Tourism
Tourism is a phenomena which involve interaction of travelers with the business, government and people who make travel possible.
Defining Tourism through its Four Different Perspective
i.e.
1. The Tourist: The tourist seeks various psychic and physical experiences and satisfactions. The nature of these will largely determined the destinations chosen and the activities enjoyed.
2. The Business Providing Tourist Goods & Services: Business people (Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Transportation Companies, Hotels and Local Shops etc), see tourism as an opportunity to make a profit by supplying the goods and services that the tourist market demands.
3. The Government of the Host Community or Area: Politicians view tourism as a wealth factor in the economy of their jurisdiction. There perspective is related to the incomes their citizens can earn from this business. Politicians also consider the Foreign Exchange receipts from international Tourism as well as the Tax receipts collected from tourist expenditures, either directly or indirectly.
4. The Host Community: Local people usually see tourism as a cultural and employment factor. Of importance to this group for example is the effect of the interaction between large numbers of international visitors and residents. This effect may be beneficial or harmful, or both.
Thus, “TOURISM” may be defined as the process, activities and outcomes arising from the relationships and the interactions among tourists, tourism suppliers, host governments, host communities, and surrounding environments that are involved in the attracting and hosting of visitors
IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM
Tourism is beneficial in several ways to a country, like-
1. Providing Employment OpportunitiesTourism provides employment opportunities for local people in the form of:
Travel Agents and their staff
Hotel Staff
Transportation Services and their staff
Hotel Contractors for civil, electrical and air conditioning and their staff
Hotel Suppliers: fruit, vegetables, meat, toiletries, stationeries and there staff
Shopping Malls and their staff
2. Funding a large portion of a country Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The GDP is the total monetary value given to all of the goods and services produced by a country over a set period of time. A healthy tourism industry helps to increase the volume of sales of these goods and services. This in-turn helps to raise the country’s national income and as a consequence helps to lower unemployment and inflation.
3. Earning Foreign ExchangeTourism helps the country by earning foreign currency through the goods and services provided to foreign visitors, thus improving the balance of payments. Foreign currency is often needed for the purchase of goods imported from foreign countries.
4. Infrastructure Development
Tourism helps in development of infrastructure that stimulate local commerce and industry
5. Broadens Educational & Cultural Horizons
Tourism broadens educational and cultural horizons and improves feelings of self-worth.
6. Promotes International Understanding & Peace
Tourism breakdown language barriers, socio-cultural barriers, class barriers, racial barriers, political barriers, and religious barriers which promote a global community and encourage peace and harmony.
7. Preserve Monuments
Efforts to preserve the Monuments, which encourages Tourism is put by host government. For example, “Archeology Survey of India”.
8. Tourism helps in Reinforcing In The Preservation Of Heritage And Tradition of a country.
9. Improves quality of Life related to a higher level of income and improved standards of living.
10. Tourism has a High Multiplier Impact.
CLASSIFICATION OF TOURISM
(I) According to WTO (World Tourism Organization)
1. International Tourism
a. Inbound Tourism – visit to a country by non-residents.
b. Outbound Tourism – visit by residents of a country to another country.
2. Internal Tourism: visit by resident of a country to their own country.
3. Domestic Tourism: internal tourism plus inbound tourism.
4. National Tourism: internal tourism plus outbound tourism.
(II) On the Basis of Motive of Travel
1. Recreational Tourism
This can be divided into-
(a) Pleasure Tourism i.e.
Travelling for fun and excitement
To enjoy scenic beauty
To seek new experience
(b) Relaxation, Rest & Recreational Tourism
Individual’s need to travel for relaxation and recreation, so that he/she have a chance in an environment, to get away from the hectic routine of life. They may also travel for change of weather, like going to hill station in summer.
2. Cultural TourismThis is connected with the individual’s to travel in order to learn about other countries and their people. It could take the form of –
• Attending specific festivals – like Phuskar festival, Onam festival in India.
• Visiting a country to live amongst the people and study their culture i.e. their music, dance, custom, life style etc.
• Visiting historical and archaeological monuments like Taj Mahal, Red Fort, etc.
• Educational Tours conducted by schools and colleges.
3. Spiritual & Religious
Travel for spirituals reason (pilgrimage) has been taking place for a long time. Visiting religious places has been one of the earliest motivators of travel. Example would include –
• Visiting Varanasi, Allahabad, Haridwar, Tirupati, by Hindu.
• Visiting Mecca by Muslims.
• Vatican & Jerusalem for Christians.
• Lumbani, Kushinagar, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya by Buddhist.
4. Ethnic & FamilyThis includes visiting one’s friends and relatives (VFR), meeting new people and seeking new friendships.
5. Sports / Adventure TourismThere has been an increasing participation in a wide variety of sporting activities
like –
• Mountaineering
• Trekking
• Skiing
• Sailing
• Fishing
• Scuba Diving
• Boating
• Surfing
Places that provide facilities for such activities serve as major tourist attractions.
In addition major sporting events like Olympics, Asian Games, and Common Wealth
Games, Wimbledon, ICC Cricket World Cup Tournaments etc. draw a lot of tourist.
6. Health TourismThe benefits to be gained from fresh air and a healthy climate have long been recognized. The development of ‘Spas’ during Roman Empire was the result of people’s desire to seek good health.
Lot of tourist travel to Kerala for Ayurveda Tourism. Here Ayurvedic treatment is offered by various Ayurvedic Centre.
7. Business Tourism
Business Tourism involves traveling by the company executives and corporate, nationally or internationally for business purposes. Business category hotels and Business Class in Airlines are especially established and designed respectively to cater to the needs of a business traveler, also keeping in mind the budget factor.
8. Educational TourismTraveling for educational reasons is becoming very common in today’s world. Exchange programme tours are held either on a domestic or international level; wherein students exchange views on technical or theoretical knowledge, culture and traditions, general awareness, etc. Also, better educational facilities, infrastructure and resources in the country is an attraction for students to travel for education beyond their hometown.
9. Incentive Tourism
Incentive tour involves traveling by individuals/group who have won a hotel stay (usually with transportation included) as a reward for meeting and excelling their sales quota or other company established standards.
10. Convention Tourism
Attending conventions and conferences related to profession, industry or commerce or to some organization to which the individual belongs has become very popular. Convention travel has made great stride in recent time.
11. MICE - Meeting Incentives Conference & Events
