Riassunto Lingua e traduzione inglese

Tourism today

Global tourism includes different parts of the world and travellers from all over (like EXPO); local tourism involves only a local dimension. Glocal = Global + Local, is a small reality that acquires global dimension. In inbound there are incoming tourists, people entering your country; in outbound there are outgoing tourists, people travelling away from their country.

Mass tourism is a kind of tourism that involves a lot of people. It involves a number of tourists who are moved by the trend. It’s not only negative, but has also positive points. Niche tourism is the opposite because it is something uncommon out of the beaten track.

Eco-tourism pays attention to nature. Tourists can be “nature lovers” or not. This type of tourism can be unsustainable. Eco-sustainable tourism pays attention to the nature. Tourism green concerns nature in general; blue tourism includes water; white tourism includes ice.

Tourism

Tourism concerns temporary visits in areas other than the area where you live. The staff of tourism is called to mediate between travellers and local community; tourism can be for:

• Business: Many workers become tourists because they stay in hotels and use the same services as tourists.
• Leisure: Holidays.

Tourism is a global activity that revolves around teamwork and customer satisfaction more than other industries. Customer satisfaction is important because this activity generally offers abstract products; communication and intercultural skills are very important to interact with foreign people and know target cultures. Obviously, languages are very important, not only English but also others.

The future of tourism

There have been many predictions from the 1980s, and these include:

• No increase in mass tourism, but instead it rose.
• Development of aircraft capable of flying out of the earth's atmosphere, but this has not been realized.
• Construction of larger and faster cruise ships with lower costs.
• Travel away from home with holograms reproducing any environment artificially.
• Construction of underwater leisure cities on the seabed, but this has not been realized.
• Decline in business travel with inter-office computer link-ups making personal meetings unnecessary.
• Activity and special interest holidays (e.g., sport tourism or architecture tourism).
• Tourists taking more frequent holidays and more short-breaks.
• Holidaymakers putting all elements of their travel (like destination, accommodation, flights...) in a package.

The current state of tourism

Today, tourism is growing. Since 1990, the number of international tourist arrivals has risen to around a billion: the growth is positive for employment, computers, technologies, and less cost; but it is negative for pollution. Contrary to predictions:

• Computers haven’t reduced tourism.
• Specialist holidays are more independent.
• The environmental impact of travel and tourism increased.
• There was a change in destinations from Europe to new destinations like Asia with new shorter break destinations offering cost advantages.
• More and more people want to travel as much as possible.

The internet has led to a revolution in the tourism and travel industry: now there is the possibility for consumers to book everything on the net; with the internet, the industry can reach customers directly. Big companies (mass tourism) continue to grow, but at the same time, specialized small companies (niche tourism) are emerging. Travel and transport have grown, but they bring problems concerning environmental impacts.

Challenges for tourism managers

A tourism manager is a specific person who is able to lead a team and is responsible for it. He must:

• Be strong to tell people what to do.
• Be prepared to move around the world.
• Do different jobs and be cross-cultural.
• Have strong intercultural and language skills (Mandarin, Spanish, English...).
• Have communication skills.
• Learn new practical skills like IT, data interpretation, organization, numeracy.
• Be creative and innovative to keep ahead of competitors.
• Understand market changes.
• Have marketing and promotional skills.
• Be aware of environmental issues.

When working in a team, you are a team member.

NTOs - National tourism organizations

National tourism organizations work for the general public and tourism professionals; they have several roles:

• Legislation and policy development: Creating laws and developing long-term strategies to guarantee the maximum benefits for the country.
• Marketing and promotion: Market research and planning, together with promotional activities such as fairs and exhibitions. Creating a brand image for the country – a national brand image.
• Infrastructure and facilities: The upkeep of basic tourist facilities such as monuments, parks, natural spaces, airports, rail networks.
• Tourist information services: Establishing the basic policies and strategies of local regional tourist information centres.
• Advice and training

A mission statement is a document, a public statement of the organization’s fundamental purpose, its broad function and roles in the country. Documents for promotions are:

• A business advisory document, addressed to tourism professionals.
• A market profile document, addressed to tourism professionals.
• A brochure, addressed to the general public.
• A web page, addressed to the general public.

There are a lot of activities:

• A familiarization programme is a visit that gives travel agents and tour operators the chance to get to know a destination.
• A mission statement consists of sentences that describe the main purpose of an organization.
• A development in the process of getting better, bigger, or stronger.
• An incentive is something that encourages people to do something.
• Sales missions are groups of people that travel to different places to sell a product.

Where in the world?

An investment guide provides detailed documentation including strengths and weaknesses. For example, Yekaterinburg: strengths are the position because it is a convenient location to stop for a few days; the city has an array of options, for example, in accommodation; the city has charm of its own. Opportunities are that the city has steadily improving infrastructure, the city's government is determined to attract more income, and an upgrade of the roads leading to the city. Weaknesses are that the city is a major site for mafia warfare; it is a destination only for business travellers; and railway travellers do not break their trip there. Threats are that there is the problem of getting a Russian tourist visa; drawing tourists may be difficult; the city’s tourists are the hardy backpackers.

Market research and national brand image

National tourism authorities try to promote a brand image for their own country. They work on the different things people associate with the country. A brand image brings attributes into a small number of broad concepts. For example, pizza and pasta are Italian food.

• Attributes: Different things that people associate with your country, often stereotypes that are important to promote a country.
• Concept: Cover some attributes that sometimes are less obvious.

Brand image is based on three concepts:

• Vitality: Cities that are alive and people that are energetic and sociable.
• Heart: Covers less obvious attributes about our emotions or our response to beautiful landscapes.
• Depth: Understanding the deep culture.

The NTOs research how different national groups see the country.

Managing tour operations

A package holiday or inclusive tour includes the following elements:

• Travel to the destination.
• Local transport.
• Accommodation.
• Meals and activities.

Transportation is when you go from your home to the destination; transfers are when you are in the destination. The wholesaler is the tour operator; the retailer is the travel agent.