Maharashtra SSC Tourism and Hospitality Pre-Voc/NSQF key terms

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

The commercial sector that provides accommodation, food, drink and guest services to travellers and local customers, covering hotels, restaurants, resorts and catering units.

A visitor who travels into a country or region from outside it, usually staying at least one night; such arrivals are counted in national tourism statistics.

A person who travels for tourism within their own country, crossing state or district boundaries but not national borders, and stays away from home for a limited period.

A resident of one country who travels to another country for tourism and whose departure is recorded by the home country as an outbound trip.

The combined bundle of attractions, transport, accommodation, food and services that a visitor buys or experiences during a trip, usually assembled from several suppliers.

A place, feature, event or activity that draws visitors because of its natural beauty, heritage, culture, adventure value or entertainment appeal.

A location protected for its historical, architectural, archaeological or cultural importance, often preserved and interpreted for visitors and sometimes listed by UNESCO.

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, supports local communities and educates visitors, keeping negative impact on the destination low.

A day-by-day plan of a trip showing dates, places to be visited, travel times, accommodation, meals and activities, used by both the traveller and the tour operator.

A pre-arranged combination of transport, accommodation and other services sold at a single price, often with fixed departure dates and a published itinerary.

A business that sells travel products on behalf of suppliers, such as tickets, hotel rooms, packages, visas and insurance, and earns commission or service charges.

A company that designs, assembles and operates tour packages by contracting transport, accommodation and guides, then selling them directly or through travel agencies.

A percentage of the sale value paid to an agent by a supplier for making the booking, such as the share a travel agency keeps on an airline ticket sale.

A document or electronic record issued by a tour operator or agency that confirms a prepaid service and is exchanged for that service at the hotel, airline or attraction.

The department handling guest arrivals, departures, room allocation, enquiries, billing and information; it is the main point of contact between the hotel and its guests.

An advance booking of a room, table or service held for a guest on a stated date, usually recorded with arrival details, rate and guarantee status.

The arrival procedure in which a guest confirms identity, verifies the booking, completes registration and receives the room key or access card.

The departure procedure in which the guest settles the bill, returns the key, gives feedback and the room status is changed for housekeeping.

A manual or digital board at the front desk showing each room's number, type and occupancy status, helping staff track vacant, occupied and blocked rooms.

The guest's running account record at the front office, listing all charges and payments during the stay and used to prepare the final bill.

The department responsible for cleanliness, maintenance and presentation of guest rooms and public areas, plus linen, laundry and lost-and-found handling.

The current condition of a room, such as vacant clean, occupied, dirty or out of order, which housekeeping updates so the front office can allocate rooms correctly.

An evening housekeeping service in which staff refresh the room, fold back bedding, replace towels and prepare it for the night's rest.

One seated guest in a food and beverage outlet; the number of covers counts how many guests are served and helps measure outlet performance.

A fixed menu with a set sequence of courses at a single price, offering limited choice compared with an a la carte menu.

A menu style in which each dish is listed separately with its own price, letting the guest choose individual items and pay for exactly those.

A printed or displayed list of food and drink items offered by an outlet, arranged in courses or categories with prices and descriptions for the guest.

The preparation and arrangement of all equipment, ingredients and service items before food production or service begins, so work flows smoothly without delay.

Giving full attention to a speaker, noting both words and feelings, and confirming understanding through questions and summary before responding.

The rules for personal appearance, uniform, hygiene and behaviour that service staff must follow to present a professional image to guests.

The process of receiving a guest complaint politely, recording the facts, resolving it within authority and following up so the guest leaves satisfied.

The corrective action taken when a service fails, such as apologising, fixing the problem and offering compensation, in order to regain guest trust.

The act of spotting an opportunity, arranging resources and taking financial risk to start and run a tourism or hospitality venture such as a homestay or tour agency.

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

The daily habits of cleanliness, such as bathing, hand washing, neat hair and clean uniform, that prevent contamination and protect guests and colleagues.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a food safety system that identifies risks at each stage of food handling and sets checks to prevent contamination.

Tourism managed so that economic benefits are shared locally while cultural heritage and natural resources are preserved for future generations.

An organised collection of a student's project reports, photographs, checklists and reflections that shows evidence of practical skills and learning progress.