Basic definitions in tourism

The World Tourism Organization distinguishes between three basic forms of tourism:

— domestic tourism, involving residents of the given country travelling only within the country;

— inbound tourism, involving non-residents travelling in another country;

— outbound tourism, involving residents travelling in another country. International tourism consists of inbound and outbound tourism. Basic definitions of tourism were established at the United Nations (Conference on Tourism and International Travel, 1963) and by the United Nations Commission on Statistics (April 1968).

These definitions were revised and updated at the World Tourism Organization (WTO) conference in Ottawa in June 1991 here certain recommendations were formulated. Most countries have adopted these definitions.

In fact, travellers can be categorized in four ways:

— Domestic visitors;

— International visitors;

— International tourists;

— Excursionists.

For statistical purposes, the term "domestic visitor" described any person residing in a country, who travels to a place within the country, outside his/her usual environment for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose of visit is other than an activity for which he/she is paid within the place visited.

The term "international visitor" describes any person visiting a country other than that in which he or she has usual place of residence. The length of stay must not exceed 12 months.

Certain types of travellers are excluded from the category of "tourist" for reasons other than that of residency. These are:

- people travelling for political reasons: refugees;

— people travelling for political/professional reasons: migrants, members of the armed forces, diplomats, embassy staff;

— people travelling for professional reasons: nomads, border workers, seasonal workers, couriers;

— people sent abroad by their companies or government;

— transit passengers and permanent immigrants.

People who travel to work in a foreign country and are paid by this country have different motives for travelling than other visitors to the country. The WTO has devised a system of classifying international visitors, which separates visitors that must be included in international tourism statistics from those that must not.

A visitor whose length of stay in a country reaches or exceeds 24 hours, thus spending at least one night in the visited country, is classified as an international tourist. If classified as same-day visitors, travellers can stay in the country less than 24 hours.

The excursionist is a foreign visitor whose stay does not exceed 24 hours.

The economic impact of the international excursionist is very important to small isolated countries, which receive cruise-ship passengers.

When classified as same-day visitors, travellers spend the night on ship. The excursionist therefore does not spend the night in the country he is visiting.

It is difficult, however, to determine the tourism definition of a short trip. Generally, a journey is a trip involving non-residents travelling in another country; when a minimum distance has been covered or when there has been a change of administrative district.

2. Заполните пропуски:

a) There are three basic forms of tourism:…,…,…

b) … … involves residents of the given country travelling only within the country;

c) … … involves non-residents travelling in another country.

d) … … involves residents travelling in another country.

e) … … consists of inbound and outbound tourism.

f) The … is a foreign visitor whose stay does not exceed 24 hours

g) A visitor whose length of stay in a country reaches or exceeds 24 hours, is classified as an … ….

3. Дайте ответ на вопросы:

a) What are three basic forms of tourism?

b) What does domestic (inbound, outbound) tourism mean?

c) How can travelers be categorized?