Tourism is the practice and concept of bringing, accommodating, entertaining, and enjoying visitors to a place. It implies attraction of visitors to a specific place by means of physical, social, cultural, educational, or psychological means. The word came from the Greek trekking, which refers to the practice of hiking from one point to another. It has come to include all types of journey and traveling to different places.
Many people in the world nowadays are very interested in exploring other cultures and traditions. This is why tourism businesses are flourishing worldwide. In many countries, tourism is considered a vital part of their economy. Hence, there has been growth in various tourism businesses.
The scope and extent of tourism are vast. Generally, tourism includes the activities and goods carried out by tourists in their usual environment. However, some kinds of tourism are included in the term tourism, which may also involve activities that only involve individuals or groups of people. Some examples of this are Backpacking, Extreme Sports, Family tourism, Outdoor activities, Remote tourism, Social tourism, Tour de France, Tribal tourism, Wine tourism, Jet skiing etc. Outbound tourism refers to travelling and staying away from one’s normal environment.
Pleasure tourism refers to tourist activities that are designed to quench the visitor’s thirst for indulgence. For example, water sports like swimming, snorkelling, surfing, sailing and boating, are popular among the youth segment of the society. Adult tourists may also indulge in these same kinds of activities. Other examples of this kind of tourism are bungee jumping, sky diving, mountain biking, mountaineering, heli-jumping etc.
Entertainment tourism involves the provision of facilities and amenities to facilitate the enjoyment of travellers. Hotels, theme parks, casinos, indoor golf courses and theaters are some of the establishments that provide amusement to the travellers. This is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Tourists can spend their days in the lap of luxury without spending much money.
Tourism management jobs play a vital role in the smooth functioning of the tourism industry. A tourism manager is responsible for the overall management of a tourist organisation. He can coordinate all the activities of his staff and be its leader. He is expected to see that the budget and resources are conserved to meet the requirements of his clients. In case of any complaints, he should immediately take steps to resolve it.
