Tourism Management Glossary

The maximum number of tourists a destination can sustain without environmental, social, or experiential degradation.

Tourism owned and managed by local communities to ensure equitable distribution of benefits.

Travel to sites associated with death, suffering, or disaster, such as battlefields and memorials.

The strategic creation of a unique identity and image for a tourism destination to attract target markets.

An entity that coordinates tourism stakeholders, marketing, and development at a destination level.

Travel by residents within their own country for leisure, business, or other purposes.

The loss of tourism revenue from a destination economy through imports, foreign profit repatriation, and external payments.

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.

Tourism focused on active, immersive participation in local culture, cuisine, and activities rather than passive observation.

Tourism motivated by visiting historical, cultural, and archaeological sites and experiencing traditions.

The sector providing accommodation, food and beverage, and related services to travelers and visitors.

Tourism involving non-residents traveling to a given country, generating foreign exchange revenue for the host nation.

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions tourism, a major segment of business travel.

Excessive visitor numbers that damage a destination's environment, culture, and quality of life.

Internal motivations driving people to travel (push) and external destination attributes attracting them (pull).

Strategic pricing and inventory optimization using demand forecasting to maximize total revenue from perishable services.

Predictable fluctuations in tourism demand across the year driven by climate, holidays, and school schedules.

Peer-to-peer platforms enabling individuals to share accommodations, transport, and services, disrupting traditional tourism sectors.

Tourism that balances economic, social, and environmental impacts to meet present and future needs.

The ratio of total economic impact to initial tourist spending, reflecting how money circulates through the local economy.

Government regulations, strategies, and plans that guide the development and management of tourism.

A statistical framework measuring tourism's contribution to GDP, employment, and investment using national accounting standards.

Butler's model describing destination evolution through exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, and decline or rejuvenation.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization, the leading international body for the promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism.

The broader economic activity generated by all categories of visitors including tourists, day-trippers, and business travelers.