Introduction to Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

The subject has been developed as an introductory study to the areas of travel and tourism to provide students with a sound foundation from which they can progress onto the Diploma subject of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. It is designed to establish an awareness of concepts and perspectives relevant to the understanding of travel and tourism industries and to give students a framework from which to analyse the various aspects of these industries.

1. Understand the concepts of and relationship between leisure, recreation, travel and tourism.
2. Be able to define and describe tourist typologies in relation to the supply and demand of tourism.
3. Appreciate the characteristics and interrelationships between the component parts of the tourism transport system.
4. Identify and appreciate the significance of the roles played by the intermediaries within the tourism system and their operational characteristics.
5. Understand the different administrative organisations for the development of tourism within the public sector.

1. Define and explain the interrelationships and interdependence between leisure, recreation, travel and tourism.
2. Appreciate the significance of economic, social, cultural, political and environmental trends on patterns of leisure and tourism.
3. Identify the characteristics of different types of tourists and explain their motivational behaviour.
4. Understand the supply and demand of tourist travel, and give reasons for tourism flow patterns.
5. Explain the dimensions of the travel system in relation to tourism.
6. Understand the main motivation factors that influence the tourist’s choice of travel.
7. Outline the evolution of international travel and transport developments that have affected tourism.
8. Explain the relationship between the development of the inclusive package tour and mass tourism.
9. Identify the basic requirement to development a tourism destination.
10. Identify the roles of, and the relationships between, the main intermediaries within a simple tour distribution system
11. Evaluate a government’s interest and involvement with main public tourism organisations at both national and international levels.
12. Appreciate future trends within the travel and tourism sectors.

The syllabus is divided into 5 main sections.

The purpose of this section is to provide students with an understanding of the historical significance between the concept of leisure and time within different cultures and the resultant distribution of time between work, play, leisure, recreation, travel and tourism. 

The relationships between time, leisure and work are becoming key features within many societies where the demarcation between paid work, unpaid / voluntary work, retirement, domestic life styles, and leisure is becoming less clear but increasingly significant. Economic, social, cultural, technical, political and environmental factors all affect the level of disposable time and resources which different sections of a society can spend on leisure activities. The distribution between work, leisure time and resources should be evaluated across the developed, developing and least developing countries incorporating the external factors that dictate the distribution.

The student should be competent to apply the above concepts to the relationship between tourism and travel sectors, establishing the connectivity between time, resources and technology to facilitate participation in tourism.

Developing a sound understanding of the definitions and interrelationship associated with each sector provides the basic framework and sets the parameters for further study. The definitions should be compared and contrasted from a conceptual and technical standpoint.

Establishing the reason why people travel is one of the key factors to understanding travel patterns set by tourists through individual motivation and ability to travel. Tourism is concerned with why people travel to a certain destination. There is a wide range of influencing factors that should be explored to establish the actual, deferred and potential demand. To do so the student should understand the categories by by which tourists can be designated into different classifications through their individual characteristics and managed through social features and interactions. Reference should be made to Cohen’s classifications of tourists (organised mass tourist, individual mass tourist, the explorer and the drifter) and Plog’s theory of psychocentric and all centric tourists classification.

Tourist typologies and patterns of demand are important for planning, developing and marketing purposes. Motivation of demand can be examined through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that can be applied to both the working and non-working environment and furthered through studying the factors affecting travel propensity at both the personal and global level.

By identifying these characteristics and groupings, tourist behaviour can be summarised to display tourism flow patterns, which in turn will identify the major tourism generating and receiving areas. Students should recognise and be able to explain the imbalance of these flow patterns between the developed and the developing regions of the world. To meet the tourism demand, destinations have to offer a product that will induce and facilitate travel through:

• Attractions, whether natural cultural or manmade;
• Accessibility of transport including both international gateways and local transport;
• Accommodation which can be classified through various categories and subdivided into commercial accommodation e.g. hotels, guesthouses and holiday;

• Parks, and the private sector including private residences and second homes, camping or selfcatering;

• Amenities including food and beverage facilities, entertainment, retailing and other services and a range of ancillary services; 

The presence of these features will determine the characteristics of the location and type of tourists.

The student should be aware that it is the attractions which act as the initial appeal on tourism. demand and it is the development and upgrading of these attractions which will retain tourism Accommodation and other services are a response to this demand. Students will be able to classify different types of accommodation and attractions, giving examples where appropriate.

Students should have a sound understanding of the importance of the travel component as an integral part of the tourism experience and not merely a means to an end. To appreciate the tourism transport system, consideration has to be given to the characteristics of the tourist, traveller, the travel services, mode of transport and transport terminals available, the characteristics of both the generating country and receiving countries. Leipers model (1990) should be used to demonstrate the dynamic interaction between the tourist, the generating region, the destination and the transit area. The model will further assist in demonstrating the effects of the external environment on the tourism system.

Transport activity and the modes of transport used are influenced by the friction of distance between countries, international connectivity and the general attractiveness of the receiving country. Transport activity can be identified by three elements: the route, the terminal, and the mode of transport. The route used can be natural, artificial or a combination of the two. The cost of the route is influenced by whether it is shared with another user or there is sole use of the facility. The terminal is the transport gateway acting as an entry and exit point, which can also act as a transfer point between carriers. The cost of travel and the effect of the type of terrain has a significant influence on consumer behaviour and therefore influences the international tourism flows and traffic volumes.

Students should be able to explain the significance of the main types of transport used within the tourism sector and understand why one transport mode may be preferred over another for the use of business, pleasure or personal use.

Transportation should be considered taking account of the following issues:

• the increase in car ownership and the popularity of touring and fly drive holidays;
• the motor coach industry and its search for survival through niche marketing;
• the significance of rail transportation on tourism development;
• the influencing factors of air transport;
• the evolution of passenger liners and the cruise market.

These developments should be viewed in the context of the rapid growth of mass tourism and the production and distribution of the inclusive tour.

Access and adequate transport networks are main determinants in tourism activity, including transport to and within a destination. Attractions and facilities are not accessible to tourists until the basic infrastructure is established. Students should understand the terms "infrastructure" and "superstructure" and the significance of both on the tourist and the host community.

Intermediaries within the tourism system are principally responsible for the development and control of global mass tourism through transnational operations in generating and receiving countries. A complex network of tour operators, travel agents, transport operators and accommodation providers work together to identify and develop new markets or recreate existing markets. The student should understand the importance of the role of intermediaries within the evolution of tourism and the specialist marketing techniques used to promote tourism, mainly the introduction and impact of the package tour and its relationship to mass tourism.

In addition the process of distribution either directly or indirectly through wholesalers or retailers should be understood. Students should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the nature of the tourism industry in relation to the destination and identify that, as the demand has matured, the tour product has had to react to changes. Tour operators, airlines and hotels have become increasingly important in destination development. They are often transnational organisations which can negotiate with local and national governments for development rights and funding to reduce their own financial risk.

The increased demand induced by these companies requires additional and expensive infrastructure which is normally funded through relatively scarce local resources or foreign loans. However visitor flows are assured through international marketing campaigns designed by these organisations. Their profits are gained through various types of service agreements, franchises, licensing, management fees and limited direct investment. They gain a controlling position as they negotiate agreements, which do not give a great deal of permanency or security, but provide the companies with rights of withdrawal. The tour operator through the use of tour packages has raised the volume and value of tour operations, which in turn gives these companies the power to negotiate with other suppliers within the industry such as hoteliers, transport operators and retail agents.

Reference should be made to the major influences of the airline industry, particularly the introduction and development of charter flights, the consequent effect on scheduled flights and the overall impact on the tourism sector.

The propensity to travel is fundamentally controlled by a complex structure of international agreements, codes and policies, law and legislation of countries often governed by different political regimes. The degree of intervention and support for tourism varies from country to country. However in areas of political unrest or designated war zones non-essential travel may be restricted and inbound tourism travel will be forbidden. 

Government, and hence the public sector, becomes involved in tourism as it can have considerable significance to a country’s economy, social and environmental features. It impacts on a country’s balance of payments, having import and export type components, and as such can be subject to duty taxes. It is a generally accepted rule that the level of importance of tourism is reflected by the prominence merited within a government’s organisational structure. 

Students should be able to understand the significance of government involvement in tourism and be able to explain the role tourism plays in their own country. The basic reasons for government involvement can be summarised under the following headings: foreign exchange earnings, employment creation, distribution, and training; co-ordination and planning of developments, wealth creation and distribution; destination marketing input, infrastructure provision, regulating and monitoring the social, cultural, environmental and economic impacts.

In addition students should be able to discuss the role of national tourism organisations and their relationship to both the public and private sectors. Key organisations should be identified which impact on tourism, in particular the role of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) which assists countries to develop and maximise the benefits of tourism and provide information on policy formation and global tourism statistics. Students should have knowledge of the existence and role of the World Bank, United Nations, International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

By written examination. The pass mark is 40%. Time allowed 3 hours. 

Eight questions from which five must be answered. All questions carry 20 marks.