Welcome to IGCSE Travel & Tourism: Main Types of Tourism!
Hello future travel experts! This chapter, 1.1, is essential because it gives us the basic language we use to discuss the industry. Understanding these definitions is like learning the alphabet of tourism—we will use these terms throughout the entire course!
Don't worry if some terms seem similar! We will break them down using simple examples to make sure you know exactly what is happening and where the tourist is coming from or going to.
Section 1: The Geographical Scope – Where Are They Travelling?
We start by dividing tourism based on whether a person crosses an international border or not.
1. Domestic Tourism
Definition: This involves people traveling within their own country. No passports or customs checks needed!
- Key Feature: The origin (start point) and the destination (end point) are in the same country.
- Example: A Canadian resident taking a holiday trip from Toronto to Vancouver.
- Appeal: Often cheaper, easier to organize, and usually uses local currency and language.
2. International Tourism
Definition: This involves people traveling outside the country where they normally live, meaning they cross a national border.
- Key Feature: Involves two or more countries.
- Example: A student from Kenya traveling to the United States for a university visit.
- Connection: International tourism is the umbrella term that covers both Inbound and Outbound tourism (explained next).
Think of 'Domestic' like a pet dog – it stays inside your home (country). 'International' is like an aeroplane – it crosses borders!
Section 2: The Direction of Travel – Inbound and Outbound
These two terms are the most common source of confusion for students. To understand them, you MUST remember to always view the travel from the perspective of the country you are talking about (the Host Country).
3. Inbound Tourism
Definition: Visitors arriving INTO a country from another country.
- Perspective: This is how a country (the destination) measures the number of foreign visitors arriving.
- Memory Aid: INbound means they are coming IN!
- Example: If we are looking at the UK's tourism statistics, a German tourist arriving in London is considered Inbound tourism for the UK.
4. Outbound Tourism
Definition: Residents traveling OUT of their country to another country.
- Perspective: This is how a country (the origin) measures how many of its residents are leaving to spend money abroad.
- Memory Aid: OUTbound means they are going OUT!
- Example: If we are looking at UK tourism statistics, a British person flying to Spain for a beach holiday is considered Outbound tourism for the UK.
For every piece of Outbound tourism from Country A, there is a corresponding piece of Inbound tourism for Country B.
Example: When a tourist leaves France (French Outbound), they become Inbound when they land in Italy.
Section 3: Defined by Time – Duration of the Trip
Tourism is also classified by how long the trip lasts. This distinction is vital for service providers (like restaurants or hotels) because it dictates what type of services are needed.
5. Day Trip (or Excursion)
Definition: Travel that takes place without an overnight stay. The person leaves home and returns home within the same 24-hour period.
- Key Feature: Zero nights spent away from home.
- Day Trippers are often called excursionists.
- Example: Driving from your home town to a large theme park for the day, and returning in the evening.
- Did You Know? Day trips can be Domestic or International (e.g., driving across a border town for a few hours of shopping).
6. Short Break
Definition: Tourism that involves a short period away from home, including at least one overnight stay, but lasting for a relatively short duration (often defined as 1 to 3 nights).
- Key Feature: At least one overnight stay, but usually less than a full week.
- Appeal: Short breaks are extremely popular for city visits (city breaks), weekend getaways, or quick trips during public holidays.
- Example: A weekend trip (Friday night to Sunday morning) to Rome to see the Colosseum.
Quick Review Box: The Six Main Types of Tourism
| Type | Definition | Focus/Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Travel within the traveller's home country. | Geographical location (within borders) |
| International | Travel outside the traveller's home country. | Geographical location (crossing borders) |
| Inbound | Foreign visitors entering a specific country. | The destination country |
| Outbound | Residents leaving their country to go elsewhere. | The origin country |
| Day Trip | Trip with zero overnight stays. | Duration (same day return) |
| Short Break | A short trip involving 1-3 overnight stays. | Duration (short overnight stay) |
Congratulations! You have mastered the foundational vocabulary of travel and tourism. These terms will be essential when we discuss the reasons people travel (1.2) and the characteristics of the industry (1.4).