RBSE Sec Voc 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 person who travels away from home for at least one night but less than a year, for leisure, business or other non-remunerative purposes, and uses commercial accommodation or services.

A visitor who arrives at a place and leaves the same day without staying overnight, so counted in visitor figures but excluded from tourist arrivals.

A place with attractions, amenities, access and ancillary services that draws visitors and can be marketed as a single travel product.

A day-by-day plan of a trip showing places visited, transport used, timings, accommodation and included services, given to the traveller before departure.

A business that sells travel products on behalf of principals such as airlines, hotels and tour operators, earning commission or service fees rather than designing the trips itself.

A business that assembles transport, accommodation, sightseeing and other elements into package tours, sets the price, and takes responsibility for delivering the whole package.

A pre-arranged combination of at least two travel elements sold at an inclusive price, with the organiser bearing responsibility for the services promised.

A percentage of the sale value paid by a principal such as an airline or hotel to the agent who made the booking, forming a main income source for travel agencies.

A front office form on which a guest's name, address, contact details, stay dates and payment method are recorded at check-in, creating the guest record and legal register entry.

A manual or electronic display showing each room's status and occupant, used by front office staff to assign rooms and track availability at a glance.

The percentage of available rooms sold over a given period, calculated by dividing rooms sold by rooms available and multiplying by one hundred.

The front office procedure of confirming a reservation, verifying identity, completing registration, assigning a room and issuing the key to an arriving guest.

The departure procedure in which the guest's account is settled, the room is vacated and released to housekeeping, and the key is returned.

A guest's running account record that lists all charges and payments during the stay and is settled at check-out.

The hotel department responsible for cleanliness, maintenance of furnishings, linen supply and room presentation, working closely with front office on room status.

An evening housekeeping service in which the bed is prepared, curtains drawn, lights dimmed and fresh towels supplied before the guest retires.

One seated diner in a food and beverage outlet, used as the unit for counting business, forecasting sales and calculating average spend per head.

The French term for preparing and arranging all ingredients, tools and service items before service begins, so that orders can be completed smoothly and quickly.

A formal service style in which food is presented on a platter and served onto the guest's plate from the left with fork and spoon, while drinks are poured from the right.

A fixed menu offering a set number of courses at a single inclusive price, with limited or no choice, in contrast to an a la carte menu.

A menu on which each dish is listed and priced separately, allowing the guest to choose individual items and pay for exactly what is ordered.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point: a food safety system that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards at each stage of production and sets controls and limits to prevent them.

The temperature range of roughly 5 to 60 degrees Celsius in which bacteria multiply rapidly, so hot food is held above 60 and cold food below 5 degrees.

The transfer of harmful bacteria from raw food, hands, boards or equipment to ready-to-eat food, prevented by separate boards, hand washing and correct storage order.

The overall arrangement of a dining area, including furniture, linen, lighting, temperature and decoration, that creates the atmosphere in which a meal is served.

Briefly immersing food in boiling water and then cooling it quickly in ice water to set colour, loosen skins or prepare vegetables for later cooking.

A cooked mixture of equal weights of fat and flour used to thicken sauces and soups, cooked to white, blond or brown stage depending on the intended dish.

A flavoured liquid made by simmering bones, vegetables and aromatics in water, used as the base for soups, sauces and gravies.

Dividing a travel market into groups of buyers with similar needs, such as families, pilgrims or business travellers, so that products and messages can be targeted.

The specific group of customers a tourism business chooses to serve and directs its product design, pricing and promotion towards.

Travel undertaken for religious devotion to shrines and sacred sites, a major segment in India and especially significant in Rajasthan's temple towns.

The regular fluctuation of tourism demand across the year due to weather, festivals, holidays and school terms, which affects staffing, pricing and cash flow.

A written document setting out a venture's concept, market analysis, operations, marketing, staffing and financial projections, used to guide the owner and attract finance.

The sales level at which total revenue equals total cost, so the business makes neither profit nor loss, found by dividing fixed costs by contribution per unit.

Tourism that meets present visitor and host community needs while protecting cultural heritage and the natural environment and preserving opportunities for future generations.

The maximum number of visitors a site can absorb without unacceptable damage to its environment, heritage or host community and without loss of visitor satisfaction.

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