Hospitality and Tourism

hospitality industry

a group of businesses composed of establishments related to lodging and food-service management

bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs)

small unique inns that offer a full breakfast with a night's stay

hospitality industry

a group of businesses composed of establishments related to lodging and food-service management

bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs)

small unique inns that offer a full breakfast with a night's stay

tourism industry

a group of businesses that encompass travel/transportation vendors for air, rail, auto, cruise, and motor-coach travel, and promote travel and vacations

service

an intangible thing that is a task performed for customers by a business

variables

factors that can cause something to change or vary

perishability

the probability of a product ceasing to exist or becoming unusable within a limited amount of time

intangibility

a state of being abstract, as are things that cannot be touched

changeability

a condition of being subject to change or alteration

diversity

ethnic variety as well as socio-economic and gender variety in a group or society

ecotourism

a branch of tourism encompassing adventure tourism and sustainable development of regions for future generations

market segments

groups of consumers categorized by specific characteristics to create a target market

infrastructure

the physical components of a destination, such as hotels, restaurants, roadways, and transportation, that support tourism

economic multiplier

the process of how money filters through a local economy and is spent and re-spent, creating income for other businesses

leakage

tourist dollars spent on imported goods so that revenue ends up in foreign economies

globalization

the increasing integration of the world economy

sustainable tourism

tourism that allows a destination to support both local residents and tourists without compromising future generations

aesthetic pollution

the spoiling or contamination of the natural beauty and features of an environment, due to poor planning and design of tourism projects

venturers

travelers who tend to be the first to discover a new, unspoiled destination

dependables

travelers who prefer familiarity and creature comforts and seldom try anything new or different

business travel

travel for the sole purpose of conducting an individual's or company's business

meeting and incentive travel

business travel by employees to attend a business meeting or as a reward for having met or exceeded company goals

meeting planner

a person who organizes and plans a meeting

VFR travel

travel for the purpose of visiting friends or relatives

leisure travel

travel for the sole purpose of enjoyment

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

a theory that explains what motivates people to act in certain ways or make certain decisions

commercial site

an establishment, such as a restaurant, where a food-and-beverage business competes for customers

on-site facility

an institutional or noncommercial establishment, such as a hospital or corporation, that provides meals for people involved with the property

full-service restaurant

a restaurant where a customer sits at a table, gives an order to a server, and is served food at the table

quick-service restaurant (QSR)

a restaurant offering speedy basic services, convenience, and consistent quality at low prices

chain

a type of business that has more than one location with the same name under the same ownership

franchise

a type of business that is set up through a franchise agreement, which is a contract between a franchisor and franchisee to sell a company's goods or services at a designated location

front of the house

the area in a hospitality establishment that guests view, such as the entrance and the dining room

Staff that the customers meet

back of the house

the area in a hospitality establishment that guests usually do not view, including all areas responsible for food quality and production, such as the kitchen and receiving, office, and storage areas

production

an assembly-line process by which food is prepared, plated, and expedited by teams at various food stations, such as salad, cooking line, prep, and dessert

return on investment (ROI)

a calculation used to determine the ability of a product to generate profits

transient guest

an individual traveler with a reservation, staying in a hospitality property for a maximum of 30 consecutive days

meal plan

a room rate that includes meals; some choices of meal plans are European Plan, Continental Plan, Bermuda Plan, Modified American Plan, and American Plan

yield management

a system of maximizing revenue through adjusting room rates according to demand

average daily rate (ADR)

a rate based on total sales for the day divided by the total number of sold rooms

occupancy percentage (OCC%)

a percentage calculated daily and based on the number of rooms sold as a percentage of the total number of available rooms

revenue per available room (revPAR)

a rate that reflects a hotel's revenue per available room

front of the house (lodging)

the area in a lodging facility that guests view, such as the lobby

back of the house (lodging)

the area in a lodging facility where support services take place, which guests usually do not view

night auditor

the hotel staff member who does the night audit and balances the guests' accounts each evening

guest service agent (GSA)

a hotel staff member who performs all of the functions of a desk clerk/agent, concierge, and valet

guest or uniformed services

staff members in uniforms, including the bell staff, valets, security officers, concierge, and door or garage attendants

concierge

a hotel staff member who helps guests make arrangements for transportation, restaurant reservations, event reservations, and entertainment tickets, and advises guests about activities in the area

disposable income

the money left from a person's gross income after taking out taxes

niche market

a new market in tourism that bases travel on specific interests, such as ecotourism

package tour

a prearranged tour that offers value, guaranteed sightseeing, and a quality product

charter tour

a tour in which a tour operator buys all the seats on an airplane, train, or bus and resells them to travelers

customized tour

a tour that is more expensive than a package tour and is designed specifically for an individual tourist

hub-and-spoke system

an effective network for an airline formed by a hub, or a large airport, connected to other smaller airports called spokes

frequent-flyer program

a program in which an airline offers free travel, upgrades, and discounts to program members

Amtrak

a company that operates a railroad system with combined passenger and rail service throughout the continental United States

windjammer

a sailing ship that offers passengers the opportunity to sail privately and work with a crew

destination

the final stop of a journey, or the goal for travelers

destination marketing

the process of developing, promoting, and distributing specific locations to satisfy travelers and maintain appeal as long as possible

seasonality

the concept that certain destinations appeal to travelers at certain times of the year, based on climate and geography

resort

a destination that provides entertainment, recreation, leisure activities, accommodations, and food for guests

destination resort

a resort property in a specific location with a concentration of resources or facilities

intermediary

an agent who does not work directly for a travel provider but sells his or her products for a fee

commission

a fee or payment for services based on a percentage of products sold

channel of distribution

the path a travel product takes from the producer to the consumer, or traveler

convention and visitors bureau (CVB)

an organization that works with meeting planners to provide tourist information services to business and leisure travelers

amateur sports

athletic activities and competitions for athletes who do not get paid

Paralympics

competitions in which the world's best athletes with physical disabilities showcase their talents

commercial recreation

any recreational activity for which a guest pays a fee

public recreation

free or paid recreation that takes place on state and federal lands and in city, state, or national parks

therapeutic recreation

any recreation that includes activities to help a person's emotional, mental, or physical health

mega-event

the largest type of event, which is a unique, "must-see" happening that has international appeal

hallmark event

a local or regional event with national or possible international appeal that occurs once or annually

consumer show

a single- or multi-day exhibition held at a convention or civic center arena

performing arts

a segment of the entertainment industry that includes the exhibition of live presentations by artists, such as actors in theaters or performance artists in other venues

marketing

the process of developing, promoting, and distributing products, or goods and services, to satisfy customers' needs and wants

distribution

the process of getting the product to the consumer

marketing concept

the idea that an organization needs to satisfy its customers while also trying to reach its organization's goals

target market

a specific group of consumers that an organization selects as the focus of its marketing plan

marketing mix

a combination of four basic marketing strategies, known as the four Ps—product, price, place, and promotion

utility

the concept of conveying the value of products through appropriate and convenient placement, adequate information, and easy exchange

marketing plan

a written document that provides direction for the marketing activities of a company for a specific period of time

mission

a business's purpose or goal

marketing environment

the internal and external factors that influence marketing decisions and the ability of the marketing plan to reach its goal

demographics

statistics that describe a population in terms of personal characteristics, such as age, gender, income, ethnicity, or education

goal

the eventual desired outcome

objectives

the steps that lead to the goal

market segmentation

a way of analyzing a market by specific characteristics to create a target market

psychographics

studies of consumers based on social and psychological characteristics, such as attitudes, interests, and opinions

geographics

statistics about where people live

behavioristics

statistics about consumers based on their knowledge, attitudes, use, or response to a product

positioning

the creation of an image for a product in the minds of customers, specifically in relation to competitive products, including services

competitive advantage

an advantage over competitors due to greater value to consumers through lower prices or more benefits

market research

the systematic gathering, recording, analyzing, and presentation of information related to marketing goods and services

secondary research

published data that have been collected for some other purpose

primary research

original research conducted for a specific marketing situation

observation method

a research method that involves watching people and recording their actions by audio, visuals, or writing

experimental method

a research method whereby a researcher observes the results of changing one or more marketing variables

survey method

a research method that involves gathering information from people through the use of surveys or questionnaires

sample

a number of people who are representative of a study's population

products

goods and services that have monetary value