UNIT- 1

INTRODUCTION TO TOURISM

TOURISM:

Tourism is the temporary movement of people from their normal place of residence to another place for a minimum period of 24 hours to a maximum of six months for the sole purpose of leisure and pleasure.

Tourist: A temporary visitor to a place. People who travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purpose.

Tourism is of two types:

    1. Domestic Tourism

This refers to tourist travelling within their own country.

For ex- New Delhi to Lucknow

    1. International Tourism

Travelling from one country to another is referred as international tourism. In this type of tourism people require a valid passport, visa, health documents, foreign exchange, etc.

For ex- India to Canada

International tourism may be inbound or outbound.

    • Inbound- this refers to incoming tourist or tourist entering a particular country.

    • Outbound- this refers to outgoing tourist or tourist leaving their country of origin to travel to another country.

FEW TERMS:

Visitor: any person visiting a country other than his usual place of residence for any other reason than following an occupation from within the country visited.

Excursionist: a day visitor who stays for less than 24 hours at a place. Excursionists do not stay overnight.

Traveller: a person who travels from one place to another, irrespective of the purpose of travel or duration of stay.

CONSTITUENTS OF TOURISM:

    1. PRIMARY/ MAIN CONSTITUENTS:

    • Transportation: It is the movement of people and goods from one place to another. It includes Railways, Airlines, Roadways, Water

    • Accommodation: Tourist needs a place to stay.

Hotel

Motel

Time-share

Resort

Sarai

Food and Beverage: tourist require the catering services which include

  1. Non-commercial outlets or welfare outlets- like institutes etc.

Commercial outlets-

  1. Residential- include hotels, guest houses, resorts etc.

Non-residential- include speciality or fine dining restaurants, fast food restaurant, coffee shop, bars and pub, lounge, vending machines, dhabas etc.

Entertainment or attractions:

  1. Natural attraction- hills, beaches
  1. Built attraction- resorts, amusement or theme parks
  1. Business attraction- MICE
  1. Relatives and friends-
  1. Historic attraction- heritage building, monuments, palaces
  1. Cultural and ethnic attraction- custom, traditions, fairs, festivals
  1. Special events- commonwealth games, Olympic games
  1. Medical attraction-spa, sanatorium
  1. Religious attraction- pilgrim

Government attraction– white house, parliament

Retail and shopping-

shopping malls,

Gift shops

Art and craft shops,

hawkers etc.

Travel agents and tour operators- travel agents act as intermediaries serving between the various services providers and travel consumers. Travel agency perform a number of function such as provide travel information, planning itineraries, liaising with vendors, costing, ticketing, reservation, documentation, settlement of account, MICE, foreign exchange.

Tour operators are different from travel agent. Tour operator assembles all the different components of travel and sells it as a package tour, to and from a destination, with complete ground arrangements.

    • Guides and escort- guides is a travel industry representative; a public relations representative for his city, region and country- as well as an educator, an entertainer, and a public speaker. There are many types of guide location guide, monument guide, museum guide etc.

Escort has to accompany the tourist right from the commencement till the end of the tour. An escort facilitate check-in facilities, customs clearance; accompany the tour during sight-seeing, shopping etc.

    • Tourism organisation- organization are formed when group of people come together for a common purpose. Tourism organisations play an important role in marketing destination and managing tourism industry. There are many levels of organization international, national, state and local levels.  World Tourism Organisation is the international organization founded in the year 1975.

    • SECONDARY CONSTITUENTS:

    • Shops and state emporium

    • Art and craft

    • Local transport

    • Banks

    • Insurance companies

    • Hospital

    • Communication services- include public phones, mobiles, internet café, video conferencing, television, radio, telex, fax

    • Performing artist

    • Publisher

    • Advertisers

    • Hawkers and coolies

    • Agents and brokers

    • Essential services- electricity, waste disposal, sewage, health facilities, security