The UNWTO, otherwise referred to as WTO or the United Nations World Tourism Organisation gives another definition of tourism. According to them, tourism is the activities of people that travel to and stays in locations that are not the usual places or environment they situate in for a period of time not exceeding one year. Furthermore, the reason for travelling would be for business, leisure and other purposes.
At present, tourism and hospitality are taken as mixture of similar services. There are even some universities that combine them into a single course. The two may refer to different sectors in the industry but can be studied and managed as a single entity. As a general rule however, tourism courses will have graduates working in restaurants, hotels and travel related jobs, e.g., travel agents, tour operators, tour guide, etc. On the other hand, hospitality course graduates may work in accommodation and catering industries such as hotels, leisure centres, restaurants, etc.
The industry of tourism and hospitality is one of todays growth industries offering millions of jobs all over the world. It offers a wide array of occupations in varying organizations, offering each candidate a career that is open for continued progress and promotion.
Tourism may be further defined as a movement away from a location of usual residence for a certain period of time that is more than one day but less than a year for a certain purpose such as leisure or business.
Tourism may be further categorised into three, i.e., domestic, inbound and outbound. Domestic tourism refers to residents of a certain country who travels within the same country. Inbound tourism refers to non-residents that arrive at a destination country taking that destinations point-of-view. Lastly, outbound tourism involves the travel of a resident to another country taking the country of origins point of view.
Tourism and hospitality may have different focuses but the two are now taken to be one industry at present. For instance, to speak of the sectors in tourism is also speaking of the hospitality industry along with tourism.
Subsequently, these sectors in tourism are actually the business activities that are involved in tourism and hospitality. Expounding on these areas in tourism is one great proof that this industry is huge and involves the accumulation of billions of dollars for the country. It will also show how far and wide the tourism and hospitality sector is able to reach.
The tourism industry is divided to eight (8) areas. The areas are recreation (or adventure tourism), accommodation, events (including conferences), attractions, food and beverages, transportation, travel trade and tourism services. These eight combined can be considered to be very large and would most probably be linked to most of the industries existing in the market. An overview of each one will be discussed hereunder.
Accommodation refers to the hotels, motels, inns, lodges, resorts and the like. This is easily one of the fastest and biggest growing areas in the industry of tourism. New jobs are constantly created due to the ever growing hotel business and the opportunities for promotion abound.
What falls under recreation and adventure tourism would be the ski resorts, ecotourism spots, outdoor adventure sites, parks, gold facilities, tennis facilities and marine facilities. Tennis matches in Wimbledon or the US Open are examples of this. The number of tourists and travellers that are attracted to these kinds of tournaments are really quite surprising. Such tourism events are quite advantageous to the host country in terms of revenues. This sector in tourism is also a fast growing one. The number of tourists who travel to gain uncommon recreational adventures as well as to learn varying cultures from different countries is continuously increasing.
Events and conferences also fall under the industry of tourism. Conventions, summits, events outside the country, special meetings and events, conferences and trade shows are examples of business related reason for travel. During times like these, it is the company of the person travelling that pays for all his expenses. Expenses will include everything, from car rental, to food and drinks and accommodations. No reason to skimp on money. This is why the host community will benefit from this greatly.
Attractions refers to amusement parks, heritage homes and sites, zoos, cultural attractions, museums, art galleries, aquariums, botanical gardens and many other tourist spots that are sought after by most tourist when they visit a certain country. These are usually the places included in travel packages, the locations that the host country is proud to show off to those who do not live in the same area.
The food and beverage industry is one of, if not the biggest earner for the tourism industry. It encompasses all establishments that offer food and drinks to its consumers, including tourists. This includes among others, fine dining restaurants, fast food, lounges, clubs, pubs, catering companies, food outlets, etc.
The tourism services refers to the associations, agencies in the government, organizations and all other companies whose focus is to serve the needs of the tourism industry in its entirety and not just the needs of travellers, as in travel agencies. Such services are those offered to people requiring tourism education, researching tourism trend, marketing tourism products, etc.
Transportation, in connection with tourism, refers to the industry that provides movement, enjoyment and comfort to people, particularly tourists and travellers. The transportation sector of tourism are categorised under water, air, rail and ground transport. All these facilities make possible the transfer of a tourist from one country or location to another. While sending of or bringing in tourists, this sector is continuously and steadily earning revenues for its host country.
Lastly is the travel trade which basically supports the sales and bookings made in connection with the other sectors in tourism. Those engaged in the travel trade make the necessary reservations for tours, events, food and beverages, accommodations, etc.
With the aforementioned sectors briefly defined and expounded, it is very clear how far reaching the industry of hospitality and tourism really is. This is why it also has great impact on other industries and at the same time is impacted by social, economic, cultural and environmental factors.
It is no secret that the role of tourism services in both the national and international trade and economies are increasing fast. In fact, the tourism industry has been cited several times as the worlds largest industry with an estimated GDP (gross domestic product) of US2.2 trillion way back 1997 (WTO Focus 2000). This is how greatly it impacts the economy of its host nation. This is how important it is to a country that is why the government of most countries who recognize the economic advantages the tourism and hospitality sector can give them are all out in ensuring the upgrade, modernity and support this industry will need from them.
Basically, the primary motivation any nation has for serving the visitors in their region is economic. The revenue it gives to businesses and in turn to the government will really go a long way. Therefore, it would be wise to ensure that tourists will be satisfied with their visit, enjoy their moneys worth and find reason to return. This can be done by continuously improving the tourism services and supporting companies that provide such services. For instance, the restaurants and the hotels where these guests usually stay during their visits should always be kept clean and the staff should always be able to provide the highest standard of services. Aside from economic benefits however, the impact it has on the other areas of life is quite detrimental.
Take for instance the environmental and cultural impact tourism has. Most of the biggest considerations by most of the tourist in choosing the country to visit are the attractions in a certain country. Of these attractions, what they are interested most are relics of the past, those edifices that has survived the ravages of time and still stand tall. These relics are part of the culture of a certain country. Aside from these, visitors are also after the picturesque views, mountains and slopes, rare animals, and many other environmental factors that entice them to visit and keep coming back. All these, the cultural heritage and the environmental attractions that each country has are things that make the tourism industry alive. It would be quite justified that of the trillions of dollars earned on tourism, a big part will be attributed to the preservations of the mentioned environmental and cultural riches.
In terms of social effects, the prospect of having tourists visit a country allows for its people to develop positive attitudes toward the visitor and vice versa. In the process, mutual appreciation is developed, understanding and awareness of each others culture, respect and appreciation as well as strong bond and friendship may very well develop. Psychological satisfaction following such interaction is possible. Stereotyping and negative perceptions of other cultures can be reduced or totally changed into something positive. Like and respect would be the common attitude during such interactions. Even inter-marriages happen. These are the effects of tourism and hospitality in the social context.
Tourism is indeed one of the worlds largest and continuously developing industries. In fact, in 2005, UNWTO recorded 808 million arrivals. The number of those travelling for business keeps on growing. The United States is now the third top destinations worldwide, with France and Spain being first and second respectively. At present, 1 of every 12 individuals in this world works in tourism and is fast expanding. Latest records show that 10 of the worlds income comes from the tourism industry.
However, tourism may only be expected to take its course and earn huge revenues for the country it serves if there is stability. A country experiencing chaos or war is expected not to receive visitors from another country and it is already easy to assume what that will make for their tourism industry.
The revenues brought about by tourism for its host country is quite astounding, answering for most of its domestic needs including infrastructure development, social and economic development and welfare, balances foreign trade, improve standards of education and facilities, source of foreign exchange, etc. Much as it has huge benefits however, there can also be negative impacts. Some cultural and environmental negative effects may be brought about by tourism, e.g., pollution, lack of resources, over-consumption due to mass-tourism, cultural over-development, conflict, assimilation, etc. and those that are hit most by the negative impact are the locals. However, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. What would be best is to develop a system that will ensure that both the locals and the visitors will be able to enjoy what the host country has to offer.
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