What is tourism?

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 520.

Definition of Tourism

Unit 1

Vocabulary notes:

to accommodateпредоставлять жилье

to cater toзаботиться (о чем-либо),

обеспечивать клиентов (чем-либо)

to gainдобиваться, достигать

supplierпоставщик

profitкоммерческий

ownershipвид собственности

in terms ofс точки зрения, с позиции

governmentгосударственный

quasi-governmentпри частичном участии

государственных структур

accessibilityдоступность

to experienceознакомиться, увидеть воочию

to be involved withбыть связанным (с чем-либо)

to furtherспособствовать дальнейшему

развитию

retirementуход на пенсию

flexible work hoursгибкий рабочий график

to disturbпрепятствовать, мешать

to avoidизбегать

dеstructionразрушение

pollutionзагрязнение окружающей среды

The word tourism did not appear in the English language until the early nineteenth century. The word tour was more closely associated with the idea of a voyage or a theatrical tour than with the idea of an individual “travelling for pleasure purposes”, which is the accepted use of the word today. Webster's Tenth Colligiate Dictionary defines a tourist as “one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture”.

Tourism can be defined as the science, art, and business of attracting and transporting visitors, accommodating them, and catering to their needs and wants. A tourist, by United Nations definition, is a person who stays for more than one night and less than a year. Business and convention travel is included in this definition.

For many developing nations tourism represents a relatively high percentage of gross national product and an easy way of gaining a balance of trade with other nations.

Tourism means different things to different people. For example, a hotelier might say that tourism is wonderful because it brings guests who fill rooms and restaurants. However, a government official might define it as the economic benefit of more money coming into the country, state or city. Tourism can also be defined as the idea of attracting, accommodating, and pleasing groups or individuals travelling for pleasure or business. In order to define tourism, it is sometimes categorized in terms of the following factors:

1) geography: international, regional, national, state, country,

city;

2) ownership: government, quasi-government, private;

3) function: regulators, suppliers, marketers, professional

associations, trade organizations, consumer organizations;

4) industry: transportation (air, bus, rail, auto, cruise), travel

agents, tour wholesalers, lodging, attractions, recreation;

5) motive: profit or nonprofit.

So, as it is clearly seen, tourism can be categorized by geography, ownership, function, industry, and travel motive.

Industry practitioners use these categories to identify and interact with the various industry sectors and organizations involved with tourism.

Physical needs, the desire to experience other cultures, and an interest in meeting new people are some of the motives people have when they travel. Because of flexible work hours, early retirement, and the easy accessability of travelling, tourism is constantly growing.

From a social and cultural perspective, tourism can further international understanding and economically improve a poor country. However, it can also disturb a culture by confronting it with mass tourism, causing the distruction of natural sites. A trend in avoiding tourism pollution is ecotourism.