XI UNIT-3 ( NOTES) CONCEPTS OF TOURISM
UNIT-3
CONCEPTS OF TOURISM
Tourism System
Leiper's Model
 |
- Every mechanism and action adheres to a set of rules and guidelines.
- Tourism is no different, including several variables and procedures.
- Leiper's tourism system model sheds light on the many elements of tourism.
**Elements of
Leiper's Tourism System:**
1. **Tourist:**
- The individual engaging in tourism
activities.
- Referred to as a traveller in this model.
2. **Geographical
Elements:**
- a) **Traveller Generating Region:**
- The region where tourists originate and
start their journey.
- b) **Tourist Destination Region:**
- The chosen destination is central to the
trip's decision.
- c) **Transit Route Region:**
- The region through which travellers pass
from the generating region to the destination.
- Includes stops along the way.
The transit route is the area visited en
route, bridging the gap between home and destination.
3. **Tourism
Industry:**
- Comprises businesses and organizations
involved in delivering tourism products.
- Plays a facilitating role in the transit
zone.
- Also engages in marketing and promotion in
generating and destination regions.
**Environmental
Factors:**
- Tourism
activities are influenced by various environmental factors:
- Political decisions, socio-cultural
conditions, technological updates, etc.
**Push-Pull
Factors:**
- The tourism
system is often described as a push-pull factors-based system.
- **Push
Factors:** Originate in the Traveller Generating Region and motivate tourists
to embark on a trip.
- **Pull
Factors:** Exist in the Tourist Destination Region and attract tourists.
- Both push and
pull factors must work in sync for successful tourism activity.
**Significance of
Understanding the Tourism System:**
- Identifying
push and pull factors is crucial for tourism development.
- Allows
replication of successful factors in emerging tourism regions.
**Conclusion:**
- Leiper's model
provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the tourism system.
- It encompasses
tourists, geographical regions, the tourism industry, and environmental
factors.
- Recognizing the
interplay between push and pull factors is essential for the growth of tourism
in various regions.
Exercise-1
2. What are the
geographical elements of the Tourism System?
The geographical elements of the
Tourism System in Leiper's model consist of three key components:
1. **Traveller Generating
Region:**
- This is the region where tourists originate and start their journey.
- It serves as the point of departure for tourists embarking on their
trips.
- Travelers come from this region to visit their chosen destination.
2. **Tourist Destination
Region:**
- The Tourist Destination Region is the primary focus of a tourist's
journey.
- It is the place that tourists decide to visit due to its attractions.
- This region is central to the decision to take the trip, according to
the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization).
3. **Transit Route Region:**
- The Transit Route Region encompasses the areas through which travellers
pass while travelling from the Traveller Generating Region to the Tourist
Destination Region.
- It includes both the short periods of travel from the traveller's home
region to the final destination and any stops or attractions along the way.
- It acts as an intermediary zone where tourists may make temporary
stops or visits.
These geographic components of Leiper's model highlight the interaction between the origin and destination regions as well as the transit between them, illuminating the spatial dimensions of tourism. It is essential to comprehend these components to analyze tourist systems and their evolution.
3.3Tourism
Motivators
-Tourist
motivation is the driving force that compels individuals to engage in tourism
activities.
- McIntosh,
Goeldner, and Ritchie identify four categories of motivation in tourism.
**Categories of
Tourist Motivation:**
1. **Physical
Motivators:**
- connected to the restoration of the body and mind as well as the physical well-being.
- Contains incentives related to sports, pleasure-seeking, and health.
These drivers encourage people to go to places where they can engage in physical activity.
- Spa getaways, adventure sports, and wellness resorts are a few examples.
2. **Cultural
Motivators:**
- originate from a want to discover and understand different civilizations.
- Driven by an insatiable interest in the people, customs, music, art, folklore, and dance of a particular nation.
Encourage travellers to go to places where they may take advantage of rich cultural experiences.
Examples include going to historical sites, going to musical performances, and learning about regional customs.
3.
**Interpersonal Motivators:**
- Driven by the desire to meet new people,
visit friends or relatives, and seek unique experiences.
- Tourism serves as an escape from routine
relationships and environments.
- Travel can be for social connections,
spiritual reasons, or to forge new friendships.
- Examples: Homestays, attending social
events, and reconnecting with loved ones.
4. **Status and
Prestige Motivations:**
- Involve the pursuit of personal
development, education, and recognition.
- Seek acknowledgement and attention from
others to boost personal ego and prestige.
- May include pursuing hobbies, further
education, and achieving personal growth.
- Examples: Educational trips,
skill-building workshops, and participation in prestigious events.
**Result:**
The multitude of interrelated elements that motivate people to participate in tourism activities is known as tourist motivation.
The tourism sector needs to comprehend these motivational categories to customize services to the varied demands and preferences of travellers.
- Among other things, physical health, cultural curiosity, social relationships, and personal growth are what drive tourists.
3.4 Barriers to Tourism
Barriers are things that prevent people from engaging in tourist activities, whereas motivators urge people to do so.
- Obstacles can impede travel decisions and can be internal (found within the person) or external (found in the surroundings).
**Types of Barriers to Tourism:**
1. **Lack of Leisure Time:**
- Many people are unable to
take vacations due to work, business, educational, or family commitments.
- Family size and lifecycle
stages can affect the availability of leisure time for tourism.
2. **Economic Factors:**
- Tourism requires discretionary
income, which is the money left after essential expenses like taxes and
housing.
- Economic constraints, such
as job loss or reduced income during recessions, can impact the demand for
tourism.
3. **Physical Limitations:**
- Poor physical fitness,
health issues, disabilities, or pregnancy can prevent individuals from
travelling.
- Senior citizens may also
have physical limitations that affect their ability to participate in tourism
activities.
4. **Space/Distance:**
- The proximity of a destination
to the traveller's origin can influence travel choices.
- Poor connectivity or
long-haul travel may deter tourists from choosing certain destinations.
5. **Family Stage:**
- Family obligations, the
absence of travel companions, and parental decisions can affect travel plans.
- Single traveller groups have
emerged to address the issue of travelling alone.
6. **Safety and Security:**
- Political unrest, wars,
government advisories, and negative publicity can create fear and doubt among potential
tourists.
- Terrorism and health
concerns (e.g., SARS, Swine flu) have become significant barriers to travel.
7. **Infrastructure:**
- Adequate infrastructure,
including transportation, hygiene, electricity, and water availability, is
crucial for tourism.
- Poor infrastructure can
deter tourists from visiting even attractive destinations.
8. **Political Factors:**
- Government policies,
taxation, restrictions on charter flights, customs hassles, visa regulations,
and immigration issues can act as barriers to tourism.
9. **Communication and Technology:**
- Insufficient marketing and
language barriers can limit tourist awareness of destinations.
- Effective communication and
access to technology are essential for promoting tourism.
10. **Lack of Interest:**
- A lack of interest or
awareness about appealing travel destinations can be a significant barrier.
- Overcoming this barrier can
be challenging due to the individual's disinterest.
**Result:**
Tourism marketing organizations in both traveler-generating and tourist destination regions must identify and resolve these obstacles.
Reducing these obstacles can make travel more appealing and accessible to a wider variety of tourists, which will promote a more dynamic and diverse travel sector.
Exercise-2
1. What is meant by tourism
motivators?
**Tourism motivators** The elements that encourage people to participate in tourism-related activities are known as **tourism motivators**. These are the hidden motivations or drives that drive people to travel and discover new places. These motivators fall into four major categories according to McIntosh, Goeldner, and Ritchie:
1. **Physical Motivators:**
These motivators are connected to physical health and mental and bodily relaxation.
These encompass incentives for physical and mental well-being, athletics, and the quest for enjoyment.
Physically motivated travellers look for locations where they may partake in relaxing and stress-relieving physical activities.
2. **Cultural Motivators:**
- Cultural motivators are driven by a desire to explore and learn about
different cultures.
- These motivators lead individuals to seek experiences related to the
lifestyle, music, art, folklore, and dance of the destination's natives.
- Tourists with cultural motivators are drawn to destinations that offer
opportunities to visit historical monuments, attend music concerts, watch dance
performances, and immerse themselves in local traditions.
3. **Interpersonal Motivators:**
- Interpersonal motivators are rooted in the desire to connect with
people and have unique social experiences.
- They involve a willingness to meet new people, visit friends or
relatives, and seek different and meaningful interactions.
- Travel can be seen as an escape from routine relationships, an
opportunity to forge new bonds, or a means to fulfil spiritual or social
needs.
- Tourists with interpersonal motivators may choose homestays or travel
to attend family or friend's events like weddings.
4. **Status and Prestige Motivations:**
- Status and prestige motivators are characterized by a desire for personal
development and recognition.
- They encompass the pursuit of education and skill development to boost
one's personal ego and social standing.
- This category includes personal growth through hobbies, education, and
other avenues.
- Tourists with status and prestige motivators may engage in educational
trips, attend workshops, or participate in events to enhance their skills and
knowledge.
To sum up, briefly, the internal factors that encourage people to travel are known as tourism motivators. These incentives may have to do with one's physical health, cultural discovery, interpersonal relationships, or self-actualization. To meet the varied demands and interests of travellers, the tourism sector must have a thorough understanding of these motivators.
2. Name any four barriers to tourism
with suitable examples, from your own travel experiences.
Four barriers to tourism with suitable
examples from my own travel experiences:
1. **Economic Factor:**
- **Barrier:** Limited budget and financial constraints can hinder
travel plans.
- **Example:** During a trip to Europe, I encountered high exchange
rates and inflation, which significantly increased the cost of accommodation,
dining, and activities. This financial burden made me reconsider certain travel
plans and opt for more budget-friendly options.
2. **Safety and Security:**
- **Barrier:** Concerns about safety and security can discourage travel
to certain destinations.
- **Example:** I had planned to visit a beautiful country in the Middle
East, but political unrest and frequent news reports of protests and
demonstrations in that region made me cancel my trip due to safety concerns.
This decision was influenced by the fear of potential risks.
3. **Physical Limitations:**
- **Barrier:** Health issues or physical limitations can restrict one's
ability to travel.
- **Example:** During a family vacation, my elderly grandparents had to
skip certain excursions and activities due to their physical limitations. They
were unable to climb steep stairs or participate in strenuous adventures, which
limited our travel options and itinerary.
4. **Lack of Interest:**
- **Barrier:** Sometimes, a lack of interest in a particular destination
can deter travel.
- **Example:** A friend of mine had no interest in visiting a historical
city known for its cultural attractions and heritage sites. Despite my
enthusiasm for the destination, my friend's lack of interest led to the
decision to explore alternative vacation spots that aligned more with their
preferences.
These personal experiences demonstrate
how economic factors, safety concerns, physical limitations, and varying
interests can act as barriers to tourism, influencing travel decisions and
choices.
3.5Forms of Tourism
- Tourism involves the movement of people, both within and across
national borders.
- Identifying different forms of tourism is essential for statistical
analysis and understanding the economic impact of tourism activities.
**Forms of Tourism (according to IRTS 2008):**
1. **Domestic Tourism:**
- Involves the activities of a
resident visitor within their own country.
- Examples include a local
resident taking a vacation within their country of residence.
2. **Inbound Tourism:**
- Encompasses the activities
of a non-resident visitor within the country being visited.
- Examples include tourists
from other countries visiting a destination.
3. **Outbound Tourism:**
- Encompasses the activities
of a resident visitor outside their own country.
- Examples include residents
of one country travelling abroad for tourism.
**Categories of Tourism (based on the combination of forms):**
1. **Internal Tourism:**
- Comprises both domestic
tourism and inbound tourism.
- Includes activities of both
resident and non-resident visitors within the country.
- Examples include local
residents and international tourists exploring destinations within the same
country.
2. **National Tourism:**
- Combines domestic tourism
and outbound tourism.
- Includes the activities of
resident visitors within their country and outside.
- Examples include residents
of a country vacationing within their nation or travelling abroad.
3. **International Tourism:**
- Includes both inbound and
outbound tourism.
- Encompasses the activities
of resident visitors travelling abroad and non-resident visitors exploring the
host country.
- Examples include residents
of one country travelling to another nation for leisure and foreign tourists
visiting a country.
**Conclusion:**
- Understanding the different forms and categories of tourism is
crucial for analyzing the movement of tourists and its economic impact.
- These classifications provide valuable insights for governments,
tourism authorities, and researchers to assess and manage the tourism industry
effectively.
3.6Types of Tourism
Travelling nowadays is a world of experiences carefully designed to meet each individual traveller's needs and expectations. The main reasons people travel are divided into two basic classifications by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): personal and business. These primary goals are the source of all other travel motivations, as illustrated in Illustration 3.3. This classification is still in flux, changing as different forms of tourism adjust to meet the specific requirements of visitors at different stages of their travels. There are many reasons why people travel: from learning objectives, cultural exchanges, relaxing vacations, and cruises to wildlife safaris, country retreats, and business commitments. Notably, Special Interest Tourism (SIT), sometimes referred to as SIT, has become increasingly popular with travellers and the tourism sector. SIT offers experiences that are customized to each individual's interests. For instance, it may involve planning a botany field trip to India for British botany students or promoting "Root Tourism," which is the practice of Indian Americans travelling to India to trace their ancestry. Because there are so many different kinds of tourism, there are always alternatives that meet the interests and objectives of the traveller.
3.6.1Introduction to MICE
**MICE Tourism: Meeting, Incentive, Conference, and Expositions**
- MICE Tourism stands for
Meeting, Incentive, Conference, and Expositions, and it is a rapidly growing
segment within the tourism industry.
2. **Meetings:**
- Meetings in MICE Tourism
encompass gatherings for discussions related to various domains such as
business, academics, administration, and mergers.
- These meetings can occur
in-house or necessitate travel to different cities, resulting in tourism activities.
3. **Incentive Tours:**
- Organizations often offer
incentive tours as rewards to motivate employees for improved performance,
particularly in terms of sales or productivity.
- For instance, companies
might provide top-performing employees with incentives like golf packages.
4. **Conferences:**
- Conferences within MICE
Tourism involve seminars, symposiums, and gatherings focused on deliberating
issues that impact a specific industry or sector.
- These conferences can be
organized by academic institutions, associations, or industry-related bodies.
5. **Expositions:**
- Expositions refer to
exhibitions, trade fairs, and events designed to showcase products, cultures,
or industries.
- Examples include the annual
Auto Expo in New Delhi and art exhibitions and fashion weeks held in major
cities worldwide.
6. **Popularity in the Tourism Industry:**
- MICE Tourism is favoured
within the tourism industry because it caters to business travellers who may not
have much time for recreational activities.
- It is a growing and
expanding sector of tourism, prompting research agencies to conduct studies to
profile MICE tourists and understand their specific needs and preferences.
7. **The conclusion:**
- MICE A vibrant and active sector of the travel business, tourism caters to the needs of professionals attending conferences, expositions, meetings, and incentives.
It is essential for fusing travel with business as it provides chances for both work and discovery.
Exercise-3
1. What is the need to understand forms of Tourism?
Furthermore, understanding these different types of tourism offers the foundation for estimating the economic gains from visitor movements. These forms can be combined to create new categories, such as internal tourism, which includes both domestic and inbound travel, national tourism, which includes both domestic and outward travel, and international tourism, which includes both inbound and outbound travel. These categories also make it possible for academics and decision-makers to evaluate the economic effects of tourism both domestically and globally.
To put it briefly, comprehending the many types of tourism is crucial for statistical analysis, evaluating the effects on the economy, and acquiring knowledge of the intricate dynamics of tourist flows, all of which are necessary for efficient tourism management and the creation of policies.
2. What is meant by Special Interest Tourism? Give two examples of
possible SIT packages.
**Special Interest Tourism (SIT)** refers to a niche segment of the
tourism industry that caters to travellers with specific and specialized
interests or passions. SIT packages are designed to provide unique and tailored
experiences, focusing on the particular interests of the tourists. Here are two
examples of possible SIT packages:
1. **Botanical Expedition for Botany Students:**
- Target Audience: Botany
students from the United Kingdom.
- Description: This SIT
package is designed for botany enthusiasts and students seeking to explore
India's rich botanical heritage. The tour includes visits to renowned botanical
gardens, nurseries, and natural reserves across India, allowing participants to
study a diverse range of plant species. Expert botanists provide guided tours
and in-depth knowledge, making it an educational and immersive experience.
2. **Root Tourism for People of Indian Origin (PIO):**
- Target Audience: Individuals
of Indian origin living abroad.
- Description: Root Tourism is
a special interest package that offers PIOs the opportunity to reconnect with
their ancestral roots in India. Travelers embark on a journey to trace their
family history, visit ancestral villages, and immerse themselves in the culture
and traditions of their ancestors. This deeply personal and emotional journey
helps PIOs establish a meaningful connection with their heritage.
Special Interest Tourism packages like these are tailored to cater to the
specific interests and passions of travellers, offering them unique and
memorable experiences that go beyond traditional tourism offerings.
3. What do you understand by MICE?
**MICE** is an acronym that stands for Meeting, Incentive, Conference,
and Exposition. It represents a specific segment within the tourism industry
that focuses on facilitating various business-related activities and events.
Here's a breakdown of what MICE entails:
1. **Meetings:** Meetings in the context of MICE Tourism are gatherings
convened for discussions, deliberations, or negotiations related to various
aspects of business, academia, administration, mergers, and more. These
meetings can take place within a company's premises or may require participants
to travel to other cities or destinations. The travel associated with such
meetings contributes to the tourism industry.
2. **Incentive Tours:** Incentive Tours are typically offered by
organizations as a motivational tool to enhance employee performance,
particularly in terms of sales or productivity. These tours serve as rewards or
incentives for achieving specific targets or milestones. For example, a company
might offer a golf package to its top-performing employees as a recognition of
their accomplishments.
3. **Conferences:** Conferences within MICE Tourism encompass
gatherings, seminars, symposiums, or conventions organized to discuss and
deliberate on issues that may impact a specific industry, sector, or academic
discipline. Conferences are convened by various entities, including academic
institutions, associations, and industry-related organizations.
4. **Expositions:** Expositions cover a range of events such as
exhibitions, trade fairs, and showcases designed to display products, services,
or cultures. These events often draw participants and attendees from various
regions and industries. Examples include auto expos held annually in cities
like New Delhi and art exhibitions and fashion weeks held in major cities
worldwide.
MICE Tourism has gained popularity within the tourism industry because
it caters to the needs of business travellers who often have limited time for
recreational activities. This segment of tourism is experiencing significant
growth and expansion. Many research agencies are conducting studies to profile
the tourists engaged in MICE activities and gain insights into their specific
requirements and preferences. Understanding the MICE segment is crucial for
both the tourism industry and organizations aiming to provide specialized
services and experiences to business travellers.
3.7Types of Tour Packages
- **Introduction:** In the previous section, you learned about the
diverse types of tourism. Now, let's explore how you can actually participate
in these tourism activities through tour packages offered by tourism
professionals.
- **Tour Definition:** A tour is a pre-arranged journey that typically
includes accommodations, transportation, food services, and entertainment. It
takes you to one or more destinations and brings you back to your starting
point. Tour packages usually come with a predetermined price, duration, and
features, although some may offer options for separate purchases.
- **All-Inclusive Tours:** These are tours that include all services for
one price and are known as all-inclusive tours. They can be of two main types:
1. **Group Inclusive Tour
(GIT):** In GIT, tourists travel with a group of 15 or more passengers. The
group aspect is significant as GITs often require a minimum number of travellers
to proceed or else it becomes financially challenging for the tour operator.
Group size may also be limited based on the mode of transport used, such as a
coach or bus.
2. **Free Independent Travel
(FIT) or Free Individual Traveler (FIT):** In FIT, either one tourist or a
couple of tourists travel on a pre-fixed tour specially designed to meet their
specific requirements. While the components of the itinerary may resemble a
package, it's custom-built for the traveller's needs.
- **Types of Tour Packages:** All-inclusive tours can be categorized as:
1. **Ready-Made Tour
Packages:** These packages are based on pre-fixed itineraries where the tour
company decides the price, services, group size, and tour duration. Customers
can purchase these pre-designed packages as offered.
2. **Tailor-Made or Customized
Tour Packages:** As the name suggests, these packages allow changes to
accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, and other services to suit the
tourist's requirements. FITs often opt for tailor-made tour packages more
frequently than GITs.
- **Tour Forms:** Tours can be offered in three forms:
1. **Escorted Tour:** In this
type, an escort, either local or from the tourist's country of origin,
accompanies the tour from start to finish to assist and facilitate the
tourists. Local guide services are typically used at various destinations and
sites.
2. **Hosted Tour:** Here, a new
host meets the tour group at each destination. Like escorted tours, hosted
tours also rely on local guide services at different locations.
3. **Individual Tour:** In an
individual tour, tour members travel independently without any escort or host.
Local guides are engaged as needed during the journey.
- **Familiarization Tour (FAM Tours):** In the tourism industry, FAM
tours are complimentary or reduced-rate travel programs designed for travel
agents, tour operators, or other travel buyers. They aim to familiarize
participants with specific destinations or suppliers, such as accommodation and
transport, to promote travel sales. FAM tours may also be offered to travel
journalists as research trips to generate media coverage of specific travel
products.
Understanding these aspects of tour packages and tour types is essential
for anyone interested in exploring the world of tourism and travel.
3.8Defining Tourism
Impacts
Tourism brings together tourists (guests) and locals (hosts) in any
destination, fostering interaction through the purchase of goods and services,
enjoyment of local cuisine, participation in events, and more. These
interactions can have significant effects on both the host and guest
communities, leading to changes in the environment and society over time. These
changes, caused by tourism activities, are known as the Impacts of Tourism.
- **Categorizing Impacts:** To better understand these effects, the
impacts of tourism are typically categorized into three types:
1. **Socio-cultural
Impacts:** These impacts result from the direct and indirect interactions
between tourists, locals, and the tourism industry. They can be positive or
negative.
- **Positive Impact:**
Tourism can renew cultural pride as tourists engage with local culture and
heritage, fostering a sense of belonging and helping preserve traditional arts
and crafts.
- **Negative Impact:**
The "Demonstration Effect" is a common negative impact, where locals
start adopting the dressing, eating habits, language, and behaviour of tourists,
leading to cultural degradation and disarray of local customs.
2. **Economic Impacts:**
Given that tourism is one of the largest employers globally, it has both
positive and negative economic impacts on local and guest communities.
- **Positive Impact:**
Tourism generates employment in both the local destination region and the
tourist-generating region, boosting economic opportunities.
- **Negative Impact:**
Tourism can lead to inflation as increased consumer product demand drives up
prices for goods, services, land, housing, and the overall cost of living.
3. **Environmental Impacts:**
Tourism is closely tied to the physical environment of a destination, and any
tourism activity can affect it, both positively and negatively.
- **Positive Impact:** In
protected areas like National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, tourism can lead
to the preservation of selected natural areas and prevent further ecological
decline. Regular environmental audits are often required.
- **Negative Impact:**
The transportation required for tourism, including air, road, and rail travel,
contributes to emissions and air pollution. For example, a single transatlantic
return flight can emit nearly half the CO2 emissions produced by all other
sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc.) consumed by an average person
annually.
- **Planning and Consultation:** Given the potential impacts of
tourism, proper planning at all levels and consultation with the local
community are essential. Sustainable and responsible tourism practices are
crucial to ensure that tourism benefits both the destination and the tourists while
minimizing negative effects on culture, economy, and the environment.
Understanding these impacts helps us make informed decisions about
tourism activities and their implications for the communities and environments
involved.
Exercise-4
1. What are the types of tour packages
available?
There are several kinds of tour packages available to meet the varied demands and tastes of tourists. These packages are provided by tourism experts to make it easier for visitors to partake in various tourism activities. A tour package is a pre-planned trip that includes lodging, transportation, meals, and entertainment that takes travellers to one or more locations before returning to the starting point. These packages often have set costs, lengths of time, and features, although they often let you make additional purchases. All-inclusive trips are those that provide all services at a single cost.
All-inclusive tours can be classified into two main types based on the
participants:
1. **Group Inclusive Tour (GIT):** When visiting GIT, visitors travel in groups with other tourists. Typically, a group consists of 15 or more travellers, also known as "Pax," who are travelling together. To continue, GIT trips frequently have a minimum number of participants. If not, the tour operator may find it to be financially unprofitable. Additionally, the maximum number of passengers on group trips is established by the mode of transportation—for example, whether the tour is conducted by coach or bus.
2. **Free Independent Travel (FIT) or Free Individual Traveler (FIT):**
All-inclusive tours are further categorized into two types based on the
nature of the itinerary:
- **Ready-Made Tour Packages:** These packages are based on pre-fixed
itineraries where the tour company decides the tour's price, services, group
size, and duration. Customers can purchase these pre-designed packages as
offered.
- **Tailor-Made or Customized Tour Packages:** As the name suggests,
these packages allow for changes in accommodations, transportation,
sightseeing, and other services to align with the tourist's specific
requirements. FITs often opt for tailor-made tour packages more frequently than
GITs.
Tours, when offered to tourists, can be presented in three forms:
1. **Escorted Tour:** In an escorted tour, an escort, either local or
from the tourist's country of origin, accompanies the tour from the beginning
to the end. The escort facilitates the tourists' experience, and local guide
services are often utilized at various destinations and sites.
2. **Hosted Tour:** In a hosted tour, a new host meets the tour group at
each destination. Like escorted tours, hosted tours also typically involve the use
of local guide services at different locations.
3. **Individual Tour:** In an individual tour, tour members travel on
their own without an escort or host. Local guide services are engaged as needed
during the journey.
Additionally, the tourism industry includes a type of tour known as a "Familiarization Tour" or FAM tour. These tours are complimentary or
reduced-rate travel programs designed for travel agents, tour operators, or
other travel buyers. FAM tours aim to familiarize participants with specific
destinations or suppliers, such as accommodation and transport, to stimulate
the sale of travel to those destinations. Familiarization tours are also
occasionally offered to travel journalists as research trips to generate media
coverage of specific travel products.
2. What is meant by the socio-cultural impact of Tourism?
The socio-cultural impact of tourism refers to the effects that tourism
activities have on the social and cultural aspects of both host communities and
the visiting tourists. Tourism often involves extensive interaction between
tourists and local residents, leading to various influences on the communities
and individuals involved. These impacts can manifest as both positive and negative
outcomes.
**Positive Socio-Cultural Impact:**
- **Renewal of Cultural Pride:** Tourism can foster a renewed sense of
cultural pride among local communities. As tourists visit, locals may reengage
with their own culture and heritage, fostering a sense of belonging and pride
in their traditions and way of life.
- **Preservation of Traditional Arts & Crafts:** Tourism can
provide economic incentives for the preservation and promotion of traditional
arts and crafts. Local artisans may find new markets and opportunities to
showcase their skills and traditions to tourists, helping to safeguard cultural
heritage.
**Negative Socio-Cultural Impact:**
- **Demonstration Effect:** One of the commonly cited negative impacts
of tourism is the demonstration effect. This occurs when locals begin to adopt
the dressing styles, eating habits, language, and behaviour of tourists. While
this may seem like an attempt to cater to visitor preferences, it can lead to
cultural degradation and a loss of authentic local customs and practices.
In summary, the socio-cultural impact of tourism encompasses how tourism influences the cultural and social dynamics of both host
communities and tourists. While it can lead to positive outcomes such as
cultural revitalization and economic opportunities, it also poses challenges
like the potential erosion of local traditions and values due to the imitation
of tourist behaviours. Effective planning and consultation with the local
community are essential to mitigate negative impacts and ensure that tourism
contributes positively to the cultural and social fabric of a destination.
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