Maharashtra HSC NSQF Tourism and Hospitality key terms

The temporary movement of people to places outside their usual environment for leisure, business or other purposes, and the activities and services that support that stay.

A visitor who travels away from home for at least one night and stays less than one year, for purposes other than paid work in the place visited.

A same-day visitor who travels to a place and returns without staying overnight, so is counted in tourism statistics but not as a tourist.

The friendly reception and care of guests, delivered through accommodation, food, drink and personal service industries that aim to make people feel welcome.

Travel and stays by people within their own country, outside their usual place of residence, without crossing an international border.

Visits to a country by non-resident visitors, which earn foreign exchange for the destination and are recorded in the receiving country's tourism accounts.

Travel by residents of a country to destinations in other countries, representing tourism expenditure that leaves the home economy.

The combined package of attractions, transport, accommodation, food and services that a visitor buys or experiences at a destination, often assembled from several suppliers.

A place, feature or event that draws visitors to a destination, such as a monument, beach, festival or wildlife park, and forms the core reason for travel.

A geographical area that a visitor chooses to visit, offering a mix of attractions, facilities, access and services that together create the visitor experience.

The maximum number of visitors a site or destination can absorb without unacceptable damage to its environment, culture or infrastructure and without lowering visitor satisfaction.

Tourism development and operation that meets present visitor and host needs while protecting natural, cultural and economic resources for future generations.

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, respects local communities and includes interpretation and education for visitors.

A business that sells travel products on behalf of suppliers, such as air tickets, hotel rooms and tour packages, and earns commission or service fees.

A business that assembles transport, accommodation and activities into package tours, sets the price and takes responsibility for delivering the package to travellers.

A day-by-day plan of a journey listing places, timings, transport, accommodation and activities, given to travellers and used by guides and operators.

A document or electronic record issued by a tour operator or agency that entitles the traveller to a stated service, such as a hotel night or transfer, and is used for billing.

The department of a hotel responsible for reservations, reception, registration, guest information, cashiering and check-out, and usually the first point of guest contact.

A form completed at check-in recording the guest's name, address, identity details, stay dates and signature, serving legal, billing and security purposes.

The current condition of a guest room, such as occupied, vacant clean, vacant dirty, out of order or on change, used to coordinate front office and housekeeping.

The process by which a guest settles the bill, returns keys and formally ends the stay, after which the room is released for cleaning and resale.

The hotel department responsible for cleanliness, linen, guest supplies and the upkeep of rooms and public areas, working closely with the front office.

An evening housekeeping service in which staff prepare the bed, refresh towels, empty bins and dim lights to make the room ready for sleep.

The housekeeping record and storage system for items left behind by guests, including logging, safe keeping, tracing owners and arranging return or disposal.

One seated guest in a food and beverage outlet; the term is used to count customers, plan staffing and measure revenue per cover.

A menu style in which each dish is listed and priced separately, and guests choose individual items rather than a fixed set meal.

A fixed menu of set courses offered at a single inclusive price, with limited or no choice, often used for group meals and banquets.

The advance preparation and arrangement of ingredients, tools and service items before food production or service begins, so that work flows smoothly.

The transfer of harmful bacteria or allergens from one food, surface or utensil to another, often through shared boards, hands or unwashed equipment.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a food safety system that identifies hazards, sets control points and monitors them to prevent unsafe food reaching guests.

The cleanliness practices of food handlers, including hand washing, clean uniform, tied hair, trimmed nails and exclusion of ill staff from food areas.

The gap between what a guest expects and what is actually delivered, judged through reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangible evidence.

A guest's expression of dissatisfaction with a product or service, which should be listened to, recorded, resolved promptly and used to improve service.

Concentrating fully on a speaker, noting both words and tone, asking clarifying questions and confirming understanding before responding, especially with guests and colleagues.

Persuading a guest to buy a higher-value version of what they already want, such as a better room category or a premium dish, increasing revenue and satisfaction.

The process of spotting an opportunity, taking financial risk and organising resources to start and run a tourism or hospitality venture.

A written document describing a venture's concept, market, operations, staffing, costs and projected income, used to guide the owner and attract finance.

The level of sales at which total revenue equals total cost, so the business makes neither profit nor loss; a key figure for pricing and planning.

The general workplace skills employers expect alongside technical knowledge, such as communication, teamwork, punctuality, problem solving and willingness to learn.