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Starter
Pack

Travel and Tourism

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for Cambridge International AS & A Level

PL COURSEBOOK

Sue Stewart, Stephen Rickerby & Fiona Warburton

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Third edition Digital Access

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Dear Cambridge Teacher,

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The Cambridge AS & A Level Travel and Tourism Coursebook will publish later this year.

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We have produced this ‘Starter Pack’ to enable you to plan and teach the new course while
we finalise and print the new resource.

We are working closely with Cambridge Assessment International Education to provide

endorsed resources to support your students following the Cambridge Pathway to give
you confidence that they reflect the new syllabus.

The pack contains the following:

• Unit 1: Travel and Tourism themes and concepts
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Please note that the material included in this Starter Pack is at an advanced draft stage
but may still change between now and publication. In addition, the content from the sample
is also available digitally and may vary visually in this format.

Visit our website to view the full series or speak to your local sales representative.
You can find their contact details here:
cambridge.org/education/find-your-sales-consultant
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Travel and Tourism

E
for Cambridge International AS & A Level

PL COURSEBOOK

Sue Stewart, Stephen Rickerby & Fiona Warburton

M
SA

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2022. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior to publication.
 We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this resource.

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NOTICE TO TEACHERS IN THE UK

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(i) where you are abiding by a licence granted to your school or institution by the
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NOTICE TO TEACHERS
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Exam-style questions and sample answers have been written by the authors. In examinations,
the way marks are awarded may be different. References to assessment and/or assessment
preparation are the publisher’s interpretation of the syllabus requirements and may not fully
reflect the approach of Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Cambridge International recommends that teachers consider using a range of teaching and
learning resources in preparing learners for assessment, based on their own professional judgement
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Teachers play an important part in shaping futures.

Our Dedicated Teacher Awards recognise the hard

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work that teachers put in every day.
Thank you to everyone who nominated this year; we have been inspired and moved
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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Contents
How to use this series vi The importance of quality customer
service65
How to use this book vii
Ways of assessing customer service
Introduction ix quality in travel and tourism 66
Introduction to command words xi Unit 2 Planning and managing a

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Unit 1 Travel and tourism themes travel and tourism event 75

and concepts 1 2.0 Introduction 77

1.0 Introduction 3 A virtual world 77

Planning and managing your own event 78
1.1 The changing nature of travel

1.2
and tourism

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Reasons people travel
Types of tourism
The changing structure of the travel
and tourism industry
Travel and tourism destinations
Types of destination
The changing appeal of destinations to
3
3
8

12
20
20
2.1

2.2
Working in a team
Overview of team working
Organising meetings
Choosing your event
Feasibility studies and the areas
to consider90
Investigative methods
SWOT analysis
79
79
86
89

92
93
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different external customer types 22 Risk assessment 94
Changes in travel choices 29 Financial and accounting methods,
1.3 Trends in travel and tourism 33 estimated cost 95
Changing global tourism flows 33 Approvals and legal considerations 95
1.4 The growth of sustainable tourism 43 Data protection 96
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Types of sustainability 43 Explaining your choice of event and

producing a mission statement 96
Reasons for the growth of
sustainable tourism 45 2.3 Producing a business plan for
your travel and tourism event 97
1.5 Sustainable tourism in practice:
the growth of ecotourism 53 Business plan 97
Ecotourism products and services 53 Contingency planning 98
Responsible and ethical tourism Timescales and planning 98
behaviours and practices 57 SMART Goals 102
Sustainably managing tourism facilities 58 Methods of monitoring and evaluating
Impacts and attitudes 59 the event 102

1.6 Customer service in travel 2.4 Preparing for the event 102
and tourism 62 Communication methods 102
Providing customer service in travel Preparation of financial accounts
and tourism62 and collecting payments 104

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Contents

Safety107 Considerations for selection of

Data protection and online security 107 communication methods 179

Forms of marketing 107 Different media used to communicate

the destination’s brand identity 181
Itinerary design 111
3.4 Challenges in branding
2.5 Running the event 112 destinations 183
Timekeeping112 Branding challenges 183
Customer care and feedback 112
3.5 Monitoring the effectiveness
Problem solving 113 of the destination brand 185

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Evidence of the event  114 Methods used to monitor the
2.6 Evaluation and recommendations 114 effectiveness of the brand 185
Techniques to evaluate the event 114 Key performance indicators (KPIs) /
measures of success 186
Evaluation of the team 116
Personal reflection and self-evaluation 117 Unit 4 Destination development

Unit 3
3.0
3.1
Destination marketing
Introduction PL
Ways of improving planning,
preparing and running the event

Defining the tourism market

Market research and analysis
The aims of market research and
market analysis121
117
118
119
120
121
4.0
and management
Introduction
4.1 Organisations involved in ­
destination management,
their roles and ­priorities
Governments, ministries and National
Tourism Organisations (NTOs)
Local authorities and regional
196
193
195

195
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tourism organisations199
Market research methods 131 Non-governmental
Market analysis tools and techniques 138 organisations (NGOs) 203
Market segmentation 142 Commercial organisations 205
Visitor profiling 145 Destination Management Companies
Product positioning 149 (DMCs)207
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Review of the marketing mix 150 4.2 Developing and managing

destinations 208
3.2 Building a destination brand 158
Destination management activities 208
Reasons for branding a destination 159
Objectives of tourism development
Characteristics of an effective
and management218
destination brand161
Creating a brand identity 164 4.3 Impacts of tourism 227

Planning the launch of the brand 168 Economic impacts 227

3.3 Communicating the destination Environmental impacts 232

brand 172 Socio-cultural impacts 236
Interdependent stakeholders in the Preparing for assessment 243
destination branding process 172
Glossary 249
Communication methods used to
Acknowledgements 256
raise awareness of the destination’s
brand identity175 Index 258

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

How to use this series

This suite of resources supports learners and teachers following the Cambridge AS &
A Level Travel and Tourism syllabus (9395). The components in the series are designed
to work together and help learners develop the necessary knowledge and skills for this
subject. With clear language and style, they are designed for international learners.

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The coursebook is designed for learners to use in class with

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guidance from the teacher. It offers complete coverage of the
Cambridge AS & A Level Travel and Tourism syllabus. Each unit
contains in-depth explanation of Travel and Tourism concepts
and definitions of key words with a variety of activities, case-
studies and images to engage learners, help them make real-world
connections and develop their critical thinking skills. Self-
evaluation checklists and exam-style questions at the end of each
unit enable learners to revise, self-evaluate their understanding and
progress, and reflect on their learning.
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The Teacher’s Resource is the foundation of this Travel and Tourism

series because it offers inspiring ideas about how for Cambridge International
to teach this course. It contains teaching guidance, AS & A Level
lesson plans, suggestions for differentiation,
assessment and language support, answers and
extra materials including downloadable language
worksheets.

Digital Teacher’s Resource

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How to use this book

How to use this book

Throughout this coursebook, you will notice recurring features that are designed to
help your learning. Here is a brief overview of what you will find.

LEARNING INTENTIONS KEY WORDS

Learning intentions open each unit. These help you with navigation through Key vocabulary terms

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the coursebook and indicate the important concepts in each topic. are highlighted in
the text when they
are first introduced.
TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN CONTEXT Meanings of these
words and phrases
Travel and Tourism in context introduces you to the content in a unit. These are given in the

TIP
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place some of the key ideas contained in the unit into a real-world travel and
tourism context. They raise important issues for discussion, with questions that
allow you to look in more detail at the topic.

Tips are provided throughout this coursebook to help with your learning. The
tips might cover how to avoid common errors or misconceptions, or provide
advice on essay writing, evaluation and analysis, or guidance on how answers
feature boxes close
to where the word is
highlighted. You will
also find definitions
of these words in
the Glossary at the
back of this book.
There is also a
separate glossary for
acronyms.
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are arrived at.

KEY CONCEPT
CASE STUDY LINK

There are lots of case studies included throughout the units providing These explain how
real-world examples of the concepts discussed. These are followed by the coursebook’s
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opportunities for discussion, as well as activities for you to complete on your topics are integrated
own, in pairs or in groups. with the key concepts
in the Cambridge
International AS &
A Level Travel and
ACTIVITY
Tourism syllabus.
There are various activities throughout the units. These include evaluative or
analytic questions, as well as opportunities to produce your own work either
individually, in pairs or in groups.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

REFLECTION
Reflection questions direct you to look back on an activity and encourage you
to think about your learning. You will reflect on and assess the process that
you used to arrive at your answers.

EXAM-STYLE QUESTIONS
Exam-style questions are included at the end of units 1, 3 & 4, providing an opportunity for you to apply your
knowledge and assess your understanding of the unit. The questions focus on knowledge and understanding,

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application, analysis and research and evaluation.

SELF-EVALUATION CHECKLIST

You should be able to:

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At the end of each unit, you will find a series of statements outlining the content that you should now understand.
You might find it helpful to rate how confident you are for each of these statements when you are revising. You
should re-visit any topics that you rated ‘Needs more work’ or ‘Almost there’.

Needs
more work

Note: Throughout the text, dollars ($) refer to US dollars, unless otherwise stated.
Almost
there
Ready to
move on
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Introduction

Introduction
Who is this book for?
Welcome to AS & A Level Travel and Tourism. This coursebook has been written to
comprehensively cover the Cambridge International AS & A Level Travel and Tourism
syllabus (9395) for examination from 2024. This coursebook is a valuable resource if
you are a teacher or a learner, accurately covering the syllabus content and providing

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industry-specific examples and authentic case study material.
As a learner studying this syllabus, this coursebook will help you to gain knowledge
and experience into the world’s largest service industry. Travel and tourism is an
exciting and dynamic industry responsible for one in every ten jobs in the world.
It is also one of the fastest growing industries and is seen by many to contribute

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significantly to socio-economic progress. With many traditional industries in
decline, travel and tourism can offer a diverse and sustainable option; employment
opportunities exist on the land, sea and in the air. Like all industries, travel and
tourism can be affected by the uncertainties caused by global events. However the
tourism industry is huge and its business volume exceeds many other established
industries such as food and oil production. This means that governments and policy
makers place a high level of importance on travel and tourism for the economic
benefits and employment opportunities that it provides. Whatever your career path
may be, using this coursebook to study the Cambridge International AS & A Level
Travel and Tourism will help to provide the skills and knowledge necessary for success
in the industry.
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As you work through this coursebook, complete as many of the activities and
questions as you can. The information in the How to use this book at the start of this
coursebook explains how the features included can help with your learning

What makes this book different?

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This book is structured with each unit following that of the syllabus. It is fully up
to date and has been written with you in mind. Each unit is explained in detail, and
includes activities and case studies to help develop both theoretical and practical skills.
There are exam-style questions, tips, key terms and concepts to help you learn. There
are also features to help you reflect on and evaluate your learning.
Other key features of this book include:
• An international perspective.
• A clear layout, with easy-to-use sections.
• A key concept approach that demonstrates the global nature and linking patterns
of the travel and tourism industry.
• An opportunity to integrate thought processes and development of
critical thinking.
• An opportunity to develop higher order skills in application through analysis,
evaluation, and assessment techniques.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Overview of key concepts

The key concepts highlighted throughout the coursebook match those on the syllabus
and will also help you to make links between topics and develop a deep overall
understanding of the subject. They key concepts for Cambridge International AS & A
Level Travel and Tourism are:
1 Global and growing: The travel and tourism industry is a global industry.
Changes in political and socioeconomic circumstances and technological
developments contribute to the continuing growth of the travel and tourism
industry and its importance to many national, regional and local economies. The
sustainable management of travel and tourism’s global growth seeks to protect

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destination environments, economies and communities.
2 Change and development: A key feature of travel and tourism is its dynamic
nature. The only constant is change. Exciting new enterprises, products or services
are often developed in response to political, economic, social and technological
changes.

economies.
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3 Sustainability and responsibility: Sustainably managing today’s travel and
tourism is vital in protecting tomorrow’s environment, economies and the future
lives of people. Responsible and ethical behaviour by tourists and by tourism
providers and organisations helps conserve destination environments, cultures and

4 Customer focus: Travel and tourism organisations provide products, services

and facilities to meet customers’ needs. In order for travel and tourism providers
to be successful, they must adopt a strong customer focus. This means they must
really understand who their customers are and how they can best meet their
needs, therefore people involved in the travel and tourism industry need excellent
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communication, problem-solving and planning skills.
5 Marketing and management: Marketing products, services and destinations
is crucial for the business success of travel and tourism organisations and for the
economic sustainability of destinations. Successful marketing is key to meeting
customers’ changing needs. Managing changing travel and tourism organisations
and destinations sustainably.
The key concepts above are taken from the Cambridge International syllabus (9395) for
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examination from 2024. You should always refer to the appropriate syllabus document
for the year of your examination to confirm the details and for more information.
The syllabus document is available on the Cambridge International website at www.
cambridgeinternational.org.

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Introduction to command words

Introduction to
command words
The command words and definitions in the following table are taken from the Cambridge
International syllabus (9395) for examination from 2024. You should always refer

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to the appropriate syllabus document for the year of your examination to confirm the
details and for more information. The syllabus document is available on the Cambridge
International website at www.cambridgeinternational.org . The guidance that appears in
this table has been written by the author.
Exam questions may start with one of the command words in the table below. It is

Analyse

Assess

Compare
Definition

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important that you understand what each command word is asking you to do. In this
book you will find exam-style questions that use these command words.

Command word
Examine in detail to show meaning, identify
elements and the relationship between them

Make an informed judgement

Identify/comment on similarities and/or

Guidance
You should breakdown the key parts and then
examine each part and ask questions of ‘how’
and ‘why’.
Show how important something is, give your
judgement and come to an overall conclusion.
You should carefully consider and explain
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differences the similarities and differences of a given
question or source.
Define Give precise meaning Give the exact meaning of a term or word.
Describe State the points of a topic / give Give a description of, explain the main
characteristics and main features. features of, e.g., something or somewhere.
Discuss Write about issue(s) or topic(s) in depth in a You should give reasons or present facts
structured way for and against an issue, or give reasons or
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present facts for why one issue may be more

significant than others. This will depend on
the context of the question.
Evaluate Judge or calculate the quality, importance, You should discuss the importance of (judge
amount or value of something the overall worth of) and make an attempt
to weigh up your opinions and include a
supported conclusion.
Explain Set out purposes or reasons / make the Give clear reasons or make clear the meaning
relationships between things clear / say of something. Use examples and explain the
why and/or how and support with relevant theory behind the question.
evidence

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Command word Definition Guidance

Give Produce an answer from a given source or You should give a concise answer this may
recall/memory be identified from source material or from
memory.
Identify Name/select/recognise You should name the key knowledge point.
Justify Support a case with evidence/argument You should weigh up evidence and give a
clear reason for your final choice.
Outline Set out the main points You should describe the key points
without detail.
State Express in clear terms You should give a concise answer with little,

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or no supporting argument required.
Suggest Apply knowledge and understanding to You should apply your knowledge and
situations where there are a range of valid understanding to give ideas.
responses in order to make proposals / put
forward considerations

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Unit 1

Travel and

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tourism themes PL
and concepts
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SA

LEARNING INTENTIONS
In this unit you will learn how to:
• understand the changing nature of travel and tourism, including the reasons people travel,
the types of tourism available and the changing structure of the travel and tourism industry
• understand different types of travel and tourism destination and explain their changing
appeal to different external customer types
• assess trends in travel and tourism, including changes in tourism flow and the 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
• understand the importance of quality customer service and discuss ways of assessing
its provision in the travel and tourism industry.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN CONTEXT

Chazal Ecotourism, Mauritius

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Figure 1.1: A waterfall at Chamourny, near Chazal Ecotourism

Chazal Ecotourism is a travel and tourism

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business that provides ecotourism activities and
accommodation in Mauritius. Mauritius is an island
in the Indian Ocean.
Ecotourists visit places where they can enjoy the
natural environment without causing damage to the
habitat or local people.
Chazal Ecotourism is set in the tropical forests of
southern Mauritius. Many plants and animals there
are unique to Mauritius.
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At the Chazal Ecotourism site, ecotourists can: Figure 1.2: Eco-lodges are simple buildings constructed
from locally sourced materials. Some eco-lodges offer
• trek through the dense fern forest basic facilities, such as a bed and perhaps a shower.
Others offer luxury facilities such as private bathrooms
• enjoy natural tropical pools, rock slides
and terraces, sometimes with room service
and waterfalls
• zipline over the natural landscape Chazal Ecotourism provides customer service to
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• stay in well-equipped eco-lodges that have inbound (from other countries) and domestic (same
separate double and single bedrooms, private country) tourism visitors. Quality customer service
balconies and bathrooms is important to travel and tourism providers such as
Chazal Ecotourism. They can use social media reviews
• eat local traditional dishes at the restaurant. from customers to help ensure quality customer service.
The full-day Discovery Package is a Chazal Discussion:
Ecotourism product that includes ziplining,
1 What does ‘ecotourism’ mean?
a forest walk, a restaurant lunch and an exciting
4x4 vehicle ride. It allows visitors to enjoy the 2 Why do you think the Chazal Ecotourism resort
natural environment of the forests in adventurous, appeals to ecotourists?
fun and safe ways. Many Chazal Ecotourism
customers holiday (go on vacation) elsewhere 3 Why is providing quality customer service
in Mauritius and use the visitor attraction important to travel and tourism providers such
for a day trip. as Chazal Ecotourism?
4 How might social media help Chazal Ecotourism?

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

KEY WORDS
tourism: providing products and services such eco-lodges: small-scale forms of accommodation
as transport, accommodation and activities to that are environmentally sustainable, often found in
customers (tourists) rural destinations
ecotourism: visiting a place to enjoy the natural customer service: meeting the needs and wants
environment without causing damage of customers by providing them with products and
services
accommodation: a place where people can stay, for
example, a hotel social media: websites and apps for sharing photos
and information

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• the reasons people travel
1.0 Introduction • the types of tourism available

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The travel and tourism industry is made up of all
the businesses that provide for the needs of tourist
customers. The industry is changing because of changing
customer needs and wants. Tourists are visiting different
destinations and making different choices about how
and where to travel. Changes in customer demand have
led to a growth in sustainable travel and tourism. Chazal
Ecotourism is an example of the growth of ecotourism.

KEY WORDS
• the structure of the travel and tourism industry.

Reasons people travel

The reasons people travel are changing as the number
of people able to travel changes. Factors such as the
increased availability of transport, longer holidays from
work or study and increased affordability increase the
number of people willing and able to travel. Factors such
as disease (for example, the COVID-19 pandemic of the
early 2020s), disasters such as earthquakes and war or
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customer needs: the basic human requirements
terrorism in certain parts of the world can in turn limit
of a customer, e.g. food, clothing, shelter, safety,
the number.
a sense of belonging and self-esteem
customer wants: customers’ preferences, for KEY WORD
example, the type of hotel they want to stay in, or
the type of restaurant they want to visit pandemic: a serious outbreak of disease across
the world
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destinations: areas that attract visitors

customer demand: how willing and able a
customer is to purchase particular products and Tourists travel to destinations for different reasons, such
services as for leisure (including on holiday), on business, to visit
friends and relatives (VFR), to receive medical treatment
sustainable travel and tourism: visiting places and for religious purposes.
in ways that help sustain or conserve the
environment and how people live
Leisure
Leisure travel, including holidays, is travel for pleasure
and enjoyment. Leisure tourists visit a destination to
1.1 The changing nature see an attraction, take part in activities and experience
a break from their usual daily routines. Leisure tourists
of travel and tourism visit destinations during their free time, for relaxation
and fun. Figure 1.3 shows reasons people travel
Changes to the nature of the travel and tourism industry for leisure.
include changes to:

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Some people enjoy active leisure such as adventure

and sport, physical wellbeing activities or mentally
Nature and stimulating culture or sightseeing trips. Some tourists
adventure
have special interests such as painting or cooking.
Enjoying special interest activities is a way to relax and
Special have fun.
Sport
interest
Nature and adventure
Leisure is Experiencing nature and having adventures are
fun and also reasons for leisure tourism. Nature tourism
relaxing
involves visiting places because of the appeal of

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the natural environment. Any form of travel that
Health and focuses on a natural area or feature is classified
Sightseeing
wellbeing
as nature tourism, including visiting mountains,
lakes and forests, or marine environments, such as
coral reefs. Leisure tourists who enjoy the natural
Culture
environment often like to see wildlife, including

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Figure 1.3: Some reasons for leisure travel

Relaxation and fun

Leisure involves activities that people do when they are
not working (or going to school or college), sleeping
or doing tasks such as shopping for food. People
enjoy relaxing and having fun in their leisure time and
travelling away from home for this is an example of
birds, or different marine species in the sea. Nature
tourism can be active, too. Many nature tourists walk,
hike or trek, or swim, dive or snorkel to enjoy the
natural environment.
Adventure tourism involves visiting destinations to
take part in physically challenging activities. Adventure
tourism destinations are typically natural environment
destinations where tourists have fun rock climbing,
white-water rafting (see Figure 1.5a), skiing (see
Figure 1.5b), canoeing, scuba diving or paragliding, for
M
‘leisure tourism’. example.

Holidays are for relaxation and fun and different people

relax in different ways and enjoy different activities. A
beach holiday is an example of a relaxing leisure holiday,
involving sunbathing, picnics with family and friends,
strolling along the shore, enjoying cooling drinks and ice
cream, playing games on the beach and in the sea (see
SA

Figure 1.4), swimming and enjoying water sports.

Figure 1.5a: White-water rafting

Figure 1.4: Fun at the beach

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

E
Figure 1.5b: Skiing Figure 1.7: Massage treatment at a spa

Sport Culture and sightseeing

PL
Sports tourism involves visiting places in order to enjoy
sport as a participant, a competitor or a spectator. A
leisure tourist who enjoys tennis or skiing, for example,
may play the sport just for fun or competitively in an
organised tournament. They may also like to watch
tennis (see Figure 1.6) or skiing as a spectator.
Culture includes the way of life of the people, the
traditions, and the art and architecture of a place.
Culture is a reason for leisure tourism because people
enjoy experiencing new cultures. Seeing and experiencing
the traditional lifestyle of local people is one reason
for tourists to choose to visit a destination. Visiting
cultural attractions is another: some tourists choose to
visit a place because its art galleries or museums contain
famous works of art or historic artefacts from around
the world.
M
KEY WORD
cultural attraction: a site that appeals to tourists
because of links with the past or present ways of
life or traditions of the local people. Museums,
art galleries and theatres are examples of cultural
attractions. Historic sites, ruins and buildings of
SA

special architectural interest are also examples

Figure 1.6: Spectators at a tennis tournament

Health and wellbeing

Sports tourism can be health tourism – it can help with
people’s wellbeing. However, physical health tourism
activities do not always involve competitive sport. Other
physical health tourism activities include jogging or
strolling outdoors or by the sea to take in the fresh or sea
air. Spa tourism is another type of health and wellbeing
tourism. Spas can be natural springs or buildings where
tourists can go for health and wellbeing treatments or
activities. Massage and beauty treatments (see Figure 1.7),
organised physical exercise activities and diet plan
Figure 1.8: Exhibits in a museum in China
residential stays are all examples of spa tourism products.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Leisure tourists choose a destination because there Business/MICE

are famous or beautiful sights to see and photograph.
People travelling for work-related purposes are called
Such sights may be natural, such as a waterfall or scenic
business tourists. Reasons a business tourist travel to a
coastal bay, or built, such as a famous building or
destination can be summarised with the acronym MICE:
monument. Social media has added to the popularity
of sightseeing tourism as people can share selfies (see Meetings with colleagues or customers
Figure 1.9) instantly with their friends and followers. Incentive rewards for excellent work performance
Conference or convention attendance
Exhibition or trade event visiting.

E
KEY WORDS
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Event
(MICE) tourism: business tourism (visiting
destinations for work reasons)

PL
Figure 1.9: Taking a selfie at the Venice Carnival

Special interest
Some tourists have a special interest, hobby or pastime.
conference: a large event where many people
meet together, sometimes for a few day to
present or listen to talks and/or discuss travel
industry business formally
convention: a large event where many people
who do a similar job or have a similar business,
travel agents for example, meet each other to
share ideas and information
exhibition: an event where travel and tourism
organisations show their products and services
M
On holiday, or on a leisure day trip, they may want to, for example, tour operators and travel agents
to enjoy themselves through a special interest, such from abroad
as painting or cooking. For example, special interest
tourists may choose to attend a class or a holiday trade event: an event at which businesses show
course at a painting school (see Figure 1.10) or in a or exhibit their products and services to customers
restaurant kitchen. and potential customers. Travel fairs and travel
exhibitions are a trade event at which, for example,
hotel businesses show tour operator customers the
SA

range of facilities available at their hotels

Meetings and incentives

Business tourists often attend meetings with colleagues,
customers or suppliers. City destination hotels have
special meeting rooms for business tourism meetings
(see Figure 1.11) and provide package deals including
accommodation and catering for business tourists who
live far away.
Incentives are encouragements or rewards offered by
businesses, typically to employees. For example, a car
dealership business may offer incentive reward holidays
Figure 1.10: A holiday painting class
to sales staff who achieve certain targets.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

KEY WORDS
event: in a travel and tourism context, events are
time-limited happenings that appeal to tourists
occupancy rate: the number of beds used out of
the total number of bed spaces available

E
Figure 1.11: A typical MICE meeting room

Conferences and exhibitions

PL
Travel and tourism industry events include conferences,
conventions and exhibitions. A conference is a large
meeting where people exchange information by
making speeches, giving presentations and taking
part in question and answer sessions and in small
group meetings away from the main conference
hall. A convention is similar to a conference but is
held specifically for people who are alike, such as a
convention for outbound tour operators, for example.
Figure 1.12: A travel trade exhibition

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR)

M
An exhibition is a display event, where travel and Tourists also travel to spend time with their friends and
tourism organisations show or demonstrate their relatives. Factors leading to increased VFR tourism are:
products and services. improved access to transport, more money to spend
Conferences or conventions are business gatherings on on travel, more time away from work (as paid holiday
a large scale. Hundreds of business tourists may attend from work or because of early retirement, for example)
a conference or convention held in a conference hall or and more family members and friends living away from
convention centre. Business tourists attending a major home.
SA

conference in a city destination or resort town often People travelling to visit friends and family may stay with
stay overnight in local hotels and become evening meal those relatives or friends or in local accommodation,
customers of catering businesses such as restaurants, such as a hotel. VFR tourists are also consumers of
and of local visitor attractions during mid-conference transport, accommodation and catering providers in the
leisure days. place they visit. People hosting VFR tourists often like
Conferences and exhibitions that appeal to business to show them around the area, so VFR tourists often
tourists include trade exhibitons such as that shown in become customers of local visitor attractions as well.
Figure 1.12.
Business or trade events attract business tourists and KEY WORD
help to increase low-season (quiet times) hotel occupancy
VFR (visiting friends and relatives) tourism:
rates and restaurant customers.
when tourists travel to destinations to spend time
You will read more about business and other events in with people they know
the introduction to Unit 2.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Other reasons to travel KEY CONCEPT

Some tourists travel for medical or religious tourism.
Change and development: Travel and tourism
Medical tourism involves travelling away from home to
is changing. Numbers of tourists and reasons
another place to seek treatment for a medical condition.
for travel are changing. Many people have more
Examples of this could be laser eye surgery or dental
time and money available for travel. However,
work. Medical tourists need travel and tourism products
issues such as disease (such as the COVID-19
and services, including transport, accommodation and
pandemic), natural disasters such as hurricanes
catering, and other services. Medical tourism is different
and security threats such as terrorism have
from health and wellbeing leisure tourism because
affected tourists’ freedom and confidence
medical tourism is for receiving treatment, for example,
to travel.

E
in a hospital, whereas health and wellbeing leisure
tourism is for maintaining health in an enjoyable way, for
example at a spa.
Religious tourism includes pilgrimages people make Types of tourism
because of their spiritual beliefs. Religious tourists travel Tourism is the business of providing for the needs and
to places that are considered to be special in some way, in

PL
order to show respect. Examples of religious pilgrimages
are the Hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia (see Figure 1.13),
the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela in Spain
and religious visits to the Golden Temple in Amritsar,
India, to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem or to the Hindu
holy city of Puri in India.

KEY WORD
pilgrimage: a visit to a place considered to be a
wants of tourists. There are different types of tourism:
•
•
•
•
•
domestic, inbound and outbound tourism
mass, packaged, unpackaged and specialist tourism
short-haul and long-haul travel and tourism
independent travel
sustainable tourism, ecotourism and
responsible tourism.

Domestic, inbound and

M
special in order to show respect
outbound tourism
Domestic tourists visit destinations in the country where
they normally live. For example, in Mauritius, a person
living on the main island may pay a visit to Rodrigues
Island (see Figure 1.14).
SA

Figure 1.13: the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca

Other people travel for legal reasons, such as a court

case, or to view and consider an area to move to, perhaps
Figure 1.14: Rodrigues Island, Mauritius
for retirement.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

The visit is an example of domestic tourism because

Rodrigues Island and Mauritius Island are both in the
country of Mauritius. Tourists from abroad visiting
Mauritius is inbound tourism. The Mauritius tourism
market includes organisations and tourists based in
Mauritius and in other countries. People from Mauritius
travelling abroad is outbound tourism. All international
tourists travelling from one country to another country
are considered outbound and inbound tourists at
different ends of the trip. For example, the USA has
many outbound travel agencies and outbound tour

E
operators providing products and services to American
customers wishing to travel abroad to countries such Figure 1.15: Mass tourism at a beach destination
as Mauritius. While Mauritius itself has outbound
travel agents and operators, there are also inbound tour and often results in local populations being forced to
operators in Mauritius who organise tourism experiences move into surrounding areas that charge lower prices.
for inbound tourists to the country. Inbound travel Problems such as litter, noise and air pollution are likely

KEY WORDS
PL
agents and tour operators have expert knowledge and
understanding of the destination country.

domestic tourism: when tourists visit destinations

in their home country
inbound tourism: when tourists travel into
a country
to occur. Destinations receiving such high numbers
of visitors must work to preserve the image of the
destination against such influences. On the other hand,
large numbers of visitors are the result of a successful
destination brand, and mass tourism destinations also
benefit from the jobs and money that tourism brings.
Mass tourism is often a form of packaged tourism
organised by a travel and tourism business such as a
tour operator. A mass-market tour operator combines
separate travel and tourism components such as transport
M
market: the group of buyers or consumers for and accommodation to make a single package product
a particular good or service. In this context, the
term ‘tourism market’ refers to the people who
are likely to buy tourism products or services KEY WORDS
outbound tourism: when tourists travel away packaged tourism: tourist travel and visits
from the country where they live organised by a travel and tourism business. For
example, a tour operator combines separate travel
SA

and tourism components such as transport and

Mass, packaged, unpackaged and accommodation to make a single package product,
specialist tourism which is sold to customers at a single price
Mass tourism can happen when large numbers of tour operator: a travel and tourism business that
holidaymakers travel to the same resort. For example, organises tour products for customers. Package
a package holiday to a busy beach destination is an holidays are an example of tour operator products
example of mass tourism. where products from different components are
combined by the tour operator
Figure 1.15 shows the impact that mass tourism can have
on a destination. Mass tourism can lead to overcrowded components: In reference to a package holiday
beaches and many tall hotel and apartment buildings, put together by a tour operator, components
are the individual parts of the holiday such as
KEY WORD transport, accommodation and meal plans. All
travel and tourism providers are themselves parts
mass tourism: when many tourists travel to (or components) of the whole travel and tourism
popular holiday destinations industry

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

to be promoted and sold to many people. Package tours

are sold to customers as a single product at a single
price. Mass-market tour operators keep prices low
by organising many identical holidays. Mass-tourism
customers travel on the same flights and stay in the same
hotel or group of hotels in the same destination.
Figure 1.16 shows examples of types of package holiday.

All-inclusive
(including travel,

E
accommodation
and all meals)

Figure 1.17: Tourists learning to cook local food in

Dynamic Cambodia
packages Mass-market
(made from
components
chosen
by customers)
Package
holidays

Special
interest
PL (sold in bulk
to many
customers)
People who like to cook might choose a destination
based on the quality of local produce, great restaurant
reviews or the availability of cooking classes (see
Figure 1.17).
One of the most popular specialist markets is adventure
tourism. Today, there are hundreds of commercial
organisations offering activity-based holidays. In the
African National Parks, for example, many holidays
and tours include safaris (see Figure 1.18). While lots of
tour operators are in the private sector, some specialist
M
operators exist to entice visitors to enjoy the landscape
Figure 1.16: Types of package holiday and educate them in conservation. Cultural tours are
also very popular, with historic destinations being top
Specialist tourism involves tourists visiting destinations of the list. South America, for example, offers a huge
because of a particular special interest. number of opportunities to visit exciting areas of
archaeological significance. Medical and health tourism
KEY WORD are also growing specialist markets.
SA

Specialist tour operators may package specialist

specialist tourism: when tourists visit destinations
tourism, but it can also be a form of unpackaged
because of a particular special interest such as
tourism. Independent travellers with a particular
painting or cooking
interest may organise different elements of a trip,
such as travel, accommodation and special interest
There are many specialist tourism markets from budget activity, separately.
(low-cost) to luxury, for example:
• photography trips KEY WORD
• adventure unpackaged tourism: the opposite of packaged
• ecotourism tourism. Independent travel is unpackaged
tourism because different elements of a trip,
• cultural tourism
such as travel and accommodation, are booked
• painting courses separately and provided by different providers
• wilderness tours
• sports tours.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Independent travel
Independent travel is tourism that travellers arrange for
themselves; for example, a tourist might use a website,
app or social media platform to plan or book (reserve)
components such as travel tickets, accommodation, visits
to visitor attractions and ancillary services. Independent
travellers book and pay for travel and tourism components
separately, without the help of a travel agent.

KEY WORDS
Figure 1.18: A wilderness tour in East Africa

E
independent travel: self-arranged tourism

Short-haul and long-haul ancillary services: extra support services for

Short-haul and long-haul flights differ in length. A short- tourists, such as tour guiding, car and cycle hire,
haul flight is defined as a flight of less than three hours, a and currency exchange
long-haul flight is longer. Medium-haul flights fall between

KEY WORDS

PL
short-haul and long-haul (between three and six hours).

short-haul: a flight of less than three hours

long-haul: a flight of more than six hours

Some airlines use different definitions, for example,

Virgin Australia classifies any flight as short-haul if it is
travel agent: a business that sells travel and
tourism products provided by other travel and
tourism businesses

Sustainable tourism, ecotourism and

responsible tourism
Sustainable tourism involves visiting places in a way
that causes the least negative impact while bringing
the greatest possible benefits to the environment and
the people who live in the destinations. Sustainable
M
within Australia and Southeast Asia. American Airlines tourism can be environmentally, economically or socially
uses distance to classify long-haul flights as being flights sustainable. Environmentally sustainable tourism causes
of over 3000 miles (4828 km). the least possible negative impact on the environment
and climate by causing as little pollution as possible.
Tourism providers such as hotels can be sustainable by
reducing the use of natural resources such as water, ­
re-using plastic and recycling paper, glass and metal.
SA

Socially sustainable tourism conserves local people’s ways

of life into the future (see Figure 1.20). Economically
sustainable tourism brings jobs and money to destinations
that may be used to protect the future economy.
Ecotourism and responsible tourism are types of
sustainable tourism. Ecotourism involves visiting
places because of the natural environment in ways that
cause the least possible negative impact to the natural
environment now and in the future while bringing
the greatest possible positive benefits to the natural
Figure 1.19: An American Airlines long-haul flight to Italy
environment and its local communities.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

KEY WORD REFLECTION

responsible tourism: (i) tourists in a destination How will you remember travel and tourism terms?
behaving respectfully towards the natural What strategies do you think you will find most
environment and towards local people (ii) travel helpful in remembering meanings and examples?
and tourism providers and authorities behaving Share your plan with a partner.
responsibly by managing or developing tourism
so that the natural environment and local people
are treated respectfully
The changing structure of the
travel and tourism industry

E
The travel and tourism industry is the set of businesses
providing travel and tourism products and services. The
different types of companies that make up the travel and
tourism industry are the components (parts) of the industry.

PL
Figure 1.20: Tourists discovering local crafts in Mexico

Travel and tourism providers and authorities may manage

or develop tourism so that the natural environment and
Components of the travel and
tourism industry
The travel and tourism industry’s component parts
include businesses that provide a wide range of products
and services, from accommodation to transport to
visitor attractions.

Accommodation and catering

Accommodation is where tourists stay overnight.
Examples are:
M
local people are treated respectfully. An example might be • hotels
a destination that has a water-refill programme for visitors.
Such a programme exists in Siem Reap, Cambodia. A re- • guest houses (accommodation on a small scale,
usable water bottle branded by the tourism authority can such as in a house) and B&Bs (bed and breakfasts,
be purchased and refilled for free at many of the service providing sleeping accommodation such as a room
providers around the city. Sustainable development acts as with a bed and breakfast)
a souvenir, promotes responsible tourism and benefits local • hostels: basic accommodation often with shared
SA

efforts to preserve and recycle. sleeping accommodation such as dormitories

• homestays: holiday accommodation where tourists
ACTIVITY 1.1 stay in the homes of local people

1 Group work: In a group, talk about how to • camping: can include basic tents or luxury
compile a list of travel and tourism definitions campsites, as well as caravan parks (see Figure 1.21)
and examples. • serviced apartments: self-catering accommodation
• Should you make a dictionary or a where services such as cleaning are provided.
glossary, a chart or a presentation? Catering businesses provide food and drink products.
Is there another, better, way? Services include:
• Will you compile meanings and • restaurants serving meals to customers who sit down
examples individually or cooperatively? to eat

2 Begin your compilation of travel and tourism • cafés providing drinks, snacks and sometimes meals
terms, meanings and examples. to customers who either sit or stand

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Figure 1.21: A caravan park Figure 1.23: Inside a travel agency

E
• street food vendors (sellers) operating stalls or carts experience a holiday that the operator has vetted. TUI is the
in the street and selling snacks that are typical of the world’s leading tourism organisation. It has over 1600 travel
local food of a destination (see Figure 1.22) agencies, 150 aircraft, over 300 hotels, 16 cruise ships and a
range of inbound travel agencies.
• takeaways (takeouts) selling food for customers to

self-catering accommodation.

PL
take away to eat elsewhere, for example in tourists’ KEY WORDS
inbound travel agency: a travel and tourism
business that sells travel and inbound tourism
products provided by other travel and tourism
businesses, for example guided tours in the
destination country
inbound tour operator: a travel and tourism
business that organises tourism products for
inbound tourism customers, for example package
M
tours in the destination country

Figure 1.22: A street vendor’s coffee stall ACTIVITY 1.2

Travel agents and tour operators Research the GTi Travel Group, an inbound tour
operator that specialises in travel services for
SA

Travel agents sell the products and services that other

international visitors to northern Europe.
tourism organisations provide, including ancillary
services. Travel agents can be:
• retail shops (see Figure 1.23)
• online travel agents, using internet websites or
social media
• specialists in one type of tourism, such as business
tourism or independent travel.
Most travel agencies specialise in leisure travel. However,
some, such as American Express Global Business Travel,
cater to the corporate or business traveller. Figure 1.24: GTi website’s home page
Tour operators put together the different components for
holidays and sell them as a package to the customer. These 1 With a partner, research the history of GTi.
are often sold via a travel agency online, by telephone or 2 Outline the main services that GTi provides.
in person, saving customers time and allowing them to

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

CASE STUDY 1.1: CULTURAL AND ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS IN SOUTH AMERICA

The operator Tourhound has experience of
organising trips to many diverse places around the Escorted South American Tour holidays have
world. Their priorities include running small, carefully something for every type of traveller and are
managed tours. The following text introduces their ideal for those looking for cultural and adventure
specialised tours to South America. escorted tours.
An escorted tour to South America is nothing
short of sensational, and you cannot visit this
part of the world without seeing the magnificent

E
ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru. Be an
explorer and take a trek into history to this world-
famous archaeological site that is embedded
within a dramatic landscape and stands right in
the middle of a tropical mountain forest.While in

PL
Figure 1.25: Tour bus in the Desert of Paracas, Peru

If you want to explore super-sized cities, ancient

ruins and diverse landscapes, then you’ll love an
escorted touring holiday of South America. Home
Peru, be sure to spend some time in Cusco, the
amazing former capital of the Incan empire and
a spellbinding blend of impressive architecture,
trendy cafés, cobblestone streets and wonderful
neighbourhoods.

Discussion:
1 What are the main reasons to visit
Machu Picchu?
M
to artificial wonders, famous landmarks, gorgeous 2 What type of customer would be interested in
booking with Tourhound?
beaches, parched deserts and lush rainforests,
South America is quite simply one of the most 3 Why do you think this type of holiday is
varied and exciting continents on earth. organised by a specialised tour operator rather
than a mass tour operator?
SA

Transport providers
Transport providers are travel and tourism businesses shows examples of different types of transport and
that provide different types of transport. Figure 1.26 provider organisations.

Air transport • scheduled and charter flights

provided by • low cost (budget) flights
airlines
• long-haul and short-haul flights

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Water • ferry service operators

­transport • cruise ship operators
• water taxi companies
• gondola operators
• barge operators
• canoe operators
Rail ­transport • train companies, including luxury train services
• tram operators
• mass rapid transit (MRT) and underground railway operators

E
Road • car hire companies
­transport • taxi firms
• luxury coach travel companies

PL • buses, including shuttle bus operators

Figure 1.26: Different types of transport and transport organisations

Visitor attractions
Visitor attractions Travel and tourism businesses that
provide visitor attractions are visitor attraction operators.
There are various types of visitor attraction, as follows:
Natural attractions Natural attractions include
spectacular scenery for sightseeing. Waterfalls, volcanoes,
M
mountain valleys, beautiful lakes and cliff coastlines are
examples of natural attractions that appeal to tourists
because of scenery.

KEY WORDS
visitor attraction: a place or event that appeals
SA

to tourists; it could be a built, cultural or historic Figure 1.27: Spectacular scenery is a natural attraction
attraction, or an event
natural attraction: a place that appeals to Beaches can be scenically beautiful. Beaches also attract
tourists because of the environment, such as a tourists who want to sunbathe, picnic, swim or enjoy
beach or waterfall watersports. The nature and wildlife of rural areas and
the marine life of coral reefs are also examples of the
built attraction: a building or monument appeal of natural attractions to tourists.
that appeals to tourists, such as a museum or
theme park Built attractions Museums, art galleries and historical
monuments attract cultural tourists. Historic and beautiful
buildings and ruins such as castles, fortresses and religious
buildings are also built attractions that appeal to tourists.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

E
Figure 1.28: A built attraction in Thailand
Figure 1.30: A tour guide provides an ancillary service
Travel and tourism organisations manage built
attractions and often sell tickets to tourists, as well as Examples of ancillary services are:

PL
providing guided tours, gift shops and cafés.
Visitor attractions can be events. Leisure tourism events
include sports competitions such as the Olympic Games,
arts festivals and religious celebrations. Events in
destinations attract tourists and help increase low-season
hotel occupancy rates.
•

•
Tour agents/guided tours: Tour agents in destinations
are tour operators who provide guided tours as a
tourism service. For example, tourists visiting a
historic city destination may choose to hire a local
guide to show them the locally built attractions.
Tourists visiting a rural (countryside) destination
may hire a local guide to explain the local scenery
and wildlife.
Currency exchange: International tourists may need
to exchange their home country’s currency for the
M
currency of the destination country. For example,
inbound tourists to certain countries in Europe may
need euros (the local currency of many European
countries), tourists to the USA need US dollars and
visitors to India need rupees. Travel and tourism
organisations, including travel agents and some
larger hotels, provide currency exchange as an
SA

additional, ancillary service for customers.

• Car hire/bike hire: Car hire and bike hire are
examples of local transport rental services in
destinations. Tourists visiting a destination may
choose to rent a car or a bike to move around more
Figure 1.29: Tourists at an arts festival in Austria easily. Travel agents may provide car and bike hire
as ancillary services. Customers buying a package
Ancillary services holiday from a travel agent may choose to pay
Ancillary service providers are travel and tourism for car or bike hire as an optional extra. Large
organisations that provide services to tourists other hotels in destinations may allow car- and bike-hire
than travel, accommodation, food and drink, and providers to operate desks in the hotel. Car- and
visitor attractions. These services are extra or additional bike-hire desks in an all-inclusive hotel may
services that are not usually included in package be provided as an extra, ancillary service
holidays. for customers.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Changes KEY WORD

The structure of the travel and tourism industry is
changing. The components of the industry are becoming dynamic packaging: making holiday or tour
less separated and more integrated. Travel and tourism packages from components, such as flights,
businesses are now more likely to provide products and accommodation and car rental, that are chosen
services from more than one component. For example, by customers, instead of providing customers
an online travel and tourism business may sell holidays with a pre-arranged package
(as a travel agent does) that they have put together as
packages (as a tour operator does) and provide ancillary
services such as travel insurance as well. The integrated KEY CONCEPT
online business belongs to three travel and tourism

E
industry components. Change and development: The structure of
the travel and tourism industry is changing. The
The industry structure is changing in several ways,
internet and social media have changed the
as follows:
ways that customers book and pay for travel and
Vertical and horizontal integration tourism products. More independent travel has
resulted. Some travel and tourism businesses
integrated, in two dimensions:
−−
−−
more vertical integration
more horizontal integration.
PL
The travel and tourism industry is becoming more

Vertical integration happens when travel and tourism

businesses from different components join together to
form a single business.
Horizontal integration happens when different businesses
from the same travel and tourism industry component
have responded by integrating into larger
businesses that overlap the components of travel
and tourism. For example, vertical integration
has created online travel companies that are both
travel agent and tour operator.

Increasing sustainability awareness

Travel and tourism businesses are increasingly satisfying
customer needs and wants by providing more sustainable
M
join together to form a single business. tourism products and services. For example, restaurants
increasingly provide locally sourced organic food
options, re-use plastic food packaging in the kitchen
KEY WORDS and use recycled paper napkins and table cloths to set
tables in the dining room.
vertical integration: merging of travel and
tourism businesses belonging to different industry
components KEY CONCEPT
SA

horizontal integration: merging of travel and Marketing and management: Managing travel
tourism businesses belonging to the same and tourism organisations includes successfully
industry component marketing products and services to customers.
Customer demands are changing; for example
customers require more sustainable tourism and
The rise of independent travel and products. Managing changes sustainably attracts
customers and helps protect the environment,
dynamic packaging
destination economies and people’s ways of life.
Travel and tourism providers have become more flexible.
Tour operators, for example, provide accommodation,
transport and ancillary services that customers can Online travel and tourism booking
book separately online. Independent travel customers More online travel and tourism booking opportunities
can package their own holiday. This is known as have become available on websites and social media.
dynamic packaging. Independent travel is increasingly easy and popular.
A tourist can easily access travel and accommodation
websites or download provider smartphone apps to browse,
choose, book and pay for tour components separately.

17
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CASE STUDY 1.2: LONDON: WORLD DESTINATION

London is the biggest city in the United Kingdom London appeals to many tourists because of the
(UK), a country in north-west Europe. Tourists travel wide range of shopping opportunities. There are big,
to London for many different reasons. world-famous department stores such as Harrods
and Selfridges, and clothes fashion boutiques in
Leisure tourists visit London for relaxation and the West End, including along the famous Carnaby
fun. Leisure tourists enjoy sightseeing. Famous Street. Food markets such as Borough Market on the
sights to see in London include the historic Tower South Bank and crafts markets at Camden Lock and
of London fortress and Tower Bridge, the royal Covent Garden appeal to many cultural tourists.
Buckingham Palace and Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower

E
(Figure 1.32). Cultural tourists also enjoy visiting cultural attractions
including London’s many museums (for example,
There are sightseeing tours from open-top buses, the British Museum and the Natural History
and a ride on the 135 metre (443 feet)-high London Museum) and art galleries (such as the National
Eye observation wheel gives spectacular views across Gallery and the Tate Britain modern art gallery).
the city.

PL
M
Figure 1.31: London at night, showing the Tower of Figure 1.33: The National Gallery in Trafalgar
London and the River Thames Square, London
SA

Figure 1.32: The Houses of Parliament and

Elizabeth Tower Figure 1.34: Notting Hill Carnival

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CONTINUED
London is a multicultural city. Festivals such as the Discussion:
Notting Hill Carnival (celebrating Afro-Caribbean
1 Work with a partner to assess the range
culture) and built attractions such as the BAPS Shri
of cultural attractions and sightseeing
Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple reflect London’s
opportunities available to tourists
cultural diversity.
visiting London.
Many tourists enjoy the nightlife of the city. Watching
2 Have a class discussion about why city
a stage show at a West End theatre is a popular
destinations such as London appeal to:
leisure tourism activity for inbound and domestic

E
tourists visiting London. a business/MICE tourists
London is a major city destination with air and rail b VFR tourists.
transport links to other countries around the world.
There are many hotels and other accommodation. Activity:
Restaurants and alternative places provide food
Choose one part of London’s appeal, such as a visitor

Excel in Docklands.

TIP
PL
from around the world for London’s visitors to enjoy.
Conference (convention) facilities are provided at
many hotels and also at exhibition spaces such as

Become aware that classification systems have

attraction or a shopping opportunity.
1

2
Research the appeal of the attraction you
have chosen.
Write a report about your findings.

ACTIVITY 1.3
Group work: Work in a group.
M
limitations. For example, when reasons for leisure
travel are classified into categories such as Choose one of the following reasons for
relaxation and fun, sightseeing, culture and special leisure travel:
interest, there are overlaps. A tourist with a special • sport
interest in architecture, for instance, would want
to visit buildings of cultural interest, such as the • health and wellbeing
National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London.
• nature and adventure
SA

• a special interest such as painting

TIP or cooking.
1 Research and assess the provision in a city
Classification systems also have gaps. Short-haul
of your choice for tourists travelling for the
flights are less than three hours and long-haul
reason you have chosen.
flights are longer than six hours. There is a gap in
the classification of flights into short-haul and long- 2 Present your findings to the rest of the class.
haul categories.

19
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ACTIVITY 1.4 1.2 Travel and tourism

Project: Make a tour package using online
information. Be an online tour operator for the day! destinations
1 Use websites to research travel to a
destination of your choice. Types of destination
Destinations that tourists choose to visit vary in size, or
2 Investigate accommodation and visitor
‘scale’. A large-scale destination such as Florida is likely
attractions at your chosen destination.
to have destinations within it. For example, Orlando, the
3 Put your package together and present it to Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys islands

E
the rest of the class. are all destinations within Florida.
Travel and tourism destinations are classified into
different types:

KEY WORD Resort towns

PL
resort: a location visited mainly by leisure tourists Resort towns, or resorts, are places that tourists visit for
fun and relaxation. Resorts can be towns or hotels and are
usually, but not always, smaller-scale than destinations.
M
SA

Figure 1.35: Seaside resort towns. Top left: Whistler: a ski resort in Canada. Top right: Nice: a city that developed as a seaside
resort. Bottom left: Mariánské Lázně: a spa resort town in the Czech Republic. Bottom right: Cancun: a modern beach resort
town in Mexico

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Resort towns are towns where leisure tourism is the main

economic activity. Resort towns depend on tourists for
jobs and money. Resort towns include towns that are
beach, seaside, ski and spa resorts. A seaside town may be
a resort town if leisure tourism is a very important part
of the town’s economy. For example, Clearwater may be
described as a resort town. Figure 1.35 shows resort towns.
Nice is a city on the south coast of France that developed
as a large seaside resort town, and now has other functions,
including as a business tourism destination. Cancun is a
large modern beach resort town in Mexico that appeals to

E
families, couples and individual tourists, including leisure Figure 1.36: Hong Kong: a city destination
and business tourists worldwide. Ski resorts are resort towns
visited by adventure and sports tourists who go skiing
themselves or who watch skiing competitions. Whistler in Countryside areas
Canada is an example of a ski resort town located in the Countryside areas, including national parks/nature parks
Rocky Mountains. Tourists enjoy snow sports including and nature reserves, are destinations that tourists visit.

PL
skiing and snowboarding in the winter and activities
including mountain biking and hiking in summer, when
much of the snow has melted. As a resort town, Whistler
also provides accommodation, catering and shopping
facilities for tourists to enjoy.
Tourists visit spas for health and wellbeing treatments or
activities, such as massage and beauty treatments (Figure
1.7), organised physical exercise and diet plans. Spa resorts
offer accommodation for tourists to enjoy health and
wellbeing holidays (vacations) and short-breaks. Mariánské
National parks (or nature parks) and nature reserves
are usually areas of countryside that are protected by
governments to conserve attractive natural landscapes,
rare and interesting wildlife, and traditional ways of life
of local people. Marine reserves are offshore coastal areas
that are similarly protected. National parks are intended to
be visited and enjoyed by leisure tourists because of their
beauty, to escape the noise and pollution of cities and to
enjoy healthy and adventurous outdoor activities.
M
Lázně is a spa resort town in the Czech Republic. The KEY WORDS
Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe. Spa resort
towns appeal to tourists because of natural mineral springs. national park/nature park: usually a large natural
A mineral spa is a mineral water spring that has been area that is protected by government rules to
developed as a tourist attraction. Mariánské Lázně has conserve the landscape and for leisure tourists
100 mineral springs. More than 50 of these springs have to enjoy
been developed as spas, many with buildings around them
nature reserve: a natural area that is protected to
where tourists can ‘take’ (drink) the natural mineral water
SA

keep rare animals and plants safe from damage

for its perceived health benefits or enjoy mineral water
caused by people
health treatments such as mineral water baths. Modern
spa facilities are often provided by large hotels which have
their own spa and wellbeing facilities. Examples include the
luxury J Hotel in Shanghai, China, the Westin Golf Resort
and Spa in Costa Rica and Le Méridien Ile Maurice Resort
in Mauritius (Case study 3.9).

City destinations
City destinations are cities that attract tourists. City
destinations attract leisure, business and VFR tourists,
as well as tourists who travel for other reasons, including
medical tourism.
Case study 1.2 examines one example of a large city
destination (London). Hong Kong is another. Figure 1.37: Yellowstone National Park, USA

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Coastal and island destinations Figure 1.39 shows an all-inclusive resort in Cuba, an
island destination country in the Caribbean Sea.
Places that tourists visit at the coast or because they are
islands may also be beach destinations. Rodrigues Island
(Figure 1.14) in the country of Mauritius in the Indian
Ocean is a coastal and island destination with beaches.
Tampa in Florida (Figure 1.38) is a coastal city destination
in the USA. The photograph shows the MICE tourism
Tampa Convention Center and leisure tourist waterfront.

E
PL
Figure 1.38: Tampa: a coastal destination

Purpose-built resorts
Theme parks and all-inclusive resorts are examples of
Figure 1.39: An all-inclusive resort in Cuba

You will consider real-world examples of different types of

destination in Case study 1.3.

The changing appeal of

destinations to different
external customer types
M
Tourists choose destinations that appeal to them,
purpose-built resorts. Theme parks are visitor attractions although their choice is limited by factors including cost
covering a large area that often provide accommodation and affordability, availability and restrictions, such as
and catering facilities such as hotels and restaurants. Theme border controls (for example in times of pandemic).
parks such as Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, Kingdom of
Dreams in India and Universal Studios Hollywood in the Different tourists are attracted by different elements
USA have clear identities or themes. All-inclusive resorts are of the appeal of a destination. Usually, the appeal of a
large hotels on large sites with many facilities and services destination has several elements. For example, a leisure
SA

provided at a single price (all inclusive). Accommodation, tourist seeking summer fun and relaxation may find a
catering and sports facilities are examples of the products beach destination attractive if additionally:
and services provided by an all-inclusive resort. • the weather and climate are sunny and warm
• there are leisure activities such as watersports
KEY WORDS
• accommodation and catering are available
theme park: a major tourist attraction with many and affordable
amusements and rides
• the destination is easily accessible
all-inclusive resort: a destination or hotel that
provides a wide range of products and services • there are sustainable practices and provisions
on one site. Customers of all-inclusive resorts such as sustainable transport to move around
often make just one advance payment and pay the destination.
little or nothing more while staying at the resort
purpose-built resort: a destination that is
planned and built especially for tourism

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Elements of destination appeal that people are more aware of attractions in otherwise
unfamiliar, distant destinations.
Different elements of appeal include the following:
Natural features such as mountains, rivers and lakes add
Accessibility to a destination’s appeal to adventure and sightseeing
Some destinations, such as Orlando, Florida, USA, are tourists, for example, around Breckenridge in Colorado,
easier to reach than others because of transport links. USA (as shown later in Figure 1.42). Spectacular
Orlando International Airport is a gateway airport mountains surround Breckenridge and, in the winter, it
and a hub airport. Some tourists arrive at Orlando is a ski resort. From spring to autumn (fall), tourists can
International Airport on inbound flights and transfer mountain-bike or hike through the impressive mountain
to domestic flights, for example, to other airports in scenery, fish for trout, paddleboard, go white-water
Florida, such as Fort Lauderdale and Key West. rafting, play golf or photograph the beautiful scenery.

E
Increasing demand for sustainable tourism and the
Transport infrastructure, including public transport,
ease of booking independent travel online have helped
roads, airports and ports, can increase a destination’s
people become aware and become actual customers
accessibility. Take, for example, the 2024 Olympic city
of environmentally friendly rural destinations such
of Paris in France: international airports for Paris are
as Breckenridge.
Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais. Major motorways

PL
(freeways) and high-speed rail links connect Paris to
the rest of France and to other large cities in Europe,
including London, via the Channel Tunnel.
Accessibility is an important element of destination
appeal for persons with reduced mobility (PRMs).
Increasingly, accessibility provision is made for
people who have specific mobility needs. For example,
accessibility services provided for tourists at Copenhagen
Airport in Denmark include sustainable electric vehicles
used to transport tourists with specific mobility needs
through the airport, helping to make Copenhagen more
Ha Long in Vietnam is a similar example. The beautiful
natural attractions of Ha Long Bay (see Figure 1.40)
appeal to both domestic and inbound tourists. Boat
tours allow tourists to admire the impressive scenery,
where thousands of limestone islands rise from the clear,
emerald green water and tourists can scuba-dive. On top
of the island cliffs are rainforests. Tourists can rock-
climb and hike among the surrounding mountains.
M
accessible as a city destination.

KEY WORDS
accessibility: ease of reaching or moving around
a destination
SA

infrastructure: the basic systems and services

that support local people and tourists in an area.
Transport infrastructure includes roads, rail and
bridges; other infrastructure elements include, for
example, electricity and water supply, and waste
Figure 1.40: Ha Long Bay is a stunning natural attraction
disposal systems
mobility: the ability to move around freely. Some The built environment of the old port area of
tourists have reduced mobility. They are referred Hoi An town, also in Vietnam, appeals to many
to as PRMs (persons with reduced mobility) tourists. Some of the architecture of the port dates
from the 15th century. Buildings are a mix of
Vietnamese and foreign styles that many tourists like to
Built and natural attractions photograph. The old Japanese Bridge is a very popular
The built and natural attractions of a destination and attraction. Tourists post their photographs and selfies
surrounding area add to its appeal to tourists. Increasing on social media, boosting interest in previously less
access to the internet and the rise of social media means well-known attractions.

23
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Sustainable practices and provisions Online weather information makes it possible for ski
Sustainable provisions, such as ecotourism products and tourists to know in real time when there is enough snow.
services, increasingly appeal to the growing number of As a result, there has been an increase in the number of
responsible tourists. For example, in New Zealand’s Bay instant online and independent short-notice bookings of
of Plenty destination, the local tourism authority educates accommodation and catering in ski resorts, especially at
tourists about responsible tourism, informing them on the beginning and end of the winter sports season.
how to care for the environment and for the culture of
local people. Online advice is made available to tourists to Historical and cultural attractions
help them behave respectfully and appropriately. The historical and cultural attractions of the destination
and surrounding area form part of the destination’s
Weather and climate appeal. Increasing online information and the desire to

E
Destination weather and seasonal climate characteristics, visit different destinations more sustainably has increased
such as the number of sunshine days, are increasingly the appeal of historical and cultural attractions.
widely known. Tourists can use websites and weather apps Local traditions, language, arts and music add to the
to research temperature, rainfall and snowfall data. They appeal of destinations such as Marrakesh, Morocco to
can now make more informed choices about where to go cultural tourists. Marrakesh is a historic city in North
for summer beach holidays in destinations such as Santa

PL
Barbara (Figure 1.41) or California on the West Coast of
the USA, or for winter sports holidays (Figure 1.42).
Africa. The centre of the old city (the Medina) is Jemaa
el Fna, a large open square. The many Moroccan food
stalls there attract crowds of tourists and local people.
Traders sell local orange juice, traditional leather bags
and brass cups. Cultural tourists enjoy watching local
street performers, including groups of traditional
musicians and dancers, storytellers, magicians and circus
artists. Next to Jemaa el Fna is a lively traditional market
or souk with many small shops and stalls selling a variety
of local goods, including traditional rugs and Moroccan
lamps, leather bags, bright fabrics, embroidered slippers,
M
silver jewellery and spices.

Other elements
Other elements of destination appeal are shown in
Figure 1.43.
Figure 1.41: Santa Barbara, a summer beach destination
on the West Coast of the USA
SA

Leisure activities
Events
available to tourists in
that take place in the
the destination and
destination
surrounding area

Accommodation and
(MICE) facilities
catering facilities
available for business
available in the
tourists
destination

Figure 1.43: Other elements of destination appeal

As with all elements in destination appeal, changes in

these areas are due to:
Figure 1.42: Breckenridge, Colorado, a popular destination
• increasingly easy access to, and sharing of,
for skiers between November and April
information using the internet and social media

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

• the related greater demand for further away (and

often more long-haul), different, newer destinations,
enabled by economic growth and social changes
such as increased leisure time
• increased desire to travel more environmentally
sustainably, and to behave more socially and
economically responsibly in increasing numbers of
ecotourism destinations.
Elements of destination appeal are shown in
Case study 1.3.

E
Different external customer types
Tourist customers who are not employees of the travel
and tourism business they are using or visiting are
known as external customers. Destinations appeal to
different external customer types. Figure 1.44: Coach tour group

KEY WORD

PL
external customers: customers who use the
products and services of a travel and tourism
business and are not members of staff or
otherwise part of the business

External customers are classified into different types:

Visitors with language and cultural differences
Tourists, especially inbound tourists, may have language
and cultural differences from the local people of a
destination. For example, an Italian tourist visiting
Greece or a Vietnamese tourist visiting India may not
speak or understand the local language. Information,
signs and menus will be difficult to read. English is
widely used as an international language: pictograms
(see Figure 1.45), translated menus and translation
M
Families and individual tourists apps (such as Google Translate) help overcome tourists’
language difficulties.
Some leisure and some VFR tourists travel in family
groups, which may include family members from
different age groups (children, teenagers and young,
mature and older adults). Individual tourists may travel
alone (singles) or as a couple. Examples of tourist
couples include life-partner couples and pairs of friends
SA

or relatives (two sisters, for example). Individual tourists

may also belong to different age groups or generations.

Groups, including educational groups

Families travel as groups. Non-family groups include
educational groups, such as school or college groups on
an educational visit or holiday. Tourists enjoying a coach
holiday (see Figure 1.44) are part of a group. Coach
Figure 1.45: Rest-room pictograms
parties may include families as well as individual tourists.

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Cultural differences include dress, behaviour and foods.

External customers with cultural differences may not
like or accept some local destination foods, may not
understand or want to conform to local dress codes and
may not behave as local people expect, for example, not
queuing at visitor attractions. Responsible tourists want
to behave culturally respectfully in destinations and
responsible tourism providers seek to educate tourists
about local cultural norms and expectations.

People with specific needs

E
Tourist customers may have specific needs, including
those shown in Figure 1.46:

Mobility and access needs

Sensory needs

Dietary needs

Figure 1.46: Types of specific needPL

Mobility and access needs are movement needs. Some
external customers have difficulty moving from place
to place around tourism destinations, facilities and
attractions. This is known as reduced mobility. Travel
M
and tourism providers have to consider the mobility
needs of external customers to ensure accessibility. Figure 1.47: An e-mobility vehicle in an airport
Mobility needs can be met in various ways, including
wide doors and gates, stairless buildings, elevators,
ramps, support rails and provision of e-mobility vehicles ACTIVITY 1.5
(see Figure 1.47). 1 External customers may be classified into
different types.
SA

Sensory needs include the needs of people with sight or

hearing difficulties. Guidance aids, including textured
a Outline different types of
paving or flooring, and audio hearing loops are examples
external customer.
of how attractions can meet tourists’ sensory needs.
Dietary needs and requirements of customers may b Work with a partner to produce a Venn
arise from: diagram to show how categories of
external customers may overlap (for
• allergies and food-intolerance, for example, to nuts, example, families and people with
gluten or dairy foods specific needs).
• religious or cultural avoidance of certain foods such 2 Have a class discussion about how you
as pork or shellfish think a destination can meet the needs
• personal or health choices such as vegetarianism, of visitors who:
or avoiding sugary or fatty foods.
c speak a different language
d are from a place with a different culture.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CASE STUDY 1.3: DESTINATION FLORIDA, USA

Florida is a state in the south-east USA. There are most days. Tropical storms and hurricanes are a
many travel and tourism destinations of different risk in Florida from 1st June to 30th November
types in Florida. (with the greatest risk from August to October).
Some tour operators recommend spring as the most
The climate of Florida is warm all year. The weather comfortable time to visit Florida.
is a little cooler in winter, with an average (mean)
January temperature of 16°C (61°F). Summers are Many tourists arrive in Florida by air. Florida
long, and last from May to October. July is the has several airports; some are increasingly busy
hottest month, with an average (mean) temperature international hubs from which tourists can transfer

E
of 28°C (82°F). Florida has wet and dry seasons. The to domestic flights to other local airports, such as
wet season is in the summer, so the air is humid. Late Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Key West, as well as to
afternoon thunderstorms are normal and happen other destinations beyond Florida.

PL Orlando
Orlando International
M
Tampa

Club Med
Sandpiper Bay
SA

Fort Lauderdale
Hollywood
International
Big Cypress Miami Hollywood
Nature Preserve
Miami International

0 100 km Everglades
National Park
Florida Keys
Key West

Figure 1.48: Popular destinations in Florida

27
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CONTINUED
The map in Figure 1.48 shows some different • Everglades National Park and Big Cypress
destinations in Florida: Nature Preserve (a nature reserve to the
north of the Everglades) are examples of
• Hollywood is a beach destination between Florida’s countryside destinations. Increased
the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on interest in the natural environment and
Florida’s east coast. Hollywood, Florida is growth in sustainable tourism have helped
different from Hollywood, California, which is grow the popularity of such destinations.
famous for film (movie)-making. Hollywood, Florida’s countryside destinations are easily
Florida has a historic district that is increasingly accessed from cities such as Miami and coastal

E
popular with greater numbers of cultural destinations such as Tampa and Hollywood.
tourists. Other beach and coastal destinations
in Florida include: Activity:
–– Club Med at Sandpiper Bay: a purpose- 1 Work in a group. Each group should research a
built, all-inclusive beach resort to the north different destination in Florida.

•
––
of Fort Lauderdale

famous Florida Key.

PL
The Florida Keys: a series of connected
island destinations to the south-west of
mainland Florida. Key West is the most

Miami and Tampa are coastal and city

destinations. Miami is Florida’s largest city. Both
Miami and Tampa appeal to business (MICE)
tourists. MICE tourists grew in numbers until
the pandemic of the early 2020s slowed the
2 Complete the table below to summarise the
appeal of your destination to families.

Element of appeal

Accessibility

Attractions

Sustainable practices
Example of provision
M
growth of business tourism and virtual online and provisions
meetings became more common. Miami and
Tampa also appeal to the increased urban Accommodation and
leisure tourism market. Greater numbers of catering
leisure tourists now visit cities on short breaks
for shopping, cultural activities and nightlife. 3 Using your table to help you, design a
marketing leaflet to attract families to
• Orlando is a city destination in inland Florida
SA

your destination.
famous for theme parks. (You will study it
further in Case Study 1.4). Some tourists to Discussion:
the Orlando area also visit other purpose-built
resorts in Florida: What is the appeal of some Florida destinations to
families?
–– Legoland – a theme park about 75 km
(45 miles) from Orlando Use your group’s ideas from the activity and the
details from the table to inform or illustrate your
–– Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa, group’s contribution to the class discussion.
about 140 km (85 miles) from Orlando.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Changes in travel choices Overland

Overland travel includes rail and road transport as well as
Tourists choose how to travel to destinations and travel by means of bridge or tunnel (either underground or
how to move around within destinations. The travel underwater). Increased demand for sustainable transport
choices available to tourists are changing. For example, has increased tourist rail travel, as trains can carry large
there are increasingly sustainable travel options for numbers of passengers and producess less gas emissions
tourists to choose. Sustainable travel is travel by per kilometre. Infrastructure developments such as the
means of sustainable forms of transport, which enable Channel Tunnel between France and the UK have helped
tourists to move around a place without causing increase the volume of international passenger rail travel.
damage to the environment or to people’s ways of life in
the future. Bridge, tunnel and causeway connections are fixed links.
Fixed links may be combinations of these, for example

E
Zealand in Denmark is linked to the rest of the country
Travel choices to destinations and so to the rest of Europe by the Great Belt Fixed
Tourists can choose to travel to destinations by air, Link. This 18 km (11 mile)-long link consists of a road
on water or overland. bridge and railway tunnel combination.
Air Types of road transport for tourists are varied; they include

PL
During the late 20th century and in the early
21st century, air transport became much more available
to many more tourists. Air transport growth allowed
the spread of mass tourism to destinations around the
world, and so led to the growth of international and
long-haul tourism.
The development of wide-bodied long-haul aircraft
capable of carrying hundreds of passengers, and the
use of more sustainable, fuel-efficient aircraft led to
the continued growth of air travel, until the COVID-19
privately owned and hire (rental) cars, taxis, buses and
coaches, minibuses (shuttle vans), motorcycles and scooters,
as well as more sustainable means of transport such as
bicycles and e-scooters. Many city destinations operate
bicycle and e-scooter shared-use hire (rental) systems.

KEY WORD
e-scooter (electric scooter): a type of
sustainable, mass personal-use transport available
M
for public use in many destinations. Users
pandemic of the early 2020s caused a decline. At the
normally stand when riding e-scooters
same time, increasing environmental concerns have
led to a shift from short-haul air flights to rail travel,
especially for domestic tourism and international tourism
between neighbouring or close countries. Travel choices around destinations
Within destinations, some travel and tourism providers Tourists can choose to travel around destinations:
SA

operate short sightseeing or island-hopping flights, using

• by road, including:
light aircraft or helicopters.
• cycling
Water
• shared transport, such as car-share or by
Tourist travel on water includes travel on cruise ships by minibus (shuttle van) sharing
boat or by ferry. Leisure tourists can choose to use cruise
ships to travel to or between destinations or simply to • buses and coaches
enjoy a cruise as a holiday. • taxis and private hire vehicles, often made
available to tourists by smartphone apps
KEY WORDS • personal transport hire schemes, including
cruise: a relaxing leisure journey, normally on water common-use cycle and e-scooter hire schemes.
The popularity of e-scooters to move around
ferry: ships or boats that link destinations or within destinations has increased because they
places within a destination are readily available, often relatively cheap,
flexible and convenient.

29
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• by mass rapid transit (MRT) and local rail systems,

including underground railways. MRT trains
transport large numbers of people quickly and often
cheaply. Many tourists choose to use MRT trains to
move around city destinations easily.
• by water-based transport, including local ferries.
Small ferries may only carry people, others also
transport vehicles, including cars and tourist buses
and coaches. Some coastal and lake or riverside
destinations have smaller boats such as yachts
available for tourists to hire (rent) or offer short

E
sightseeing cruises in small boats for an hour or two
from a harbour along a shoreline. Figure 1.49 shows
tourists on a boat tour at Niagara Falls.

Figure 1.49: Tourists enjoying a boat tour at Niagara Falls

KEY WORD

PL
mass rapid transit/MRT: a type of rail transport
used in some city destinations to transport large
numbers of people quickly and often cheaply

CASE STUDY 1.4: ORLANDO: A THEME-PARK DESTINATION

Orlando is a theme-park destination in Florida.
Orlando’s purpose-built theme-park resorts appeal
to domestic and inbound tourists. Social media
The choices of travel available to tourists in destinations
are changing because more sustainable means of
transport are available for tourists to choose to use to
move around destinations.
M
information-sharing has recently enlarged the theme-
park market and increased the competition between
these purpose-built resorts as customers post
photographs and travel experience blogs.
Examples of purpose-built theme-park resorts in and
near Orlando include Walt Disney World, Universal
SA

Resort Orlando, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. Walt

Disney World and Universal Orlando have theme
parks within them. Famous theme parks within
Walt Disney World include Magic Kingdom, Animal
Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Universal
Orlando theme parks include Universal Studios and
Islands of Adventure.
Orlando has two main airports: Orlando International
Airport and Sanford International Airport. Orlando
International is better-known to international tourists
and closer to the theme parks, as well as having
more flights than Sanford. Sanford has more low-cost
(budget) and charter flights. Both of these airports
are important tourist gateways for the theme-park
Figure 1.50: A theme park in Orlando
destination of Orlando and the rest of Florida.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CONTINUED
Orlando’s theme parks, attractions and hotels are Universal Orlando. Car-share (carpool) and shuttle-van
spread over a large area. Tourists need transport to (minibus) providers offer ride sharing as a cheap and
move around the destination. Tourists arriving at one more sustainable choice since there are fewer individual
of the gateway airports can hire a car or can choose cars on the road if people are sharing transportation.
local public transport. Local public transport choices
at Orlando International are shown in Figure 1.51. Demand for sustainable transport has grown with
our awareness of climate change, with sustainable
Many tourists use road transport such as cars, buses transport becoming more available as a travel
and taxis between the airport and the city to move choice. As part of this trend, the City of Orlando’s

E
around Orlando. Major roads such as International local government wants to increase sustainable
Drive connect the airports, downtown (town centre) transport throughout Orlando. The City Council
Orlando, theme parks, hotels, restaurants and other would like most travel there to be sustainable
tourist attractions such as shopping malls and the by 2040. Complete streets are an example of
Orange County Convention Center. International infrastructure development that could help to make
Drive (I-Drive) is an important road link in Orlando. travel in Orlando more sustainable. Complete streets

PL
I-Drive is about 18 km (about 11 miles) long and has
a public bus service (the I-Ride Trolley) that tourists
can use. SeaWorld and Discovery Cove theme parks
are close to it.
Shuttle buses are operated by theme-park and hotel
providers. They are often used to fill gaps in public
transit (transfer), as a complimentary (free) service for
hotel guests, and as a way of keeping large groups of
people, such as tour groups, together. They may be
run by public transit agencies or private companies.
are classified as sustainable streets; these are easy
and safe for everyone, often with bus lanes and cycle
lanes. Electric scooter rental is another example of
sustainable transport options in Orlando and was
introduced in downtown (town centre) Orlando in
2020. Bicycle rental is also available.

KEY WORD
trend: in a travel and tourism context, a way
in which patterns of travel have developed
M
Some tourists use shuttle buses to transit from Orlando over time
International to hotels and theme park resorts such as

Bus

Local buses link the airport with the rest of Orlando, including the
SeaWorld theme park and Sunrail local train service. Contactless
SA

payment for bus travel can be made using a smartphone app.

Taxi

Tourists can use taxis between the airport and any of Orlando’s
theme parks and hotels.

Rail

Local train stations are linked to the airport and theme parks by
local buses. Tourists can use bus–train–bus between the airport
and theme park resorts such as Walt Disney World.

Figure 1.51: Public transport choices at Orlando International Airport

31
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CONTINUED
To improve links with the rest of Florida, carbon- Consider:
neutral express link rail services are planned from
Orlando International to the coastal and city • the different forms of transport available
destinations of Miami in southern Florida and Tampa • sustainable forms of transport available
on Florida’s west coast, with a station within Orlando
for Walt Disney World. • where tourists might want to visit

Discussion: • the closest airports/transport connections to

these places.
Read the following statement:

E
Activity:
Tourists in Orlando have a range of different
transport options to choose from. Research tourism in Orlando further to help you with
the discussion.
Do you agree?

TIP

PL
Understand that different elements of destination
appeal attract different people. Different external
customers may find different elements more or less
appealing than you do. Some external customers
enjoy fun activities at the beach. Other external
customers may prefer sightseeing natural scenery
or historic buildings of cultural interest. Some
ACTIVITY 1.6
1 Group work: In groups, talk about how
greater demand for sustainable travel and
tourism is:
•
•
changing the appeal of destinations
changing the travel choices available
M
to tourists.
adventure tourists may also like to relax in cafés
or restaurants in the evenings. 2 Choose a travel and tourism destination.
Write a magazine article (feature) about:
• elements of the appeal of the destination
KEY CONCEPT
• external customer types attracted by the
SA

Customer focus: The appeal of destinations is appeal of the destination

what attracts tourists and is part of the customer
focus of the travel and tourism industry. • transport choices to and around the
destination, including sustainable means
of transport.

32
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

1.3 Trends in travel

and tourism
Trends in travel and tourism are directions of change in
travel and tourism. Trends in travel and tourism include
both changes in tourism flow and changes in the factors
affecting such changes.

Changing global tourism flows

E
Tourism flows are the movements of tourists between
the places they live and their destinations. Tourists move
from tourism-generating areas to tourism-receiving areas.
Figure 1.52: Tourism flow – passengers moving through
Within a country, some regions, for example, coastlines,
an airport
may have more destinations than other parts of the

tourism-receiving areas.

KEY WORDS
PL
country. Regions with more destinations are likely to be

tourism-generating areas: places that tourists

come from
tourism-receiving areas: areas that tourists visit;
countries or regions where there are tourism
destinations
Global tourism flows have changed and are still changing
in the following ways:
• Long-haul flights and destinations enable tourists
to travel further and in greater numbers to tourist-
receiving areas further away. For example, long-haul
destinations in isolated places appeal to increasing
numbers of independent European travellers who
like to visit developing tourism-receiving areas, such
as inland Asia, Central America and the lesser-
M
developed islands of the Indian Ocean.
• Inland tourism-receiving areas are developing more.
The scale of tourism flow between places is measured in City destinations have grown in popularity with the
numbers of tourists. Tourism flows increase when more development of budget short-haul air flights, for
people are able to travel. Tourism flows decrease when example, in Europe. Rural tourism-receiving areas,
fewer people travel. for example in Africa, have become more accessible
and appeal to the growing numbers of ecotourists.
SA

Changing global tourism-generating and • Tourism-generating areas in southern and eastern

tourism-receiving areas Asia and the Pacific have continued to grow. This
has caused an increase in tourism flows to tourist-
The numbers of tourists moving between the world’s
receiving areas within Asia and the Pacific and
tourism-generating areas and tourism-receiving areas
to long-haul destinations such as in Europe, the
are changing.
Middle East and North America.
Places
Numbers of tourists
Tourism has become truly global. Tourism flows until
Numbers of tourists in tourism flows had been increasing
the late 20th century were greatest within and from
from the late 20th century and through the first two
Europe and North America. North–south flows were
decades of the 21st century, until the COVID-19 pandemic
very common in North America and Europe. Tourists
of the early 2020s led to declining numbers of tourists.
living in colder, more northerly tourism-generating areas
Travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic caused:
travel to seek the sun in warmer, more southerly tourism-
receiving areas such as the Mediterranean coast of • reduced numbers of international tourists, both
Europe and Florida in the USA. long-haul and short-haul

33
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• reduced numbers of domestic tourists during waves Factors affecting global tourism flows
of high infection rates (see Case study 1.5).
Factors in global tourism flow change are shown in
• increased numbers of domestic tourists during Figure 1.54.
periods of low infection rates.

Economic changes

Global
Social changes

E
Technological tourism
flow and demographic
advances
change changes

Health and security

PL
Figure 1.53: St Mark’s Square in Venice: a tourist attraction
that was deserted during the COVID-19 pandemic

During periods of lower COVID-19 virus infection

rates, some countries eased domestic travel restrictions.
Domestic tourism flow numbers rapidly rose, especially to
well-known tourism destinations and natural attractions.
Problems of overtourism (also known as hyper-tourism)
arose. Overtourism occurs when there are too many tourists
issues

Figure 1.54: Factors in global tourism flow change

Economic changes
Economic changes affecting changes in tourism flow are
shown in Table 1.1.

KEY WORDS
M
in a destination.This harms the destination environment
and causes difficulties for local people. Overtourism can disposable income: the amount of money
lead to increased litter and waste in an area which can people have to spend after subtracting the costs
enter water systems and become hazardous to wildifie. of necessities such as food and shelter from net
Overtourism can also lead to increased air pollution, water income. Net income is the remaining part of a
consumption and cause social impacts, such as increased person’s gross income after tax is deducted
noise, within destinations. Tourists do not enjoy the
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): is a measure to
SA

destination as much. During the COVID-19 pandemic,

show the size of a country’s economy. It looks at
natural attractions such as Durdle Door beach in the UK,
the value of the goods and services that a country
Bondi Beach in Australia and some beaches in southern
produces and is used to show how well a country
France experienced overtourism. Visitor numbers more
is performing
than doubled in some cases, creating greater virus infection
risk among tourists as well as for local people. currency exchange rate: the amount of money
that one country’s currency is worth in another
country’s currency. For example, the currency
KEY CONCEPT
of the USA is US dollars and the currency of
Global and growing: The COVID-19 pandemic Mauritius is the Mauritian rupee
led to a significant change in the previously
continuous growth of tourist numbers. Before the
pandemic, it was widely assumed that worldwide
travel and tourism demand would keep growing.
The pandemic ended this assumption.

34
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Economic factor Explanation

Levels of ­disposable income Changes in the disposable income of people in a tourism-generating area
are important for the travel and tourism industry. People can decide to
spend their disposable income on travel and tourism products and services.
More disposable income makes spending on travel and tourism products
and services more likely.
Levels of employment and Employment and unemployment rates in tourism-generating areas affect
­unemployment levels of disposable income since employed people often have more
­money than the unemployed. Declining employment levels reduce business
tourism flows because less people in work means fewer business tourists.

E
Measures of national economic GDP is a measure that may be used to suggest the amount of money
strength or weakness, such as available for:
GDP (Gross Domestic • tourists from tourism-generating areas to spend on travel
Product) • governments to invest in infrastructure in tourism-receiving areas
• travel and tourism businesses to invest in travel and tourism
developments in and between tourism-generating and tourism-

Currency exchange rates

PL receiving areas.
GDP is an abbreviation of gross domestic product. A country’s gross
­domestic product is the total value of all the goods that are made and all
the services that are provided in that country in a year. GDP per capita
means gross domestic product per person and is calculated by dividing a
country’s gross domestic product by its population. GDP per capita enables
the relative economic wealth of countries’ populations to be compared.
Rising and falling currency exchange rates affect the affordability of inter-
national travel and destinations. For example, when the US dollar has a
high value in Mauritian rupees, Mauritius becomes a cheaper destination
M
for Americans. Tourists are more likely to choose to visit and stay longer in
destinations where tourism products and services are cheaper.
Government investment Government investment is money that national and local governments
spend on developing their countries and areas. For example, governments
may invest in developing infrastructure and in funding national and local
tourism development organisations.
Infrastructural developments Infrastructure developments include:
SA

• improvements in the transport framework of an area, such as public

transport, roads, railways, airports and ports
• the supply of basic services such as electricity, water supply and
waste disposal.
Developments in the infrastructure of tourism-receiving areas improve
accessibility and increase tourism flows. Infrastructural developments in
tourism-generating areas also increase tourism flows.

Table 1.1: Economic changes affecting changes in tourism flow

35
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Social and demographic changes

Social and demographic factors in changing tourism
flows include:
• age profiles
• family structures
• attitudes to tourism impacts and changes in people’s
sustainability awareness.

KEY WORDS

E
social: relating to the ways in which people
live together, such as family structure, available
leisure time and attitudes to tourism impacts and Figure 1.55: Grey market tourists have time and money
sustainability for fun
demographic: relating to the structure or balance

profile of a population

PL
of a population, for example the changing age

tourism impacts: the effects that tourism can

have on a destination, including the effects on
the people who live in the destination and on
the environment

Change to the age profile of a country is an example

of demographic change. The age profile of a country
• attitudes towards social issues such as the impacts
of tourism on a destination and the importance of
sustainability awareness.
Family and household structure changes affect tourism
flow. Tourism-generating areas with declining birth
rates have increasingly smaller families. It is cheaper
and easier for people to travel in smaller groups, so a
reduction in family size tends to increase tourism flow.
Similarly, tourism-generating areas may find that the
size of households reduces as young adults increasingly
M
is the percentage of the population that are certain have homes of their own. Again, tourism flows increase
ages; for example, the percentage in their 20s or the because of the ease and increased affordability of
percentage over 65. travelling in small groups. Tourism flows are also split
since a young adult couple may be likely to choose a
The age profiles of tourism-generating and tourism-
different destination to the rest of the family.
receiving areas affect tourism flows. An increase in the
number of early-retired people, for example aged 55–64, The attitudes of tourists, travel and tourism providers
SA

in a tourism-generating area is likely to increase outward and tourism authorities affect tourism flows. They
tourism flow. Early-retired couples often have relatively are increasingly more likely to want to sustainably
high levels of disposable income and available leisure manage travel and tourism because of impacts on the
time, while still being sufficiently healthy to travel. environment and on the economic and social wellbeing
of people who live in tourism-receiving area destinations.
Social changes include changes in:
Increasingly, pro-responsible tourism attitudes are
• family and household structures, for example, more affecting tourism flows, mainly by increasing flows to
single people living alone or young adult couples more rural, more inland destinations, where ecotourism
having their own home, apart from parents developments are more likely.

36
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Health and security issues

Health and security issues that may also affect tourism
Disease
flows are shown in Figure 1.56.
Disease epidemics and pandemics reduce
tourism flows. In the case of pandemics such
as the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s,
global tourism flows are much reduced. Disease Unrest
epidemics may be widespread, but such outbreaks Tourism
Crime Pollution
flow
are more localised. An example of an epidemic Terrorism
is the Ebola virus outbreak of 2013–2016, which
centred on West Africa, but spread in a limited

E
way to other African and European countries and
to the USA. Tourism flows to and from affected
African countries were reduced, but the overall Disasters
global effect was much less than that of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

CASE STUDY 1.5: PANDEMIC WORLD

In 2020, the world began to be significantly affected
by a pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. The
disease affected tourism flows from 2020 onwards.
The graph in Figure 1.57 shows the number of
international tourist arrivals globally between 2000
PL Figure 1.56: Health and security issues that affect tourism flows

Tourism flows between tourist-generating areas

and tourist-receiving areas were also affected by
the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic,
international tourist arrivals had increased
significantly in all world regions; Figure 1.58 shows
M
and 2020, a measure of global tourism flow. international tourist arrivals in different regions of the
world up to 2018.
International tourist arrivals worldwide since 2000
Tourism flows were severely affected by the
Number of international tourist

1500
COVID-19 pandemic because travel restrictions
were imposed:
arrivals (in millions)

1200

900
• following advice from the United Nations World
SA

Health Organisation (WHO)

600 –58%
2020 scenarios based on the –70% • by national governments
gradual opening of borders and
300 lifting of travel restrictions in –78% • by international organisations, including
July, September and December the European Union (the EU, a group of
0
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 27 countries in Europe).
Year

Figure 1.57: Global international tourist arrivals since 2000

37
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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

CONTINUED

International tourist arrivals by world region

1.4 Africa
Number of international tourist Middle East
arrivals (in millions) 1.2

Asia & Pacific

1

Americas
0.8

E
0.6

0.4
Europe
0.2

0
1950

PL
1960 1970

Figure 1.58: International tourist arrivals in different regions of the world to 2018

During the pandemic, there were waves of high

infection rates separated by troughs of reduced
infection. Travel was restricted more severely during
1980
Year
1990 2000 2010 2018

Figure 1.59 shows percentage changes in

international tourist arrivals in 2019, 2020 and the
beginning of 2021 in the different world regions.
M
the waves of high rates of infection.

Change %, international tourist arrivals

World Middle East Europe
4% 7% 4%
Percentage

0%
–20%
–40%
SA

–60% –73% –74% –69%

–80% –87% –84% –85%
–100%
19

20

nu 1

19

20

nu 1

19

20

nu 1
Ja 202

Ja 202

Ja 202
y

y
ar

ar

ar
20

20

20

20

20

20

Year
Asia and the Pacific Americas Africa
4% 2% 2%
Percentage

0%
–20%
–40%
–60% –69% –77% –74%
–80% –84% –85%
–96%
–100%
19

20

nu 1

19

20

nu 1

19

20

nu 1
Ja 202

Ja 202

Ja 202
y

y
ar

ar

ar
20

20

20

20

20

20

Year

Figure 1.59: Percentage changes in international tourist arrivals 2019–2021

38
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CONTINUED
Different national governments and the EU imposed ‘Travel bubbles’ or ‘travel corridors’ were organised
their own national and local travel restrictions but, by the national governments of some countries.
in general: A travel bubble is an arrangement between the
national governments of some countries to allow
• movements of people including tourists were travel without restrictions to each other, while
limited or sometimes stopped within countries keeping their borders closed to all other countries.
and internationally For example, the governments of the neighbouring
• tourist travel into some countries from some countries of Australia and New Zealand set up a
other listed countries was controlled and travel bubble, allowing their populations more

E
sometimes stopped freedom to travel between countries within
that bubble.
• quarantine periods were imposed in some
countries; tourists arriving in a country had During 2021, vaccination against COVID-19 became
to isolate and be separated from the local globally widespread. Travel restrictions and freedoms
population for periods of, for example, ten days began to change. Tourists were allowed more

• PL
tourists departing from countries and arriving in
countries were tested for COVID-19 symptoms,
infection and levels of immunity before being
allowed to travel or to enter a country
sanitary measures were strictly applied to
travelling tourists, including using antibacterial
hand gel, wearing face masks and keeping a
certain distance (usually one to two metres)
apart from other tourists and travel and tourism
freedom to travel between some countries if they fell
into any of the following categories:
•
•
•
vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus
immune to the virus
not infected by the virus (able to show a recent
negative test result).
Technological advances made travel and border
controls easier. Tourists’ COVID-19 virus-status
M
staff members (known as ‘social distancing’). (vaccinated, immune or not infected) could be
displayed on travellers’ smartphones and digitally
Travel restrictions were strongest in Asia and the validated by border control and travel and tourism
Pacific, but also greatly affected other regions staff. In some countries, smartphone apps were also
including Europe, Africa and the Middle East. used to allow tourists to access tourism facilities
such as sports stadiums and indoor restaurant
dining rooms.
SA

Vaccination and technological advances increased

tourism flows during 2021–2022, bringing economic
benefits to tourism-receiving areas.

Activity:
1 Prepare for a group discussion about the
effects the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying
agreed meanings of:
• pandemic
• wave of infection

Figure 1.60: Sanitary measures at an airport during the • travel ‘bubble’.

COVID-19 pandemic

39
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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

CONTINUED

Discussion: a technological advances

1 Have a group discussion about the effects the b government actions.
COVID-19 pandemic had on tourism flows.
Consider the following in your discussion: 2 Present the results of your group discussion to
the rest of the class.
• how the number of international tourist
arrivals changed after 2000: 3 Return to your groups and have a further
discussion, answering the following questions:
a globally
a What happened to worldwide international

E
b among world regions tourist arrival numbers after 2020?
• the percentage changes in international b What do you think will happen to
tourist arrivals in different world regions worldwide international tourist arrival
between 2019 and early 2021 numbers in the future?
•
COVID-19 pandemic of:

PL
the effects on tourism flows during the

Levels of pollution in destinations and the extent to which

the environment is sustainably managed affect tourism
flows because tourists are more likely to choose to visit
destinations perceived as cleaner and greener. Costa Rica,
a country in Central America, has a well-established
reputation for ecotourism. Such a reputation increases
c What economic benefits do you think
tourism brings to tourism-receiving areas?

pollution levels. Pollution affects health. Air pollution

affects breathing and water pollution can cause serious
water-borne diseases such as cholera, as well as leading
to food poisoning. Tourists prefer to avoid destinations
where such problems exist. Easier and greater access to
the internet and use of social media have led to such
M
tourism flow even though urban areas may have high information being spread increasingly quickly.

CASE STUDY 1.6: MAURITIUS OIL SPILL 2020

In July 2020, an oil tanker travelling near the
Mauritius coast hit into a coral reef, causing
SA

the tanker to break apart and spill oil into the

surrounding ocean. The amount of oil spilled was
relatively low but the damage to the environmentally
protected marine ecosystems and to the Blue Bay
Marine Park reserve was potentially serious. The
beautifully clear turquoise waters of one lagoon
became stained black and brown, before the water
and beaches were cleaned. A major concern was
damage to coral reefs in the lagoon because of the
diversity of life the reefs contain and because they
protect the coastline from storms. They are also
Figure 1.61: Oil on a beach after the 2020 Mauritius
major natural attractions for tourism in Mauritius,
oil spill
which is very important to the country’s economy.

40
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CONTINUED

Activity: Discussion:
Research: As a class, discuss this statement:
• the environmental impact of the oil spill ‘The impact of the 2020 Mauritius oil spill is likely to
remain for years.’
• media coverage of the oil spill
Consider your research in the discussion.
• the oil spill’s likely impact on tourism
to Mauritius.

E
Disasters such as earthquakes and oil spills, and levels
of social and political unrest (including crime rates and ACTIVITY 1.7
terrorism), especially when reported by the media, cause 1 Project: Work individually or with a partner
leisure tourists to worry that their holidays in badly

PL
affected destinations will be disrupted and less enjoyable.
As a result, tourism flows to affected tourism-receiving
areas are reduced.
National government responses to health and security
issues include increased border controls, including visas
and stricter entry requirements (see Case study 1.5).
Tourism flows to more rigidly controlled destinations
may be reduced. However, greater levels of control can
build tourist confidence in the safety and security of
destinations so that flow reductions may be slight.
2
to research and produce:
a

b
a chart to show the factors that can affect
tourism flows
a presentation of the effects on tourism
of a natural disaster such as the Haiti
earthquakes of 2010 or 2021.
Group work: Working in small groups,
talk about how different factors can affect
tourism flow.
M
Each group can choose a different set of
KEY WORD factors, for example, economic factors or
social and demographic factors.
visa: a travel document permitting a person to
enter, leave or stay in a country. Visas are often Groups can make presentations to report
time-limited. Ease of obtaining a visa to visit a back to the rest of the class.
country is a factor that can affect tourism flow to
Listen to other groups’ presentations and
SA

tourism-receiving areas
make notes of what they say.
Work together to compile a classroom
TIP display showing how different factors affect
the scale of tourism demand in the world.
Become aware that data is rarely fully up to date.
The data in Figures 1.57–1.59 is the most recent
available at the time of writing. The United Nations
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) website is
a really useful source of data. When you read this,
have a look there to see if there is any more recent
data available.

41
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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Technological advances • advanced cruise ships carrying thousands of

Technological advances, including advances in transport passengers increasingly cheaply
technology and ICT (Information and Communications • high-speed trains, such as the French TGV and the
Technology), increase tourism flows. Developing forms Japanese Shinkasa (bullet train), which have reduced
of transport, especially sustainable forms of transport, journey times and created a more sustainable choice
increase the numbers of people travelling to destinations. than short-haul air travel
Transport technology includes: • bridge- and tunnel-building technology, which has
• transport types such as aircraft, trains, ships, cars, made overland travel easier and quicker.
buses and personal transport such as e-scooters Technological advances in ICT include those shown in
• transport infrastructure such as railway lines Figure 1.63.

E
(tracks), ports, airports and road systems. Online
information and
real-time
reservations

PL Biometrics,
including
passport and
border control
ICT
advances

Social media
Mobile
technology and
ticketless travel

Figure 1.63: ICT advances affecting tourism flows

M
Figure 1.62: E-scooters are a sustainable form of transport
technology
Technological advances in the range of computer and
other electronic devices, including smartphones, used
to store, send and share information have helped to
KEY WORD
increase tourism flows. Faster broadband internet and
ICT (Information and Communication new generation mobile (cell) phone networks have
Technology): the range of computer and other increased and quickened tourists’ access to information
SA

electronic devices, such as smartphones, used to about destinations as well as the ability to book travel
store, send and share information online. Social media platforms have increased tourism
flows to destinations favourably reviewed and attractively
photographed by smartphone users and influencers.
Since the 1960s, passenger transportation systems have
ICT advances have made booking travel and travel
expanded as new technologies are developed to make travel
itself easier and quicker. Real-time reservations, for
more efficient and comfortable. During the 20th and early
example, allow travel and tourism bookings to be made
21st centuries, transport technology advances helped the
immediately, without any waiting for confirmation.
growth of mass tourism to destinations in tourism-receiving
A customer or travel agent may use the internet to check
areas around the world. Advances in types of transport
current availability of a hotel room or aircraft seat at
have created more choice for tourists, made travel faster and
that very moment. The booking can then be made online
cheaper and given easier access to destinations further away.
Examples of technological advances in transport types are: KEY WORD
• the development of wide-bodied long-haul planes
real-time reservations: travel and tourism
able to carry hundreds of passengers further and
bookings that are made instantly
with relatively reduced levels of pollution

42
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

instantly. There is no more delay while the provider checks

paper booking records and then confirms the reservation. REFLECTION
Ticketless travel and biometrics are other examples of How confident do you feel in your understanding
technological advances that have affected global of trends in travel and tourism? What can you do
tourism flows. to increase your level of confidence?
• Ticketless travel is travelling without paper tickets.
Smartphone applications allow ticketless travel by
digitally storing an electronic e-ticket confirmation.
There is no paper ticket. 1.4 The growth of
• Biometrics are pieces of digital information about
sustainable tourism

E
a person’s appearance. Biometrics are used to
establish a person’s identity digitally. Increased use
of biometric passports has been a technological Types of sustainability
advance in border control intended to ease and Sustainable tourism involves providing the maximum
quicken tourists’ movements through airports, ports benefit to the local people and destination while
and overland borders between countries.

KEY WORDS

PL
ticketless travel: travel without physical tickets
biometrics: digital information about a person’s
appearance that is used to establish their identity
minimising the harmful impacts of tourism, as discussed
in Section 1.1.

What is sustainability?
Sustainability can be environmental, social or economic.

Environmental sustainability
Environmental sustainability is our ability to sustain or
conserve the environment into the future. For example,
natural resources such as water are used by travel and
tourism organisations such as hotels. How much water
M
is used by travel and tourism providers now can affect
how much water will be available for local people in the
future. This is especially true in destinations that are hot
and dry.
Today’s tourism can be managed in ways that avoid
damage to the natural environment. Tourist providers
SA

such as hotels can practise the 3Rs of sustainability

(reduce, re-use, recycle) to conserve water and other
resources, adopting sustainable practices. Tourists can
Figure 1.64: Increasing numbers of people are using use more sustainable, less polluting types of transport.
ticketless travel
Tourism to ecosystems, such as rainforest and coral reef
ecosystems, can be managed by limiting visitor numbers
KEY CONCEPT to protect future biodiversity. Managing ecosystems
today sustains them for the future.
Change and development: Travel and tourism
changes because of the different factors that
KEY WORD
affect it. Disease is one factor that affects global
tourism flows. The trend towards increased biodiversity: the variety of animal and plant life
sustainability in travel and tourism is a factor that in a place
affects the types of destination and holiday that
tourists demand. This, in turn, affects tourism
development in tourism destinations.

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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Social sustainability Economically sustainable tourism sustains or conserves

Social sustainability is our ability to sustain or conserve destination economies and people’s ways of making
people’s ways of life into the future. Tourism can have a living into the future by maximising the positive
negative social impacts on destination communities, but economic impacts of tourism and minimising tourism’s
it can also bring social benefits. For example, a coastal negative economic impacts.
fishing village may be developed as a tourism destination,
at least in part because of the local culture. Buildings of Ecotourism and responsible tourism
the old village, people living in a traditional way, making Ecotourism is visiting a destination to enjoy the natural
traditional artefacts sold in authentic markets and at environment without causing damage. The Chazal
local festivals may all be part of the village’s appeal to Ecotourism feature at the start of this unit is an example
tourists. Social sustainability is about managing the of the growth of ecotourism. There is more information

E
development of places like these so that their traditions about the growth of ecotourism in Section 1.5.
are sustained into the future. This does not mean that
tourism should not happen. Socially sustainable tourism Responsible tourism is a sustainable tourism behaviour.
development of the village would allow local people Responsible tourism involves tourists and travel and
and incomers to develop travel and tourism businesses tourism providers behaving respectfully towards the
so that local people can find work and continue living natural environment and towards local people in

tourism’s negative social impacts.

Economic sustainability
PL
in the village. Socially sustainable tourism maximises
the positive social impacts of tourism while minimising

Economic sustainability is our ability to sustain or

conserve destination economies and people’s ways
of making a living into the future. Tourism can have
negative economic impacts on destination communities,
but tourism can also bring economic benefits to
destination communities.
a destination.
Ecotourism and responsible tourism are two types of
sustainable tourism. Ecotourism is just one part of
responsible tourism. Ecotourism is tourism to visit the
natural environment. A tourist staying overnight in an
eco-lodge would be an example of an ecotourist. Eco-
friendly accommodation such as an eco-hotel may:
•
•
provide meals made from locally produced food
recycle waste
M
• generate its own electricity, for example by using
Tourism brings jobs and money to destinations. wind or solar power.
Tourists spend money in destinations. Tourists are
customers of local travel and tourism organisations.
For example, tourists spend money in attractions, in
cafés and restaurants, on entertainment, in hotels, and
on local transport. Travel and tourism organisations
SA

employ people, so large numbers of jobs are created in

destinations. This is an example of a positive economic
impact of tourism on the local, host community.
Negative economic impacts of tourism include economic
leakage. Economic leakage is when money that has
come into a country because of tourism then leaves
(or, leaks from) the country again. For example, hotels
in a destination may be owned by travel and tourism
organisations that are based in other countries. Profits Figure 1.65: Solar panels generate electricity for these
made by such hotels go to foreign-owned businesses. eco-lodges situated in the forest
These profits are said to leak abroad because they leave
the destination’s country. This is an example of a negative Ecotourism is a form of responsible tourism. However,
economic impact because the destination country may not tourism to any destination can be responsible if visitors
benefit from the money that has leaked abroad. behave respectfully towards the environment and

44
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

the local people. Tourists to a city destination can be maximisation of positive social and economic impacts and
responsible tourists if, for example, they: the minimisation of negative impacts.
• do not litter the streets or make too much noise An important reason for the growth of sustainable
tourism has been the minimisation of the negative
• hire a local tour guide, which brings work and
environmental impacts of travel and tourism shown
money to a member of the local community
in Figure 1.66. Air, water and noise pollution are
• spend money in locally owned shops negative effects of travel and tourism on the natural
and restaurants. and built environment. Air, land and sea transport,
including aircraft, motor vehicles and ships, pollute the
atmosphere, rivers, seas and lakes. Transport for travel
KEY CONCEPT also causes noise and creates congestion in destinations

E
Sustainability and responsibility: Ecotourism that spoils their environmental appeal for tourists.
and responsible tourism are types of sustainable Tourism facilities, including hotels, produce waste. The
tourism. Sustainable tourism practices are any disposal of waste creates pollution. Tourism facilities use
practices that minimise negative tourism impacts resources such as food, energy and water. Overtourism can
and/or maximise positive tourism impacts. cause depletion or shortages of these resources. Litter is a

Reasons for the growth of

sustainable tourism PL
Positive and negative impacts of tourism
Sustainable tourism seeks to minimise the negative
impacts of tourism while maximising the positive
impacts of tourism. These impacts can be environmental,
negative impact of overtourism that spoils the appeal of
destinations and can harm local flora and fauna, including
wildlife. Wildlife may be disturbed by tourism. Habitats
can be damaged or lost from destinations where natural
attraction visitor numbers are too high.

Air, noise
and water
pollution
M
social or economic. Growing awareness of these impacts Litter harms
has encouraged the growth of sustainable tourism. plants (flora) Tourism traffic
and animals congestion
Environmental impacts (fauna) Travel
and
Environmental impacts of travel and tourism can be tourism
positive or negative. Positive environmental impacts
include conserving the environment for tourists to enjoy.
SA

Elements of the environment that are conserved for

tourists to enjoy include: Depleted local
Disturbed wildlife,
resources, such
• wildlife, natural landscape features (for example, as water
habitat loss
beaches, waterfalls, rivers and lakes) and biodiversity
in destinations such as wetlands and coral reefs Figure 1.66: Negative environmental impacts of travel
• historic buildings, monuments and destinations of and tourism
special architectural or cultural interest.
In addition, responsible tourism education and increased Social impacts
environmental awareness programmes for tourists and for The social impacts of tourism can be positive as well as
travel and tourism organisation staff are positive impacts of negative. Sustainable tourism’s growth has been helped
travel and tourism on the environment. Sustainable tourism by the maximisation of positive and minimisation of
has grown because of such positive impacts, because of the negative social impacts of tourism shown in Table 1.2.

45
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Positive social impacts of tourism Negative social impacts of tourism

• Tourism helps preserve the traditional customs • There can be conflict between tourists and
and crafts of destinations. the host community, particularly if there are
• Money from tourism can be invested in the com- ­misunderstandings regarding acceptable
munity to provide facilities, such as healthcare ­behaviour and dress.
and transport infrastructure, for local people in • The travel and tourism industry offers many job
destinations. opportunities. This can contribute to change in
• Tourism can help encourage appreciation for family structures, if, for example, young people
other cultures and bonding between cultures, move away from traditional family homes in
strengthening relations and understanding. order to work in the travel and tourism industry.

E
• Tourism helps to sustain traditional festivals, • Increased numbers of tourists can lead to
customs and traditions and thereby strengthens increased social problems within communities,
cultural identity. such as crime and street-begging. Tourists who
• Tourism involves the movement of people to carry valuables such as tablets, cameras and mo-
new destinations and encourages travel, mobili- bile phones may attract unwanted attention and
ty and social integration. increase the possibility of criminal activity such
•

PL
Community-led tourism projects allow local
people to have a say in the management of
their own environment and can help empower
the local community.
•

•
as pickpocketing.
Communities may experience a loss of cultur-
al identity as local traditions and cultures are
lost to more globalised identities. Tourists may
influence the behaviour of local people within
communities, which can erode local traditional
cultural norms.
Cultural practices may be altered and changed
to suit the needs and wants of tourists.
Damage to artefacts and heritage sites may oc-
cur due to the large numbers of tourists passing
M
through a destination.

Table 1.2: Positive and negative social impacts of tourism

Economic impacts need to employ more staff and create more jobs.
Tourism has both positive and negative economic Employees are paid. Some of the money employees earn
SA

impacts. As with environmental and social impacts, it is is spent in other businesses in the destination such as local
the maximisation of positive impacts and minimisation shops and services. Other businesses in the destination
of negative impacts that underlies the growth of make more money and employ more staff, who also spend
sustainable tourism. money. The economy of the whole destination benefits
through the multiplier effect (Figure 1.67).
On the positive side, tourism brings jobs and money to
destinations. Tourists spend money in destinations, and
are customers of local travel and tourism organisations. KEY WORDS
For example, tourists spend money in attractions, in
cafés and restaurants, on entertainment, in hotels, and profit: the money a travel and tourism
on local transport. Travel and tourism organisations organisation makes after paying costs and taxes
employ people, so large numbers of jobs are created
multiplier effect: how money spent by tourists in
in destinations. This is a positive economic impact of
a destination circulates through the local economy;
tourism on the local host community.
for example, money spent in a hotel will help pay
The money tourists spend helps travel and tourism staff who work there, who in turn spend the same
organisations make profits. These organisations and other money in local shops and restaurants
businesses can invest profits to grow bigger. Organisations

46
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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

More • Export leakage can happen if hotels in a destination

growth are owned by travel and tourism organisations that
and wealth are based in other countries. Profits made by some
destination hotels go to foreign-owned businesses.
Profits leak abroad.
• Seasonal employment: this is a problem because
More some travel and tourism staff do not have jobs in the
Jobs pay spending low season. During the high season, demand is high.
money High demand creates jobs in destinations. There
Profits
and growth
are more high-season jobs in travel and tourism
businesses and more jobs in other businesses such

E
Tourism
spending as local shops, restaurants and visitor attractions.
People lose their jobs during the low season.
Figure 1.67: The multiplier effect. Money from travel and • Opportunity costs: these occur when management
tourism is multiplied and helps create wealth and increase decisions are made in destinations. An opportunity
the standard of living in destinations cost is the loss of the chance to do something

PL
All destinations in a country benefit from the positive
economic impact of the multiplier effect. The total
money a country makes is the country’s GDP. Money
from travel and tourism is an important part of the GDP
of countries such as Jamaica and Mauritius.
Profitable travel and tourism organisations and other
businesses in destinations pay taxes to the government.
Governments can use taxes to develop infrastructure.
Money can be used, for example, to build new roads,
enlarge airports and provide health, social care and
•
because of deciding to do something else instead.
For example, the opportunity to build new schools
for local people can be lost if the government
decides to spend the money on expanding the
international airport instead.
Over-dependency: this happens when a destination
economy relies too much on travel and tourism. For
example, after a natural disaster such as a volcanic
eruption, fewer tourists may decide to visit a
destination. As a result, jobs and money will be lost
from the destination and the standard of living of
M
education for local people. local people may decrease.
Negative economic impacts of tourism include
economic leakage.
ACTIVITY 1.8

KEY WORD 1 Group work: Work in groups. Make a chart

to compare the environmental, social and
SA

leakage: when money from travel and tourism has economic impacts of tourism. Which do you
come into a country and then leaves (or ‘leaks’ consider to be the most significant impacts
from) it, instead of staying in the local economy of tourism?
2 Suggest how tourists directly employing
a local tour guide helps increase tourism’s
• Import leakage happens when travel and tourism
social and economic sustainability.
providers spend money on goods imported from
abroad instead of buying goods locally. For
example, some hotels import expensive food and
drinks from abroad.

47
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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Changing values and attitudes using recycled materials and providing sustainable
catering options
Sustainable tourism has grown because of changing
values and attitudes among customers, travel • ancillary services such as tour guiding to be
and tourism providers, and governments and economically and socially sustainable, using local
tourism authorities. people as tour guides in destinations.

Customers Travel and tourism providers

Customers live in a world in which climate change Providers from all travel and tourism industry
awareness has grown, making people more aware of the components have responded to increased demand for
need to be environmentally aware. This has persuaded sustainable travel and tourism products and services.
people to change habits in a more sustainable direction.

E
The response has led to increased availability of
Customers’ daily lives have increasingly included the 3Rs
sustainable travel and tourism products and services,
of sustainability (reduce, re-use, recycle). Their travel and
easing customers’ ability to make sustainable travel and
tourism choices have reflected this.
tourism choices. Travel and tourism providers have been
Customers’ values and attitudes have been influenced by able to remain profitable by satisfying the demand for
other people and by the media, including social media. increased sustainability.

PL
Traditional media such as television, radio, newspapers
and magazines have helped raise sustainability awareness.
For example, broadcasts and articles focusing on
environmental and wildlife conservation may present
a destination positively and encourage tourists to
visit. Social media has enabled people to express
and share their raised awareness of sustainability.
Increased social media use has increased sustainability
awareness, including the need for social and economic
sustainability, as well as for environmental sustainability.
For example, tourists share experiences on social
Travel and tourism providers are not always motivated
by profit alone; they may share customers’ sustainability
values and attitudes. Providers such as tour operators
are familiar with destination communities and are often
aware of tourism’s positive and negative impacts. Travel
and tourism organisations have increasingly wanted
to be socially and economically sustainable, as well as
being environmentally sustainable. Case study 1.7 shows
how one travel and tourism provider is responding to
increased customer demand for sustainable tourism.
M
media and may comment negatively on unsustainable
practices and environmental damage that they have seen KEY CONCEPT
in destinations.
Marketing and management: The economic
Customers now demand more sustainable practices sustainability of destinations depends upon the
from travel and tourism providers. For example, tourists successful marketing of available tourism products
increasingly expect: and services. Customers increasingly demand
SA

• transport to and from and around destinations more environmentally and socially sustainable
to be more sustainable, including low-emissions products and services, so governments and
aircraft and cruise ships, and e-mobility vehicles tourism authorities who manage destinations
such as electric taxis and buses and e-scooters use marketing and publicity to promote the
in destinations sustainable products and services of destinations.

• accommodation such as hotels and self-catering

apartments to be managed sustainably, following
the principles of the 3Rs of reducing, re-using and KEY WORD
recycling laundry and packaging materials as well
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific,
as resources such as water and food
and Cultural Organization. UNESCO seeks to
• catering facilities to use locally sourced and encourage the identification, protection and
responsibly grown organic food preservation of cultural and natural heritage
around the world considered to be of outstanding
• visitor attractions to be managed sustainably, for
value to humanity
example, having reduced energy consumption,

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CASE STUDY 1.7: THE SUSTAINABLE HOTEL

• help ‘plant for the planet’ by paying to plant
millions of trees around the world
• have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
• keep honey bees in hotel gardens to help
pollination and food production.
Accor plan to stop using single-use plastic in their
hotels, such as plastic bottles for water or toiletries,

E
plastic food packaging, laundry bags, cups and
straws. The use of plastic items can be reduced,
or items can be re-used or recycled.
Figure 1.68: An Accor Fairmont sustainable hotel

The sustainable hotel in Figure 1.68 is an Accor

PL
hotel group hotel. The group operates over 5000
hotels around the world. Accor have 40 different
brand names, including Ibis, Novotel, Pullman and
Fairmont hotels.
Accor wants to minimise the negative environmental
impacts of its hotels. The company wants to involve
staff and customers in helping the growth of
sustainable tourism and operate hotels that respect
the environment and local destination communities.
M
In 2021, Accor began to work with Expedia Group Figure 1.69: Single-use plastics have a significant
(an online travel agency) and with the United Nations environmental impact
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) to encourage sustainable tourism
Discussion:
practices. Customers use the Expedia website to buy
travel and tourism products, including air flights and 1 In this case study, what examples are there
hotel accommodation. of positive tourism impacts?
SA

Accor, Expedia and UNESCO want to: 2 In what ways are Accor’s sustainable hotel
policies helping to sustain the natural
• be good examples of environmentally friendly environment?
sustainable tourism practices
3 How might Accor hotels sustain local
• have positive impacts on destination destination communities?
local communities.
Activity:
Accor have policies to:
Choose a destination and a travel and tourism
• combat food waste, for example, by preparing provider, such as a hotel.
dishes only when ordered and not in advance
to be presented as all-you-can-eat buffet 1 Research the sustainable practices of your
chosen provider in your chosen destination.
• use locally produced organic food, including in
city destinations using urban vegetable gardens 2 Make a presentation to show your findings.

49
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CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL TRAVEL AND TOURISM: COURSEBOOK

Governments and tourism authorities

TIP
National governments and local tourism authorities, such
Remember that: as local councils, have increasingly wanted to develop
tourism more sustainably. One way has been to organise
• sustainable practices are more than
education and training programmes. The growth of
green (environmentally friendly) practices.
sustainable tourism may also be encouraged using publicity
Sustainable practices include practices
campaigns and the media, including social media, to
that socially and economically benefit local
influence local people who come into contact with tourists.
destination communities.
• sustainability is not limited to natural KEY WORD
environments. Sustainable practices are also

E
practised in built environments. For example, publicity: attention that is given to something
Accor’s use of urban vegetable gardens in by the media. In marketing terms, this has been
city destinations. extended to include any form of distributing
information about a product, person or company
for advertising or promotional purposes

PL
CASE STUDY 1.8: SUSTAINABLE MAURITIUS
Mauritius is a country in the Indian Ocean made
up of several islands. In 2019, 1.38 million tourists
arrived in Mauritius. Income from travel and tourism is
an important part of the country’s GDP. Tens of
thousands of people are employed in travel and
tourism in Mauritius as well as in jobs serving
tourists in shops. Employment is an economic benefit.
M
The government of Mauritius has a policy of
promoting the growth of sustainable tourism. The
Mauritius Tourism Development Plan aims for
Mauritius to reach ‘Green Destination’ status by
2030. A Green Destination is a destination whose low
level of negative environmental impacts has been
SA

certified by the globally recognised international

Green Destinations Foundation. Figure 1.70 shows
the front cover of a leaflet published by the Mauritius
government’s Mauritius Tourism Authority (MTA).
The ‘Sustainable Island Mauritius’ leaflet promotes
the growth of sustainable tourism by educating
local tourism organisations such as tour operators
in how they can help their businesses succeed while
making the products and services they provide more
environmentally friendly.

Discussion:
What do you think local tourism organisations should
Figure 1.70: Front cover of ‘Sustainable Island
be told to educate them in the benefits of adopting
Mauritius’ leaflet
sustainable practices?

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

providers want to encourage sustainable practices so

ACTIVITY 1.9 they organise staff training programmes. Staff who have
Group work: Work in a group. Make a been trained in sustainable and responsible tourism
presentation to show your response to one of the behaviours influence customers who are open to being
following questions: more responsible tourists by, for example, guiding
visitors on how to behave more sustainably when visiting
1 How can providers from different travel and local communities.
tourism industry components respond to
Local people may own travel and tourism businesses or
increasing demand for sustainable tourism?
come into contact with tourists in other ways, by owning
2 Why do governments and local tourism or working in businesses used by tourists. Some local
authorities encourage more people may work with tourists in an informal way, for

E
sustainable tourism? example, as a self-employed tour guide. Accommodation
providers sometimes encourage this to increase the social
Give your presentation to other class members. and economic sustainability of tourism in a destination.
Tourists are sometimes educated in sustainable tourism
practices by travel and tourism providers. Many travel

local people and tourists

sustainable tourism.
PL
Education and training programmes for

Education and training programmes for both local

people and tourists have helped the growth of

Local people in a destination may be part of the

travel and tourism industry, for example, as employees
of travel and tourism providers. Travel and tourism
and tourism provider websites and social media apps
promote responsible tourism behaviours. Examples
include the website of Tourism Bay of Plenty (a regional
tourism organisation in New Zealand) and the online
Green Travel Guide (published by Ecotourism Australia;
see Figure 1.71), which can be followed on Instagram.
National governments and local tourism authorities
use publicity materials such as posters to promote
sustainable and responsible tourism.
M
SA

Figure 1.71: The Green Travel Guide uses social media to promote sustainable ecotourism in Australia

51
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Other reasons The growth of independent travel and dynamic

Other reasons for the growth of sustainable tourism packaging
include the following. These factors are linked, operating Increased access to the internet since the late 20th
together in helping sustainable tourism to grow. century and the rise of social media in the 21st century
have led to the growth of dynamic packaging and more
Availability and promotion of sustainable tourism independent travel. Both have helped to bring about
products and services the increased availability and promotion of sustainable
Travel and tourism organisations now provide more tourism products and services, and the increased
sustainable tourism products and services than in accessibility of natural, wild and remote areas.
previous years. This is an ongoing trend that began in
a small way in the mid-20th century and has gathered Media influence, including social media

E
momentum since, especially in the 21st century. Attitudes Influence from the media, including television, film,
have changed. Tourists, providers and governments magazines and newspapers, online and social media,
are much more aware of the need to travel and visit has helped independent travel and dynamic packaging
destinations in ways that are environmentally, socially to grow, a major factor in both increased accessibility
and economically sustainable. Tourists are demanding, of natural, wild and remote areas and increased
and governments are encouraging, travel and tourism availability and promotion of sustainable tourism

PL
businesses to provide more sustainability. Those
businesses also realise that satisfying increased customer
demand for sustainable products and services will
increase turnover and profitability.

Increased accessibility of natural, wild and

remote areas
Destinations that were previously rarely visited because
of poor accessibility have become much easier to reach
during the 21st century. Access to the internet and
products and services.

Positive and negative impacts

of tourism

Changing values and attitudes

M
the sharing of information on social media has made
researching and booking independent travel much easier,
even when that involves moving around remote places far
from tourists’ homes.
Availability and promotion
Increased provision and demand for ecotourism has of sustainable tourism products
and services
helped to increase the accessibility of natural, wild and
remote areas. Small eco-resorts located in such areas,
SA

in forest and mountain environments, for example, are

able to advertise on the internet and to benefit from Increased accessibility of
positive customer reviews on social media. As a result, natural, wild and remote areas
independent travellers are able to discover and visit small
Growth of
and sometimes remote eco-resorts, which, in turn, are sustainable
able to succeed as sustainable tourism businesses. tourism
Growth of independent
travel and dynamic
KEY WORDS packaging

eco-resort: a place that ecotourists visit on holiday,

to relax, and sometimes to take part in conservation
activities. Eco-resorts provide eco-friendly Media influence, including
accommodation, such as eco-lodges and eco-hotels social media

promotion: any activity that creates interest

in a customer or a potential customer Figure 1.72: Reasons for the growth of sustainable tourism

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

KEY CONCEPT KEY WORD

Sustainability and responsibility: Sustainable eco-tour: a holiday to visit the natural
tourism is growing. Tourists and travel and environment while causing no damage
tourism providers are demanding and supplying
more sustainable tourism products and services.
Sustainable tourism products and services are • eco-friendly accommodation that helps to conserve
continuing to become more available for tourists the natural environment
to choose. National governments and local • ecotourism activities that contribute to positive
tourism authorities encourage the growth of tourism impacts such as environmental conservation.
sustainable tourism.

E
Eco-tours and packages
Eco-tours are holidays in the natural environment
KEY CONCEPT
managed to allow ecotourists to visit without causing
Marketing and management: Travel and tourism damage. Eco-tours may also impact the environment
organisations, including restaurants, market positively through conservation activities, and help to

PL
products and services to attract customers and
succeed as businesses. Successfully managing
the marketing of tourism products and services
enables tourism organisations to meet their
customers’ changing needs, including for more
sustainable products and services.

ACTIVITY 1.10
increase awareness of environmental issues.
Eco-tour operator websites promote the operator’s
products and allow tourists to research options and to
book a package. For example, Figure 1.73 shows eco-
tour packages provided by one tour operator.
M
Design a piece of promotional material or a social
media post that could be used to influence the
values and attitudes of local people towards
sustainable tourism.

1.5 Sustainable tourism

SA

Figure 1.73: Eco-packages offered by an online

tour operator
in practice: the growth
The ‘Eco-Get Involved’ tour package includes:
of ecotourism • return air flight from the destination (these will be
The growth of ecotourism is an example of sustainable carbon off-set)
tourism in practice. • visits to eco-friendly visitor attractions such as an
eco-park to see local animals
Ecotourism products • a farm visit to taste local foods
and services • a traditional dance performance
Ecotourism products and services include: • optional travel insurance.
• whole eco-tour holidays (often sold as package Ecotourists may buy an ecotourism holiday package
holidays), which may involve conservation activities from a tour operator. Ecotourists may also be
and raise environmental awareness independent travellers who self-arrange eco-tours,

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probably by using the internet websites of travel and natural environment without negative impact. Eco-
tourism providers. friendly accommodation can include any type of
accommodation, including eco-lodges, eco-resorts and
Eco-friendly accommodation simple or luxury eco-hotels. Figure 1.74 shows examples
Eco-friendly accommodation is accommodation of eco-friendly accommodation.
provided for ecotourists to visit and stay in the

E
PL
M
SA

Figure 1.74: Examples of eco-friendly accommodation. Top left: A luxury eco-hotel in Brazil. Top right: An open walls luxury
bedroom in an eco-resort in India. Centre left: Eco-lodges in Kenya. Centre right: A simple eco-friendly room in India.
Bottom left: A luxury suite in an eco-lodge in a hotel in Egypt. Bottom right: Simple eco-friendly guest houses in Thailand

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Eco-friendly accommodation such as eco-lodges and Ecotourism activities

eco-hotels can be provided in eco-resorts.
Ecotourists are on holiday in the natural environment.
The open-walled luxury bedroom shown in Figure 1.74 Ecotourists want to:
is in an eco-resort in India developed with respect for the
• have fun
environment and local community. Built from recycled
or sustainable locally sourced materials (including mud, • observe and learn about the natural environment
straw and bamboo), the eco-resort has limited water • learn about the lives of local people
and electricity consumption to only about one-sixth of
that typically used by a non-eco-hotel of this size. Water • contribute positively to conservation of the natural
is solar-heated, while grey water is treated and re-used environment and the ways of life of local communities.
in the eco-resort’s organic vegetable garden. Plastic is Ecotourism activities satisfy ecotourists’ wants.

E
banned throughout the eco-resort. All products provided Ecotourism activities include:
in guest rooms (such as toiletries and cotton towels) are
organic and are bought locally at a fair price to help local • adventure fun such as ziplining, canoeing or trekking
economic sustainability. Most kitchen waste is recycled • viewing and photographing wildlife and plants,
by being converted into compost. birdwatching, nature walks and eco-friendly safaris

eco-resort.

PL
The Chazal Ecotourism case study at the start of this
book is an example of an eco-resort. Case study 1.9 is
an example of eco-friendly accommodation in another

CASE STUDY 1.9: EL MONTE ECO-RESORT

• visiting local communities in ways that bring
benefits to local people without harming traditional
ways of life, for example, by buying traditional
crafts at a local weekly market.
The Chazal Ecotourism example at the start of this
unit gives examples of ecotourism activities. Further
examples are provided in Case study 1.9.
M
El Monte is an eco-resort in the tropical cloud forest El Monte eco-resort provides eco-friendly
of Ecuador, South America. The weather in a cloud accommodation and catering and ecotourism
forest is usually warm and humid. El Monte is in activities. It aims to provide enjoyment for ecotourists
Mindo in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. Mindo is and to help protect the forest. In order to make the
a rural (countryside) destination including villages, least possible negative environmental impact, a
rivers, waterfalls and cloud forest. The variety of management decision was made to keep the eco-
exotic birdlife is an important part of the ecotourism resort small. There are only a few guest cabañas –
SA

appeal of the environment. the eco-lodges shown in Figure 1.75 – and customers
enter El Monte eco-resort by hand-pulled tarabita
(a type of simple cable car; see Figure 1.76).

Figure 1.75: Eco-lodges at El Monte eco-resort Figure 1.76: Entering El Monte by tarabita

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CONTINUED

Accommodation El Monte cooks cater for customers who have

specific dietary needs, including vegetarian, gluten
El Monte eco-resort customers stay in private
intolerance, lactose intolerance and nut allergy.
riverside cabañas such as those shown in Figure 1.75.
Water at El Monte is from a gravity-powered
The cabañas are designed and built to blend with
underground spring.
the natural forest and river environment. Each cabaña
is built from local wood and has: At mealtimes, customers socialise. They educate
each other by sharing information about the Mindo
• a private bathroom, flush toilet, electricity and
area, conservation and cloud forest birds and wildlife.
unlimited hot water

E
• separate areas for socialising and for sleeping
• an eco-friendly waste-treatment system made
of a sand bed planted with bamboo to recycle
waste naturally.

PL
The main ‘house’ includes the eco-resort kitchen, as
well as dining and games areas, and has WiFi. There
are two open fogatas, or fire pits, for cooking food.
It is mostly open to the air. The open design provides
views of the garden and the surrounding forest.
Exotic cloud forest birds can be seen from both the
main house and the cabañas. Customers experience
being surrounded by the sounds of forest wildlife,
especially at night.
M
Figure 1.78: El Monte vegetable garden and main house

Ecotourism activities
Ecotourism activities in and around El Monte and
Mindo are led by local guides, who are able to identify
the birds, medicinal plants and exotic orchids, and
SA

show customers hidden waterfalls and scenic views.

Activities include:
• birdwatching
• ziplining
Figure 1.77: El Monte main house
• horseriding

Catering • guided nature walks

Local Ecuadorian dishes are cooked in the main • waterfall visiting: some tourists jump from
house kitchen and on the fire pits. Vegetables from a 10 metre (33 feet) cliff into the water;
El Monte’s own kitchen garden are used. Drinks others swim beneath the waterfall in the
include exotic juices made from forest fruits. Rio Nambillo river

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CONTINUED
• white-water tubing (an adventure tourism Discussion:
activity): customers ride on a rubber tube
1 How does El Monte eco-resort (a) minimise
carried along by the fast-flowing water of the
negative tourism impacts and (b) maximise
Rio Mindo
positive tourism impacts?
• a nearby orchid garden visitor attraction
2 What ecotourism activities are available
• visiting a local chocolate factory in at El Monte?
Mindo: tourists can buy locally grown and
3 What would be the appeal of El Monte
made chocolate.

E
eco-resort to a responsible tourist?
4 How well does El Monte eco-resort meet the
needs of customers with specific needs?

TIP

PL
Remember that ecotourism is one type of
sustainable tourism. Ecotourism is more specialised
because ecotourists are visiting the natural
environment. Sustainable and responsible tourism
can involve visiting built environments such as in
city destinations. Ecotourism only refers to tourism
in the natural environment.
Respect for the environment and
local culture
Responsible tourists and ecotourists show respect
for the natural environment and for the local culture
of people who live in destinations. Case study 1.9
gives information about how ecotourists respect the
natural environment of the cloud forest in Ecuador
and the local culture of people who live in the Mindo
rural destination area.
Respect for local culture can be shown by ecotourists
M
visiting local community villages, events and markets
Responsible and ethical tourism respectfully, behaving politely and buying local
handicrafts. Ecotourists attending traditional events,
behaviours and practices ceremonies and performances such as dance and music
helps local people to value and want to conserve their own
Responsible and sustainable tourism minimises the culture instead of copying the culture of visiting tourists.
negative impacts of tourism and maximises the positive
SA

impacts. Ethical tourism is another term that some

people use for tourism that intends to minimise negative
impacts and maximise positive impacts.
Responsible and ethical tourism behaviours and
practices include:
• respect for environment and local culture
• following codes of conduct.

KEY WORD
ethical tourism: managing tourism provision with
the intention of doing so sustainably or, from a
tourist perspective, visiting destinations with the Figure 1.79: Tourists watching traditional dancers at Angkor
intention of being a responsible tourist Wat temple in Cambodia

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Following codes of conduct ACTIVITY 1.11

Following codes of conduct is an example of responsible
tourism behaviour. Codes of conduct are sets of advice 1 Make a poster to show the appeal
used to help tourists behave responsibly by respecting the of ecotourism.
natural environment and the local culture of people who
2 Include your poster in a presentation
live in a destination.
that explains:
The Bay of Plenty is a coastal destination in New Zealand,
where the local community includes indigenous Maori a the meaning of ethical tourism
people. Its regional tourism authority, Tourism Bay of b how ethical tourism relates to
Plenty, advises tourists to behave responsibly by following responsible and sustainable tourism.

E
the Be a kaitiaki code of conduct shown in Table 1.3.
Kaitiaki means ‘guardian’ or ‘carer’ in the Maori language.

Be a kaitiaki (guardian or carer) Sustainably managing tourism

•
Beaches
Keep to marked paths.
facilities
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
Take rubbish away.
Use litter bins.
Take part in clean-ups.

PL
Go to quiet spots to avoid ­overcrowding.
Forests and land
Keep to paths and tracks.
Clean shoes to avoid spreading tree disease.
Use toilets and restrooms provided.
Avoid overcrowded and closed areas.
Tourism facilities can be sustainably managed by following
the 3Rs of sustainability (reduce, re-use and recycle):
•

•
reducing over-consumption and waste – of resources
such as food, water and electricity
re-using resources, such as water and plastic
containers, including water bottles
recycling waste, such as waste water, glass, metals
and plastic.
Tourists can eat organic food produced in the
M
• Recycle waste. accommodation and destination where they are staying
to reduce the pollution caused by using chemical
Birds and wildlife pesticides in farming and by transporting bought-in food
• Give animals space. to hotels and restaurants. A restaurant cook can re-use
• Keep your distance, avoid disturbing wildlife. unserved surplus food for another meal and can recycle
• Keep out of closed areas such as birds’ food waste and packaging. The 3Rs can be followed
nesting sites. for other resources such as electricity, water, soap and
SA

Local ways of life paper. Hotels can manage water supplies sustainably by
• Re-use cups in cafés. reducing how much water is used in cooking, washing
and swimming pools and by re-using such water where
• Be polite and respect other people. possible, for example in watering ornamental gardens.
• Drive carefully.
Case studies 1.8: The sustainable hotel and 1.9: El Monte
• Check the weather forecast; if it is dangerous, eco-resort show how a tourism facility can be sustainably
tell people what you are doing to avoid overus- managed in practice.
ing rescue teams.

Table 1.3: The Be a kaitiaki code of conduct

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Impacts and attitudes their return home. There is therefore a positive impact to
the environment as a whole.
Impacts of sustainable
Social impacts
tourism developments Sustainable tourism has positive social impacts since it
Sustainable tourism developments such as the El Monte is focused on bringing the maximum social benefit now
eco-resort have impacts that are environmental, social and into the future to destination communities. Local
and economic. traditions are kept and people are able to continue living
These are the impacts of sustainable tourism their lives as they have done, for example, by making and
developments that have happened. selling crafts to the tourists staying at a sustainable eco-
resort or by continuing to live locally with their family in

E
Environmental impacts farming and fishing villages.
Sustainable tourism developments impact the
environment positively, both when they replace
previously unsustainable practices and when tourism
itself, for example, through ecotourism development,
brings positive environmental gain.

PL
The sustainable practices developed by some hotels are
replacements for unsustainable practices such as buying
large quantities of packaged food sourced from far
away, using large quantities of water without re-using
the resultant grey water, consuming unlimited electricity
without thinking of the environmental consequences
and disposing of unrecycled waste (sometimes directly
into the sea), including harmful chemicals found in used
toiletries, such as shampoo and shower gel.
Accor hotels have developed sustainable tourism
M
Figure 1.80: Tourists visiting a farm in Ethiopia
practices to use local organic food and reduce food
waste, as discussed in Case study 1.7. The environmental
Interactions between local people and tourists can
impacts of such sustainable hotel practices are:
be positive when tours to local villages, markets and
• cleaner, less-polluted air, seas, rivers, lakes and land religious buildings such as temples and mosques are
responsibly managed. Responsible tourists staying
• reduced emissions of carbon into the atmosphere, so
at sustainable developments such as eco-resorts or in
contributing less to global warming
SA

local homestays are often encouraged to employ local

• reduced consumption of natural resources such as people as guides. While this has economic positivity, it
water, conserving them into the future also brings beneficial social impacts, such as increased
understanding between tourists and locals.
• conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.
Ecotourism developments such as the El Monte eco- Economic impacts
resort are sustainable developments that benefit the Similarly, sustainable tourism developments bring
broader environment. Such developments usually happen positive economic impacts to destinations by creating
in locations within a natural environment such as a jobs for local people and by bringing income to the
forest, so the actual site of the development is likely destination and its businesses. While this may be true
to have had trees and other vegetation cleared, and of all tourism developments, sustainable developments
animals that lived there are likely to have been displaced. focus on local benefits, so the local farmer or fisher sells
This means that the development site may have been food products to sustainably managed accommodation
degraded, even if only slightly, by an ecotourism and catering providers and the local tour guide finds
development. However, tourists who visit become income from showing tourists around the local area.
educated about the natural environment and spread that However, sustainable developments such as eco-resorts
awareness via social media and by word of mouth on minimise their ecological footprint by being small.

59
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The El Monte eco-resort in Case study 1.9 is a small-

ACTIVITY 1.12 scale, independent sustainable tourism development.
1 Refer to the case studies Chazal Ecotourism On a larger scale, national governments and tourism
(at the start of this unit), 1.7: Sustainable authorities encourage more tourism because of the
Mauritius, 1.8: The sustainable hotel and 1.9: economic benefits it brings to countries and destinations.
El Monte eco-resort. National governments and tourism authorities have
policies to encourage sustainable tourism development
a Copy and complete this table to because a now long-term and ongoing trend in
identify environmental, social and tourism is increased demand for sustainable tourism.
economic impacts of sustainable tourism The national governments of countries including
development. Mauritius and Jamaica encourage more sustainable

E
tourism development through their National Tourism
Impacts of sustainable tourism development Organisations (NTOs). The New Zealand Bay of Plenty
Environmental Social Economic local tourism authority is a more local example.
1. Conservation 1. 1.
of ecosystems REFLECTION
by . . .

2
2.

b
PL
Use your table to evaluate
environmental, social and economic
impacts of sustainable tourism
development.
Group work: Read this extract.
Ecotourism brings jobs. An average eco-
How did you come to a decision about whether
ecotourism always benefits local communities? What
do you think you learnt from this discussion?

Attitudes to sustainable
tourism development
Attitudes to sustainable tourism development arise
among local people and authorities, travel and tourism
providers and tourists themselves. These attitudes may
M
resort employs one person for every be positive or negative, because, positively, sustainably
tourist customer that stays. Some eco- managed facilities can bring:
resorts use volunteer workers. Volunteers • jobs and ecotourists to destinations
are often ecotourists who work unpaid
except for board and lodging (meals and • profits to travel and tourism providers
accommodation). • enjoyment and satisfaction to ethical tourists.
SA

Talk as a group about: However, sustainably managed facilities can also:

• how ecotourism can bring benefits to • reduce mass tourism and so reduce or change the
local communities jobs available in destinations

• whether ecotourism always benefits • bring set-up and conversion costs to travel and
local communities. tourism providers
• not appeal to all tourists.

Local people and authorities

This means that the jobs and money they generate may Local people and authorities, including tourism authorities
be less than would have been the case with unsustainable in destinations, may have positive attitudes about any
mass tourism developments. The sustainable benefit is tourism development that brings jobs and economic
long-term, for the future, while unsustainable economic benefits to the destinations where they live. Sustainable
benefit is only short-term, for now. developments focus on local benefits, so local people are

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

more likely to directly benefit from and appreciate new for the environment and the negative impacts that
employment and self-employment opportunities. tourism can have on people and their way of living.
They may also feel that their business will prosper if
Figure 1.81 shows a local South African woman who
they adopt sustainable practices in order to satisfy that
makes a living by teaching ecotourists how to sustainably
market demand trend. On the other hand, sustainable
forage (search) for wild vegetables and edible flowers in
adaptations bring set-up and conversion costs to
the natural environment.
travel and tourism providers and damage short-term
profitability. Some providers take the view that it will be
more commercially beneficial in the future to invest in
long-term sustainability development now.

Tourists

E
Tourist attitudes to sustainable tourism development vary
because tourists vary. Tourist customers are people, and
people differ in how they think, in what attitudes they have.
Some tourists are keen to follow sustainable practices out
of environmental and social concern for the destinations

environment PL
Figure 1.81: Making a living while encouraging sustainability
in South Africa, a local woman teaches ecotourists how to
search for wild vegetables and edible flowers in the natural

Local authorities may feel positively about the reduced

economic leakage brought by sustainable developments,
such as hotels buying locally produced rather than
and communities they visit. Responsible and ecotourists
support sustainable tourism development for ethical
reasons. Other tourists may be less aware, sceptical or less
caring about the consequences of their behaviour. Some
tourists simply want to enjoy being on holiday or to get on
with their work if they are business tourists. Some like their
hotel room towels changed every day and to have lots of
individual plastic shampoo bottles in the bathroom.
Sustainable tourism developments can be in any
destination, including city destinations. Ecotourism
M
imported food, for example. Local people may also destinations are in natural environment destinations.
react positively to sustainable developments since such Such destinations do not appeal to all tourists. Some
developments conserve the local environment and groups of young people may prefer the bright lights
community life of the destination. On the other hand, of a city while others enjoy trekking in the mountains.
jobs brought by small-scale sustainable developments While few would actively want to cause environmental or
are often limited in number and career opportunities. socio-economic harm, attitudes to sustainability do vary.
Local people might not object to a large all-inclusive
SA

resort if it brought well-paid, permanent employment for

locals (rather than imported labour) with genuine career
advancement chances for young people.

KEY WORD
local authority: government-funded organisation
that provides a service to both the local and
visiting populations

Travel and tourism providers

Attitudes of travel and tourism providers to sustainable
tourism development vary from enthusiastic support
Figure 1.82: Some young people like to visit city
for sustainability to reluctance to adapt to it. Providers
destinations, such as the city of Osaka, Japan
often support sustainable tourism out of concern

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1.6 Customer service

in travel and tourism
Providing customer service
in travel and tourism
Travel and tourism organisations provide customer
service to two types of customer:

E
a external customers
b internal customers.

KEY WORD

Brazilian rainforest

KEY CONCEPT
PL
Figure 1.83: Other people prefer to visit natural
environment destinations, such as this hiking trail in
Brazil, created to raise awareness of the fragility of the

Sustainability and responsibility: Ecotourism

is a type of sustainable tourism. Ecotourists
external customers: customers who use the
products and services of a travel and tourism
business and are not members of staff or
otherwise part of the business
internal customer: a person within a travel and
tourism organisation who receives customer
service from the organisation

External customers
M
are responsible tourists who enjoy and stay in
Section 1.1 looked at the characteristics of external
the natural environment in ways that minimise
customers. External customers are tourists who visit
tourism’s negative impacts but also maximise
travel and tourism organisations and use the products and
positive impacts. Positive impacts include learning
services they provide. They do not work as employees of
and sharing knowledge that helps conserve the
the organisation from which they buy these services.
natural environment and bringing social and
economic benefits to local communities. For example, the external customers of a theme park
SA

are the tourists who visit the park. Tourists pay to enter
the park and then use the rides provided. Tourists also
use shops and catering outlets at the theme park. Travel
ACTIVITY 1.13
and tourism organisations make money from the tourists
‘Sustainable tourism development is good for who pay to visit and use products and services.
destinations and people.’
Types of external customer
Debate this motion as a class. As you saw in Section 1.2, external customers may be
1 Different speakers, for and against the classified into different types:
motion, should prepare and explain different • families and individuals, including people from
positive and negative attitudes to sustainable different age groups
tourism development.
• groups, including educational groups
2 Other class members can represent the • visitors with language and cultural differences
media and prepare news articles about the
debate and the points it raised. • people with specific needs, including mobility and
access, sensory and dietary needs.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Internal customers
Types of internal customer
Internal customers may be:
• members of staff who work in a travel and tourism
organisation; for example, front-desk (reception)
and restaurant waiting staff in a hotel
• suppliers who contribute towards the external
customer service provided by a travel and tourism
organisation; for example, an ancillary services
Figure 1.84: These tourists at the Disneyland theme park in supplier, such as a car-hire provider, in a hotel.

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Shanghai, China are external customers
Internal customers include:
• colleagues who work alongside staff members; for
External customer needs
example, a hotel’s front-desk staff member’s front-
Needs of external customers of travel and tourism desk colleagues
organisations include:
•

•
PL
travel and tourism products and services that meet
particular needs of customers; for example, a hotel
may provide family rooms
ancillary products and services; for example, the
hotel may provide car hire
information and advice; for example, the hotel may
provide information and advice on local visitor
attractions suitable for a family
assistance; for example, the hotel may help the
•

•
•
colleagues who work in other departments; for
example, staff who work in a hotel restaurant
managers and supervisors
staff of partner organisations such as those who
work for ancillary service providers; for example,
car-hire desk staff who work in a hotel or retail
outlet or staff at an airport who are internal
customers of the airport.

Internal customer needs

M
family book a taxi transfer to the airport Customer needs are not only external customer needs.
Internal customers, such as car-hire desk staff members,
• resolving customer problems and complaints; for need the following:
example, if the internet connection in the family
room does not work properly.
A safe
working
ACTIVITY 1.14 environment
SA

Group work: Work in groups. Motivation

Choose examples of travel and tourism ▪ job satisfaction
▪ incentives and Knowledge of
organisations from different travel and tourism Internal procedures,
rewards
industry components. customer routines and
▪ respect from needs performance
colleagues,
For each organisation, make a chart to show how standards
supervisor and
the organisation meets the needs of external manager
customers by providing:
Training
• products and services, including any ancillary appropriate to
products and services job role

• information and advice

Figure 1.85: Internal customer needs
• assistance to customers
• problem and complaint resolution.

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All internal customers need a safe working environment, • incentives: these are encouragements intended to
meaning a working environment where there are no risks boost performance, customer service quality and
or dangers to the health and wellbeing of staff working staff motivation. Examples of incentives include
there. This includes providing any protective clothing wage or salary increases (raises), bonuses and
needed, such as a high-visibility jacket. It also involves schemes for profit-sharing or receiving shares in
providing working conditions in accordance with local the company.
employment law and any appropriate uniform. It is the
• rewards: these may include gifts and monetary
legal responsibility of a hotel to ensure internal and
rewards, long-service award presents and items such
external customer safety. During disease outbreaks, safe
as gift tokens, for example for a restaurant meal or
sanitation precautions should also be in place.
weekend break given to individual staff members.
Shared staff rewards could include events such

E
KEY WORD as company parties and celebrations, company-
funded family activities or sports events. Other
working environment: a person’s surroundings rewards include simply thanking internal customers,
at work praising staff for jobs well done, presenting
certificates of achievement or having an ‘employee
of the month’ scheme.

PL
Training appropriate to the internal customer’s job role
is essential. For example, many job roles in the travel and
tourism industry, such as car-hire desk staff, require good
product knowledge and specialist skills, including ICT
and interpersonal skills, so employees need to be properly
trained in order to be able to carry out their duties to the
satisfaction of external customers. Organisations should
provide appropriate staff training and pay employees at
their normal rate of pay during training.
Internal customers also require knowledge of procedures,
M
routines and performance standards for carrying out
specific duties. For example, staff should be familiar with
the organisation’s policies and other job requirements
that will affect the way in which the employee carries out
their day-to-day duties. Many organisations use industry-
specific performance standards, including a code of
conduct to help staff recognise what is expected of them Figure 1.86: Three chefs celebrate at a gala for the
‘Michelin Guide 2020’ list of top restaurants and chefs in
SA

when performing their job.

Paris in 2020
An internal customer also needs motivation to serve external
customers well. Motivation can arise from several factors: Travel and tourism organisations use motivational
• job satisfaction, including how content an internal tools such as incentives and rewards to:
customer feels in their job role; for example, a car- • increase external customer service quality
hire desk staff member may feel job satisfaction
because they enjoy the work and feel fulfilled when • retain efficient and hard-working internal
they carry out duties well. Travel and tourism customers
organisations boost staff motivation by providing • attract and recruit new, high-quality staff
internal customers with incentives and rewards.
• encourage teamwork, which enhances internal
customer job satisfaction and external customer
KEY WORD service quality.
job satisfaction: feeling fulfilled by carrying out • respect from colleagues, supervisor and manager: this
a work role is another important element in building internal
customer motivation. A car-hire desk worker will

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

feel more motivated to serve the car-hire provider’s Figure 1.87 shows that providing quality customer
external customers well if treated appropriately, service is important for reasons that are linked to each
politely and respectfully by other internal customers, other. Quality customer service begins because an
including the supervisor or manager and usual organisation has an efficient workforce serving customers
working colleagues. For example, a visit to the well. Increased customer satisfaction results, leading
car-hire desk by a senior manager who called the to further advantages for the organisation, including
hire-desk worker by name, spoke politely to her repeat business, increased turnover and enhanced
and respected her opinions would be motivational, reputation. Satisfied customers bringing repeat business
and would benefit the car-hire provider through is an important source of income.
enhanced quality of external customer service.

KEY WORDS

E
The importance of quality repeat business: external customers returning to
customer service visit or use a travel and tourism organisation again

Quality customer service is important both for travel and turnover: the amount of money a travel and
tourism organisations and for customers. tourism organisation gains by providing products

The importance of quality customer

service for travel and tourism
organisations

Providing
quality
customer
service
PL
A more
efficient
workforce
and services to external customers. Turnover is
different from profit, which is the money made
after paying costs and taxes. Turnover is also
known as total sales or total revenue

Increased turnover and enhanced reputation allow

the organisation to further develop the efficiency of
the workforce and to serve more customers well. As
Figure 1.87 shows, the process is a cycle of growth.
M
More customers continually bring increased turnover
and enhanced reputation, which encourages even more
Increased
customers. As the process continues, the travel and
Enhanced
customer tourism business grows.
reputation
satisfaction

KEY CONCEPT
SA

Customer focus: All travel and tourism

organisations serve customers. Customer service
Increased Customer
is very important: providing good customer
turnover loyalty service brings repeat business and enhances the
reputation of a travel and tourism organisation.
This helps to increase turnover and profitability,
Repeat providing money to invest and grow. Growth
business
enables more customers to be served, more profit
to be made and further investment to be made in
Figure 1.87: Reasons for the importance of quality customer
a cycle of growth (see Figure 1.87).
service to travel and tourism organisations

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The importance of quality customer KEY WORD

service to customers
Quality customer service is important to all customers – personal and professional development:
external and internal. Table 1.4 summarises why it is growing and progressing personally and at work.
important to external and internal customers. Travel and tourism organisations manage staff and
provide training to encourage staff to develop as
people and to be better at carrying out duties
Quality customer service is important to:
external customers for:
• a positive tourism experience that is fun and
enjoyable for a leisure tourist or relaxing and
Ways of assessing customer

E
efficient for a business tourist service quality in travel
• a sense of satisfaction from being served well,
feeling that the choice of organisation was a and tourism
good one and that a return visit might be a Travel and tourism organisations assess customer service
good idea quality by:
•
internal customers for:
•

• PL
a feeling of gaining value for money spent.

increased job satisfaction, feeling fulfilled

through serving customers well
increased personal and professional
development through working alongside
and being guided by other internal
­customers such as colleagues, supervisors
and managers
•
•
•
•
setting standards
using performance management and appraisal
collecting customer feedback
using market research techniques.

Setting standards
Travel and tourism organisations set customer service
standards. Staff must work towards setting customer
M
• a fulfilling sense of being part of an effective service standards.
customer service team that brings pleasure and
enjoyment to external customers.
KEY WORD
Table 1.4: The importance of quality customer service
customer service standards: expected levels
to customers
of customer service quality
SA

When external and internal customers receive

high-quality customer service, they may review
the organisation well online or on social media,
or recommend it to friends, family or colleagues.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Customer service Language Behaviour Explanation

­provided
Welcoming the customer Acknowledge the Make eye contact. So that the guest feels
customer as a guest Adopt a friendly but noticed and valued.
and say: ‘Welcome to purposeful manner. To make the guest feel
the hotel. How may welcome and recognised
I help you?’ Smile.
in the hotel.
If the customer is a Greet the customer
­politely as a guest. To create a positive first
known repeat business impression in the mind
guest, say: Use the guest’s title and/ of the customer.

E
‘Good evening Mr/Mrs/ or name (if known).
Ms/Dr … Welcome back,
it is so nice to see you
again.’
Table 1.5: An example of a customer service standard set by a hotel

standard set by a hotel.

Benchmarking
PL
Table 1.5 provides an example of a customer service

Benchmarking is one way in which an organisation

sets customer service standards. Benchmarking
identifies best practice (the best way of doing things)
in customer service delivery, both within a travel and
tourism organisation and in other organisations; for
example, it might ask: do competitor organisations have
4 identify and take actions to improve the
organisation’s customer service delivery.

Performance management and appraisal

Travel and tourism organisations use performance
management to assess the quality of customer
service provided.
For example, a supervisor or manager may observe a
hotel front-desk staff member performing duties and
M
better practices? then give feedback on how they are delivering customer
services and on scope for improvement.
KEY WORD Performance management involves appraisal.
Communication between a staff member and supervisor
benchmarking: analysing the customer service provides feedback to the staff member on job performance.
provided by an organisation so as to identify Paper or computer records are kept of appraisal interview
SA

possible improvements to the organisation’s outcomes. Performance targets are set for the staff member
customer service delivery to meet by the time of the next interview. Appraisal
interviews may be arranged at regular intervals, for
example, annually.
The objectives of benchmarking are:
• to evaluate how well the organisation is delivering
customer services compared to best practice
KEY WORDS

• to identify scope for possible improvements. performance management: reviewing and

improving how well staff members deliver
The process of benchmarking is to: customer service
1 identify the customer service provisions existing
appraisal: an ongoing performance management
within the organisation
dialogue between a staff member and supervisor
2 analyse customer service delivery within the or manager. Appraisal dialogues review and try
organisation and within other organisations to improve how well staff members deliver
customer service
3 compare the quality of the customer service
deliveries analysed

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Performance management appraisal enables staff Members of staff may also provide informal feedback to
members and supervisors to: supervisors and managers. Some organisations reward
staff who suggest good ideas for improving customer
• review past performance
service delivery.
• assess current achievements
Face-to-face interactions may be more formal. External
• discuss staff training needs customers may be asked survey questions, for example,
• evaluate the staff member’s development or while waiting in an airport departure lounge. Internal
promotion potential. customer appraisal review interviews are also examples
of face-to-face interaction.

Online and social media comments and ratings

Customer feedback

E
Customers post reviews of organisation performance
Travel and tourism organisations collect customer
and customer service quality on websites, and share
feedback in different ways, including face-to-face
reviews using social media. Customers may rate the
interactions and from online and social media comments
quality of service provided by a travel and tourism
and ratings.
organisation. Star-rating systems are often used:
five-star for the highest quality and one-star for poor
KEY WORD

PL
ratings: grades or marks awarded to travel and
tourism providers, for example, an accommodation
or restaurant star-rating system awarded by national
or local tourism organisation. Previous visitors to
tourism providers can also informally ‘rate’ their
experience through social media or travel review
websites such as TripAdvisor
quality. Potential customers check online ratings
and social media comments to research destinations
and organisations before choosing which to visit or
use. For example, tourists visiting a seaside or city
destination may have a wide choice of restaurants.
Online reviews help tourists choose which restaurant
to go to.
M
Face-to-face interactions
Informal customer feedback is gathered by staff
members asking customers questions face to face in an
informal way. For example, informal feedback can be
gathered by casual conversation. In such a conversation,
a customer may feel free to express honest views
and opinions.
SA

Informal feedback conversations are an example of face-

Figure 1.88: A tourist using a smartphone to post a review
to-face interactions that may include simple questions
often with little more than simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers.
Simple responses may lead to real changes within travel
Customers can also choose to complete feedback
and tourism organisations. For example, in a restaurant,
forms posted on organisation websites. Organisations
waiting staff may simply ask customers if the meal was
monitor online and social media customer reviews to
good, if everything is satisfactory or whether anything
help to:
else is required. Restaurant staff will listen to customer
comments. Informal feedback may be shared among • understand customer views
restaurant staff, kitchen staff and management.
• know about how customers view competitor
Informal feedback may identify any customer service organisations
issues early before more serious problems develop.
• improve customer service practices
Gathering and sharing informal feedback has no cost to
the organisation but can produce significant customer • respond to reviews, including any that seem unfair.
service improvements.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

Market research techniques Surveys may be a series of open-ended, closed or

multiple-choice questions. Telephone surveys and
Travel and tourism organisations use market research
internet surveys are also used. Existing or potential
to identify customer needs and wants. Market research
customers may be contacted either by telephone or
techniques include:
by email, or they may be asked to complete a survey
• surveys form when visiting an internet website or social
• mystery shoppers media platform.

• focus groups
• observed interactions.
Market research can be carried out in different ways.

E
Travel and tourism organisations may do market
research themselves or outsource market research
to a business consultancy.

KEY WORD

Surveys
PL
market research: investigating and gathering
information about customer needs, wants
and demand for travel and tourism products
and services

The survey is one market research technique, a set of

questions aimed at collecting quantitative (numerical)
Figure 1.89: Surveys are a commonly used market
research technique

Mystery shoppers
M
data about travel and tourism markets. Survey data may
be analysed to investigate market trends. Customers may A mystery shopper plays the role of a travel and tourism
complete survey forms online or on paper. Paper-based customer while observing customer service delivery and
surveys on behalf of travel and tourism organisations are collecting market research information. The mystery
often completed by customers in waiting areas of transport shopper’s identity is not known by the members of staff
hubs such as airports, or in the reception lobby of a hotel. whose customer service is being evaluated. Mystery
shoppers perform pre-set tasks, such as asking about
a specified product, asking the staff questions, making
SA

KEY WORD
a complaint or behaving in a certain way to see how
survey: a market research technique. Customers staff react. A mystery shopper in a restaurant might
answer pre-set questions. Responses are used to pretend they have a certain specific dietary need. Mystery
analyse customer needs, wants and demand for shoppers provide detailed feedback reports about their
products and services customer experience while visiting the organisation.

KEY WORD
mystery shopper: a market researcher acting as a
customer. Mystery shoppers observe, experience
and report customer service

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Information that mystery shoppers typically collect include: Observed interactions

• the number of employees and customers who are Supervisors and managers may observe interactions
present, the overall appearance of the service area between customer service staff and customers. Observed
and the personal presentation of staff interactions are part of performance management.
Observation is a way for travel and tourism organisations
• the time taken before the mystery shopper is greeted to collect information about the quality of customer
– physically, on the telephone or online service delivery. The performance of staff members
• the name of the staff member(s) delivering customer can be observed. Feedback is given and discussed with
service to the mystery shopper the staff member. Observation is often part of a staff
member’s performance management appraisal.
• the friendliness and usefulness of the customer
service provided

E
ACTIVITY 1.15
• how well the customer service meets the
organisation’s performance standards. Project: Choose a travel and tourism organisation
or facility you know about, perhaps as a customer.
Focus groups
Focus groups are an example of qualitative market 1 Apply your learning about customer service to:

PL
research. In qualitative market research, the subjective
opinions and views of a small targeted group of
customers are collected. For example, focus groups may
be used to collect information about the acceptability
and usability of new or re-launched products or services
or reactions to a new marketing campaign.
A focus group is made up of a few invited customers.
The focus group may meet together physically or online
using an internet meetings app. A focus group has a
moderator who asks market research questions and
2
•

•
identify where, when and how customer
service is provided by your organisation
explain why the quality of customer
service is important to the organisation.
Evaluate:
• the importance of quality customer
service to your chosen organisation’s
customers
M
encourages discussion. The meeting may be recorded • different ways of assessing customer
and analysed later. Members are carefully chosen. For service quality.
example, they may represent the customer types expected
to be most interested in the travel and tourism product 3 Justify how you would assess customer
whose market is being researched. service quality if you managed the
organisation or one of its facilities.
4 Using your answers to questions 1–3, create
SA

KEY WORD
a visual resource that you could present to
focus group: a small group of people discussing employees of the organisation to explain the
or being interviewed about different opinions organisation’s approach to customer service.

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CASE STUDY 1.10: CAR HIRE CUSTOMER SERVICE

All travel and tourism organisations provide customer Customers use car hire desks (such as in Figure 1.90)
service. Car hire (rental) is a travel and tourism to arrange the collection or return of a hired (rented)
ancillary service provided at places including: car. The customer provides the staff member with
paper or smartphone-loaded documents to show
• transport gateways and hubs, such as airports details of the car hire booking. They use their
and major railway stations computer to verify the customer’s details, including
• hotels. the name and driving licence, to allocate or confirm
the return of the hired car. The customer collects
the hired car from a nearby hire-car pool (car park or

E
parking lot) and then later returns the hire car to the
car pool.

Discussion:
Refer to Figure 1.90.

PL
Figure 1.90: Customer service at a car hire desk

Customers often book or reserve a car online or

by telephone before travelling. A hire car can
1

4
What examples of car hire desk external and
internal customers can you identify?
What performance standards may be set for
staff members at a car hire desk?
In what ways might the car hire organisation
assess the quality of customer service provided
at the car hire desk?
Evaluate the importance of providing quality
customer service at the car hire desk:
M
be booked directly with the car hire provider or
through a tour operator or travel agent. Car hire a to the car hire provider
may be part of a package or may be separately
arranged. Business tourists often use hire cars. b to the external customer.
Many leisure tourism families also use hire cars for
convenient travel within destinations, especially
if they have children who require boosters or car
SA

seats to travel safely.

TIP KEY CONCEPT

Remember: travel and tourism organisations of Customer focus: The importance of customer
all types have external customers (tourists) and service to travel and tourism organisations
internal customers (staff and suppliers). encourages the assessment of customer service
delivery. Travel and tourism organisations can
choose from a variety of ways to assess the
quality of customer service delivery.

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ACTIVITY 1.16 REFLECTION

Group work: Work in groups of three. Role play How did you approach role playing and observing
and observe customer service scenarios: customer service? Would you use this strategy
again, or would you change it?
a greeting a customer at a hotel reception
(front) desk
b verifying customer details at a car hire desk
c answering a customer query at a restaurant
table.

E
EXAM-STYLE QUESTIONS

Monica’s Travel Blog

My latest update!

PL Follow

2,232 posts  33.9k followers  1,804 following

Riding the Ring of Fire !

Hi everyone!
So, here’s just a taste of my latest update, about my
exciting cycle trip to Chile in South America. It was
M
a seven-day trip riding around Chile’s ‘Ring of Fire’
volcanic district.
I booked the whole trip online through a tour operator who
specialises in cycling holidays.
The trip included bike rental, a local tour guide, shuttle-
SA

van (minibus) transport to and from the hotels where I

stayed and meals at the beginning and end of each day.
Of course, as you guys know, I always want to travel
responsibly, and this trip was no exception.
Read my full blog to find out more about my trip round
the Ring of Fire!

Figure 1.91: An extract from Monica’s travel blog

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1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

CONTINUED
1 Refer to Figure 1.91, an extract from Monica’s travel blog.

a i Define what is meant by the term ‘tour operator’. [1]

ii Identify three tour operator products and services provided for Monica’s cycling holiday. [3]
b Explain three reasons why Monica might want to be a responsible tourist. [6]
c Explain two ways in which advances in ICT (Information and Communications Technology)
have helped change global tourism. [6]
d Evaluate the appeal of natural attractions to different types of tourists. [9]

E
[Total: 25]

The highest hotel in the

world opens in Shanghai

PL
The luxury J Hotel has opened at the top of the 632-metre
(2073.5 feet) high Shanghai Tower, which, with 128 floors, is
the second-tallest building in the world.
Shanghai is a large city in China and is a major business
tourism destination. The Shanghai Tower is the tallest
building on the Shanghai waterfront. The Tower includes
exhibition and conference venues as well as the five-star luxury
J Hotel. With 165 bedrooms, its own spa, indoor swimming
M
pool and restaurant with panoramic views, the J Hotel is one
of the most important business tourism facilities in Shanghai.

Figure 1.92: A news article about a luxury hotel in Shanghai, China

2 Refer to Figure 1.92, a news article about a luxury hotel in Shanghai, China.
SA

a Describe two ways in which the J Hotel meets the needs of business tourists. [4]
b Explain three ways in which tourism facilities can be sustainably managed. [6]
c Explain how a tourism facility could meet the needs of internal customers through:
• training staff
• motivation. [6]
d Assess the importance to travel and tourism organisations of providing quality customer service. [9]
[Total: 25]

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SELF-EVALUATION CHECKLIST
After studying this unit, complete the table:

Needs Almost Ready to

You should be able to:
more work there move on

understand how the nature of travel and tourism is changing,

including:
• be able to identify and explain the reasons people travel
• appreciate the types of tourism available

E
• understand the changing structure of the travel and tourism
industry

understand different destination types and how the appeal of

different types of travel and tourism destinations to different

•
PL
external customer types is changing

assess trends in travel and tourism, including:

• how tourism flow is changing
the factors that affect changes in tourism flow

understand how and why sustainable tourism is growing

explain how and why ecotourism is growing

evaluate how customer service is provided in travel and tourism,

M
including:
• understand the importance of quality customer service
• discuss ways of assessing how quality customer service is
provided in the travel and tourism industry.
SA

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