and Tourism Council - this is a

forum for business leaders of travel and tourism. It was
established in 1990. http://www.wttc.org/

These organizations help policy makers develop industry

standards that are vital to sustainability of the tourism industry.
Importance of tourism
Many present and past world leaders know the importance of
tourism. The below mentioned are quotes prepared by the World
Travel and Tourism Council as noted by Goeldner and Ritchie,
J.R. Brent (2003) Tourism Principles, Practices, Philosophies,
9th Edition:

§ “Tourism is a big business in Canada with a unique

ability to create jobs nationwide. It is a people-intensive
industry with a demonstrated ability to create jobs at a faster
rate, more economically, than the economy as a whole.”
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien - Canada.

§ “The travel and tourism industry in this country has

performed excellently, gaining world market share, increasing
its contribution to GDP and creating one in five of all new
jobs.” Prime Minister John Major – United Kingdom

§ “Tourism has exerted enormous impact on the economic

development of the Caribbean region as a whole. It accounts
for 25 percent of the total value of exports or goods and
services, making the Caribbean the world’s most tourist-
dependent region.” Prime Minister Percival J. Patterson –
Jamaica

§ “… Tourism can contribute substantially to developing

the people of our country as it is a highly labour intensive
industry accommodating a wide spectrum of skilled and
semiskilled labour.” President Nelson Mandela- South Africa

When we look at the quotes we see the following we see the

importance of tourism as:

i. economic advantages to the Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) and national income; revenue
earner; investment

ii. employment and job creation

iii. social and cultural stability

iv. conservation of the environment and

architecture
Benefits and Costs of tourism
As in life, there are many benefits or positives to tourism but there
are also costs or negatives. This is so for the countries and
communities as a whole.

Benefits of tourism Costs of tourism

Employment opportunities in Vulnerable to economic and
both skilled and unskilled political changes
areas.
Contributes to disease,
Increased income for full-time economic fluctuation and other
or part-time workers problems

Diversification of the economy Unbalanced economic

development

Create increased Gross Inflation increases

National Product (GNP) and
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Reinforces the preservation of Commercialization of

heritage and culture culture and
arts
Promotes international
understanding and peace Conflict creation in host
societies
Development of local products
and resources Creates social problems
Justifies environmental
protection Degrades the cultural and
physical environment
ACTIVITY #1: HISTORY AND NICHES OF TOURISM
1. Research the history of tourism in your country. What were the
catalysts factors? Who were the pioneers? Why is tourism so
important?
2. Research the different niches of tourism. Identify the type of
tourism in your country. To help you along, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_adjectival_tourisms

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