Travel and Tourism Themes and Concepts Study Notes

UNIT 1: TRAVEL AND TOURISM THEMES AND CONCEPTS

LEARNING INTENTIONS

  • Understand the changing nature of travel and tourism, including:

    • Reasons people travel

    • Types of tourism available

    • Changing structure of the travel and tourism industry

  • Understand different types of travel and tourism destinations and explain their changing appeal to different customer types.

  • Assess trends in travel and tourism:

    • Changes in tourism flow

    • Factors affecting these changes

  • Understand the growth of sustainable tourism.

  • Explain the growth of ecotourism.

  • Evaluate the provision of customer service in travel and tourism.

  • Discuss the importance of quality customer service and ways to assess its provision in the travel and tourism industry.

OBJECTIVE

  • In this section, you will learn about:

    • Travel and Tourism Themes and Concepts

    • The Changing Nature of Travel & Tourism

    • Travel and Tourism Destinations

TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN CONTEXT

  • Chazal Ecotourism, Mauritius:

    • Provides ecotourism activities and accommodation

    • Located on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean

    • Attracts ecotourists seeking to enjoy the natural environment without damaging habitats or local communities.

    • Activities Available:

    • Trekking through dense fern forests

    • Enjoying natural tropical pools, rock slides, and waterfalls

    • Ziplining over the landscape

    • Staying in well-equipped eco-lodges with separate rooms and private amenities

    • Dining on traditional local dishes at their restaurant.

    • Full-Day Discovery Package includes:

    • Ziplining

    • Forest walk

    • Restaurant lunch

    • 4x4 vehicle ride, allowing a memorable and adventurous experience.

    • Many customers choose to visit Chazal Ecotourism for a day trip while staying at other locations in Mauritius.

Discussion Questions

  1. What does 'ecotourism' mean?

  2. Why do you think the Chazal Ecotourism resort appeals to ecotourists?

  3. Why is providing quality customer service important to travel and tourism providers like Chazal Ecotourism?

  4. How might social media help Chazal Ecotourism?

DEFINITIONS

  • Tourist: A person who travels to a place (potentially a country) other than their usual residence for at least one night but no more than one year.

REASONS PEOPLE TRAVEL

  • Leisure Activities:

    • Relaxation and Fun: Activities done in free time away from work.

    • Nature and Adventure: Experiences drawn from the appeal of natural environments.

    • Sport: Participating or enjoying as a spectator.

    • Health and Wellbeing: Activities related to physical health, spas, etc.

    • Culture and Sightseeing: Engaging with local lifestyles, traditions, art, and architecture.

    • Special Interests: Engaging in hobbies or pastimes.

BUSINESS / MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions)

  • Description: People traveling for work-related purposes are categorized as business tourists.

  • Activities Include:

    • Meetings with colleagues or clients

    • Incentive rewards for exemplary work performance

    • Attendance at conferences or conventions

    • Visiting exhibitions or trade events.

KEY WORDS IN TRAVEL

  • Conference: A large event where many people convene for discussions and presentations relevant to travel industry business.

  • Convention: Similar to a conference, but focused on individuals in a specific occupation or business field.

  • Exhibition: An event focusing on showcasing products and services by various tourism organizations.

  • Trade Event: Another category of events emphasizing business interactions.

  • VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives): When tourists travel to engage with acquaintances. Factors influencing VFR tourism include improved transport access, increased disposable income, time off work, and family residing in different locations.

  • Pilgrimage: Visiting a revered location to express respect, e.g., Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

TYPES OF TOURISM

  • Domestic Tourism: Visiting destinations within one’s home country.

  • Inbound Tourism: Traveling into a country from abroad.

  • Outbound Tourism: Traveling out of the country of residence.

  • Specialist Tourism: Traveling based on specific interests such as cooking, painting, or photography.

TOUR OPERATOR

  • Tour Operator: A business that organizes tours and combines various components (transport, accommodation, meals) into package holidays.

CLASSIFICATION OF TOURISM

  • Mass Tourism: Involves many tourists visiting popular destinations.

  • Packaged Tourism: Organizing travel products by tourism businesses, e.g., tour operators combining travel and accommodation for a flat rate.

  • Unpackaged Tourism: Independent travel where elements are booked separately, contrasting with packaged tourism.

FLIGHT TYPES

  • Short-Haul Flights: Less than 3 hours.

  • Medium-Haul Flights: Between 3 and 6 hours.

  • Long-Haul Flights: More than 6 hours.

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL

  • Visitors self-arranging their travel components, using online resources, apps, and social media.

  • Ancillary Services: Extra services supporting tourists, like currency exchange and guided tours.

SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

  • Sustainable Tourism: Visiting places to minimize negative impact while maximizing benefits to the environment and locals.

    • Environmentally Sustainable Tourism: Aims for minimal ecological disruption and pollution.

    • Socially Sustainable Tourism: Aims to preserve local cultures for future generations.

    • Economically Sustainable Tourism: Generates employment and income for local economies.

  • Ecotourism and Responsible Tourism: Forms of sustainable tourism emphasizing natural environments while aiming to lessen negative impact.

    • Responsible Tourism: Ensures respectful behavior by tourists towards nature and local populations, along with responsible management by providers.

COMPONENTS OF THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

Types of Components Include:

  1. Accommodation:

    • Hotels, guesthouses, hostels, homestays, camping, serviced apartments.

  2. Catering Businesses:

    • Restaurants, cafes, street vendors, takeaways.

  3. Travel Agents:

    • Retail shops, online agents, specialists in various tourism types.

  4. Tour Operators:

    • Packages holidays inclusive of all necessary components.

  5. Transport Providers:

    • Airlines, ferries, cruise ships, rail services, car hire.

  6. Visitor Attractions:

    • Natural attractions like waterfalls and scenic vistas, built attractions like museums and historical sites.

  7. Ancillary Services:

    • Services not directly related to transportation, food, or accommodation.

CHANGES IN THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

  • Integration Trends: Vertical and horizontal integration of tourism businesses to offer a more cohesive package.

    • Vertical Integration: Merging businesses from different industry components.

    • Horizontal Integration: Merging businesses from the same component.

  • Dynamic Packaging: Allowing customers to create their holiday packages from selected components, promoting independent travel.

  • Sustainability Awareness: Increased focus on sustainable practices by travel businesses to meet customer expectations and protect the environment.

  • Online Booking Growth: Simple access to travel product arrangements through websites and apps is increasing the popularity of independent travel options.