Lecture 1Tourism in Perspective (Part 1)

What is Tourism?

• Tourism is the processes, activities, and outcomes arising from the relationships and the interactions among tourists, tourism suppliers, host governments, host communities, and surrounding environments that are involved in the attracting and hosting of visitors.

Four Different Perspectives of Tourism

• The tourist (experiences and satisfactions)

• The businesses providing tourist goods and services (profits)

• The government of the host community or area (wealth factor)

• The host community (employment factor)

What is Tourism?

• Tourism is a composite of activities, services, and industries that deliver a travel experience: transportation, accommodation, eating and drinking establishments, shops, entertainment, activity facilities, and other hospitality services available for individuals or groups that are travelling away from home.

World Tourism Organization Definition

• “Tourism comprises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes”.

Defining Tourism

Distance travelled• 40 kilometres (50 miles; USA) from usual place of residence

Length of time spent • for a period of at least 24 hours and not exceeding 12

months

Purpose of the trip• for business, pleasure, personal affairs, or any other

purpose except to work

World Tourism Organization Definitions

1. International Tourism:“Inbound tourism”: Visits to a country by nonresidents“Outbound tourism”: Visits by residents of a country to another

country 2. Internal tourism: Visits by residents and nonresidents of the

country of reference3. Domestic tourism: visits by residents of a country to their own

country4. National Tourism: Internal tourism plus outbound tourism

World Tourism Organization Definitions (Continued 1)

• All types of travellers engaged in tourism are described as visitors.

• International visitor:Persons who travel for a period not exceeding twelve months to a

country other than the one in which they generally reside and whose main purpose is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.

• Internal/Domestic visitor: Persons who travel to a destination within their own country, that is

outside their usual environment for a period not exceeding twelve months.

World Tourism Organization Definitions (Continued 2)

• Excursionists/Same day visitors: Visitors who don’t spend the night in a collective or

private accommodation in the country visited (stay less than 24 hours)–For example, a cruise ship passenger spending four hours in a port or day trippers visiting an attraction.

• Tourists: Visitors who stay in the country visited for at least one

night-for example, a visitor on a two-week vacation.

Comprehensive Classification of Travelers

Other Travelers excluded:• Commuters• Other local travelers (trips involving less than a

specific one-way distance, such as 50 miles)• Crews• Students• Migrants• Temporary workers

Travelers

Residents Visitors

Non travelers Travelers

Within the scope of travel and tourism

Other Travelers

Commuters

Other Local Travelers

Crews

Students

Migrants

Temporary Workers

International Domestic

Intercontinental Continental Interregional Regional

Stay one or more nights Same day

Primary Purposes of

Travel

BusinessVisiting Friends

or Relatives (VFR)

Other Personal Business. Example: shopping, medical

appointment.

Pleasure

Components of Tourism and Tourism Management:

• The Tourist

• Natural Resources and Environment

• The Built Environment

• Operating Sectors of the Tourism Industry

• Spirit of Hospitality

Components of Tourism and Tourism Management: (Continued 1)

• Planning, Development, Promotion, and Catalyst Organizations

• The Importance of Integrated/Collaborative Planning and Development

• The Processes, Activities, and Outcomes of Tourism

• Careers in Tourism

1-The Tourist

• The very heart of the tourism phenomenon model is the tourist, and the travel experiences.

• It is critical (important) that both policy makers and managers are able to understand:

Tourists' motivation for pleasure travel The multiple factors that influence their selection of a destination Their mode of travel Their ultimate choice among the activities that may fulfil their travel

needs

• It is only when we understand the tourist as fully as possible that we can proceed to develop:

facilities, events, activities, and programs that will distinguish a given destination, thus making it uniquely attractive to the tourist.

2-Natural Resources and EnvironmentAny given destination is primarily characterized by:

• Physiography the nature and appearance of its landscape.

• Climate The kind of weather it has over a period of years; i.e., the

conditions of heat and cold, moisture and dryness, and wind.

• PeopleThose who "belong" to the destination (its residents) Those who are current or potential visitors to the destination (the

tourism market).

3-The Built Environment

• The infrastructure:Such basic things as roads, sewage systems, communication networks,

and many commercial facilities (supermarkets and retail stores)

• Tourism superstructure:Those facilities that have been developed especially to respond to the

demands of visitors (hotels, restaurants, conference centers, car rentals & major attractions)

• Technology:Jet air craft, massive invasion of telecommunications technology, linked

closely with computer technology, have a dramatic impact on the tourism phenomenon.

3-The Built Environment (Continued 1)

Information:• Information on the potential tourism market• level of satisfaction of current visitors regarding the quality, or enjoyment, of their visitation

experience• Competitors and their activities • functioning or performance of the destination• the extent to which residents of the host region understand and support tourism as a long-

term component of the socioeconomic system.

Overall system of governance: • The legal, political, and fiscal systems regulating its functioning • Overall culture • New regulations • privatization • Free Trade Agreement • September 11, 2001 event

4-Operating Sectors of the Tourism Industry

• Transportation sector:Airlines, bus companies, and so on tends to typify the movement of

people and travel.

• Accommodation sector:Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, Best Western, and so on, is highly visible

to the public.

• The food services sector:world-famous fast-food chains (McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King,

KFC), internationally known gourmet restaurants such as Maxim's in Paris.

4-Operating Sectors of the Tourism Industry (Continued 1)

• The attractions sector:Disneyland/ WaIt Disney World, Louvre museum in Paris, the pyramids in

Egypt, the Acropolis in Athens; Greece, and Niagara Falls in Canada.

• The events sector:Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany; the Calgary Stampede in Canada; the

Mardi Gras of New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Boston Marathon; and the Super Bowl in the United States; World Cup Soccer and the International Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

• The adventure and outdoor recreation:Golfing, skiing, snow boarding, white-water rafting, parasailing, hang gliding,

mountain biking, and mountaineering.

4-Operating Sectors of the Tourism Industry (Continued 2)

Entertainment:• Las Vegas, Nashville, and Branson, Missouri (world famous

entertainers) • New York/Broadway and Los Angeles/ Hollywood have used

various aspects of the entertainment industry.

Travel trade & Tourism services:• Retail travel agent and the wholesale tour operator.

Tourism Support:• Computer support services, retail services, financial services,

specialized consulting services and tourism educators.

5-Spirit Of Hospitality

• operating sectors of tourism are responsible for delivering high-quality, memorable experiences in a warm spirit of hospitality.

• train industry personnel to treat the tourist with fairness, respect, and a level of politeness.

• must encourage its residents to behave as friendly hosts to visitors who are in unfamiliar surroundings.

• They should convey a friendly attitude and when required, Offer basic information and a helpful hand.

• enhance the perceived value of all the other aspects of the visitation experience.

6-Planning, Development, Promotion, and Catalyst Organizations (PDPCO)

we "do the right things" as that we "do things right.“

• This means simply that policy makers need to ensure that their destination offers the kinds of travel experiences that are most appropriate to the visitor, always keeping in mind any limitations imposed by the resources of the destination.

“The destination management organization (DMO)”

• In most countries, policy and planning involve two very important categories of stakeholders.

1. Public Sector (governments)• At the national level, governments are usually represented

by a national tourism organization (NTO)• At the city or regional level are local and city government

tourism departments or a convention and visitor bureau (CVB).

2. Private Sector

7-The Importance of Integrated/Collaborative Planning and Development

• Because both the public and private sectors each control (and often operate) an important percentage of tourism facilities, events, and programs.

• It is important that policy, planning, and development efforts be continuously carried out within a joint, cooperative, collaborative organizational framework.

• The actual name of the organization (tourism authority, tourism council, or tourism partnership) matters little. What is important is the quality of the collaboration that occurs.

8-The Processes, Activities, and Outcomes of Tourism

• Define tourism philosophy of the destination and Formulate a supportive policy, vision, and strategy.

• Provide direction and guidance for the detailed planning and development that will determine the nature and quality of the experiences the destination is capable of offering.

• Marketing promotional efforts; pricing and distribution of the travel products/experiences.

8-The Processes, Activities, and Outcomes of Tourism (Continued 1)

• Monitoring of the levels and quality of visitation as well as visitor satisfaction regarding experiences and the destination to ensure that the success of tourism does not destroy the natural resources on which tourism depends on so heavily.

• Evaluation is simply an attempt to carefully assess the appropriateness, the effectiveness, the efficiency, and the overall performance of all components and processes in the tourism system. The results of the evaluation provide a critical source of information for the next ongoing stages.

9-Careers in Tourism

• The accommodation sector requires bell staff, front desk staff, and room maintenance staff.

• The food services sector requires cooks, waiter staff, and kitchen maintenance staff.

• The attractions sector requires facilitation and equipment operators, as do the entertainment, event, and transportation sectors.

• The adventure and outdoor recreation sector needs guides and group leaders.

• The travel trade and tourism services sectors must have the personnel to assist travellers as they plan their trips.

Text Book

• John Wiley 2009, “Tourism: Principles, Practices & Philosophies”, Charles R.Goeldner, J.R.Brent Ritchie, Eleventh edition. (Chapter 1)