Tourism

The World of Tourism

Tourism is not a conventional industry. It is defined by the visitor rather than the product produced. Tourism is a major economic and social significant that has been recognized in both developed and developing countries. Tourism is the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence. The act of traveling for pleasure is a luxury. Until recently only a restricted few had the time and money to travel. Increasing leisure, higher incomes and greatly enhanced mobility have combined to enable more people to partake in travel.

The concept of wide-scale travel away from home is a relatively new phenomenon. In the past people enjoyed free time, and any was usually attributed to religious reasons, hence the word holidays (holy days). Early travel often consisted of pilgrimages, and retreats and later health spas, children's camps, theme parks, became very popular. As social and economic development of countries accelerated, so did wages and work conditions. Railways in the nineteenth century made transportation easier and presently air transportation put the whole world at reach.

What motivates a tourist? The world is vast and ready to be explored and many people with the means to travel enjoy the relaxation aspect of vacationing but also exploring various geographical locations to benefit from learning a different culture, society and practices. The importance of consumer behaviour within the tourism market is essential in analyzing where people want to go. Central to the theory of motivation is the concept of need. It is necessary to know what people consider a need so that we can discover how these needs can be fulfilled. These can include: physiological needs (ex. hunger, thirst, sleep...), safety needs (ex. freedom from threat of danger), love/social needs (ex. feeling of belonging, affection,