Cambridge University Press

978-1-316-60063-4 — Cambridge International AS and A Level Travel and Tourism Coursebook

Sue Stewart , Fiona Warburton , John D. Smith
Excerpt
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Chapter 1
Features of the travel and tourism industry
In this section of the syllabus you will learn about:
• the nature of travel and tourism, including the main types of tourism, types of destination,
the main reasons why people travel and characteristics of the industry
• the scale of the travel and tourism industry
• factors afecting tourism
• the structure of the travel and tourism industry
• the subsectors of the industry.

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978-1-316-60063-4 — Cambridge International AS and A Level Travel and Tourism Coursebook
Sue Stewart , Fiona Warburton , John D. Smith
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Cambridge International AS and A Level Travel and Tourism

Introduction diferent organisations and the significance of travel and

tourism to the economies of many countries.
The past 70 years have seen a remarkable growth in
tourism-related activities. For example, the number of To help introduce you to the content here are a few simple
international arrivals shows an evolution from a mere 25 starter activities. You may or may not have studied the
million international arrivals in 1950 to nearly 12 billion travel and tourism industry before but you will know
in 2015, corresponding to an average annual growth rate something about it. Complete the following holiday
of over 6%. Today travel and tourism is one of the world’s survey, based on your most recent experience, with as
largest industries, it was responsible for 9.8% of world many details as you can remember about the trip.
GDP (US$7.6 trillion) in 2014, 5.4% of total exports and now
supports nearly 277 million people in employment, which Holiday Features Details
equates to 1 out of every 11 people, in both the advanced destination
and emerging economies. Furthermore, growth in tourism length of stay
is expected to continue at a rate of 4% each year with transport
tourists expected to continue spending more per trip and accommodation
to stay longer on their holidays in the next ten years.
excursions/visits
The Cambridge International AS and A Level syllabus activities
introduces candidates to the dynamic nature of the travel food & drink
and tourism industry and to the various ways in which
type of booking
it responds to change. This gives the readers a broad
understanding of one of the world’s fastest growing Table .
industries. This book investigates the reasons for the rapid
growth in the modern travel and tourism industry and The details you provide will be valid illustrations of
2 shows why it is described as ‘the world’s biggest industry’. aspects of the Travel and Tourism syllabus content. The
Readers will learn that the international travel and tourism destination you visited determines whether you would
industry consists of a wide variety of commercial and non- be classified as a domestic or an outgoing tourist. The
commercial organisations that work together to supply destination, if abroad, may have been long haul or short
products and services to tourists. During your studies, you haul; at home it may have been a short break or you were
will develop an appreciation of the values and attitudes of visiting friends and relatives, which is known as VFR.

actIvIty 1

1 You should be able to identify and provide examples but in all types of destination. You will have paid
of the main Travel, Tourism and Hospitality money and been a customer in some of them.
component activities present in your local area. You
should be aware that it is possible to place these If you went to primary school in your local area you
into categories. Name three examples in your local will have seen lots of changes over the last decade.
area of each of the following: Think and write about some illustrations of the
following:
• places of entertainment
• new building developments
• travel service providers (travel agents etc.)
• new events
• transport services (air, rail and road)
• new attractions.
• catering facilities
3 Have you been a guest at a wedding reception or
• accommodation types
some other similar event? Where was it held and what
• sport and leisure venues/providers did the event involve as far you can remember? Your
• other visitor attractions. answers to all these questions will show that you have
some basic familiarity with the products, services and
2 These are all examples of the things that help to
facilities provided by travel and tourism organisations.
make tourism come alive not just in your local area

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978-1-316-60063-4 — Cambridge International AS and A Level Travel and Tourism Coursebook
Sue Stewart , Fiona Warburton , John D. Smith
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Chapter 1: Features of the travel and tourism industry

The accommodation used during your trip may have ‘Tourism is the temporary short term movement of
been serviced or self-catering, such as a four star hotel people to destinations outside places where they
or a camp site, and you may have had half board or an normally live and work, and their activities during
all-inclusive meal plan. Whilst on holiday you may have their stay at these destinations.’
visited natural and/or built tourist attractions and used
the services of a local Tourist Information Centre (TIC) or ‘In other words, tourism comprises the activities of
guide. The holiday, or some of its components, may have persons travelling to and staying in places outside their
been booked through a travel agency or direct with a tour usual environment for not more than one consecutive
operator. Diferent methods of transport by land, sea and year for leisure, business and other purposes. We can now
air may have made up parts of the holiday. have a look at some of the diferent types of tourism and
consider the main reasons why people travel.’
There will be some aspects of your local area that will
qualify it as being a tourist destination. Destinations are
places where tourism develops. Tourist destinations are
Main types of tourism
themselves influenced by the prevailing social, cultural, Domestic tourism
environmental, economic and political conditions. It is Tourism is classified as domestic when the trip or holiday
fundamental to the concept of the tourist destination takes place within a person’s home country. If a traveller
that tourism is generally not the sole economic activity crosses one or more national borders, this becomes
or function within the area identified as a destination. international tourism and they will be classified as
an international arrival in their destination country. An
American citizen flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland
(AKL) would be an outbound tourist from the USA and
1.1 the nature of travel an inbound tourist to New Zealand. International tourist
and tourism arrivals and international tourist receipts are the most
commonly accepted measures of a country’s international 3
Travel, tourism and hospitality are old concepts and
tourism industry. Tourism is a key driver of New Zealand’s
history is full of examples of explorers travelling to distant
economy and it attracts people from around the world.
lands. Today, people around the world travel for many
Tourism’s direct contribution to New Zealand’s GDP was
reasons and international travel by road, rail, sea and
NZ$8.3 billion or 4.0% in 2014.
air transport has become common. However, should
all people who travel to a particular destination be Domestic tourism in New Zealand continues to grow.
regarded as tourists? It is worthwhile now to consider the Domestic tourism is popular with some people because
definition of the word ‘tourist’. In 1995, the World Tourism it is convenient in many respects. For example, there are
Organization (UNWTO) provided the following clarification: no dificulties speaking the language, using the currency
and no passport or visa is required for travel. During
‘Any person who travels to a country other than 2013 domestic tourism increased by 4% to reach 19
that in which s/he has his/her usual residence, but million trips. 2013 domestic trip growth was, however,
outside his/her usual environment for a period lower than the 9% growth seen in 2012. The more
of at least one night but not more than one year moderate growth in 2013 was perhaps due in part to the
and whose main purpose of visit is other than the appreciation of the New Zealand dollar between 2012
exercise of an activity remunerated from within and 2013, which made outbound travel more attractive.
the country visited. This term includes people The number of domestic trips is expected to reach 21
travelling for leisure, recreation and holidays, visiting million trips by 2018. Domestic travel spending generated
friends and relatives, business and professional 56.3% of direct travel and tourism GDP in 2014 in New
health treatment, religious pilgrimages and other Zealand compared with 43.7% for visitor exports (foreign
purposes.’ visitor spending or international tourism receipts).
Domestic travel spending is expected to reach the value
‘This definition of what being a tourist actually involves
of NZ$15.9 billion by 2025.
helps us to define the word tourism with a good degree of
accuracy and one of the more straightforward definitions Inbound tourism involves overseas residents visiting
is that used by the UK Tourism Society:’ a country and in 2014 New Zealand received 2 857 400

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Sue Stewart , Fiona Warburton , John D. Smith
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Cambridge International AS and A Level Travel and Tourism

international visitors, up 5.1% on the previous year. Mass tourism

International visitors contributed more than NZ$9.6 billion Mass tourism is a form of tourism that involves a large
to New Zealand’s economy. Figure 1.1 shows one of New number of tourists coming to one destination. There is
Zealand’s attractions for inbound tourists. usually a particular reason to visit a particular location
Outbound tourism refers to residents leaving their home for mass tourism purposes, such as skiing in a mountain
country to travel overseas, usually for a holiday. In 2011, resort or sunbathing at a beach location. This form
New Zealand residents made 2.2 million trips abroad, up of tourism can involve tens of thousands of people
1% on the previous year. travelling to the same destination, oten at the same time
of year. It has been the most popular form of tourism
since mass tourism holiday products were introduced in
type of domestic Number of trips annual growth
trip (millions) (%) the 1970s as it is oten the cheapest way to go abroad on
day trips . .
holiday. A traditional package holiday is an example of
overnight trips . .
mass tourism.
total nights . .
Specialised tourism
Table . Tourism is a key driver of New Zealand’s economy
Tourism has changed in recent times to reflect the
changing tastes and preferences of visitors. To meet the
needs, wants and expectations of a more adventurous
population, the travel and tourism industry has responded
over the last decade with the rapid growth of specialised
tourism geared towards particular interests such as
hiking, painting or culinary activities. According to the
World Tourism Industry (UNWTO), specialised tourism
4 can be defined as that which involves individual or group
tours by people who wish to develop their given interests
or visit places with a connection to their specific interest.
Sports tourism and medical tourism are two examples. We
will look at a broad range of diferent forms of specialised
tourism later in the chapter.
Figure . Whale watching in New Zealand
Independent and packaged tourism
KEy cONcEPtS Another innovation that has afected the travel and
Global and growing tourism industry in recent years is the way in which
travel and tourism products are packaged. The rapid
The New Zealand study shows the growth rate of tourism
development of online services have changed how
for one country, but the patterns shown can be found
around the world, highlighting the importance of this travellers book holidays. This has led to the creation
industry on a global scale. of independent tourism. An independent holiday
is one in which the traveller organises and books
transport and accommodation from separate sources
Key market Number of trips annual growth rather than purchasing them together as part of an
(millions) (%) organised package. Packaged tourism, on the other
Australia + . hand, is defined as the simultaneous sale of at least
UK - . two elements of a holiday to the traveller, such as
USA - . fares on public transport (e.g. flights) and commercial
China + . accommodation (e.g. a hotel or self-catering apartment).
Other elements, such as meals or excursions, are not
Japan - .
essential to the definition of a holiday package, but may
Table . International visitors in New Zealand also be included.

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Chapter 1: Features of the travel and tourism industry

Types of destination
KEy tERMS

Destination: any geographical area consisting of all the

services and infrastructure necessary to support tourism i.e.
the basic physical and organisational structures and facilities
(e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies).

Simply then, destinations are the places to which

people travel in order to take part in leisure and tourism
activities. Because people travel for diferent reasons,
diferent aspects or features of a destination may appeal
to diferent people. Destinations can be categorised Figure . The Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort,
under the following types. in Singapore

town, city, country

Resort
Any geographical location can be a destination if it has the
The word ‘resort’ is oten used to describe a tourism
ability to attract visitors to it, no matter the size or scale
destination. These are places in which a high proportion
of the area. Small medieval towns, historic city centres,
of the jobs and businesses are connected to tourism.
even whole regions such as the Loire Valley in France or
Resorts have a range of accommodation and include
the Shanxi province in China are all destinations with
a number of attractions and other tourist facilities. For
charm, curious traditions, popular festivities and delicious
example beach resorts are on the beach and the main
local foods to attract tourists. countries can be described
amenities and activities for visitors are linked to the
as destinations too: Thailand or Kenya are both popular. 5
beach, as in Benidorm and Alicante, which are in the
Costa Blanca area of Spain. Resorts can also be purpose
Urban and rural
built such as Center Parcs or Disneyland Paris. These
Urban destinations are those with a relatively high
ofer accommodation, food and beverages, activities
population density so these are mainly large towns and
and amenities designed around a certain theme and
cities. Day trips are popular to urban destinations as
were carefully planned and developed to attract certain
the transport infrastructure is usually well developed to
customer groups. Integrated resorts are a relatively
complement a wide range of other facilities for tourists.
new, mixed development concept which are large scale
Tourists usually go there for business purposes, to go
and purpose built. An integrated resort ofers a broad
shopping, for entertainment venues or to visit museums,
range of leisure and conference facilities as well as a
churches and other built attractions. New York is an
casino. There are two integrated resorts in Singapore,
example of an urban destination. Rural destinations,
which opened in 2010. Resorts World Sentosa is a
also known as countryside destinations, are those in
family-centred attraction, and includes the region’s first
more remote and less densely populated areas. Tourists
Universal Studios theme park, S.E.A. Aquarium (one of
visit rural destinations to enjoy natural attractions such
the world’s largest aquariums), Adventure Cove Waterpark
as lakes, mountains and forests. An example of a rural
and Dolphin Island. Other attractions include a Maritime
destination is the Fjords of Norway.
Experiential Museum, an award-winning destination spa,
a casino, six unique hotels, the Resorts World Convention
Centre, celebrity chef restaurants and specialised retail coastal and island
outlets. Marina Bay Sands (see Figure 1.2) is a luxury coastal destinations as the term suggests are towns and
resort complex, ofering a 2 561-room hotel, a convention- villages that attract visitors because they are located on
exhibition centre, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands the coast. Visits here are also known as seaside tourism
boutique shopping centre, a museum, two large theatres, and these types of destination are popular with families.
seven ‘celebrity chef’ restaurants, a skating rink and Coastal destinations form an important part of the
the world’s largest atrium casino with 500 tables. Other traditional ‘Sun, sea and sand’ package holiday. Calangute
countries also ofer integrated resorts, which are popular is a coastal destination in Goa, India. Island destinations
especially in Asia. attract visitors with their exotic images of white sandy

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beaches, activities such as snorkeling amongst the coral Reasons why people travel
reefs and their strong cultural heritage. Jamaica is an People travel for a variety of reasons and the most
island destination in the Caribbean. commonly used sub-divisions are as follows.

More Economically Developed countries (MEDcs) Leisure travel

and Less Economically Developed countries (LEDcs)
Very simply, leisure travel is travel for pleasure and
This is an important means of classifying destinations. enjoyment. Leisure tourists visit a destination to see an
Traditionally MEDCs have played an important role as attraction, take part in activities and to experience a
destinations, acting as tourist receiving areas because break from their usual daily routines. The important point
they have the most developed infrastructure to support about leisure travel is that people are travelling to engage
visitor numbers. Typical MEDCs are in the northern in some leisure-related activity during their free time
hemisphere and include countries in Western Europe, and that they are using their own money in order to do
North America, Australia and Japan. By nature LEDCs so. Their travel plans are not work-related (although it is
are poor countries, and do not have stable economies. common for some individuals to combine business with
Their infrastructure is not well developed and there are pleasure) and to all intents and purposes such travellers
sometimes political problems. All of these factors have are on holiday. Furthermore, these leisure travellers can be
made them unsuitable as tourist destinations in the past. sub-divided into categories such as day trippers, overnight
Examples of LEDCs include Ethiopia, Cambodia and visitors or those on a particular type of holiday such as a
Haiti. However, over the last decade or so, many LEDCs short break.
have realised that there are many benefits to be gained
from tourism and therefore some of these countries are
Business travel
emerging as destinations, attracting increasing numbers
of visitors. Many LEDCs have been able to promote and Business travel is an important part of the global travel
exploit their natural landscapes and wildlife, from safaris and tourism industry and it is frequently referred to as
6
in Tanzania and Kenya, gorilla trekking in Rwanda, to MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions).
rainforest trekking in Costa Rica and glacier tours in People travelling for work-related purposes are business
Argentina. Other countries have relied on historical and tourists. A particular business traveller may be going
cultural attractions such as Mexico and Egypt with their to meet with colleagues, they might be a delegate at a
pyramids, Laos with the Angkor Watt temples and Peru conference or an attendee at an exhibition or they might
with the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Newly industrialised be travelling as a reward for past job performance. A
countries (NICs) including Brazil, India and China are also characteristic feature of business travel is the fact that
gaining importance as destinations. the employer will meet a significant proportion of the
cost of travel and so business travellers tend to spend
more than leisure travellers both in terms of transport and
KEy cONcEPtS
accommodation.
Change and development
Emerging destinations are an example of how the travel visiting friends and relatives (vFR)
and tourism industry can cause positive change and There is a trend in both the More Economically Developed
enable destinations and economies to develop. Countries (MEDCs) and the Less Economically Developed
Countries (LEDCs) for international travel for the purpose
of visiting friends and relatives. In many cases, migration
KEy tERMS has resulted in large numbers of people working overseas
tourism generating area: places where the majority of
while their families remain at home. This means that there
tourists originate. will be a regular flow of expatriate workers travelling for
tourism receiving area: main areas to which the majority home visits throughout the year, but particularly at holiday
of tourists travel. and festival times. VFR tourists usually spend money on
transport and activities, but not on accommodation.

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Chapter 1: Features of the travel and tourism industry

However, the travel and tourism industry is very dynamic tourism is particularly big in New Zealand following the
and changes in the types of tourism people prefer have success of The Hobbit.
encouraged tour operators to ofer specialised holidays
catering for specific requirements. These focus on interests actIvIty 2
and activities which appeal to a particular sector of the
tourist market. To help you get a clearer idea about tourism in your
own country, undertake some research and complete
Table 1.4.
KEy cONcEPtS
Purpose of tourism in your chosen country
Customer focus for last year
By adapting to the specific wants and needs of customers, Your country Overseas visitors
the travel and tourism industry can definitely be residents
described as customer-focused. No. Spending No. Spending
of trips of visits
Leisure
This has given rise to a variety of key specialised markets Business
and travel motivations based on the particular reasons for VFR
travel such as: Other
Total
• medical tourism: medical packages which ofer cheaper
general or cosmetic surgery abroad, followed by a period
of recuperation Table .
• religious tourism: religious journeys or pilgrimages to You could then compare and contrast these figures
destinations such as Jerusalem, Lourdes and Mecca with those given in Table 1.1 and attempt to explain
any diferences. 7
• adventure tourism: such as trekking in the jungles of
Borneo or the mountains of Nepal
• cultural tourism: heritage tours visiting historical and
cultural sites, oten in cities such as Rome, Athens, Characteristics of destinations and attractions
Florence and Venice
which appeal to visitors
• ecotourism: trips to experience the unspoilt natural
A broad range of features exist within each destination
environment and wildlife in destinations such as
which attract visitors or play an important part in their
Amazonia or Antarctica
decision to visit. The following section explores a number
• sports tourism: trips to see a cricket or rugby team in a of these reasons.
competition abroad or attending the FIFA World Cup or
the Olympic Games
accessibility
• health and spa tourism: visits to spa resorts which ofer
The provision of safe, convenient and economical
health therapy and beauty treatments in luxurious,
transport and other tourism-related infrastructure is a
relaxing surroundings such as found at Kamalaya Koh
key factor for the success of tourism in any destination.
Samui in Thailand.
Visitors must have easy and afordable access to a
Special interest tourism, including dark tourism: trips destination in order to want to travel there. Having a good
to the locations of former conflicts, such as battlefields international airport, served by a number of international
or concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Dachau; airlines from around the world makes a destination more
slum tourism: organised excursions to informal accessible. Good local infrastructure, with good public
settlements and impoverished areas as a more realistic transport networks and a variety of well-connected public
form of experiencing a country, by getting in touch with amenities also attracts more visitors.
real people and the local culture. An example is Favela Da
Rocinha in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil; and film tourism: a Built and natural attractions
specific form of cultural tourism which reflects the growing When choosing where to visit, tourists will consider what
interest and demand for locations which become popular attractions there are on ofer. An ideal destination will
due to their appearance in films and television series. Film have a broad mix of built and natural attractions as this

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creates the broadest appeal to visitors. Built attractions oficial language in 70 countries. This will help reassure
include churches, museums, castles, theme parks, zoos, many tourists as they can use English to communicate
art galleries, theatres and cinemas. Natural attractions with local people, even if it is not the native tongue for
include National Parks, lakes, beaches, forests etc. either the visitor or the local person.

Gastronomy
actIvIty 3
Some tourists will choose a destination where the
Choose two diferent destinations. Research and local food and beverages are the main motivating factors
compare the range of built and natural attractions for travel. Travelling to taste the local speciality food and
ofered in each destination. Which destination would beverages tends to be a domestic tourism activity, with
you recommend to a leisure visitor? Give reasons for visitors travelling to places to eat and drink specific, local
your recommendation. produce. For example in Barcelona, cultural tourists can
book onto the Gastronomic Treasure Hunt. Participants
will be asked to perform diferent, fun tests to develop
climate their senses of taste and smell and their abilities to cook
The climate afects people’s motivation to travel. in a light-hearted way while they discover the secrets and
Favourable climatic conditions at destinations are key curiosities of Catalan and Spanish gastronomy.
attractions for tourists, especially in beach destinations.
Most tourists seem to like to travel to destinations where it Dress
is mainly warm and dry. Mountain tourism or winter sports For people from certain cultures, the dress code within
are also highly dependent on specific climate and weather a destination is an important factor. For example, public
conditions, for example fresh snow for skiing. bathing in bikinis is not acceptable within all cultures,
therefore visitors from certain cultural backgrounds might
8 culture choose not to visit beach resorts where this is commonly
Culture refers to a way of life of a group of people, the practised.
behaviours, beliefs, values and symbols that they accept,
that are passed along by communication and imitation from Handicrats
one generation to the next. Culture is of huge importance as Crats reflect the artistic sense, feelings and cultural
a characteristic of a destination that draws visitors in. There characteristics of a destination. People oten choose
are many diferent cultural aspects that appeal to visitors destinations which ofer traditional handicrats, although
who want to experience something diferent from what can this is unlikely to be a main travel motivation; combined
be experienced in their place of residence. with other cultural ‘pulls’ it might be one of a number of
reasons why tourists visit a particular destination. In Turkey,
traditions for example, weaving materials from wool, mohair, cotton
These are the long-established customs that people and silk are popular forms of handicrats, which tourists
from diferent cultures continue to practise. For example, oten observe during their visit and purchase as souvenirs.
ancient Māori cooking techniques practised by the
indigenous people in New Zealand use natural cooking
pools within the geothermal hot springs. Visitors are
invited to witness the local people preparing food in
this way.

Language
Language reflects the nature and values of society. Some
countries have two or three languages. Tourists may
oten only choose to travel to destinations in which there
is no communication barrier because of the languages
commonly spoken in that country. English is without a
doubt the actual universal language in tourism terms. It
is the world’s second largest native language and is the Figure . An exhibit at The Setouchi Art Festival in Japan

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Chapter 1: Features of the travel and tourism industry

Events architecture
These are an important reason why visitors choose certain Some visitors are drawn to destinations with interesting
destinations at particular times of the year. There are many and unique architecture, such as Dubai, with the Burj
diferent types of events held around the world each year, Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and the sail-shaped
which draw in large numbers of visitors. They include: art Burj Al Arab hotel, the world’s first seven star hotel.
events such as The Setouchi Art Festival in Japan, which
brings artists, architects and designers together to display Leisure activities
artwork in a range of diferent media (see Figure 1.3); music For many tourists, it is the range of leisure activities
events including international music festivals such as the available within a destination that influence the decision
Montreux Jazz Festival, which celebrated its 50th year in to visit. For example, the ‘Discover the best of Mauritius’
2016. More than just a jazz festival, Montreux has seen top website lists kite surfing, swimming with dolphins,
names from pop, rock and hip hop music perform each year canyoning, underwater walking, mountain biking and
to more than 200 000 visitors. A festival is the name given golf as just some of the leisure pursuits that the island
to a period of celebration typically for religious reasons ofers to its visitors. Or for some, the travel motivation is
but nowadays also used to refer to an organised series of the availability of one particular leisure activity
concerts, plays, or films held annually in the same place. within a destination, for example, visiting the Bifengxia
Festivals appealing to tourists range from the Monkey Bufet Panda Reserve in Ya’an, in the Sichuan Province of
Festival held in Thailand each year to pay respect to the China (Figure 1.5).
macaque monkey population in Lopburi, to La Tomatina.
The industrial town of Buñol in Valencia, Spain welcomes 20
000 visitors to throw tomatoes at one another every August.
Sporting events attract visitors to specific destinations.
Some are fixed year ater year such as the Wimbledon
Tennis Championships. Other major sporting events 9
change location, such as the Olympic Games or the UEFA
Champions League football matches. Fans of such sports will
plan their visit to see their teams perform around the world.

History
Historical attractions play an important part in tourists’
decisions to visit a destination. Cities oten ofer a choice
of many diferent historical attractions, for example
in Rome visitors can visit the Colosseum, the Roman
Forum and the Pantheon. Or there are the Elephanta
Caves located in western India, which is a UNESCO World
Heritage site (see Figure 1.4).

Figure . Pandas playing at the Bifengxia Panda Reserve

Figure . The Elephanta Caves in western India in Ya’an, in the Sichuan Province of China

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Range and type of accommodation, Tourism in countries within the European Union (EU)
including grading shows the efect of seasonality very clearly in terms of:
A destination will appeal to a wide customer base if there
• the pattern of tourism demand
is a large variety of diferent types of accommodation
• participation in tourism by EU residents
on ofer, ranging from camp sites and simple hostel
accommodation to attract budget travellers through to
• the number of trips they made
luxurious five star hotel accommodation. • the number of nights spent on those trips.

It is important to understand that the types of accommodation Seasonal variation applied to all aspects of trips
used by tourists can be either serviced or non-serviced. In made, regardless of whether they were spent in tourist
serviced accommodation the price charged to customers accommodation (such as hotels or camp sites) or in less
reflects the fact that members of staf are available on site formal and oten unpaid types of accommodation (such as
to provide guests with services such as cleaning, meals and owned dwellings or accommodation provided for free by
room service. Non-serviced means that the customer is friends or relatives). Research and analysis published in 2014
purchasing sleeping accommodation that is being ofered by the EU (Figure 1.7) clearly illustrates seasonal variation.
to guests furnished on a rental basis. Frequently used types
160
of non-serviced accommodation include self-catering
Trips of EU residents

140
apartments, holiday cottages and caravans. 120
(millions)

100
Many countries have devised oficial grading schemes 80
60
and in Europe there has been an attempt to harmonise 40
hotel grading criteria in an attempt to clarify standards for 20
international travellers. -
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month

10
Religion Short trips (1-3 nights) Long trips (4 nights or more)
All trips
Some tourists will wish to travel to destinations in which
(1) Trips which started in 2013 and ended in 2014, are included in the
the same religion as their own is widely practised. This
corresponding of departure of 2014 (f.i. a trip that started in November
might include visiting destinations for the purpose 2013 and ended in January 2014 is included in November 2014).
of pilgrimage. Others will deliberately choose to visit (2) EU-28 aggregate estimated for this publication, not including Sweden,
including 2013 dara for the United Kingdom.
destinations in which a diferent religion is practised as
part of a cultural experience. Figure . Distribution of nights spent in the four quarters
of
Challenges of the travel and tourism industry
Seasonality Key findings of this European research were:
Depending on where you are in the world, the demand for • Nearly one in four trips by EU residents were made in
various tourism products and services will vary throughout July or August.
the year, oten reflecting the local seasonal climatic conditions. • In August, 12.6% of all trips were taken and 10.9% in July.
Figure 1.6 shows an important French attraction. • The number of trips in the peak month (August) was
2.6 times higher than the number of trips in the lowest
month (January).
• When taking into account the duration of the trips, the
seasonal pattern was even more pronounced, with EU
residents having spent one in three nights away in these
two months, August (17.2%) and July (16.1%).
• The number of nights spent in the peak month (August)
was four times higher than the number of nights spent in
the lowest month (January).
• In August 2013, EU residents made more than 88 million
long trips of at least four overnight stays. This represents
Figure . Eifel Tower, Paris in autumn 18% of all long trips made through the entire year.

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Cambridge University Press
978-1-316-60063-4 — Cambridge International AS and A Level Travel and Tourism Coursebook
Sue Stewart , Fiona Warburton , John D. Smith
Excerpt
More Information

Chapter 1: Features of the travel and tourism industry

• The distribution of short trips over the year was more

even. June was the most popular month for trips
between one and three overnight stays, closely followed
by December, May and March Figures 1.8 – 1.11, below
show typical examples of popular destinations.
• Business trips are less season dependent, with business
trips representing nearly 12% of all trips made by EU
residents. This ranged from over 17% in November to 5%
in the main holiday month of August.
• Nearly 40% of all tourism nights spent outside the
summer peak months (July and August) were spent by
Europeans aged 55 or more (the grey market).

11

Figure . Beautiful Venetian scenery

Figure . Traditional Dutch windmills with vibrant tulips

Figure . London Bridge at night Figure . Skiers in mountains on a ski lit, Switzerland

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