PRINCIPLES OF TOURISM

(The meaning and importance of tourism)

DEFINITION OF TOURISM

 The temporary short- term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they
normally live and work
 Activities during their stay at these destinations
 Comprises the activities of people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual
environment for less than a year for leisure, business and other purposes.

TYPES OF TOURISM

According to time period

 Short term (up to 3 days)

 Long term (up to 7 days or more)

According to way of Organization

 Organized (by travel agencies)

 Individual (families on their own)

According to place of destination

 International
 Domestic

“Tourism in the pure sense is essentially a pleasure activity; in which money earned in one’s abode is
spent in places visited”

MEANING OF TOURISTS

TOURIST- A person who visits a country other than that in which he usually resides for a period of at
least 24 hours.

 People travelling for pleasure

 People travelling for domestic reasons or health
 People travelling to meeting or on business

EXCURSIONIST – temporary visitors staying for less than 24 hours

ELEMENTS OF TRAVEL

 DISTANCE- the distance between travelling within a person’s home community.

- TRIP- defined as each time a person goes to a place at least 100 miles away from home and
returns
 LENGTH OF STAY AT A DESTINATION -
 TOURISTS- temporary visitors who make at least one overnight stay at the destination
 EXCURSIONIST- those who do not stay overnight
 RESIDENCE OF TRAVELER- For business and research purposes, it is important to know where
people live
 PURPOSE OF TRAVEL
- Visiting friends and relatives
- Conventions, seminars and meetings
- Business
- Outdoor recreation – hunting, fishing, boating and camping
- Entertainment
- Personal – family, medical, funeral, wedding

THE NATURE OF A TOUR

DOMESTIC TOURISM

 Refers to travel taken exclusively within the national boundaries of the travelers country.
 No language barriers, currency or documentary boundaries

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM

 Involves the movement of people across international boundaries

 Has different language, different currency and documentation requirements such as passports,
visa and other conditions of entry to be met by tourists.

PACKAGE TOUR (inclusive tour)

 An arrangement in which transport and accommodation is bought by the tourist at an all-

inclusive price

INDEPENDENT TOUR

 Tourists travels to his destination individually

INDEPENDENT INCLUSIVE TOUR (IIT)

 Tourists travel to his destination individually

GROUP INCLUSIVE TOUR (GIT)

 Travels in the company of other tourists.

THE TOURIST PRODUCT

 It consists of what the tourists buys

 It is a combination of what the tourist does at a destination and what services he used during his
stay

CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURIST PRODUCTS

 It is a service, it is an intangible item, and cannot be inspected by prospective purchasers

 It tends to vary in standards over time.
 Supply of product is fixed

THE TOURIST DESTINATION

 A geographical unit which the tourist visits and where he stays

 It may be a village, town, city, district, region, island, country or continent

3 A’s THAT DETERMINES THE SUCCESS OF A TOURIST DESTINATION

 ATTRACTIONS
- Site attraction- one which the destination itself has appeal
- Event attraction- tourists are drawn to the destination because of what is taking place there.
- NATURAL- mountains, beaches, etc.
- MAN-MADE- buildings and architectural interests.
 AMENITIES/ FACILITIES
- Accommodation
- Food
- Local transport and communications
- Entertainment
 ACCESSIBILITY
- Having regular and convenient forms of good railways, coach services, airport and seaport

7 CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM

 Products are not brought to the consumer

 Products of tourism are not used up
 Tourism is labor intensive
 Tourism is people oriented
 Tourism is a multi-dimensional phenomenon
  Tourist industry is seasonal
 The industry is dynamic

IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM

 Contribution to the balance of payments

 Dispersion of development
 Effect on general economic development
 Employment opportunities- source of employment and provides solution for unemployment
and underemployment
 Social benefits- social exchange with local inhabitants
 Cultural enrichment
- appreciate the rich human and cultural diversity
- encourages governments to preserve historical sites and monuments and motivates
indigenous groups to preserve their heritage in the form of dance, music and artifacts.
 Educational Significance
- Enhances one’s education
- Provide up-to-date information for enhancing the knowledge and skills for the development
of the tourism industry.
 A vital force for peace
- Properly designed and developed to help bridge the psychological and cultural distances
that separate people of different races, colors and religions.
 THE HISTORY OF TOURISM
EARLY TOURISM

- Tourism is derived from the Hebrew word “torah” which means studying, learning
and searching.

2 FORMS OF EARLY TOURISM

 Travel for Business (trading)

- Merchants travelling extensively to trade with other nations or tribes
- The invention of money, writing and wheel by the Sumerians facilitated travel and
exchange of goods.
- The early Phoenicians toured the Mediterranean as traders
- Both the Greeks and Romans were well-known traders as their respective empire
increased, travel became necessary.
 Travel for religious reasons
- Pilgrimages to places of worship
- Pilgrimages were made to fulfill a vow as in case of illness or of great danger or as
penance for sins.
- Rome, Jerusalem, St. James of Galicia were the foremost destination of English
pilgrims in the 14th century.
- In the 1388, English pilgrims were required to obtain and carry permits.

TOURISM IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD

During the Medieval period, travel declined. Travel is derived from the word “travail” became
burdensome, dangerous and demanding during this time. After the decline of the Roman
Empire in the 5th century roads were not maintained and became unsafe. Thieves inflicted harm
on those who dared to travel. Crusaders and pilgrims were the only ones who traveled.

TOURISM DURING RENAISSANCE AND ELIZABETHAN ERAS

- With the Renaissance period, a few renowned universities developed, travel for
education was introduced largely by the British.
- Travel for education became popular on the 16th century.
- Under Elizabeth I, young men seeking positions I court were encouraged to travel to
the continent to widen their education.
- Education for gentleman should be completed by a “Grand Tour” of the cultural
centers of the continent that lasted 3 years.
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