Smith
Warburton
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism, endorsed by University of
Cambridge International Examinations, covers the content of the new
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism syllabus. Written in a clear and
accessible style, the book offers comprehensive coverage with an
international perspective and in-depth analysis of all topics. Designed for
class use and independent study, the book equips students with the skills
needed to succeed in the examination.
Key Features
·
·
·
·
Travel and Tourism
·
Based on and full coverage of the latest IGCSE Travel and Tourism
syllabus
Full colour, attractive design and layout to enrich the learning
experience
Sections have been split into units, each dealing with a particular
topic, and are cross-referenced to other units wherever appropriate
Clear and detailed explanations of all concepts using diagrams,
flowcharts, contemporary photographs and examples as
appropriate
Wide variety of activities and end of unit questions to check and
facilitate students' understanding
Contains case studies and illustrative examples encouraging
subject-based knowledge as well as a truly international approach
Cambridge IGCSE
·
Cambridge IGCSE
John D. Smith and Fiona Warburton are both experienced teachers and
principal examiners in the subject.
ISBN 978-0-521-14922-8
9 780521 149228
®
Travel and
Tourism
John D. Smith
Fiona Warburton
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town,
Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City
Cambridge University Press
4381/4 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002, India
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521149228
© Cambridge University Press 2012
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the written
permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2012
Printed in India by
A catalogue for this publication is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-521-14922-8 Paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or
accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in
this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is,
or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material
included in this book. The publishers would be grateful for any omissions
brought to their notice for acknowledgement in future editions of the book.
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Contents
Preface
v
Unit 1: The travel and tourism industry
1
Introduction
1
Structure of the international travel and tourism industry
2
The economic, environmental and socio-cultural impact of travel and tourism
18
Role of national governments in forming tourism policy and promotion
35
The pattern of demand for international travel and tourism
40
Destination Investigation – Group/Project Work
44
Promoting visits to the destination’s attractions
46
How your knowledge and understanding of the Unit 1 content is likely to be assessed 47
Unit 2: Features of worldwide destinations
49
Introduction
49
The main global features
51
Different time zones and climates
56
Investigate travel and tourism destinations
63
The features which attract tourists to a particular destination
70
How your knowledge and understanding of the Unit 2 content is likely to be assessed 94
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Unit 3: Customer care and working procedures
97
Introduction
97
Deal with customers and colleagues
100
Identify the essential personal skills required when working in the travel and
tourism industry
111
Follow basic procedures when handling customer enquiries, reservations
and payments
116
Use reference sources to obtain information
118
Explore the presentation and promotion of tourist facilities
123
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
IGCSE_T&T_FM_pi-vi.indd iv
How your knowledge and understanding of the Unit 3 content is likely
to be assessed
129
Unit 4: Travel and tourism products and services
131
Introduction
131
Identify and describe tourism products
132
Explore the roles of tour operators and travel agents
140
Describe support facilities for travel and tourism
152
Explore the features of worldwide transport in relation to major
international routes
161
How your knowledge and understanding of the Unit 4 content is likely to
be assessed
177
Unit 5: Marketing and promotion
179
Introduction
179
Role and function of marketing and promotion
180
Market segmentation and targeting
191
Product as part of the marketing mix
197
Price as part of the marketing mix
203
Place as part of the marketing mix
208
Promotion as part of the marketing mix
214
How your knowledge and understanding of the Unit 5 content is likely
to be assessed
220
Unit 6: The marketing and promotion of
visitor services
221
Introduction
221
The operation, role and function of tourist boards and tourist
information centres
221
The provision of tourist products and services
230
Basic principles of marketing and promotion
234
The marketing mix
237
Leisure travel services
240
Business travel services
244
How your knowledge and understanding of the Unit 6 content is likely
to be assessed
248
Index
250
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Preface
Welcome to the world of international travel and tourism. Travel and tourism is one
of the world’s largest industries, employing approximately 231 million people and
generating over 10 per cent of the world GDP. World travel and tourism generated
in excess of US$ 7 trillion in 2009 and this is expected to rise to over US$ 13 trillion
over the coming decade. You may or may not have studied the subject before but you
will know something about it from your own holidays and related travel experiences.
Travel and tourism syllabus has been designed to help meet the need for skilled
and knowledgeable individuals in this rapidly diversifying industry. The syllabus
develops practical skills across a range of working roles, as well as provides a global
and local perspective on travel and tourism. Students gain an overview of the
industry, and learn about popular destinations, customer care, working procedures,
travel and tourism products and services, and marketing and promotion. Through
their studies, students will gain an understanding of the concepts, models and
theories used within the industry, and also enhance their skills of investigation,
analysis, interpretation and evaluation.
To help prepare students to take full advantage of future opportunities, they will
be encouraged to participate in visits to appropriate travel and tourism organisations
and destinations. Such activities will help the individual student to clearly:
develop an understanding of the scale and importance of the industry;
appreciate the importance of host destinations and communities to the
industry and the importance of sustainable development;
appreciate the positive and negative impacts that the industry may have on
people, environment and economy; as well as
appreciate the global and dynamic nature of the industry.
Furthermore, participation in such activities will help students to gain a knowledge
and understanding of the travel and tourism industry that is fully appropriate
to the needs of an employee working at the operational level with direct contact
with customers. Indeed, it can be argued that the acquisition of such knowledge
and understanding will clearly relate to that required of an employee working at
supervisory level. The vocational subject seeks to promote in students the ability to:
develop and sustain an interest in the issues affecting the industry and their
potential effect on employment opportunities;
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
appreciate the importance of the customer to the industry;
develop practical and technical skills relevant to the industry;
appreciate how the industry responds to change;
appreciate the impact of ICT on the industry;
develop their own values and attitudes in relation to industry issues.
This book has been structured to match the curriculum content listed in the
University of Cambridge International Examinations syllabus and each chapter
relates to one of the six study units. Frequent links are made to the international
travel and tourism industry ensuring that students learn to apply theory to real-life
tourism situations. Each chapter has photographs, stimulating activities and up-todate case studies. Assessment tasks have been included at the end of each chapter to
help students assess their own progress and mastery of the key concepts.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank the following for permission to use their material in either
the original or adapted form:
www.etn.travel, Travel Weekly Group (www.travelweekly.co.uk), Shearwater
Adventures (shearwatervictoriafalls.com), The Port of Dover (www.doverport co.uk),
OANDA Corporation (www.oanda.com), Touch4 Ltd (www.touch4.com),
www.germany.travel, www.gotohungary.com, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition
Centre, Days Out Guide (www.daysoutguide.co.uk), Tourism Development Solutions
(www.developtourism.com), Brunei Tourism (www.bruneitourism.travel), American
Society of Travel Agents, Centara Hotels and Resorts, ICCA – The International
Congress and Convention, www.visitbritain.org, Telegraph Media Group Limited,
UNWTO (9284403311), www.tourismleafletonline.com, www.iceplc.com.
The following is reproduced by permission of the University of Cambridge
International Examinations.
Syllabus Name & Code
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and
Tourism 0471
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and
Tourism 0471
Cambridge AS Travel and
Tourism 9395
Cambridge AS Travel and
Tourism 9395
Paper & Question
Number
Paper 1; Q4 (a), (b)
and (c)
Paper 1; Q4 (b) and (c)
Month/Year Chapter/Page in
book
November
Chapter1;
2008
Pages 47/48
June 2010
Chapter 1; Page 48
2 images of hotel workers
Paper 1; Q1
November
2010
Receptionist photo
Chapter 3; Page 102
Chapter 3; Page 107
Paper 1; Q1
Chapter 3; Page 112
Doorman photo
Paper 3; Q4 Fig. 4 (a)
June 2010
Cambridge International A
June 2010
Level Travel and Tourism 9395
Cambridge International
Paper 1; Q4 (photo) and 4 November
IGCSE Travel and Tourism 0471 (a) and (c)
2009
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Unit 4; Page 153
Unit 4; Pages 177
and 178
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Unit 1
The travel and
tourism industry
Think About It
Introduction
The substantial growth and development of tourism-related activities
clearly mark tourism as one of the most remarkable economic and social
phenomena of the past century. For example, the
number of international arrivals show an evolution
You are likely to have some personal experience
from a mere 25 million international arrivals in 1950
of travel and tourism. Think about the following:
to over 900 million in 2008, corresponding to an
• Where did you last go on holiday?
average annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent.
• Was it in your country or abroad?
Today travel and tourism is one of the world’s
• How did you travel?
• What type of accommodation did you
largest industries, employing approximately 231
stay in?
million people and generating over 10 per cent of
• What did you eat and drink?
world GDP. Indeed, world travel and tourism is
• What activities did you do on holiday?
expected to generate in excess of US$ 13 trillion
• How was the holiday organised/booked?
over the coming decade.
From the answers to the above questions you
will have examples and illustrations of the following aspects of the
University of Cambridge International Examination’s Travel and
Tourism Syllabus content:
If the holiday was in your home country you were a domestic
tourist; if abroad you were an outgoing tourist.
The destination, if abroad may have been
long haul or short haul; at home it may have been a short break
or with regards to Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR).
Different methods of transportation by land, sea and air may
have made up a part of the holiday.
You may have travelled using principals owned by large private
sector companies.
The accommodation used may have been serviced or selfcatering, such as a four star hotel or a camp site, and you may
have had a half board or an all-inclusive meal plan.
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
While on holiday, you may have visited natural and built tourist
attractions and used the services of a local Tourist Information
Centre (TIC) or guide.
The holiday may have been booked through a travel agency or
directly with a tour operator.
It is important to understand and appreciate that development of travel
and tourism can take place at a variety of scales. This means that you
should be aware of developments within your immediate local area as
well as within your country as a whole. Furthermore, an international
perspective is also required. It should be remembered that in examinations
candidates will always obtain credit for providing specific details about
facilities and locations that are appropriate to a particular question.
Structure of the international travel and
tourism industry
What is tourism?
Industry definitions
Defining tourism is not really helpful unless we understand who the tourist
is, so it is worthwhile to consider the definition of the word ‘tourist’. In
1995, the World Tourism Organisation provided the following clarification:
Any person who travels to a country other than that in which s/he
has his/her usual residence, but outside his/her usual environment
for a period of at least one night but not more than one year and
whose main purpose of visit is other than the exercise of an activity
remunerated from within the country visited. This term includes
people travelling for leisure, recreation and holidays, visiting friends
and relatives, business and professional health treatment, religion
pilgrimages and other purposes.
There have been many attempts to define tourism and one of the more
straightforward definitions is the one used by the UK Tourism Society:
Tourism is the temporary short term movement of people to
destinations outside places where they normally live and work, and
their activities during their stay at these destinations.
The United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
provides simple definitions of terms commonly used in the travel and
tourism industry.
Tourism comprises the activities of persons travelling to
and staying in places outside their usual environment for not
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
3
more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and
other purposes.
International visitor refers to any person travelling to a country
other than the one in which he/she has his/her usual residence,
but outside his/her usual environment, for less than 12
consecutive months and whose main purpose of trip is other
than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the
place visited.
Tourist (overnight visitor) is a visitor who stays at least one night
in a collective or private accommodation in the country visited.
Nationality of a visitor is that of the government issuing his/
her passport or other identification document, even if he/she
normally resides in another country.
Tourist accommodation refers to any facility that regularly or
occasionally provides overnight accommodation for tourists.
Occupancy rate refers to the proportion of the rooms or bedplaces in a collective tourism establishment that is occupied over
some period of time, such as night, month or year.
Duration of stay refers to the time spent during a visit measured
from the standpoint of the receiving country or place.
Tourism receipts are defined as expenditures of international
inbound visitors including their payments to national carriers for
international transport. They also include any other prepayments
or payments afterwards made for goods and services received in
the destination country.
Who are the tourists?
It is easy to refer to tourists as if they were just an
anonymous mass of people, but of course there are
many different types of tourists, each with their own
different needs and motivations. Tourists can be:
International – people from overseas.
Domestic – people from your own country.
Tourists can be classified in many ways but it is usual
to divide them up in terms of their purpose of visit.
We can now briefly look at three major categories
of visit.
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
Leisure tourists
These are people who are visiting somewhere for pleasure rather than
business-related reasons, in other words they are on holiday. Tourism, in
everyday language, generally means people engaging in leisure-related
activity, making use of their free time and using their own
economic resources (money) in order to do so. Leisure visitors
can be further divided according to whether or not they are
day trippers, overnight visitors, short break or holiday takers.
Business tourists
Business travel is one of the most important elements of
international tourism. It includes travel for business meetings
such as sales trips, attendance at conferences and trade shows,
and government business. In general, business travellers are
high spending and make extensive use of premium fares
on trains and airlines as well as on staying in quality hotels.
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) is
the recent growth area in international tourism and relates to
various forms of business tourism.
Meetings are defined as events designed to bring people
together for the purpose of exchanging information,
either from within one company or organization or from a
broader spectrum of people.
Incentives are the second category of this market segment
and include travel to a foreign country or domestically as part
of a motivational incentive scheme to increase or reward the
employee effort.
Conferences are generally accepted as being multi-day events
having at least 100 delegates attending the event for the purpose
of exchanging information. Such a conference is termed to be an
international conference if 40% of the delegates originate from
outside of the host country. Conferences are thus differentiated
from meetings by both the duration of the event and the number
of people attending.
Exhibitions involve the bringing together of people for the
purposes of viewing products and services.
Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR)
Visiting friends and relatives may be for the purposes of leisure,
recreation and holidays. There are also others factors, however, to
do with family occasions (births, weddings, funerals) which are not
traditional vacations or holidays. In many societies, returning to the
community from where one’s family originated (indeed, where family
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
presumably want to be reunited from time
to time.
Think About It
members may still reside) is an important part
of the annual calendar, especially with regards
to religious or cultural holidays and festivals.
The importance of the contribution made by
VFR to the development of tourism in a given
destination can be illustrated by the survey
findings listed in Fig. 1.1
Consider how many people move away from
their home town at some stage in their lives,
leaving behind loved ones with whom they
5
Think of your own circumstances or those of all
your relatives and friends:
How many have moved from one area
to another?
How often do you visit?
How did you travel?
What do you do when you are there?
SURVEY RESULTS
❏ I usually buy in extra food when people come
to stay with me
88% agreed
❏ I always try to find a local event or attraction to
go to when I have visitors
45% agreed
❏ I always take my visitors out to eat in
local restaurants at least once during their
stay
58% agreed
❏ When going out with my visitors I avoid places
I know will be over crowded with other tourists
and day trippers
63% agreed
❏ If I didn’t have room for visitors to stay overnight
at my house I would recommend
other accommodation locally
69% agreed
❏ I feel I should pay for everything when I have
visitors to stay
47% agreed
❏ Going out with my visitors makes me realise
how much my local area has to offer 61% agreed
❏ Staying overnight with friends or relatives is a
cheap way of having a holiday
62% agreed
❏ Many of my friends live so far away from me
that visiting them requires staying overnight
68% agreed
❏ I try to combine trips to visit friends or relatives
with an event of interest to me in the area
41% agreed
❏ It’s important that the people I am staying
with come along with me to visit local attractions
or events
57% agreed
❏ When I stay overnight with relatives it is
usually because of a family event or
special occasion
53% agreed
❏ By going to stay with friends or relatives you get
to see parts of the country you may not
otherwise visit
77% agreed
Source: English Tourism Council research carried out amongst representative sample of 959 adults in the UK
Fig. 1.1
What is the travel and tourism industry?
Travel and tourism is a global industry involving approximately 1
out of every 11.5 people on the planet. The industry has experienced
tremendous growth in the last 40 years and is now considered to be one
of the most important industries in the world. However, what exactly are
we talking about when we say ‘the travel and tourism industry?’
To put it simply, it is that whole mix of businesses and agencies that
work together to serve the needs of people who travel. Some do this
directly, such as airlines, bus companies, hotels and holiday companies.
Some do this indirectly, such as advertising agencies, consultants and
government bodies. The various sub-sectors that go to make up the
travel and tourism industry are shown, in a simplified form, in Fig. 1.2.
The presence of these sub-sectors determine the characteristics of the
tourism industry in any particular location and the types of tourists that
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
Transportation
Travel agents
Attractions
Travel and Tourism
Accommodation
and
catering
Tour operators
are being attracted to go there. A complex network
of tour operators, travel agents, transport operators
and accommodation providers work together
to identify and develop new markets or recreate
existing markets. Tour operators, airlines and hotels
have become increasingly important in destination
development. Let us now briefly look at what each
of the component sub-sectors of the travel and
tourism industry actually does and why they are
important.
Roles of the sub-sectors
The role of the travel agent
Travel agencies act as agents for a variety of
principals (the suppliers of the travel and tourism
industry’s products) such as airlines, rail companies,
Fig. 1.2 The component sub-sectors of the international travel
hotels, tour operators, car hire companies and
and tourism industry
currency suppliers. The main role of a retail travel
agent is to sell holidays, ancillary products (such as insurance, car hire,
foreign currency etc.), provide information and to advise customers.
There are also business travel agents who specialise in providing services
for business travellers. These business travel agencies provide speed and
flexibility in making travel arrangements with scheduled airlines and
accommodation bookings with large international hotel chains.
Travel agencies vary in their size and scale of operation. In some
countries you will find multiples. These are agencies
that have branches throughout a country and often in
counties abroad as well, example, Thomas Cook agency.
You can also find smaller independent travel agents called
miniples, which are not part of a national chain. They
usually have one retail outlet but may have a number of
shops in the specific area.
Travel agencies perform a key role as intermediaries
that provide information on destinations and tour
packages, and enable potential clients to access this
information and confirm their arrangements through
bookings. Their place in the chain of distribution is shown
in Fig. 1.3.
The key aspects of this distribution process are:
Tourist information
and
guiding services
The principals acting as primary suppliers in the tourism
distribution chain include transport, accommodation, attraction,
local tours etc.
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
7
Tour operators can be seen as product builders i.e., they produce
a new product by combining or packaging the basic products or
components offered by primary suppliers.
Travel agents can be viewed as
Providers of travel products: accomodation,
information brokers, providing the
transport, transfers and other services
consumer with relevant information
and booking facilities.
Computerized Reservation Systems/
Wholesalers
Global Distribution Systems (CRS/
Tour Operators
GDS) cover airline offerings as well as
other tourism relevant products such
as packaged holidays and other means
of transportation. They provide the
Direct Sell
Retailers
eg via internet
main links to tour operator systems
Travel Agencies
and to travel agents.
On-line reservation systems allow
customers to by-pass traditional
intermediaries and deal directly
Customers
with the primary suppliers to obtain
information and make reservations.
Fig. 1.3 The chain of distribution
Example
To help illustrate how the chain of distribution actually works we can now look at an example. The
accompanying image shows an extract from the website of a Brunei-based travel company. Freme Travel
Services is the largest travel agency in Brunei
Darussalam, employing over 60 people with
branch offices in four different locations
throughout the country.
The company offers outbound leisure
travellers a comprehensive range of travel
products and services including flights,
cruises, hotels, rail, car rental, transfers, tour
packages and medical screening packages. In
terms of business travel, the company is the
appointed agent for Brunei Shell Petroleum
for all work-related travel, including hotel
bookings and it also caters to the needs of
over 90 corporate clients throughout Brunei.
Source: http://www.freme.com/
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
Source: http://www.trafalgar.com/
Fig. 1.4
Internet based travel agency
The role of tour operators
The tourism industry is well known for its ‘packaging’ of tourism
products together into a tour or holiday. A tour operator typically
combines tour and travel components to create a package holiday. The
most common example of a tour operator’s product would be a flight on
a charter airline plus a transfer from the airport to
a hotel and the services of a local representative,
all for the one inclusive price. Many tourists
find buying a package tour a very convenient,
economical and secure way to travel.
Packaging is the process of combining a number
of inter-related tourism products and services that,
together, offer a comprehensive experience for
travellers. They are brought together into a convenient
single product at a lower price than if they were
bought separately. Packages can be and often are
designed to appeal to a specific target market. The
best packages offer unique, appealing experience
or series of experiences to travellers, at good value.
Fig. 1.3 clearly indicates that some tour operators
act as wholesalers and sell their tours through retail
travel agents. Others sell directly to the customer,
sometimes just over the internet (see Fig. 1.4).
In order for tour operators to be able to stay in
business and remain profitable it is important that they are able to do the
following:
Identify and then meet consumers’ needs, requests and expectations;
Assemble tourism products from different providers according
to customer requirements;
Provide a co-ordinated and seamless travel experience;
Reduce prices by negotiating and pre-purchasing tourism
products in bulk;
Issue and deliver travel documentation, i.e., ticketing,
vouchers, etc.;
Assess and monitor the quality of facilities and products;
Reduce the perceived risks for consumers;
Provide appropriate information by using leaflets, maps,
brochures, videos, CDs etc.;
Undertake pre and post experience marketing research;
Promotion of particular products or packages, in co-operation
with suppliers;
Complaint handling for both customers and industry partners.
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
9
The role of accommodation providers
All tourists need somewhere to stay during their
holiday, and accommodation therefore forms
an essential part of a tour operator’s package.
However, the accommodation sector provides
an enormous variety of accommodation types
to suit a wide range of visitors. Accommodation
ranges from luxury 5 star hotels which provide
facilities and services such as 24 hour room
service, gyms, swimming pools etc. to camping grounds where the
visitor is provided with a patch of ground on which to pitch a tent.
Classification of different types of accommodation is very difficult as
they can mean something different in another country. In the United
States, the meaning for an ‘inn’ is a hotel or motel style
accommodation usually operated by a chain such as
Holiday Inns. In Britain, an ‘inn’ would describe a pub-style
accommodation offering bed and breakfast.
A range of options are available at most destinations and
it is common to find all of the following:
Hotel is an accommodation establishment of at least
10 rooms that correspond to high standards and offers
dining services (restaurant).
Motel is an accommodation establishment of at least 10
rooms situated near a road that is primarily meant for
car travellers and has a safe parking site.
Guesthouse is an accommodation establishment of at
least 5 rooms which offers dining services.
Hostel is a simple accommodation establishment for
holiday, sport or study visitors that offers dining or
cooking facilities.
Holiday village or camp is an establishment providing
limited accommodation services, which has an enclosed
area for tents and/or caravans, parking sites for motor
vehicles and/or dwelling houses (bungalows).
Holiday home is an accommodation establishment
for holiday-makers, which is rented out fully and has
cooking facilities.
Visitor’s apartment is an accommodation
establishment with food-preparing facilities which is
rented out.
Bed and breakfast means accommodation services at a private
farm, house or apartment which includes breakfast.
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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
An important distinction in the accommodation used by tourists is
in the difference between serviced and non-serviced types. Serviced
accommodation means that members of staff are available on the
premises to provide services such as cleaning, meals and room service.
The availability of such services, even if they are not in fact used, is
included in the price charged. If the accommodation is non-serviced,
this means that the sleeping accommodation is furnished and provided
on a rental basis, normally for a unit comprising several beds such as
a cottage, an apartment or caravan. While services for the provision of
meals, bars and shops may be available on site on a separate commercial
basis, as in a holiday village, they are not included in the price charged
for the accommodation.
Most of the hotels used by international travellers have rooms
with en-suite bathrooms and, more commonly in the United States
than elsewhere, climate control. Other features
usually found include a telephone, an alarm clock,
a television, and broadband Internet connectivity.
Food and drink may be supplied by a minibar (which often includes a small refrigerator)
containing snacks and drinks (to be paid for on
departure), and tea and coffee making facilities.
The cost and quality of hotels are usually
indicative of the range and type of services
available. Due to the enormous increase in
tourism worldwide during the last decades
of the 20th century, standards, especially
those of smaller establishments, have improved
considerably. For the sake of greater comparability, rating systems
have been introduced, with the one to five stars classification being
most common. For instance, most people recognise that a 5 star
hotel will have excellent service, be exceptionally clean and tidy with
housekeeping staff on call 24 hours, have up to date luxurious décor
and have a wide range of facilities on offer. A 3 star hotel on the other
hand will have fewer facilities, less luxurious décor and more limited
services, such as a limited 24 hour room service menu instead of the
entire restaurant menu.
The role of catering outlets
Catering facilities are very important for the creation of suitable
conditions for tourism and for satisfying tourists’ basic needs in any
specific destination or resort. However, such food and beverage facilities
should not only be regarded as being a basic tourist need; they are also
important to the development and promotion of all types of tourist
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
11
facilities, and can be classified as tourist attractions in themselves.
They are certainly a key tourist facility within any
destination. In Poland, for example, there exists basic
catering facilities providing regional and traditional
menus which fulfil the role of tourist attractions at
a regional, national and even international level.
Additionally, in Krakow there are cafés and winebars
which are particularly attractive to tourists for their
historical value, menu and special atmosphere. This
diversity of catering facilities should be taken into
account by those responsible for destination management
within tourist areas.
To help you appreciate the importance of hospitality provision within
tourist destinations you can now undertake an investigation within your
local area.
y
t
i
v
i
t
c
A
1
(a) Identify the range of accommodation providers available, including:
hotels
hostels
apartments
guest houses
camp sites.
(b) Choose an example of each and describe the products and services available.
(c) Explain how such properties can be classified using various grading criteria.
(d) Examine the occupancy trends within your chosen areas.
Sources of information to help you undertake this task include the local area’s ‘Destination Manual’ and
sample promotional materials produced by individual providers. Statistics and grading criteria are available
from the local tourist board.
This work could be expanded as it is a good opportunity to investigate the products and services needed
by leisure versus business travellers.
The role of transport providers
Transport has developed hand in hand with tourism. Improvements in
transportation facilities have stimulated tourism and, in turn, tourism
demand has prompted transport developments such as the growth of
charter air services to serve the international tourism market. Transport
developments have made tourist destinations accessible to their markets
in tourist generating areas. All tourism depends on access, and the lack
of accessibility can make or break a destination.
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12
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
Methods of transportation used by international travellers vary
according to the needs of the individual. The needs of a leisure tourist
will be quite different to those who are travelling for business purposes.
However, it is fair to say that an individual tourist will take into account
factors such as price, convenience, choice of departure points and timing
of services when making their travel arrangements.
Air transport providers include the major national
carriers (such as Air India, Cyprus Airways, British Airways,
Emirates etc.) as well as the low-cost, budget or ‘no frills’
airlines (such as easyJet and Ryanair). These carriers operate
scheduled flights that run to a published timetable and
operate irrespective of whether there are enough passengers
to make a profit or not. However, because of their regular
flights, variety of routes and service standards, they attract
both business and leisure passengers.
Not all tourists flying to their destination travel on a
scheduled flight. Charter flights are mainly used by the package holiday
industry and tour operators who make a contract with an airline for a
specific route for the peak holiday season. Furthermore, charter airlines
frequently operate on routes, or to airports, where there is no scheduled
service. Much of the traffic through small and medium sized airports
in the United Kingdom consists of charter flights, and the survival of
these airports often depends on the airline landing fees they get from the
charter companies.
Although charter airlines typically carry passengers who have
booked individually or as small groups to beach resorts, historic towns,
or cities where a cruise ship is awaiting them; sometimes an aircraft
will be chartered by a single group such as members of a company, a
sports team, or for travelling to a major event. Many airlines operating
regular scheduled services (i.e., for which tickets are sold directly to
passengers) have set up charter divisions, though these have not proved
to be competitive with the specialist charter operators.
Water transport providers include ferry operators and cruise
companies. However, in terms of being a transport principal, it
is the ferry companies that will be considered in this instance.
The services provided by the ferry companies help to link
groups of islands such as those found in Greece or to connect
an island destination to an adjacent larger land mass, such as the
UK and mainland Europe across the English Channel.
Rail transport is important for travelling both within
and between different countries. Services are scheduled and
travellers perceive trains to be safe, inexpensive and more convenient
for many journeys. A train journey involves no long check-ins, no extra
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
13
charges for baggage, an ever-changing view and no
tedious transfers as the trains go straight into city
centres. It is thus no surprise that the Eurostar service
carries more passengers between London and Paris
than all of the airlines put together. Rail travel is also
popular with independent travellers because trains on
major inter-city routes have many facilities ranging
from sleeping compartments to restaurant cars and even
laptop plug-in sockets. There are some very famous
forms of rail transport. The Orient Express , the TransSiberian Railway and the South African Blue Train are
all well known for their sight-seeing appeal and are attractions in their
own right.
Coach transport operations can be categorised as follows:
express coach services, domestic and international;
private hire services;
tour and excursion operations;
transfer services.
Greyhound in the United States is one of the most famous
inter-city express coach operators but it has to compete
with budget airlines and American Track (AMTRAK) rail
services run by National Railroad Passengers Corporation
for its customers. Within Europe, the brand name Eurolines
is made up of 32 independent coach companies operating together to run
Europe’s largest regular coach network. This network connects over 500
destinations, covering the whole of the continent, including Morocco.
Eurolines services allow passengers to travel from Sicily to Helsinki and
from Casablanca to Moscow.
Car transport can be hired independently through international chains
such as Hertz and Avis or by making a reservation
through travel agencies. Car hire is popular with
independent travellers because vehicles can be collected
at an airport and returned to another office elsewhere if
needed.
Fly-drive holidays are very popular, particularly
when visiting destinations such as Australia, New Zealand
and USA. Campervans are becoming increasingly popular
both in New Zealand and in the United States where
more than 25 million Americans make use of them each
year. While not cheap to hire, they have the advantage
of flexibility and independence providing both transportation and
accommodation.
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14
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
The role of attractions
It is important to realise that tourist attractions are a
dynamic component of the travel and tourism industry and,
as such, are continually changing and evolving. Tourist
attractions draw visitors to a destination by providing
opportunities for relaxation, amusement, entertainment
and education. The importance of such visitor attractions
within the travel and tourism industry should not be
underestimated.
Visitor attractions can be classified as follows:
Natural attractions (example mountains, forests,
coastline, lakes/waterways, landscape features)
Built attractions (example theme parks,
museums, heritage centres, sports facilities,
family entertainment centres, cinemas, cultural
attractions, animal parks, historic sites, shopping
centres).
Popular tourist destinations will contain a range of attractions. Every
attraction, regardless of the size and scale of operation, will attempt
to appeal to as many visitors as possible in order to maximise profits
and to generate funding to support its further development. In this
way, attractions will over time introduce new facilities in an attempt to
remain profitably in business.
The role of entertainment venues
Attractions are an extremely important part of the
tourism industry and are the driving force behind
much of the development that has taken place in a
variety of destinations. It can be argued that tourist
attractions are the most important component in
the tourism system. They are the main motivators
for tourist trips and are at the core of a destination’s
tourism product. Without attractions there would
be no need for many other tourism services. Indeed,
tourism as such would not exist if it were not for the
attractions. A great many tourist attractions have strong
entertainment connections, being areas that are used
primarily for an audience to be engaged or captivated.
These include sports stadia, theatres, and museums, all of
which could be considered to be tourist attractions. Indeed
many entertainment venues are seen as tourist attractions.
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
15
Example
An important characteristic of many entertainment venues is the fact that they offer products, services and
facilities that appeal to different types of customer. For example, Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England
is famous for being the home of the Grand National Steeplechase. However, the race course generates
revenues from hosting a variety of events apart from horse racing. The race course grandstands can be used
for business tourism events such as conferences, seminars, exhibitions and various types of meetings. The
venue caters to weddings and other types of private
functions as well. Aintree’s International Equestrian
Centre was launched in 2007 as part of a £ 35 million
redevelopment programme. This new facility, primarily
used for show jumping and equestrian events, also
has the dual purpose of being 3700 square metres of
exhibition space with an additional area of 1100 square
metres allowing space for catering or storage. Since its
opening in 2007, this exhibition space has been used
for an array of high-profile and important events such
as music concerts attracting over 45,000 visitors to see
acts such as Pink, Deacon Blue, Amy Winehouse, Girls
Aloud and the Sugababes.
y
Activit
2
Identify the main visitor attractions that your local area has to offer. Put them into categories such as:
Museums
Art galleries
Theme parks
Theatres and places of entertainment
Religious buildings
Working in small groups, visit two different types of attractions and complete a copy of the following factsheet for each.
Attraction 1
Attraction 2
Name and location
Brief description of attraction
What is there for visitors to do?
Main types of visitor
Facilities for business visitors to use
Services for visitors with special needs
Catering facilities
Cost of visit and details of offers etc
This will give you a good idea about the ways in which different types of visitor attractions provide
different products and services to meet the needs of different types of customers.
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16
Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
y
Activit
3
To help you understand that your local area’s travel
and tourism industry comprises several interrelated spheres of activity offering a wide range
of opportunities for visitors, try to complete the
following exercise. Identify and provide examples of
the main travel and tourism component activities
present in your local area. Then, place these into
suitable categories, such as:
Entertainment
Travel agencies and ancillaries
Transport
Catering
Accommodation
Sport and leisure
Other visitor attractions
Now undertake simple forms of analysis of the
current range of products and services available
using the categories already identified, by means of:
Tally chart
Bar chart
Pie chart
You will then be in a position to identify the total
number of travel and tourism suppliers.You could
then express the numbers in each category as a
percentage of the total. This approach will allow you
to quote accurate figures, thus indicating
the scale of the local industry. For example,
the local area contains 25 hotels, 17% of
travel and tourism activities are to do with
entertainment etc.
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The role of tourist information and guiding
services
Tour guiding usually refers to the activity of
accompanying a group of visitors around a
particular site, town or part of a region, giving
information on the history and geography of that
area, pointing out item of interests, and generally
being responsible for conducting the group
efficiently. The tourist guide’s main role is to escort
groups or individual visitors from abroad or from
the guide’s own country around the monuments,
sites and museums of a city or region interpreting,
inspiringly and entertainingly, in the visitor’s own
language the cultural and natural heritage and
environment.
Tourist Information Centres (TICs) carry a wide
range of promotional leaflets, brochures, guide books
and other material relating to the local region. They
are usually found at locations such as points of entry
(airports, railway stations and ports) or central
locations within major tourist areas. In addition to
providing help and advice, booking accommodation
is an important service that is provided for visitors.
Furthermore, TICs are frequently used as an outlet
for the booking of local guided tours and they also
provide information about local guides.
The role of ancillary tourist services
The chain of distribution provides many opportunities
for intermediaries to offer additional travel products
and services to their customers. For example, some
travel agencies also generate income from Bureau de
change or traveller’s cheque operations. Traditionally,
this has been a significant source of income for
some major travel chains such as Thomas Cook and
American Express. Travel insurance is offered both by
tour operators and travel agencies. In this way, travel
agents and tour operators can earn income from the
commission paid by the service providers they are
representing. TICs can offer an extensive range of
information services, operate accommodation booking
services, sell tickets for theatres, guided tours and
events, as well as some local/regional travel tickets.
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Unit 1 The travel and tourism industry
17
They also frequently have on sale a range of local souvenirs, publications
and postcards.
The role and function of tourist boards
The role of National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) is a very significant
one. The mission of such organisations is to increase the value of inbound
tourism to a particular country. Frequently, the government will identify
a series of objectives and the NTO will facilitate a strategy for their
implementation. The structures through which delivery eventually
takes place are usually hierarchical and the number of levels in such an
arrangement will vary from country to country. The important point
to be aware of is that the NTO will exert control and influence from
above while the local or regional tourist board will be in the front line of
delivering services to the given destination’s visitors. It will now be helpful
to look at an example to illustrate what precise roles and functions are
actually undertaken.
Example
The role of the Croatian National Tourist Board
Established in June 1992, the Croatian National
Tourist Board (CNTB) is a national tourist
organisation that is responsible for creating the
country’s tourism identity and enhance the
reputation of Croatia’s tourism product.
The organisation’s mission also includes the
planning and implementation of a common
tourism development strategy as well as being
responsible for the overall quality of the
whole range of tourist services on offer in the
Republic of Croatia.
The main functions the CNTB are as follows:
to have involvement in all aspects of the total tourist product of the Republic of Croatia
to structure and conduct market research for the promotion of Croatian tourism
to design programmes and plans for the promotion of Croatia’s tourism product
the analysis and evaluation of promotional activities
the establishment of a Croatian tourist information system
to deliver international and domestic tourist information activities
to establish tourist representative offices and branch offices in foreign countries, together with the
organization and supervision of their work
to cooperate with national tourist boards in foreign countries and with specialised international
regional tourist organisations
to take necessary measures and plan activities for the development and promotion of tourism in the
less developed areas of the Republic of Croatia.
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