Classification of Hotel

Classification of Hotel

      Owing to the existing diversity in the industry many hotels do not fit into any single well-defined category. However, in this chapter classification has been attempted on the basic of.

* Hotel size

* Location

* Ownership and affiliation 

* Level of service 

* Facilities it offers

* Target markets

Hotel size

     The number of guest rooms in a property also enables to categorize a hotel.Hotel range room 25-2000 rooms is Las Vegas comprise of more than 5000 rooms based on the number of rooms, a hotel can be classified as follows.

* 10 to- 25 rooms - Small hotels

* 26 to- 100 rooms - Medium hotels

* 101 to- 300 rooms - Large hotels

* 301 to- Above - Very large hotels or Mega hotels 

Location

     Based on the location, hotels are broadly classified into the following:

1. Downtown hotels: As per the name, such hotels can also be referred to as commercial hotels owing to is proximity to business centers, shopping arcades, theaters, in international organization etc. The room rate is high due to its city center location, facilities provided are maximum but the length of the guest stay is usually short mostly, business travelers chose to stay in such hotels.

2. Resort hotels: Guests often chose resort hotels as their planned destination. A resort may be ideally located away from the heat, smoke, dust and hustle and bustle of busy cities with in the lap of the mountains, on the top of the hills, in an island, by the river bank, on the beach or in some other exotic and secluded location. Its provides special activities for guests, such as dance, golf, tennis, water sports, nature walk, bird breathtaking scenery, leisure activities and wide range of facilities.

The accommodation rates are high on room plans and usually American plan. The length of the guest stay is comparatively, longer, mostly, vacations, holiday maker, pantheist, honeymoon couple etc prefer resort.

3. Motel: Th e word motel is a combination of motor and hotel. It is an establishment primarily established to cater to guest arriving by automobile. Motel is a recent phenomenon. it became really popular in between 1950 and 1966 in the united states with onset of the highway system. Motels are usually two storied or low-rise building located near national highway. It may lack many facilities the one finds in most downtown hotels. However, it does provides the facilities of refueling, ample parking space and garage.

Now-all-days, motels also provide the facility of swimming pool, playground or park for children etc. Motels are ideal for passengers travelling overland. it provides modest lodges food and beverage. The length of the guest stay is short, usually overnight, and most other guests also prefer to stay in motels.

4. Transit hotel /Airport hotel:

these hotels are located near by the airport, railway station, bus terminals or seaports. Thy are general established to center the transit passenger who have very limited time and are unable to make it to the downtown hotels. They enjoy significant cost saving, as rooms are available on hourly basis too.

Like motel, airport hotel is also a recent phenomenon. It came into existence only after 1950, when jet aircraft service were introduced for the general public. By 1970,s many airport hotels came into existence, especially around international airport. Airport hotels, unlike any other hotels,differ drastically in terms of its size and service.  mostly business clientele, airline passengers with cancelled flights(layover passenger) and airline crews tend to stay in airport hotels.

5. Inn: The french concept of an Inn is a private home, an estate or a castle that has been converted into Lodging establishment. Such Inns are usually found located anywhere within or outside the city. The facilities provided are usually limited at modest fare.

6. Sub-urban hotel: As per the name sub-urban hotels are located in the periphery of the urban/city area. Unlike downtown hotels, it is located in the spacious area with quieter surroundings, ant most importantly away from the noise and crowd of the downtown. Such hotels are very ideal for the holidaymakers, vacationers, and more specifically for the organization to conduct conference, seminars,meeting exhibitions, shows, educational programs, etc. due to its location advantages. The room rate is usually reasonable low and the length of the guest stay is comparatively.

7. Floatel: These hotels are located on the surface of water. it may be on seawater or river water or even a lake. These hotels provide all the facilities and service of a hotel and are very popular with the tourist. In many cases across the world old ships have been converted into these types of hotels and have become popular among the tourist.

Ownership and Affiliation

ownership and affiliation is another important yardstick to classify hotels. In the history of the hotel industry four types of ownership or affiliation have emerged They are.

1. Individual/owner-operated hotels:

These hotels are no ownership or management affiliation with others. These properties operate with its owner and his family. They are very similar to the old inns of the Victorian era-facilities and service offered in such hotels are very limited.

2. Joint venture/ lease: More than two proprietors in sharing basic of the capital investment own these hotels. There are formal, arrangements made by two proprietors in sharing basic of the capital investment own these hotels. There are formal arrangements made by two or more independent organization to set up a jointly owned new organization. In joint venture, two companies or two individuals or a company and an individual from a partnership and start a hotel with a profit sharing policy.

3. Franchise: A hotel chain is a group of hotels managed together under a business arrangement known as franchising under a franchise scheme hotels owner contracts with an established chain to operate the property under the chain name. The owner of the hotel or franchise pays initial development fee and a monthly annually license or franchises fee. its contract-based organization, which grants the right to use a brand name for specific activities such as production and marketing in return for a royalty.

4. Management contract: This type of organization is operated indifferent countries making a contract with the parent company using brand name and a total management system exactly like the parent company under management contract one company owns the property and another ( the chain) operates it.

Level of Service

Hotels may be classified into economy and luxury hotels on the basis of the level of service they offer.

1.Economy / Budget hotels: These hotels meet the basic need of the guest by providing comfortable and clean room for a comfortable stay.

2.Mid market hotels: It is suite hotel that offers small living room with appropriate furniture and small bed room with king sized bed.

3.Luxury hotels: These offers world class service providing restaurant and lounges concierge service, meeting, rooms, dining facilities, bath linen is provided to the guest and is replaced accordingly. These guest rooms contain furnishing artwork etc. Prime market for these hotels are celebrities, business executives and high ranking politics figures.

 Service level is also another important yardstick to classify hotels. The level of service is usually reflected in its room rate. hotel does not simply sell tangible products. such as comfortable beds and wholesome food, but they also sell intangible elements contribute most to the hospitality experience of any guest.

 Facilities 

One of the most important criteria for the classifying a hotel is based on the facilities that it offers. In the united states the 'American Automobile Association'(AAA), Awards either a five or four diamonds rating to the finest hotels, similarly 'Mobile Travel Guide' awards either five or four stars to the hotel offering highest facilities. In other parts of the word, similar rating service are provided by private organization and by government for example, the Nepal government does rating of hotels from one to five stars, plus an additional category of deluxe and super deluxe, Thus a hotel with five stars, five stars deluxe or five star super deluxe will provide the following facilities:

* Central heating and cooling.

* 24 hours, concierge service.

* Specialty/fine dining restaurants.

* Clothing and jewellery stores.

* Gift shops.

* Opulent meeting and private dining facilities.

* 24 Hours check in and check out for the VIP's and CIP'S.

* In-room safety deposit lockers.

* Wall to wall carpeting.

* Indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

* Health club and fitness center.

* Mini-bar in the room.

* Setellite T.V. Channels.

* City shuttle.

* Credit facilities.

* 24 hours coffee shop.

* Business center.

* International news stand.

* 24 hours doctor on call.

* Sports facilities.

* Conference hall.

* Laundry center.

* Casino center.

* Outdoor catering.

Target Markets

Target markets are are distinetly defined group of people, which the hotel attempts to ratain as guest hotels attempt to target many markets. Based on their attempt to attract and serve a particular market, hotels are classified. The most common types of properties based on target market include;

1. commercial/Business Hotel: These hotels are located in the important commercial/business town/cities. These types of hotel are luxurious and expensive. The provide different service like business center, secretarial conference/meeting.

2.Transit/Transient Hotel: The primary target of these hotels include business clienteles, airline passenger and airline crews.

3.Residential/Apartment Hotels: These are generally made for long staying guests with all the facilities. The rates are generally charged on weekly or monthly basis.

4.Casino hotels: Casino hotels refer to unique hotels that offer gambling facilities of e.g. Las Vegas and Macao.

5.Club hotels: They specially offers sports spa and other health care facilities.

6. Capsule hotels: These are the latest innovation in the budget hotel market especially box made of glass reinforced plastic/ poly fiber or cement, open either at one bed in which they provide. some functional of a traditional hotel such as a bed, a clock radio, color TV, a Box for valuable and a miniature table for writing.

7.Heritage hotels: These hotels specially provided heritage attractions to SIT clients. They are the bold properties of the royal and aristocratic families which are renovated and the old aura is recreated for the tourists to stay in heritage surrounding.  

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Introduction of Hotel

Hotel

Concept and Meaning 

       A hotel or inn may be defined as an establishment whose primary business is to provide lodging facilities for the general public in the meantime, it must provided one or more of the available facilities, which include food and beverage service, room attendant service, concierge, bell and door attendant service, laundry and valet service, etc. such service are provided to those who are in a fit condition to be received and have the capacity to pay for service rendered

.

The word hotel may be formulated by the concept of hospitality service of which the primary objectives is not provide lodge and foods to the people who are economically, mentally and physically able to receive. there are many other properties in the field of hospitality business, such as lodge, guesthouse, rest house, restaurant, etc. but the concept of hotel is only regarded with the combination of all these activities. this actually refers to address overall expectation and needs of human beings in the accept ions standard, and needs of human beings in the acceptable standard, and only than the property will come "HOTEL".

The system of modern management of the hostel as absolutely motivated and guided by the technological, sociological, economical, cultural and political development, and upsurge. Despite the globalization of the world tourism and its Networking expansion-hotel industries have scientifically been changed since last five decades. Due to functional and operational areas of the entire department of the hotel, it offers personal and material service to guests. Basically in the hotel establishment, department are divided into two division.

* Room division

* Food and Beverage division

Room division consists of the front office, housekeeping and sales and marketing. food and beverage division consists of food production(kitchen), food and beverage services(restaurant dining and bar), function catering, room service etc. These are both functional and operational activities, which as planned, organized, managed and controlled by executive directors and the top level executives. The addition other essential departments etc. are also created to support these departments for smooth operation of the hotel business.

Etymology

         The word hotel is derived from the French hotel (coming from the same origin as hospital), which referred to a French version of a building seeing frequent visitors, and providing care, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, hotel now has the same meaning as the English term, and hôtel particular is used for the old meaning, as well as "hotel" in some place names such as Hotel-Dieu (in Paris), which has been a hospital since the Middle Ages. The French spelling, with the circumflex, was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article – hence "The Astoria Hotel" or simply "The Astoria."

History

      Facilities offering hospitality to travelers have been a feature of the earliest civilizations. In Greco-Roman culture hospitals for recuperation and rest were built at thermal baths. During the Middle Ages various religious orders at monasteries and abbeys would offer accommodation for travellers on the road.

The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe, possibly dating back to the rule of Ancient Rome. These would provide for the needs of travelers, including food and lodging, stabling and fodder for the traveler's horse(s) and fresh horses for the mail coach. Famous London examples of inns include the George and the Tabard. A typical layout of an inn had an inner court with bedrooms on the two sides, with the kitchen and parlour at the front and the stables at the back.

For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, coaching inns served as a place for lodging for coach travelers (in other words, a roadhouse). Coaching inns stabled teams of horses for stagecoaches and mail coaches and replaced tired teams with fresh teams. Traditionally they were seven miles apart but this depended very much on the terrain.

Tremont House in Boston, USA, a luxury hotel, the first to provide indoor plumbing

Some English towns had as many as ten such inns and rivalry between them was intense, not only for the income from the stagecoach operators but for the revenue for food and drink supplied to the wealthy passengers. By the end of the century, coaching inns were being run more professionally, with a regular timetable being followed and fixed menus for food.

Inns began to cater for richer clients in the mid-18th century, and consequently grew in grandeur and the level of service provided. One of the first hotels in a modern sense was opened in Exeter in 1768, although the idea only really caught on in the early 19th century. In 1812 Mivart's Hotel opened its doors in London, later changing its name to Claridge's.

Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in the 19th century, and luxury hotels, including Tremont House and Astor House in the United States,[4] Savoy Hotel in the United Kingdom and the Ritz chain of hotels in London and Paris, began to spring up in the later part of the century, catering to an extremely wealthy clientele

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Cultural Difference and General Characteristics of tourist

Cultural Difference and General Characteristics of tourist  
                          Tourism is an organized tour to people and tourist are the performer for the activities to destination targeted. They are from different region, country, and they have different culture, custom and tradition. Every tourist has his/her own interest, needs, likes and dislikes. Hence, one who receives  tourist must be aware to their social couture and economic background. At the sometime he should be well versed in tourists interest and their attitude.

The choice, interest, linkage, etc. is determined by the age, sex, culture, norms and value, family environment and nationality. children's are interested to play, have fun and enjoy. young people are budgeted and like to be more informal, romantic and fun loving. Usually they like to get involved in adventurous activities. The older people are more disciplined and like to be formal. They mostly enjoy cultural, religious, health tours and site scenes. Based on culture, the eating habits and styles also drastically, differ. As for instance, most people from the SAARC countries such as Naples, Indian, Pakistani, etc. use their hands for eating. However People from the oriental countries use spoon, fork and knife to eat food at the same the people from the oriental countries such as, Chinese, Japanese , etc. use chopsticks to eat food.

Based on the nationality, the general characteristics of various tourists are summarized as under.

1. Indian tourist
• Prefer travelling in a group or with family or couple,
• Little casual over punctuality.
• Appreciates being addressed as sir/madam.
• Mostly enjoy manmade attraction and environment such as park, zoo, garden, casino, supermarkets etc.
• Does excessive bargain purchase.
• Prefers to have more Indian foods.
• Adores religious places and shrines.
• Very specific on value of money.
• Love to visit and gamble in casino.
• Man of many words.

2. British Tourists
• Very formal, polite and disciplined.
• Ready to share group interest.
• Well mannered.
• Travel alone or in group.
• Very strict on matters of punctuality.
• Possess  high interest in nature and culture.
• Very diplomatic and business minded.
• Expect high degree of clean lines and grooming.

3. German tourist.
• Love of lead.
• Prefer walking and trekking.
• Seek details of anything and everything.
• Try to maintain cordial relationship and friendship.
• Very good group behavior.
• Man of few words.
• Enjoy songs, music and arts,
• Appreciates eating in the restaurants/dining rooms having open view.
• Mostly open minded, not much formality is needed.
• Very strict on matters of punctuality.

4. American Tourists 
• Love to travel alone and freedom.
• Love adventure and ecstasy
• Highly friendly but informal
• Very strict on matters of punctuality
• Man of word and quick decision makers.
• Normal interest in culture, history and religion.
• Adopt any environment readily.
• Appreciate beings addressed by their appropriate surnames
• Complain on the spot and very demanding
• Except high degree of cleanliness and grooming

5. Japanese tourist
• Enjoy and appreciates nature  and its beauty.
• Believe in hard works and honesty.
• Always respect group sentiments.
• Very polite and gentle.
• Man of few words.
• Poor communication skill in English language.
• Expect high degree of cleanliness and grooming.
• Very discipline, hard working and social and love organized tour.
• Love to travel in family, friend or groups.
• Punctual, organized and prefer organized tour.
• Adores religious places and shrines

6. French and Italian tourists
• Highly formal and friendly.
• Love adventure and ecstasy.
• Enjoy songs, music and arts.
• Take pleasure in countryside than city/town.
• Fun loving.
• Poor communication skill in English language.
• Possess less interest in religion and religious activities.
• Love gathering, fairs and festivals.
• Like individual freedom.

7. Israeli tourist
• Prefer travelling  in a group or with friends.
• Highly time-bounded and appreciate punctuality.
• Poor communication skill in English language.
• Enjoy songs , music and arts.
• Appreciate being address by their appropriate surname.
• Very strict on religious matters.
• Does excessive bargain on purchase.
• man of many words.
• Love to visit  and gamble in casinos.

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Impacts of Tourism

Business of tourism
Economic Impacts of Tourism
Tourism is considered by many to be the largest industry in the world and the fastest growing. Tourism can provide many benefits for host communities and countries but there are also negative effects. Impact studies are carried out with the aim of improving our understanding of the positive and negative impacts of tourism so that steps can be taken to lessen the negative effects and work at sustainable tourism development. In other words, sustainable tourism development is concerned with maximising the benefits while minimising the negative effects.
Tourism is seen by governments as a useful tool for economic development. The economic benefits tourism may offer include:
• Employment: tourism is a labour intensive industry,
• Entrepreneurial opportunities,
• Generate tax revenues,
• Development in rural regions,
• Foreign exchange generator,
• Tourism promotes other industries, particularly in services sectors of the economy.
Tourism contributes in four major areas of the national economy:
• Income
• Balance of Payments
• Employment
• Regional economic development

Income


Salaries, interest, rent and profits all contribute to income generation. In the tourism industry, which is labour intensive, the greatest proportion of income will be derived from salaries paid to the workers both directly serving tourists or from those benefiting indirectly from tourists’ spending.

Tourism is the main income generator for one-third of the developing nations but is also a major generator in the Western world. In New Zealand, tourism is of prime importance in areas where there is little other industry such as in Wanaka and the Bay of Islands. Interest, rent and profits can generate income from loans to companies building hotels or rental paid to the landowner for a tourism attraction.

Taxation also contributes to income in the form of G.S.T. in New Zealand and V.A.T. in the United Kingdom. In Fiji, there is an accommodation tax of 3% levied on hotel rooms. Departure taxes are now levied by most countries and some including the USA also have an arrival tax.

The sum on all incomes is called the national income and the importance to a country’s economy is measured by looking at the proportion of national income created by tourism. In New Zealand, for the year ended 2004, tourism contributed $6.2 billion or 4.9% of New Zealand’s total industry contribution the GDP.
Multiplier Effect


The tourist income multiplier or ‘ripple’ effect accounts for the indirect impact of tourist spending on the economy. The multiplier is expressed as a ratio between one dollar of tourist spending and the number of times it is re-spent. For example, a multiplier of 0.72 has been calculated for Fiji. This means that 72 % of each dollar of original visitor spending is re-spent in the Fijian economy.

Some major weaknesses have been identified in calculating economic multipliers. One particular problem is the difficulty involved in collecting accurate data of tourist expenditure. Tourism involves a large number of sectors in the economy and tourists spend their money on extremely diverse goods and services. Also, tourism comprises many small, owner-operated businesses. It is likely that a number of operators do business informally, though cash or barter transactions and some transactions are never recorded. Due to the difficulties in obtaining accurate data on how much money is spent by tourists and the numerous small and informal businesses in the industry, multiplier ratios can only be approximations.
Leakages
Determining the economic impact of tourism is more complicated than simply calculating tourist expenditure. The value of tourist expenditure to the host country is reduced by the value of imported goods and services required to satisfy the needs of tourists. This is referred to as leakage. If the host country has constraints on its ability to supply goods and services to tourists, the grater the number of visitors the more imports will be required and the multiplier ratio will fall. Imports may include materials for construction, petrol, information technology and even food and water for some small island communities. Leakages explain why only a portion of the income generated is re-spent in the local economy.

Balance of payments
International tourists contribute to a receiving country’s balance of payments through money being spent credited to their balance of payments. A New Zealander spending money in Australia, places a debit on New Zealand’s and a credit on Australia’s balance of payments. The outflow of New Zealand money being spent abroad by New Zealanders is an import, while the inflow of foreign tourists’ money spent in New Zealand counts as an export.
The total value of receipts minus the total payments made during the year represents a country’s balance of payments of the tourism account.
International tourism is an ‘invisible’ export which helps to balance imports and thus improve the balance of payments.

Employment
The UNWTO has estimated that around 260 million people work in jobs directly related to tourism worldwide and will represent approximately 8.3% of total world employment.
In tourism dependant countries such as the Caribbean, as many as 25% of all jobs are associated with the tourism industry. An estimated 102,700 full-time employees (or 5.9% of total employment in New Zealand were actively engaged in producing goods and services for tourists in 1994.
Developments in technology are affecting labour opportunities in employment. Computer reservation systems are replacing manual systems and as a result fewer agents are working in airlines and hotel chains. The increasing use of the Internet for reservations has also reduced numbers of travel agencies are airline offices.
Call centres are replacing branches, often situated in low-wage countries like India. The success of the tourism industry relies on the supply of a skilled labour force to serve the needs of the tourists.

Investment and development
The level of investment in tourism can determine the success of a region. The investment can be private of public. Often there is a ‘chicken and egg’ situation where there is an unwillingness to invest until there is a flow of tourists but the tourists will not come to the region until there is facilities e.g. hotels, restaurants to attract them.
Often there is a flow on effect and other industries will be attracted to the area to provide services for both tourists and workers
Another consideration in calculating the economic effects of tourism involves the opportunity costs. Money and other resources, committed to tourism could have been used for different purposes, providing alternative benefits for the host community. Labour is a good example. If local workers are employed in tourism then other industries such as fruit picking or agriculture may suffer. If there is a shortage of skilled labour, workers may be imported from other countries, resulting in further leakages from the economy. Capital expenditure on developing tourism-related establishments precludes spending scarce resources on other types of development with alternative uses. Inflation can be caused by high levels of expenditure by foreign tourists which increase the prices of food, transportation, and clothing and as in the case of Queenstown, land values,

Social and Environmental Impacts of Tourism
A cost-benefit analysis for tourism developments should assess the social and environmental impacts as well as economic effects. Sustainable development means that tourism is designed to fit with the social and natural environment and not cause the destination to become less desirable for visitors and permanent residents. Social and environmental can also have the negative impact, for example, tourist that coloring the tree, destroy the pathway of the forest and so on

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Activities and Attractions Of tourists for hotel Industry

Activities and Attractions Of tourists

      All destinations require features that will attract tourists to come and see and experience these activities and attractions. They can range from physical features; beauty of the mountains to the quality of a beach to activities such as jet boating down a river or shopping and entertainment.

Attractions can be categorized as either natural which includes mountains, geothermal areas, forests or constructed attractions which must be created and maintained. Examples of constructed attractions are amusement parks, museums and art galleries, wildlife parks, events, staged entertainment, cultural exhibitions, gardens and historical buildings.

Sales

      Also known as the travel sector, sales involves the distribution of tourism products to the consumer through retail travel agents, tour operators and wholesalers. As already demonstrated the tourism product is diverse and includes transport, attractions/activities, accommodation and ancillary services. The sales sector is especially important in tourism because the customer and the service are geographically separated. For example, a customer in Brisbane may purchase the bulk of their Central Otago skiing holiday at home, before they leave, including: air tickets, transfers, hire car, hotel accommodation and ski passes.

The tourism product can be sold in a variety of ways:

1.The customer purchases directly from the supplier (principal) Many companies such as Air New Zealand are encouraging their customers to do this, especially for domestic flights. The growth in internet use and the ease of gaining information and booking via the web means more and more visitors are choosing to book tourism products themselves.

Advantages for the supplier are more profit as no commission has to be paid to intermediary, save time and reduce possibility of mistakes and supplier maintains control of sale e.g. a hotel could offer an upgrade to a suite to promote future business with customer. Disadvantages would be increased cost to supplier in establishing an office to promote their product and can antagonise intermediaries

2.The customer accesses the supplier through an intermediary Intermediaries include retail travel agents, conference planners and information offices (I-Site in New Zealand). Sometimes organisations usually considered to fall within the other sectors may also act as intermediaries e.g. a hotel booking guests into an activity and taking payment, or a tour company booking clients into accommodation. Intermediaries usually gain a commission of between 10 and 20% for making bookings.

An intermediary will provide a service that adds value for the traveller. For example, a travel agent may negotiate with an airline for special rates or conditions, or they may offer value in other ways such as providing specialised knowledge or a greater range of choices for itinerary planning. Travel agents may specialise in particular destinations, modes of travel or provide services for niche market segments.

3.The customer accesses the supplier through two intermediaries. Travel agents will often use wholesalers to book products for their clients. Wholesalers negotiate with suppliers and sell products such as all-inclusive tours. Many retail travel agencies have wholesaling arms e.g. the retail travel agency chain House of Travel has the wholesale arm Travel Plan.

Wholesale tour operators put together tours combining transport, accommodation, activities and in the case of fully inclusive tours ancillary services such as food etc. These tours are usually sold via a travel agent. Some tour operators do deal directly with the public i.e. Contiki.

The travel agents role is different to other retailers because they do not purchase a product for resale to their customers.

Commission

Travel agents and tour operators can earn their income from commission paid by the service provider they are representing, and not by the purchaser. Airlines are reducing the levels of commission they currently pay to agents making it necessary to sell more to make larger amounts of commission these days.

Examples of commission rates to travel agents include 5-9% on international air tickets, 10% for a tour package, cruise or accommodation (this can be more depending on the preferred status held with the supplier), and 33% for travel insurance.

With the current changes to the commission system such as a single capped fee, direct booking over the phone or internet and e-ticketing, agents are working harder to make their commission. The focus on selling domestic fares is lower as there is very little to be made on these bookings now days and more concentration is taking place on the add-ons to the international flights.

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. However, with electronic banking, direct booking and the introduction of the Euro, their income is also decreasing. It represents a saving for the consumers who are benefiting by saving on commission.

Ancillary Services

Otherwise known as support services.

Food and Beverage

One of the most important experiences while on holiday for a lot of travellers is the consumption of food and beverage, enhanced when the food and drink in question is exceptional and/or exotic which is often the case on holidays abroad.

Countries with well-established reputations for their food and drink have ensured that these attractions are promoted prominently in their tourism campaigns. Tours are now from New Zealand offering tuition in French cooking and the many food and wine festivals around the world attract both domestic and international tourists.

One of the most famous Festivals is Oktoberfest, held annually in Munich, Germany for 2 weeks. The Speights brewery tour in Dunedin is world renowned with tourists having to book in advance.

Research conducted by Tourism New Zealand has shown that ‘Interactive Travellers’ to New Zealand are especially interested in experiencing the country’s local food and wine.

The dominance in the UK and around the world of transnational corporations such as McDonalds, KFC and Burger King has changed the eating habits of travellers. The more unadventurous of tourists can now be comfortable eating food similar to the food at home. Research conducted by Tourism New Zealand has shown that ‘Interactive Travellers’ to New Zealand are especially interested in experiencing the country’s local food and wine.

Shopping

Shopping has become the number one activity of tourists in the world. Designer brand outlets are very popular destinations throughout the United States attracting millions of visitors each year from countries such as China, Brazil, and UK. Top US destinations include Orlando Premium Outlets, Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets, Las Vegas Premium Outlets and Desert Hills Premium Outlets near Palm Springs.

Shopping can be both an attraction and a basic facility which tourists will expect at a destination. This can include souvenir shopping or purchasing basic necessities such as shampoo. Products which identify with a destination are always popular. In New Zealand, anything to do with the kiwi is sold in huge numbers in Hawaii its pineapples and macadamia nuts.

Insurance

Insurance is a very important aspect of a tourist’s travel arrangements. Most policies will cover the following:

• medical care and hospitalisation

• personal accident

• cancellation/curtailment of holiday

• delayed departure

• baggage loss

• money loss

• personal liability

The traveller must ensure that medical coverage is sufficient to meet their needs particular in countries where hospital care is very expensive. In the USA, costs in excess of $1 million are not uncommon for serious illnesses.

Foreign Transactions

The cost of an international trip can be substantial and often difficult to estimate in advance. Several factors can influence this with the key one being fluctuating exchange rates. Local taxes and tipping may be add-ons to prices that were not anticipated in advance. It is also important to consider the e cost of living between countries and how that contributes to the travellers perceptions of value.

An example of cost of living in countries would be those who want to travel to Scandinavia. The cost of living is very high especially when buying food. In somewhere like Bali the cost of living is not as high – food and souvenirs are much cheaper but it must also be remembered that tourists help to boost the economy. Hence, after the bombing in Bali in 2003 the economy took a dive until tourists deemed it safe to travel there again.

International travellers have an increasing number of ways they can pay for goods and services while in a foreign country. These include:

• Taking cash from home. However, this may lead to theft or loss, and some countries have restrictions on the import or export of their currencies.

• Taking traveller’s cheques. Used widely around the world, traveller’s cheques provide security with compensation for theft and loss. Standard premium charge of 1%.

• Arrange for the advance transfer of funds to a foreign bank.

• Use travel vouchers provided by travel intermediaries. Tour, transport, accommodation or meals may be purchased in advance.

• Use a credit card to purchase goods and services or for cash advances. Fees may apply and if there is a delay between purchase transaction and debit of the holder’s account, currency exchange fluctuations may alter the amount of the purchase.

• Use an eftpos card to access money/make purchases. The card needs to have the internationally recognised symbol on the back of it and then funds are accessed direct from bank account and are available from ATM machines 24 hours a day.

Commission Charges

The standard commission charged is 1.5% which can be a relatively small amount if the traveller is not purchasing much. Therefore, there is a minimum charge which is passed on to the client of $5.00 if the 1.5% commission is less than $5.00. This discourages people from only exchanging small amounts of traveller’s cheques over the counter.

Currency Codes

Currency codes are three letter standard abbreviations which identify the currency of the country. Eg. NZD = New Zealand Dollars, GBP = Great British Pounds The introduction of the EURO has reduced the number of foreign currencies now used in Europe and makes it easier for the traveller when carrying traveler's  cheques, for instance.

Currency Exchange Rates

International transactions require buyers and sellers to deal in foreign currencies. The price of one currency in terms of another is called the exchange rate. Currency exchange rates are usually floating and values fluctuate depending on supply and demand in the global marketplace. Fluctuation, either appreciation or depreciation, depends on a number of economic and political considerations. If a country, for example, suffers a war or terrorist attack then it becomes politically unstable and people will not go there. If it is not receiving large numbers of tourists anymore then the economy suffers and the value of the currency will drop.

Changes in exchange rates are usually small in the short term, but over a period of weeks or months, trends can result in substantial differences. Changes in some currencies can have knock-on effects for others too. For example, the value of the New Zealand dollar is linked to the US dollar and the Japanese Yen.

International travellers have an increasingly wide range of ways in which they can now pay for their goods and services abroad. These can include:

• Traveller’s cheques - which are still widely used as they are readily available and recognised throughout the world and offer the security of replacement if lost or stolen.

• Both credit card and cash card usage are increasing but it is recommended that travellers also take an assortment of notes and travellers cheques in case of card theft.

Tourist publications and information

Traditionally this information has been in the form of brochures, but the Internet is now an increasingly important source of information for tourists and for tourism operators. Availability of current information for tourists is vitally important e.g. weather, local transportation, attractions etc. Travel guides such as the Lonely Planet series are immensely popular and continue to be updated and extended each year. Some guidebooks are now taking the form of travel blogs and wikis, such as Wikivoyage and Wikitravel. Podcasts prove to be very useful as the audio information can be downloaded over the Internet to a computer, then transferred automatically to a portable audio player. Virgin Atlantic was one of the first companies to offer this service when they launched a guide to New York. The key benefit is that it is free, can be instantaneously updated and quick and easy to use while on the move.

i-SITE offices in New Zealand have a vital role in providing information on local and national visitor attractions and activities, accommodation and transport. They are operated and funded by local councils e.g. Dunedin City Council.

Entertainment

This category includes cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, bars, casinos and shows. Many tourists will look for entertainment and expect these facilities to be available especially in cities. If it is not available, this is reflected highly in visitor’s surveys as a reason for dissatisfaction.

Indirect Elements

Infrastructural needs

Infrastructure is critical to the success of the tourism product. Without suitable access to a destination whether by road or air, the tourist will not be able to visit. Airports must have certain facilities to gain status as in international airport e.g. Duty Free facilities.

Communications also play a vital role especially today when people expect cell phone coverage and internet access to keep in touch with family and friends or for business.

Access to clean public toilets can be very important to the satisfaction of a tourist’s holiday. Clear signage is vital for independent travellers both within the cities to show routes to attractions, on roads to point out the way to destinations and also within and outside tourist attractions providing information.

The manufacturing and building industry are vital to providing the superstructure tourists need – hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions.

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Importance of Tourism

Importance of Tourism
  Tourism is a hospitality industries, which  has been growing very fast to be one of the major industries of the world. it plays an important role in the national economy. The industrial product produced is an economy like ours not in a position to compete with the foreign goods due to the quality competition. Hence, the tourism industry helps to generated direct foreign exchange and employed opportunities. It also creates consciousness among people. The important of tourism is summarized as under.

1. Employment generation: Of the total global workforce, more than 10% is employed in the different aspect of tourism industry. In Nepal alone, almost 1.5 million workforce are engaged in tourism , Which generates direct as well as indirect employment opportunities to general masses. People are now engaged in travel trade such as hotels, lodges, travel agencies, trekking, rafting, mountaineering, tour guide, etc. This has definitely uplifted peoples living standard and income.

2. Source of foreign exchange: Through tourism, a country is able to earn large amounts of foreign exchange which is required for various development projects. since exports are limited tourism has become major source of earning foreign exchange.

3. Trade development: Tourist take back some article instruments like idols hand craft, garments, carpets and other product with them back to their homes. The sale of such things has been an important source of foreigen exchange. foreigen investment in tourism is another important factor of trade development.

4. social/culture development: people can learn about their social status, culture, religion, economic and moral standard, life style, etc.and exchange , we provided the information about our culture, norms and values. this brings changes in attitude and life style of people supertuitions and belifes change. hence tourism has a grate educative aspect too.

5. Promation of to nation: tourism helps to publicize the country in different parts of the world. it's helps to familiarized the local arts, skill, natural beauty, land scape culture, it's people and hospitality to the world. It is learnt that the tourist wants visits propagates and more and more tourist are aspired to visit the beautiful destinations.

6. expands markets: tourism helps to widen the market for local and indigenous products. touris is the not effects by foreign restrictions, foreign competition and limited markets. hence, the incress of travel trade with in national boundaries widens due to tourism. it is because every tourist is both the consumer and exporter of local product.

7. source of public revenues : tourism is also valuable source of public revenue. the government earns income from travel trade in the from of hotal and resturent tax ,visa fee, airpot tax, roylti etc. the revenue thus earned can be invested in various development works and to develop new tourist destinations by the public sector.    

Tourism brings money into a country. If you pay to fly, let's say, to Jamaica, here's what happens. Jamaica needs an airport to receive flights. Building an airport gives hundreds of people jobs, because construction workers are needed to perform the fabrication. Then there are thousands of people who get jobs to run the airport. Once you and your friends (and thousands of other people) start flying in to Jamaica, hotels are needed. This means hotel companies come and spend millions of dollars to pay the government of Jamaica for permits to build, they pay construction workers to build the hotels, and they give jobs to people who run the hotels. This all happens even before you travel. Once you're off the plane, you pay the hotels and you spend money to go sightseeing. This pays the salaries of tour guides, boat captains, cab drivers etc. Also while in the country, you'll likely be buying meals and going out for drinks or entertainment or buying souvenirs, all of which give money to the people of Jamaica. So, in essence, in almost any country, tourism is a welcome boost to the country's economy, but especially in countries where there is a high level of poverty and a slow job market, tourism lends millions of dollars to people very much in need of income.


Several important reasons for tourism include: 

- Economic development through tourism income
- Promoting concerned central place for business
- Creation of a wide range of jobs
tourism is important in many ways in the world it can be for leisure,business,education,culture and its fun it is the very happiest part of the life .

Tour 
Tourism is important because it brings in extra money. People are will to pay $20 for a $5 hat that says new york on it. Also, it gives restaurants more customers, because people do not necessarily bring boxes of food, and stove and oven with them on vacation.
The Tourism industry is important for any country as it brings in foreign currency, allows for cultural exchanges between people and creates many working places for the citizens. arketing for this industry and I will slowly approach the ubiquitous ROI. So stay with me!

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Characteristic of Tourism or Tourism Industries

Characteristic of Tourism or Tourism Industries



Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries as well as the major source of foreign exchange earning and employment for many developing countries.

World tourism demand continues to exceed expectations, showing resilience against extraneous factors. According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, released (November 2006):
• In the first eight months of 2006 international tourist arrivals totalled 578 million worldwide (+4.5%), up from 553 million in the same period of 2005, a year which saw an all-time record of 806 million people travelling internationally.
• Growth is expected to continue in 2007 at a pace of around 4% worldwide.

Tourism is vital to the well being of many countries, because of the income generated by the consumption of goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry and the opportunity for employment and economic advancement by working in the industry.

Following are some of Characteristics of tourism

• Tourism activities should take place away from the familiar home environment.
• Tourism arises from the movement of people to the unfamiliar destinations.
• There are two elements in all tourism, the journey to the destination and the stay including activities on the way to and at the destination.
• The journey and stay takes place outside the normal place of residence and work, so that the activities done by them are different and unique from the activities of the local people.
• The visit to the destination should be temporary in character, and the visitor should return to one's usual place of residence after a few days, weeks or months.
• The visit undertaken to the destination should not be for emigration, politics or for employment residence should be spent in the destination visited.
• Traveling is involved in all tourism, but neither all travel is tourism nor all travelers are tourists. tourism is purely a leisure activity undertaken during leisure for pleasure.

And other characteristics are there.
Perish ability
Perish ability is one of the most important characteristics of the tourism industry. The products/services in the tourism and travel industry are consumed as they are produced. Hotel rooms and cable car seats cannot be warehoused for futures sales. When a hotel room is not booked tonight, you cannot take ‘tonight’ and sell it tomorrow. Once the train left the station, unused capacity cannot be sold afterwards – provided that it was no time-traveling train.
 As an uncertainty in customer demand leverages this issue, hotels and travel agencies tend to overbook available rooms and seats. Finding an alternative product for the customer and living with the consequences of overbooking is statistically more economical.

Inconsistency  
Inconsistency Products of the tourism industry always differ. Even the same hotel room in the same week with the same weather can be perceived differently due to the mood of the chef. It is always about the experience that the customer makes. Rational product attributes like price, nights of stay, and additional services can only be compared to a minor degree. It is challenging to deal with the customer perception of the product (the perceived quality) as it is highly affected by numerous uninfluenceable aspects such as weather, construction sites, other customers etc. Hence, the product is very inconsistent and cannot be standardized.

Investment and immobility
Talking about hotels and other accommodations there is usually a big capital lockup in the assets. Hotels have furniture, restaurants, TV-sets, laundry-service, pools, saunas etc. – invested capital that has to pay off.
And that’s not all – all those investments are attached to one locality which means that those tourism companies are to a huge extent dependent on the attractiveness of the region, the country, its surroundings and so forth.

People-oriented
The tourism industry builds entirely upon people. The interaction between the staff and the customer determines the perceived product quality. Unlike tangible products where the customer buys certain features, production quality, durability etc. the holiday quality results from personal interactions starting with the information and booking process over the stay up to the journey home.

Inseparability
Most travel products are first sold and the produced and consumed at the same time. This is an aspect which clearly sets tourism apart from tangible products. When you buy a new computer it is produced and shipped before you see it on the website or at the retailer’s premise. The consumption of that computer – using it – takes place after purchase at your home. You cannot take the hotel room home – only the small bottles of shampoo and toothpaste. And you cannot enjoy the alpine sleigh ride in your living room. Tourism products can only be consumed at the supplier’s premise.

Intangibility
Tourism products are intangible. A night in a hotel, a day in a ski-resort, the calm flight with the nice attendant, and the smiling tour-guide taking you to the peak of an alpine mountain – all this cannot be touched. Tourism is all about the time spent and the experience made. The products sold by tourism companies both can’t be reproduced or reused. Nor can the feeling of consumption be captured to its full extent. There are merely attempts with photographs and video cameras. Probably everybody was already in the situation where you showed your holiday pictures to your family or friends and said “Well, it looked better when I was there. The picture cannot really reproduce the sentiment)… Tourism is a subjective picture planted into the customers’ minds.

Inflexibility
Travel products are fairly inflexible in terms of fluctuation. Hotels cannot change their capacities quickly enough to react on spontaneous fluctuations in demand. Hence, such companies try to balance between high and low demands, so that it’s not too much of a pain for the company when restaurant tables remain empty and for customers when there are no more tables available.

Imitable            
Offers and products by tourism companies are generally easy to copy. When the neighbor hotel adds a masseur to its SPA offer you more or less only need somebody with a firm grip and here you go. So how can hotels build a unique selling proposition? Originality, consistency, location etc. – but not by hoping that their services are not imitable.
These are all relevant characteristics, which have to be taken into consideration for marketing activities.  In my further posts I will discuss traditional marketing measures and social media.

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Types of Tourism and Transportation

Types of Tourism 

Tourism has  been an integral to the economy and society in many countries. Therefore, it becomes very important to know the types of tourism that are popular within the  country and also abroad. following are some of the types of tourism.

1. Recreational tourism: The activities of this tourism are mostly related to body and mind. It is also concerned with relaxation, rest and excitement. It is often snow, sand, sun, sea and sex (5s) promoted by beautiful color pictures. This is centralized in big cities, such as night clubs casino and many other recreational areas. Pleasure/holiday tourists prefer to spend time in this tourism, and money is not considered a constraint depending upon the individual interest and desire. Recreation/pleasure tourist prefer to go lass Vegas, Disney land , etc.  

2.  Adventure tourism: This type of  tourism is mostly organized in adventurous places and remote areas where tourists enjoy exciting new experience and ideas, such as trekking, rafting, mountain climbing, bungee jumping etc. Usually this  type of tourism is more popular among the youths.

3. Business Tourism: This is the major part of the overall tourism business, which is much related  to professional works (entrepreneurial role) of the tourist for trade and commerce. In these tourism activities, tourists/trading companies are located, such as international banks, shopping centers, business house, tour and travel agencies, hotels, catering industry, etc. These tourists  have been motivated to attend grand convention complex for business meeting and seminar by private  and public sectors. these travelers may require to same facilities and services as recreational tourists within the limited time, and their capacity of spending money is also  higher.

4. Religious tourism: This type of Tourism  involves visits to pilgrims to attain salvation, religious charity deeds or religious merits. People, who are spiritually guided to visit  pilgrimages, are usually determined by their religion and belief. For example, large number of people from Europe pay with to Rome (Italy), considering it their pious birth places. Similarly, the Buddhists pay visit to Lumbini, The Hindus are guided visit one of the four holy shrines   in one's lifetime and the Muslim pay visit to Mecca and Madina. 

5. Sports Tourism: This is related to various sports events that consist of programs and activities for the visit specific purpose of promoting the practice of sports/game by the players and professional. People Perform such activities to attain extreme and exotic pleasure. It needs physical efforts and skills, such as golf, tennis, car racing, driving , horse riding, fishing, wind surfing, etc. Duration of the stay in this tourism as the spot is shorter than other tourism.

6. Historical Tourism: This tourism mainly deals with the magnificence of the gone by days the main purpose  of this type of tourism is to see the ancient civilization. Such as archaeological remains, historical monuments, proto historical development, etc. Such as tourism is tourism is very popular in  Egypt where more than one millions tourist visit Cairo to see the pyramids. They also visit to see the museums and historical places there.

7. Environment/Eco-tourist: Eco is prefix that is concerned with the environment. Eco-tourism is becoming very popular in the present time. It is to see and observe man-land relationship, biological diversity, landscape, topography, wild life, etc. In Makes the possibility of reaching to such attractive destination by means of copy and reasonable transportation system, such as:

Water Transportation

Transport by water can be an attraction in itself whether you are travelling on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean or on a ferry between Wellington and Picton. Travelling by water has been more popular as tourists seek to avoid the frustrations of air travel with its airport delays, congestion and the lack of comfort in the air (unless travelling first class!). Cruising has undergone a revival and all forms of recreational pursuits on the water including yachting and jet boating have expanded to fulfil this demand.

Air

Advances in aviation technology has meant that travel by air is now relatively safe, economical, quick and reasonably comfortable. The development of the jet airliner after World War II to the first jumbo jet, the Boeing 747 in 1970 led to rapid falls in seat cost per passenger kilometre. The advances have continued with the Airbus ‘super jumbo’ A380 a double-decker aircraft seating between 550-800 passengers enters service in late 2007 with Singapore Airlines operating the aircraft on the London -Singapore – Sydney route.

There are two basic type of air transport operation:

1. Scheduled services

2. Charter services

Scheduled services operate on defined routes, domestic or international, for which licences have been granted by the governments concerned. The airline must operate on the basis of their timetable regardless of the passenger loading.

Fully state owned carriers such as Singapore Airlines and the Emirates are known as the national flag-carriers. Even when the carrier has been privatised as in the case of British Airways the airline is still seen as the national flag carrier. Air New Zealand was privatised but after the 9/11 disaster 80 per cent of the carrier was returned into public ownership. Air transport is very important to the national economy of a country and a government will often assist in times of crisis.

Low Cost Airlines LCA’s or LCLF (low cost low fare) carriers has been a major development in scheduled services in the last decade. A total of 80 million people travelled on European no-frills carriers in 2004 up from 47 million in 2003. These airlines create a cost-competitive advantage by using some of the following means:

• operate from secondary airports which have lower landing fees and are less congested allowing quicker turnarounds and more flights

• operate on high density, short-haul routes with one class of seating

• charge passengers for food, drink and entertainment

• sell only via the Internet

• tickets are inflexible – generally non-refundable

• not operating frequent flying programmes and keeping airport passenger services to a minimum

Charter services do not operate according to a published timetable and so do not have to operate with uneconomical loadings. They are not advertised or promoted by the airlines themselves as they are usually charted by intermediaries – usually tour operators. Many charter flights are sold as part of a package holiday in which the price paid includes flights, accommodation and other services.. Such packages are frequently cheaper than regular schedule airline fares. 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 to travel 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 always proved competitive with the specialist charter . In New Zealand, Freedom Air was established by the Mount Cook Group in response to the competition from the charter airline, Kiwi Air (went in to voluntary liquidation in 1996). Freedom Air now operates as a scheduled airline from smaller airports eg Dunedin and Hamilton. The economics of charter flights demand that the flights should operate on the basis of near 100% seat occupancy.

Land Transportation

Land transportation can be used for travelling from home to a host destination, within the destination and between the host destinations.

Motorcars

Tourists can use privately owned cars for independent and flexible holidays both domestic and international. They can take day excursions or longer trips. The explosion in private car ownership has changed the tourism industry by establishing a need for motels, bed and breakfasts, home stays, roadside cafes and car ferry services particularly in Europe.

The car rental business is divided into two categories, the large international companies e.g. Hertz, Avis, Budget and the small, locally based companies. The larger companies will have contracts with airports and railways maintaining a desk at the location for easier collection of vehicles, links with airlines and hotels, (some large hotel chains offering desk space in their reception area) and access to their business through a computer reservation system (CRS) and website.

Rail
Rail travel has declined in popularity because of the rise in ownership of private vehicles, the advent of jet aircraft and the failure of rail operators around the world to adapt to changing tourists needs. The Orient Express (www.orient-expresstrains.com), the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Tranz Alpine railway (www.tranzscenic.co.nz) are all well known for their sight seeing appeal and are attractions in their own right. Rail can provide efficient links between airports and city centres and can carry large numbers of passengers and luggage. E.g. London, Frankfurt, Paris and Rome. Trains often have an advantage over coach travel as they are a lot faster. Inter-city express services operate in Britain, Europe, U.S.A. and Japan. For rail travel within a city, tourists tend to travel by underground trains such as the ‘Tube’ in London, Le Metro in Paris and the ‘Bart’ in San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, Rome and Prague also have their own underground rail systems. Tickets offering unlimited travel by train, marketed to inbound tourists and only sold prior to departure, have boosted sales of rail travel. These included Eurailpasses in Europe and Britrail pass in Britain.

Campervans
These are becoming increasingly popular both in New Zealand and overseas especially in the USA 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.

Coach

Coach operations can be categorised as follows:

• express coach services, domestic and international

• private hire services

• tour and excursion operations

• transfer services

Greyhound in the USA is one of the most famous inter city express coach operators but must compete with budget airlines and AMTRAK rail services for its customers. In New Zealand, the Intercity bus service operates between major cities. Coaches can be hired by groups to travel to special events e.g. Millbrook concerts or for educational purposes e.g. tourism students educational tours. Escorted package tours are the most visible use of coaches in the travel industry where there is a combination of accommodation, sightseeing by coach and transportation between cities. E.g. Trafalgar Tours, Contiki Tours. The majority of coaching holidays are booked by the over-45s. City sightseeing tours for half-day or full-day are usually undertaken by coaches or mini-buses. They can be specialised coaches such as London’s double-decker buses or open-decked used in Auckland.

Transfers from airports to hotels are often by provided coach transportation especially when the distance makes the cost of travelling by taxi prohibitive. Some accommodation providers will also provide complimentary transfers by mini-coach or they will be included in the cost of the package holiday.

Actually, Most of the Tourism activities are concerned with transport, Facility. People, Who have been travelling away from home, spend a major percentage of budget in their fare. In research shows that a tourist spends around 40% of budget on fare. The tourist attraction, which are situated near tourist generating markets, and are linked b by a network of efficient transport, receive the maximum number of tourists. For example Chitwan National park receive more tourists than national parks which lacks efficient transport service and facilities

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Introduction of Evaluation of Tourism

Evaluation of Tourism
    The gradual change and development of an idea, situation or objective is referred to as evolution. Hence, evaluation of tourism refer to the gradual development of the tourism activities from the past to present and perhaps. It will continue in the future too.
Since in the beginning of human civilization in this world. Travelling has been an ongoing event. The early man travelled for hunting and food gathering. Later, as society evolved. Travelling became prominent but became limited to trade, pilgrimage, studies, migration, royal affairs and exploration, rather than for pleasure and entertainment. So, one can sum up that travelling is a human nature but tourism is a process and activities of new phenomenon.
The evolution of tourist can be divided into three phase.

The first phase 
      The first phase of tourism is referred to as the tourism before railways, which represents the period before 1840 A.D. Before the individual Revolution travel was primarily undertaken for the purpose undertaken for the purpose of trade and pilgrimage.
In the Medieval period (12-17th century), the European had different notions of travelling. According to their belief, if someone did not visit any new places in one's own life time, she/he was highly neglected in the society. So every individual were supposed to visit at least Italy, as Rome was recognized as the places of original and religious shrine too. This period, the reason of travelling drastically changed as most people started to travel abroad for the purpose of receiving higher education during this period. The Aristocrats of the Europe used to send their children abroad for attaining higher education. This kind of tourism is called "Proto Tourism ".
In the 18th century, the motive for travelling changed further. During this period sick people started to undertake travel to 'spa' for cure of some persistent disease. It is believed that modern tourism begun from 'spa' In those days, Nice in France, Baden in Germany and Carlsberg in Czechoslovakia were very popular for spa Europe.
Gradually, the way of taking mineral water and spa was changed to coastal areas where people believed that after taking bath in the sea, they would get recovered. Thus, the sea bathing concept was emerged. Since people started visiting coastal areas, there was a dire need to build accommodation and cater food, drink, and transportation to this mass. Hence, hotels and resorts started to emerge in such destinations.

The Second Phase
        The second phase of tourism marks the onset of industrial revaluation. The introduction and development of railways after 1830 A.D. revolutionized the entire scenario of travelling. The first ever rail link between Liverpool and Manchester in the same year can be regarded as the landmark in the history of mechanized transport.
In the later years, the concept of tourism gradually evolved. In 1841 AD, Thomas cook, a Baptist by profession, initiated the  concept of travel agency. He not only operated the travel agency, but also led the group outside the London. He is regarded as the pioneer travel organizer, Who led the group from Leicester to Loughborough  for the first time. He is also regarded as the father of the modern tourism. Few years later, some Europeans also instigated similar activities from cook. In 1983, an agency of Mr. Henry Lunn also conceptualized modern winter sports in skilling in Switzerland. He development of steam engine in trains and ships in the 18th century. As a result, the mobility of businessman and labors further enhanced people involved in trans-Atlantic trade and deep sea shipping became very popular. Though transport facilities encouraged people to visit different places, they lacked the confidence of receiving personal safety and security in destination chosen for visiting. Realizing the problem of the visitors, travel cherub and American express card was  introduced in America between 1872 to 1891 AD. This made the visitors more facilitated and secured.
In the 18th century AD, industrial revolution brought tremendous change in contemporary Europe. There was frequent migration of the rural people to urban, and industrial areas. People who were following agricultural as their main occupation started to earn their living by working in the factories. Since the migrants worked in the factories, they got holiday once a week, paid leave of one month annually and their purchasing power also got reinforced. Hence, the working class also started opting for travelling during holidays and leaves for pleasure. In order to cater to the needs of this mass large number of hotels and resorts came into existence. All in all, the concept of tourism started to pick-up gradual momentum in this phase.

The Third Phase 
        By the onset of 20th century. the essential components of tourism almost reached an optimal point. The general mass also realized and perceived the educative dimension of tourism and its positive impact on the economy.
To quote Mark Twin 'even heaven can be boring after a while' stood true this juncture. A large number of people started to visit new destination, away from their usual of residence, during leisure for pleasure. The journey to these destination  were under taken solely to escape their routine life. This strengthened the tourism industry and further consolidated then the existing transportation industry well.
After the world war-2, when United Nations came into existence in 1945 AD, the hostility between the countries almost became non-existent. The international barriers broke down and serene environment started to prevail. This made the group for tourism industry more fertile and further fuelled the prospect of tourism and its related industries. It is during this period the world economy experienced a landmark growth in tourism industry.
After 2nd great world war, people became quite  busy and they didn’t have time to visit abroad for long duration. However, they seemed determined to spend their  holidays outside their country/usual place of residence. This meant they needed comfortable, swift and safe means of transport. Hence, the use of the jet planes to reduce the time of journey became prominent. People started to travel in package tours gradually. Their mode of travelling became a parts of life style and tourism became pure industry. Thus, the 20th century can be marked as " The Century of mass tourism".
           
Finally tourism has been recognized as one of the largest industry in the world. By 1960's people not    only gave emphasis on tourism but also became conscious on environmental issues. There were uncountable visitors in coastal areas, which made the areas more polluted. Even cities became highly polluted in order to continue tourism as an industry.
Today, lot of organization, institutions, entrepreneurs, NGO's, INGO's and public sector have focused  more on the preservation and conservation of the environment. Hence, the tourism of the 21th century is marked as " the century of eco –friendly tourism ".

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introduction of Nature of Tourism

 Nature of Tourism 
        The nature of tourism is closely connected with travelling. It has been a human phenomenon since the beginning of human civilization. It is a sensitive factor of the human nature in the context of moving to survive, explore, and to know the unknown .In the early times, they stared travelling as nomads in search of prey and food. Later, the development of the agricultural system created a base of the movement of people as a traveler. Then the Output of industrial revolution made travelling prominent to various destinations. It made the travelers life style easier and safer to realize their tourism activities.

Thus, The modern tourism is absolutely changed due to complete development of over all sectors to tourism of tourism components and consciousness of the people. The nature of tourism is described in the following headline.


1. Tourism and service: Tourism is a service industry, which is composed of those sector of the economy that are involved in providing service, such as accommodation , food, beverage, transportation and recreation as well as distribution and sales service. Tourism industry has been taken as the term that denotes work, productively, employment income, economic growth, social development, etc. But it does not produce any commodity which can not be touched or taken home. Hence, tourism is hospitality industry and a bridge between people. It makes a valuable contribution to the words economy by employing more people than any other industry

2. Tourism is a contribution to the economy: Through tourism a great deal of income is generated in the economy in the form of domestic or international exchange. A large chunk of workforce gets employed in the Industry. It is also a major contributor to the public revenue. The nature too can be conserved owing to tourism. The natural resource of the economy can be tapped and the friendly relation with other countries can result in the benefit to the economy.

3. Tourism comprises of various industrial business: Tourism can be defined as the activities of the tourist and those who cater for them. Therefore, it is evident from the above definition that tourist alone are insufficient for the tourism industry. The existence of other components is equally crucial for the proper functioning of this industry. Hence, the co-existence of diverse business organizations makes this industry/decentralized industry or legitimate industry(an industry of industry).

4. Tourism product are highly perishable: The intangible product involved in tourism i.e. service is very short lived. It is not possible to store like tangible products. Hence, if the service is not rendered within a definite time frame, then the return tends to be zero, or even negative. Such lost revenue can never be recovered.

5. Tourism is related with sumptuousness: Tourism is an activity undertaken by the people during leisure for pleasure. Hence, tourism activities are almost non-existent among the low income group people with a low purchasing capacity. It is luxurious concept primarily associated with the affluent and high class people having higher purchasing power. Therefore, we normally find the rich countries mostly undertaking the tourism activities.

6. Tourism products are stationary: In tourism industry the attraction inspire the aspirations of the tourists. The attraction, such as the mountain, lakes, historical monuments, museum, theme and fun park, gorges, valleys, waterfalls, climate and seasons, flora and fauna, etc. are something which cannot be copied or limited by any other countries. At the same time they are immobile. A prospective tourist need to approach these beauties and not vice a versa.

7. Tourism is an incessant industry: There is no any horizon or end to the tourism activities. Creative minds can always come up with new ideas and creativity. In tourism industry there is non- stop movement of people and the incessant move give rise to more tourism activities.

8. Tourism is an inspiration to the motivation of life style: Tourism inspire the people to exchange the life style, technically, and scientifically, as it insists their desire to experience a changed and willingness to spend money and time. Tourism inspire the traveler to get new ides both positive and negative and aspire to adopt in one's own life.

9. Tourism helps to educating the mess: There exists a spontaneous process learning and exchange of ideas in this industry. The scope of exploration and discovery is very high among adventure tourist. Due to tourism there exists a respect for each others religious belief, cultural values, tradition, rites and rituals.      

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