UNIT-1 INTRODUCTION TO TOURISM (English)

 

1.1 Introduction to Tourism

Tourism means traveling to places outside your home for pleasure, learning, relaxation, or visiting someone.

It can happen within a city, within a state, within a country, or across countries.

A person who travels for such purposes is called a tourist.

Tourism is not only about travel, but also about the services used during travel.

Basic Idea of Tourism

The main idea of tourism is the movement of people from one place to another.

This movement is usually temporary, not permanent.

People may travel for:

• Holiday and enjoyment

• Visiting relatives or friends

• Religious purposes

• Business or conferences

• Education or health

Tourism as an Industry

Tourism is called an industry because many businesses work together to serve tourists.

These include:

• Travel agents

• Tour guides

• Transport services

• Hotels

• Restaurants

• Souvenir sellers

• Event organizers

• Attraction managers

Why Tourism Is Important

Tourism creates employment for many people.

It helps in the growth of transport, hotels, restaurants, and local shops.

It increases the income of a place or country.

It helps people learn about different cultures, traditions, and places.

It supports many related industries at the same time.

Scope of Tourism

Tourism has a very wide scope because it is linked with many sectors.

Some major related sectors are:

• Aviation

• Accommodation

• Surface transport

• Water transport

• Telecommunication

• Attraction management

• Travel facilitators

• Handicrafts and souvenir production

Main Features of Tourism

• Tourism is a growing and changing field.

• It connects many services in one system.

• It helps in social, cultural, and economic development.

• It is one of the largest employers in the world.

1.2 Defining Tourism

Tourism means the movement of people to places outside their usual environment for a temporary period.

The word tour comes from the Latin words tornare / tornus and the Greek word tornos.

These words are related to the idea of a circle or a round trip.

So, a tour means going from one place and returning to the starting point.

Meaning of Tourist

A tourist is a person who travels away from home and later returns.

The journey is usually for pleasure, business, study, religion, or other non-permanent purposes.

Tourism is different from migration because tourists do not move to settle permanently.

Classical Definition of Tourism

Hunziker and Krapf gave a famous definition of tourism.

They said tourism is the sum of all activities and relationships created by the travel and stay of non-residents.

This stay should not lead to permanent residence.

It should also not be connected with earning money in the visited place.

Modern Definition of Tourism

Later, UN-WTO gave a more practical definition of tourism.

According to it, tourism includes the activities of a person who travels to a place outside his or her usual environment.

The stay is for a limited time.

The main purpose of travel is not earning income from that place.

Important Points in Tourism

• Tourism involves the movement of people from their normal place of living.

• Tourism is for a temporary period, not permanent settlement.

• Tourism is also an economic activity because it generates income and employment.

• It includes both domestic tourism and international tourism.

Time Limit in Tourism

Tourism usually means staying in a place for more than 24 hours and less than 1 year.

This time limit is used for both domestic and international travel.

Short visits of less than 24 hours are generally not treated as full tourism in many definitions.

1.3 Elements of Tourism

Tourism has some basic elements without which it cannot happen.

These elements form the foundation of tourism activities.

According to S. Wahab, tourism has three main elements:

1. Man

2. Space

3. Time

1. Man

Man means the human being who travels.

A tourist is the person who creates tourism activity.

Without people, tourism cannot exist.

2. Space

Space means the physical place where travel happens.

It includes the place a tourist leaves and the place a tourist visits.

Tourism always needs movement from one place to another.

3. Time

Time means the duration of travel and stay.

It includes the period spent on the journey and at the destination.

The time element depends on distance, transport, and length of stay.

Importance of These Elements

These three elements are essential for tourism.

If one element is missing, tourism cannot take place properly.

Tourism is created by the movement of people in space for a certain period of time.

1.4 Identifying the Tourist

• Tourism is a socio-economic activity.

• To study tourism properly, we must know who the tourist is.

• This helps in understanding the benefits, movement, and impact of tourism.

Meaning of Tourist

• A tourist is a person who travels to another place for a short time.

• The person does not go there for permanent settlement.

• The main purpose of the visit is not to earn money from that place.

Early Definition of Tourist

• In 1936, the League of Nations said that a foreign tourist is a person who visits another country for at least 24 hours.

• This was one of the first formal definitions of a tourist.

United Nations Definition

• In 1945, the United Nations supported this idea.

• It also added that the stay should be for less than six months.

• This made the definition clearer and more practical.

UN-WTO Definition

• In 1991, UN-WTO gave a more detailed definition.

• According to it, an international tourist is a visitor who:

• travels to another country,

• stays for at least one night,

• stays for not more than one year,

• and does not earn money in that country.

International Excursionist

• UN-WTO also defined an international excursionist.

• This is a visitor who stays in a country for less than 24 hours.

• Such a person does not spend the night in the visited country.

• Example: cruise ship visitors or same-day visitors.

Types Covered in the Definition

1. Tourists

• Stay for 24 hours to 1 year.

• Travel for:

• leisure,

• holiday,

• health,

• study,

• religion,

• sport,

• business,

• family visit,

• meetings,

• missions.

2. Same-Day Visitors / Excursionists

• Stay for less than 24 hours.

• Do not stay overnight.

• They may travel by cruise, bus, or for a short visit.

Domestic Tourist

• A domestic tourist is a person who travels within his or her own country.

• The person stays in another place in the same country for not more than one year.

• The purpose of travel is also not for earning income in that place.

Important Exclusions

• Some travelers are not counted as tourists.

• For example:

• air passengers who remain in the transit area,

• people who do not enter the country legally,

• persons travelling only for work in the visited place.

Simple Definition

A tourist is a person who travels temporarily to another place or country for leisure, business, family, study, or other non-earning purposes.

1.5 Linkage Between Leisure, Recreation and Tourism

• Leisure means free time.

• Recreation means activities done during free time.

• Tourism means travel to places outside the normal home or workplace for a short period.

Leisure

• Leisure is the time available after work, sleep, and basic needs are completed.

• It is the free time of a person.

• In this time, people choose what they want to do.

Recreation

• Recreation is an activity done during leisure time.

• It helps a person feel refreshed and relaxed.

• Examples are reading, gardening, watching TV, playing games, and socializing.

Tourism

• Tourism is temporary movement to another place.

• It includes travel, stay, and activities at the destination.

• Tourism may happen within a city, within a country, or across countries.

Relationship Between Them

• Leisure gives the time for recreation.

• Recreation gives the activity during leisure.

• Tourism is one form of recreation, but not all recreation is tourism.

• Tourism becomes possible when people use their leisure time for travel.

Examples

• Reading at home is leisure-based recreation.

• Going to a local restaurant is local recreation.

• Visiting a nearby monument for a day trip is tourism-related recreation.

• Traveling to another state or country for holiday is tourism.

• Business travel is also tourism, even though it is not leisure.

Recreation Continuum

• Recreation activities can be seen from simple to more travel-based forms:

• Home-based activities.

• Local activities.

• Day trips.

• Tourism trips.

• Business travel.

Importance of This Link

• This linkage helps us understand tourist behavior.

• It shows which activities can attract tourists.

• It helps in planning tourism products and destinations.

It also helps tourism managers create better facilities for visitors.

Exercise-2 Answers

1. Identify the tour during which you were a same-day visitor or a tourist

I was a same-day visitor when I visited a place and returned home on the same day without staying overnight.
I was a tourist when I travelled to a place and stayed there for at least one night.

2. What is the linkage between Leisure and Tourism?

Leisure means free time after work and daily duties.
Tourism usually takes place during this free time.
People use leisure time for travel, enjoyment, and relaxation.
So, leisure provides the time, and tourism provides the travel activity.

1.6 Characteristics of Tourism Industry

• The tourism industry is mainly a service industry.

• It is different from consumer goods because tourism services cannot be seen, touched, or stored like physical products.

• Tourism has some basic service characteristics and some special features of its own.

1. Intangibility

• Tourism services cannot be seen, touched, or tested before purchase.

• A tourist can only experience the service after buying and using it.

• For example, a hotel room, airline service, or tour package can be judged only after use.

• This makes tourism an intangible product.

2. Perishability

• Tourism products cannot be stored for later use.

• If a hotel room or airplane seat is not sold today, the loss is permanent.

• An empty room or unsold seat cannot be saved and sold tomorrow for today’s profit.

• So, tourism products are perishable.

3. Inseparability

• In tourism, production and consumption happen at the same time.

• The service provider and the tourist both take part in the experience.

• For example, a tourist must visit the Taj Mahal, ride in a vehicle, or stay in a hotel to experience the service.

• Tourism services cannot be separated from their delivery.

4. Heterogeneity / Variability

• Tourism services vary from one provider to another.

• The quality of service depends on who provides it, when it is provided, and how it is provided.

• No two employees give exactly the same service every time.

• Because of the human element, tourism service is variable.

5. Lack of Ownership

• Tourism gives only the experience of a service, not ownership of it.

• A tourist can enjoy a hotel room, restaurant meal, or travel service, but does not own them.

• After the service is used, nothing physical remains with the tourist.

• This is called lack of ownership.

Other Characteristics of Tourism Industry

1. Seasonality

• Tourism is not equally popular throughout the year.

• Some months are busy, called peak season.

• Some months are less busy, called lean season.

• For example, many places in India get more tourists in winter than in summer.

2. Demand Fluctuations

• Tourist demand changes with time, taste, fashion, and market trends.

• A destination may become less popular if a better or cheaper option appears.

• New destinations also attract tourists and change demand patterns.

• So, tourism demand is always changing.

3. Interdependence of Tourism Products

• Tourism depends on many services working together.

• These include transport, accommodation, food, attractions, shopping, and guides.

• If one part fails, the whole tourist experience is affected.

• This shows that tourism products are interdependent.

4. Risky Nature

• Tourism is a risky industry because many factors can affect it.

• Risks may be economic, political, health-related, or security-related.

• For example, disease outbreaks, terrorism, or political unrest can reduce tourist arrivals.

• Because of these factors, tourism business is considered risky.

1.7 Components of Tourism

• The components of tourism are the main parts that make tourism activity possible.

• Tourism cannot work properly without these components.

• These are also called the A’s of Tourism.

1. Attraction

• Attraction means the things that pull tourists to a place.

• A destination becomes attractive because of its natural, cultural, historical, or man-made features.

• Different tourists like different things.

• Examples:

• historical monuments,

• natural beauty,

• beaches,

• temples,

• parks,

• cultural events.

2. Accessibility

• Accessibility means how tourists reach the destination.

• A place may be beautiful, but if it is not easy to reach, tourists may not visit it.

• It includes transport facilities such as:

• road,

• rail,

• air,

• water.

• Good transport makes tourism easier and more popular.

3. Accommodation

• Accommodation means the place where tourists stay.

• It includes boarding and lodging.

• Tourists need a safe and comfortable place to rest away from home.

• Examples:

• hotels,

• resorts,

• guest houses,

• lodges,

• homestays.

• Sometimes accommodation itself becomes a tourist attraction, like in special resorts.

4. Amenities

• Amenities are the basic facilities provided to tourists.

• These make the journey comfortable and easy.

• Examples:

• toilets and sanitation,

• clean drinking water,

• medical help,

• currency exchange,

• travel documents,

• recreation facilities.

• Good amenities improve the tourist experience.

5. Activities

• Activities are the things tourists do at the destination.

• They make the trip more interesting and enjoyable.

• Examples:

• sightseeing,

• shopping,

• swimming,

• adventure sports,

• golfing,

• sunbathing.

• More activities attract more tourists.

6. Available Packages

• Available packages are the tour packages offered to tourists.

• Tourists choose packages according to their time, budget, and interest.

• For example, a person with only 3 days of holiday will choose a short package.

• Good packages help tourists plan their trip easily.

Importance of These Components

• All components work together to make tourism successful.

• If one component is weak, the tourism experience becomes poor.

• A destination needs attractions, transport, accommodation, amenities, activities, and packages to grow.

Exercise-3

1. What do you understand by Service Characteristics?

Service characteristics are the basic features of services that make them different from goods.

• Services are intangible, so they cannot be seen or touched before use.

• They are perishable, so they cannot be stored for later sale.

• They are inseparable, so production and consumption happen at the same time.

• They are variable, so the quality may differ from one provider to another.

• They have lack of ownership, so the customer only uses the service, not owns it.

2. What is meant by A’s of Tourism?

The A’s of Tourism are the main components of tourism.

• Attraction: the features that attract tourists to a place.

• Accessibility: the transport facilities that help tourists reach the destination.

• Accommodation: the place where tourists stay.

• Amenities: the facilities provided for comfort and convenience.

• Activities: the things tourists do at the destination.

• Available Packages: the tour packages offered to tourists.