LGCSE Travel and Tourism (0194) key terms

The activities of people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for less than one consecutive year, for leisure, business or other purposes not related to paid work at the destination.

A person travelling outside their usual environment for less than a year, for any main purpose other than employment at the destination. Visitors include both tourists who stay overnight and excursionists who return the same day.

A visitor who spends at least one night in a collective or private accommodation at the destination. This overnight stay distinguishes a tourist from a same-day excursionist under standard international definitions.

A same-day visitor who does not stay overnight at the destination, such as a coach day-tripper or a cruise passenger returning to the ship. They still spend money and add to visitor numbers.

Travel and stays by residents of a country within their own country, outside their usual environment. It is often the largest segment of a national tourism economy and is less exposed to currency and border changes.

Visits to a country by non-residents, bringing foreign currency into the destination economy. Governments track inbound arrivals and spending because of the export earnings and jobs they generate.

Travel by residents of one country to destinations outside it. Outbound spending is recorded as an import of services in the origin country's balance of payments and can create a tourism deficit.

A statistical framework that measures tourism's contribution to an economy in a way comparable with other industries, capturing direct value added, employment and visitor spending within national accounts.

The process by which money spent by visitors is re-spent within the local economy, generating further income and jobs. Leakages reduce the size of the multiplier, so more local sourcing means a bigger local benefit.

Money that leaves the destination economy rather than circulating within it, for example through imported food and drink, foreign-owned hotel profits or overseas tour operator payments. High leakage weakens local benefits.

Direct jobs are in visitor-facing businesses such as hotels, airlines and attractions. Indirect jobs sit in the supply chain, such as laundries, farms and construction firms serving those businesses.

The regular pattern of demand peaks and troughs across the year caused by climate, holidays or events. It creates staffing and cash-flow challenges and can be managed by diversifying markets and products.

The sector providing somewhere to stay for visitors, ranging from hotels, guesthouses and hostels to campsites, self-catering apartments and homestays. Grading schemes and online reviews help customers compare quality.

The percentage of available rooms or beds actually sold over a given period. It is a key performance indicator for accommodation providers, alongside average room rate and revenue per available room.

A business that links tourism suppliers with customers, such as a tour operator, travel agent or online travel agency. Intermediaries package, promote and sell components they do not themselves own.

A business that combines travel components such as transport, accommodation and activities into a package and sells it, usually through agents or directly, taking commercial risk on the package.

A retailer or adviser that sells travel products on behalf of suppliers, earning commission or fees. Agents may be high-street shops or online, and increasingly focus on advice and complex itineraries.

A website or app that lets customers search, compare and book flights, accommodation and other travel products, earning commission from suppliers. Examples compete on price transparency and user reviews.

A pre-arranged combination of at least two travel components, such as transport plus accommodation, sold at an inclusive price. Package travel rules give buyers specific legal protections in many countries.

A holiday where meals, drinks and often activities are included in one upfront price at the resort. It can suit budget-conscious guests but may reduce spending in local businesses outside the property.

Technology that lets a customer or agent build a customised package by combining live flight, hotel and car-hire prices in one transaction, rather than buying a fixed brochure package.

A computer network used by travel agents and suppliers to search and book flights, hotel rooms and car hire in real time. It displays availability and fares from many providers at once.

Income an airline or other travel business earns beyond the core ticket or room price, such as baggage fees, seat selection, meals and insurance. It helps low-cost carriers keep headline fares low.

An airline operating a simplified, no-frills model with a single aircraft type, point-to-point routes and high aircraft utilisation, charging separately for extras. It has reshaped short-haul leisure travel demand.

A flight where an operator buys the whole aircraft's capacity and sells seats, often as part of a package. Schedules are usually seasonal and seats may not appear in standard reservation systems.

An airline network model where flights feed passengers through a central airport (the hub) onto connecting services. It widens route coverage but increases journey time and connection risk for travellers.

A planned route or schedule of a trip, listing destinations, dates, transport and activities in order. Agents and tour operators use itineraries to price, sell and manage a journey.

A place with a recognised identity that visitors choose to travel to, containing attractions, amenities, access and accommodation. Destinations compete with each other for market share and image.

A body, often public or public-private, that markets a place and coordinates its tourism strategy, stakeholders and visitor services. It aims to balance visitor growth with local quality of life.

The maximum number of visitors a place can absorb before unacceptable damage occurs to the environment, infrastructure or host community's quality of life. It has physical, social and ecological dimensions.

A situation where visitor numbers or behaviour in a destination exceed what residents and infrastructure can comfortably tolerate, causing congestion, housing pressure and hostility towards tourists.

Tourism that meets present visitor and host needs while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future, balancing economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes across the destination.

The choices and behaviour of individual travellers and businesses to reduce negative impacts, such as respecting local customs, limiting waste and choosing local providers. It focuses on conduct rather than destination planning.

Travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains local people's well-being and involves interpretation and education. It is a small, often high-value niche within sustainable tourism.

Paying for projects such as tree planting or renewable energy to compensate for emissions from a trip. Offsets address the residual footprint after efforts to reduce emissions, not a substitute for reduction.

Resentment or hostility shown by residents towards tourists, usually arising from crowding, noise, rising living costs or perceived unequal benefit. It signals that social carrying capacity is being exceeded.

The way contact with visitors' lifestyles, spending and behaviour changes residents' own aspirations and consumption, sometimes eroding local traditions and creating dissatisfaction with local conditions.

The process by which local culture, crafts, rituals or performances are packaged and sold to tourists, potentially losing original meaning or authenticity while generating income for communities.

The full sequence of touchpoints a traveller experiences, from inspiration and research through booking, travel, stay and post-trip feedback. Mapping it reveals where service fails or delight can be added.

The support and care a business gives customers before, during and after a purchase, including responsiveness, accuracy, empathy and problem solving. It shapes satisfaction, reviews and repeat business.

The actions a business takes to put things right after a service failure, such as apologising, offering alternatives or compensation. Good recovery can restore loyalty even after a serious problem.

The structured process of listening to a customer's grievance, recording it, investigating fairly and responding with a remedy within a stated timescale. It protects reputation and highlights recurring faults.

A loyalty measure based on asking customers how likely they are to recommend the business, scored 0 to 10. Promoters and detractors are compared to give a single index of customer advocacy.

Dividing a market into groups of customers with similar needs, such as families, backpackers or business travellers, so that products and promotion can be targeted more effectively.

The specific group of customers a business or destination chooses to serve and communicate with, defined by characteristics such as age, income, interests or location. It guides product and promotion decisions.

The controllable elements a business combines to win customers, commonly product, price, place and promotion, extended in services to include people, process and physical evidence.

Specialist travel segments serving particular interests, such as wellness, gastronomy, wildlife, heritage or adventure tourism. Niche markets often offer higher spend and lower volume than mass tourism.

Adjusting prices and availability over time in response to forecast demand, so that revenue per available unit is maximised. Hotels and airlines use it to fill capacity at different price points.

A measure chosen to show how well a business or destination is achieving an important objective, such as occupancy rate, visitor satisfaction or repeat booking rate. It should be specific and trackable.

A country's record of money flows with the rest of the world. Inbound visitor spending counts as an export of services, while outbound spending is an import, so tourism affects the overall balance.

A visit to a place and return home within the same day, without overnight accommodation. Day trips are a major part of domestic tourism and support attractions, cafés and transport providers.