Tourism: Questions and Topics For Discussion
Tourism: Questions and Topics For Discussion
TOURISM
1 Tourism essentials
1.1 Definitions in travel and tourism
1.2 Tourism past and present
1.3 Trends in tourism
2 Tour organization
2.1 The chain of distribution in the tourism industry
2.2 Tour operators and travel agents
3 Types of tourism
3.1 Purpose of travel
3.1.1 Leisure
3.1.2 Business travel
3.1.3 Special interest tourism
3.2 Tourist attractions
1. List the revolutionary changes that enabled the masses to travel for leisure.
2. What are the most important trends in tourism today?
3. Identify the major changes in domestic/outbound tourism in Hungary.
4. What distinguishes a tourist from an excursionist?
5. Describe the chain of distribution in the tourism industry?
6. What are the main tasks of a tour operator/travel agent?
7. Who is a fam trip organized for?
8. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the package holiday.
9. What are the most popular mass forms/special interest forms of tourism?
10. What kinds of places can become tourist attractions?
11. What are some of the attractions and kinds of entertainment that make major tourist
destinations?
1 TOURISM ESSENTIALS
1.1 DEFINITIONS IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM
The tourist industry has become one of the most important economic influences in modern times.
According to Wikipedia tourism is travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes. The World
Tourism Organisation (WTO) defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside
their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other
purposes".
In 1976, the Tourism Society of England's definition was: "Tourism is the temporary, short-term
movement of people to a 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."
A tourist is distinguished by the length of his trip from an excursionist, who is away from his usual
residence for less than 24 hours.
Inbound and outbound tourism are forms of international tourism. Inbound tourists are tourists
entering a country from their own country of origin, and outbound tourists are those who leave their
country of origin to travel to another country. Domestic tourism is the term used to describe tourist
trips which take place in the tourist’s own country.
Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. After slowly recovering from the contraction
resulting from the late-2000s recession, where tourism suffered a strong slowdown from the second
half of 2008 through the end of 2009, international tourist arrivals surpassed the milestone 1 billion
tourists globally for first time in history in 2012. International tourism receipts grew to US$1.03
trillion (€740 billion) in 2011, corresponding to an increase in real terms of 3.8% from 2010. In 2012,
China became the largest spender in international tourism globally, surpassing Germany and the
United States and emerging markets like e.g. Russia or Brazil significantly increase their spending
over the past decade.
Tourism is important, and in some cases, vital for many countries. It was recognized in the Manila
Declaration on World Tourism of 1980 as "an activity essential to the life of nations because of its
direct effects on the social, cultural, educational, and economic sectors of national societies and on
their international relations.
ANCIENT TIMES
Trade, business and religion were the most important reasons for travelling in ancient times.
Throughout history people have travelled all over the world to trade with other nations or tribes. As
early as 3000 BC. There were caravan routes from Eastern Europe to North Africa, India and China.
Caravansaries were built a day’s march apart, where both the people and animals could rest and
refresh themselves. Journeys often lasted for months or years. Greeks and Romans were famous
traders but there is also evidence of some travel for private purposes at this time. Holidays, of
course, have their origin in ‘holy days’, and from the earliest times people have travelled for religious
reasons, so the first inns were established around or near holy places. Later, in Europe inns and
taverns were built along the roads at the distance a horse could travel a day. It has to be mentioned
here, that not only in Ancient times but in the Middle Ages and in Modern Times too, tourism,
catering and hospitality were closely connected. As we move forward in history, they become
independent branches of industry.
The Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages the members of the ruling classes travelled to their distant estates, knights went
to hunt or to seek new adventure, apprentices sought work, or went to learn at famous workshops,
students travelled to study with famous scientists, actors went from inn to inn reciting poetry.
Pilgrims appeared on the roads of feudal Europe as the Crusade to the Holy Land began.
In the initial years of the 20th century pleasure travel continued to expand. World War I stopped this
development briefly but during the 20s regular tourism started to pick up again. Forms of travel
however began to change radically. The railways went into a period of steady decline with the
introduction of the motor car. The most outstanding invention of the 20th century is the airplane
which revolutionized tourism again. With the introduction of the Boeing 707 jets in 1958, the age of
air travel for the masses arrived. The appearance of low-cost/no-frills/budget airlines presents
serious competition for the different airlines.
Freddie Laker was one of the pioneers of modern passenger air travel. He was an engineer and
entrepreneur who helped the rapid expansion of air travel, using developments in aircraft
technology after World War II. In 1955 he introduced an air service carrying passengers and cars
across the Channel between England and France. It was in the 1960s and 1970s that the real growth
in charter air travel began, as more and more people wanted to go on package holidays. Freddie
Laker helped make air travel a realistic and fairly cheap possibility for many travellers and tourists.
The developments in technology and transport infrastructure, such as jumbo jets, low-cost airlines
and more accessible airports have made many types of tourism more affordable.
After WWII paid holidays began to be the norm; people had more disposable income. In 1950
package holidays first appeared but really picked up after the introduction of the first jet airliners in
the 60s. After a couple of years of mainly short-haul travel it was a mixture of politics and technology
that brought the remotest parts of the world within reach. Revenue from tourism seemed more and
more attractive. For years the national airlines had opposed any competition from charters but they
changed their mind and charters started up in 1988.
The majority of tourists today either travel by car or plane. A smaller number travel by coach on
organised round trips, especially if the distance to be covered is not long.
There has been an up-trend in tourism over the last few decades, especially in Europe, where
international travel for short breaks is common. Tourists have a wide range of budgets and tastes,
and a wide variety of resorts and hotels have developed to cater for them. For example, some
people prefer simple beach vacations, while others want more specialized holidays, quieter resorts,
family-oriented holidays or niche market-targeted destination hotels.
There have also been changes in lifestyle, for example some retirement-age people sustain
year round tourism. Smaller nuclear families, single person and single parent households, and an
ageing population significantly changed the tourism market. People above the age of 55 have been
more active, fit and affluent than any of the previous generations used to be. As the tourism market
has expanded beyond the traditional pattern of holidays for couples and families, the tourist load
increased and had to be spread to control and reduce its scale – among others for environmental
reasons. Travel periods have been spread and tourists have begun to holiday throughout the
calendar year, also taking second holidays which is facilitated by internet sales of tourist services.
While sun, sea and sand tourism still dominates, the standard two-week beach vacation is becoming
less popular.
Online booking has been booming recently. Some sites have now started to offer dynamic
packaging, in which an inclusive price is quoted for a tailor-made package requested by the
customer.
Numerous niche or specialty travel forms of tourism have emerged over the years. People
nowadays take shorter but more diverse trips causing the growth of adventure travel, ecotourism,
cultural tours, religious, heritage or culinary tourism, spa holidays, cruises, sport vacations, luxury
cruises, etc.
Authenticity is another trend: wealthier Western travellers look for more exotic, individualized
experiences. Governments of these sometimes off-the-beaten-path countries try hard to cater to
this new demand, which offers them the opportunity to keep more tourism revenue within their
borders. Some of the examples include: Do-Good Holidays: caring for orphans in Romania, planting
trees in Uganda, rebuilding monasteries in Mongolia, Herbal Holidays: pampering the body and
spirit with grape-seed therapy, hot steam bath in a wooden room (banya) in Moscow etc., Learning
About Indigenous Cultures Holidays on the coast of eastern South Africa where you can have dinner
with folk story-telling by the fire, Themed Vacation Cruises which offer e.g. yoga-themed, classical
music, culinary festival, wine-tasting cruises and also educationals by naturalists and historians – all
on board.
Although there have been a few setbacks in tourism at the beginning of the 21st century, e.g.
terrorist attacks to tourist destinations or the tsunami of December 2004 caused by the Indian
Ocean earthquake which stopped or severely hampered tourism in certain areas for a time, longer
term trends – including a rise in global wealth, improving transport technology, liberalization of
international airspace, cheaper flights and the use of the Internet as a travel tool – make it possible
for more people around the world to travel than ever before.
The prestige of travel has been on the increase worldwide. Tomorrow’s tourists will come
from new places; the number of Asian, and particularly Chinese tourists is predicted to explode as
the region becomes more integrated into the global economy.
2 TOUR ORGANIZATION
Figure 6 The network of sectors in the tourism industry (Holloway, 1998, p.67.)
Trips are organised by tour operators who buy a range of tourism products in bulk (airline seats,
hotel accommodation, modes of transport etc.) and package them for sale to travel agents or
customers. By buying in bulk, tour operators are able to negotiate much lower prices than an
individual person would have to pay. Because of this, people who could not otherwise afford it are
able to travel on tours. The second advantage of the packaged tour is that it offers convenience; and
a third advantage is accessibility, because they make it possible for people to visit many remote and
exotic areas. The technical term for package holidays is inclusive tour or IT.
Tour operators are the wholesalers of the tourism industry. They purchase services at their own risk
and they have to plan one or two years ahead to ensure that all the elements of a holiday are
packaged and the brochures are printed in time. They are traditionally not in direct contact with the
consumers, though nowadays more and more tour operators are setting up their own retail
network. Establishing direct contact with the consumers means that they get first hand information
on the changes in demand.
area
market segments
types of tours
direction of travel flow (inbound, outbound)
Thus there are local, regional, national and international tour operators whose activities span several
countries and even continents. There are inclusive tours where all the elements of the tour are
organised and there is no possibility to change. Then on the other extreme, there are tours where
only the basic services are provided and the consumer has the chance to choose from a wide range
of combinations. There are many different types of inclusive tours such as: coach tours, Fly/Cruise,
Fly/Drive, self-catering etc. Included in the package holiday will usually be some meals. There is
often a choice of bed and breakfast B&B, half board HB, full board FB, and the latest favourite is the
All Inclusive.
Types of Tours
It is possible to distinguish between two general types of tours. One is the holiday package that has a
resort hotel as its destination. The major attractions usually include sun, sea and activities such as
golf or tennis that are offered by the resort itself. Local sightseeing and entertainment may be
included in the package. The second is the guided tour that features sightseeing or some other
special attractions. These tours are accompanied by a guide who is in charge of travel arrangements
and activities.
Tour Operators
Tour operators first do background research at two levels: long-term and short-term. Long-term
planning means investigating the economic background of the general holiday market i.e. finding out
how much disposable income holidaymakers are likely to have. If a boom in consumer spending is
anticipated, programmes are increased and the opposite is true for a decline. Short-term
background research is the detailed planning of the following year’s brochures.
Programme planning
includes calculating the number of holidays, the number of aircraft, the size of aircraft (the load
factor = the aircraft slots), i.e. what percentage of seats is expected to be filled and the reduction of
empty legs, the empty halves of return flights. This is followed by contracting.
Air contracting
Some tour operators either have their own airlines or they charter seats and/or whole airliners
from different airlines.
Accommodation contracting
Serviced or self-catering accommodation contracting involves the number of bed nights at hotels
or other types of accommodation, and the conditions of release-back clauses.
Calculating the costs of the different packages always involves the cost of the brochures and the
mark-up or profit margin of the tour operator.
In conclusion, tour operators buy a range of different tourist products, such as airline seats, hotel
rooms, or coach transfer facilities, in bulk, and ‘package’ these for subsequent sale to travel agents
or direct to the tourist.
Retail travel agents live on commission. Commission may vary from country to country and from
time to time, and is between 5 to 15 per cent. As a supplementary activity, many agencies sell maps,
travel guides, timetables, programme booklets, lists of accommodation and other catalogues.
Selling Techniques
The first stage of selling a package tour is the sales conversation. There are four elements in a
sales conversation: rapport, questioning, presentation and commitment. In order to make the
clients feel at ease when they first turn to the sales assistant, they create a rapport with the client.
Then the client is questioned to find out the type of holiday they require. With open questions –
beginning with the letters ‘wh’ (e.g. Where? Why? Who? etc.), the sales assistants can learn what
the material and human needs of the clients are. This is followed by establishing the clients’
priorities which may fall into four bands: people, place, price and period. People: their special
needs. Place: the destination. Price: the price clients can afford. Period: the time the clients want
to travel.
After the sales assistants have checked the information and summarised the facts, they present
the holiday they wish to sell. Sales assistants should always bear in mind that clients do not buy
hotels as buildings but their ambience and atmosphere, the things that make them feel well. Sales
assistants should only concentrate on those features and benefits which the clients require. A
feature of a hotel is e.g. that it is only 150 metres from the beach. A benefit to the clients is that
they can get to the beach easily. By personalising the product, sales assistants can create a desire
in the clients to buy the product. It is important not to read out the brochure but just to refer to it.
When the clients show signs of commitment, the sales assistant should close the sale and start the
booking procedure.
Booking Procedure
1. Creating computer file for client (personal details etc.) - or adding to existing ‘client history’ if a
previous customer
2. Entering details of this particular booking
3. Producing printed booking form (booking authorisation form)
4. Taking initial payment/deposit
5. Offering insurance and other services
6. Confirming booking on computer system – booking links directly to tour operator system
7. (weeks later) Sending out tickets by tour operator to travel agent
8. Checking tickets against computer system
9. Notifying client that tickets are ready
10. Collecting payment of balance, i.e. full payment for the holiday
*Note: if the client cancels after the expiry date for final payment, heavy penalty charges
apply.
11. Issuing the travel documents
Damaged Car
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Loss damage Waiver (LDW) – insurance when you hire a
car (so that you do not pay if the car is damaged)
Third Party Liability – covers accident or damage to the OTHER driver or car if you are deemed
responsible
Delayed baggage
If baggage is delayed, a sum of money is paid to compensate for emergency purchases.
Loss of deposit or cancellation
Sometimes the journey may have to be cancelled for exceptional reasons. In this case a claim may
be made.
Loss of passport
Claim for expenses incurred in obtaining a replacement passport.
Personal accident
Claim for entitlement to a payment for every complete day, where sickness or injury requires
hospitalisation or confinement to hotel bed.
Personal baggage
Cover is provided for any loss of personal property. There is a maximum payment for single
articles and a maximum limit for valuables and photographic equipment.
Personal money
Cover is provided for loss of personal money, traveller’s cheques and travel tickets.
Travel delay
If one cannot reach the international point of departure in time, due to public transport failure, an
accident, or mechanical failure involving the car one is travelling in, a sum will be paid to help reach
one’s scheduled destination.
If any of the above mentioned happens to the insured person, they have to make a claim at the
insurance company.
3 TYPES OF TOURISM
3.1 Purpose of travel
It is important to understand that there are a very large number of reasons why tourism takes place.
We can classify tourists according to purpose of travel which entails different forms of tourism.
3.1.1 Leisure
SUN, SEA AND SAND
This demand is common to all countries with temperate or cold-temperate climates. The tourist’s
expectation is clear warm sea easily accessible, sunshine and a range of entertainment and sports
facilities. The coast is used for a wide range of tourist activities, for example, snorkelling, diving,
yachting, cruising, beach sports, fishing, but sunbathing, swimming, beach and water activities are by
far the most popular. The popularity of this kind of holiday seems constant. Numerous beach resorts
have developed to provide accommodation and services for mass tourism.
TOURING, SIGHTSEEING AND CULTURE
A second major form of tourism involves the ‘wandering’ tourist travelling around sightseeing,
possibly staying in a different place each night and visiting different cultural monuments or
attractions. They enjoy visiting historical sights for their beauty, art and architecture (e.g. Taj Mahal)
or they may be attracted to buildings and places for their historic meaning (e.g.: excavations).
Similarly, places may be of great religious significance. Taking cruises may belong to this form of
tourism because the travel element is an essential part of the holiday experience.
The exact size of the market is unclear, however, it is generally regarded to be a growing segment of
international and domestic travel.
We can demonstrate with the following examples:
Sports
Many tourists travel for sport. This may be participant sport or spectator sport such as
attending the Olympics or World Cup series.
Skiing is probably one of the most prominent sports associated with tourism
development.
Adventure
Adventure tourism is categorised by the deliberate seeking of risk and danger in pursuit
of outdoor activities. The trips present ‘danger in safety‘.
The range is very wide, and some may be classed as sport tourism:
hang-gliding, hunting, mountaineering, rock-climbing, whitewater-rafting, hot-air
ballooning, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, sky-diving etc.
Religion
There have been pilgrims as long as there has been religion so the tourist demand for
destinations such as Lourdes or Mecca is constant.
Nature based
It is a particular form of non-damaging tourism. It is experienced by environmentally and culturally
sensitive tourists who minimise their impact on the environment (bird-watching, safaris and visits to
National Parks). Sustainable development and sustainable tourism are concepts that attract wide
support. Terms used are vague, many different names are used that roughly mean the same thing:
Ecotourism, Ethical tourism, Green tourism, Responsible tourism, and Sustainable tourism.
Ethnic
It involves some form of direct experience with the host culture and environment, usually
by visits to natives’ homes and villages to observe and participate in their customs,
ceremonies, rituals, dances and other traditional activities: or it can involve going back to
a tourist’s roots.
Any site that appeals to people sufficiently to encourage them to travel and visit can be judged a
‘visitor attraction’.
It is possible to identify at least four categories of visitor attractions:
Figure 8 Typology of tourist attractions
Man -made Natural attractions Event attractions Site attractions
attractions
buildings of all beaches and sea artistic festivals the Changing of the Guard in
types: castles,
rivers music festivals London
churches,
temples, volcanoes folklore festivals the annual migration of wilder
cathedrals, sports events beast across the Serengeti
canyons
birthplaces of Park in Kenya
writers and mountains
other artists, people at work, e.g. visiting a
national parks
stately homes porcelain factory or a film
etc. gardens etc. studio
archaeological
sites
museums
theme and
amusement
parks
Attractions have the primary purpose to entertain, interest or educate. Many destinations owe their
appeal to the fact that they offer a cluster of attractions within the immediate locality. A seaside
resort may offer a number of sites, man-made attractions or event attractions which are not
weather-dependent. The beauty of tourism is that the number of products that can be devised to
entertain, interest or educate the tourist is virtually unlimited.