Definitions of Tourism and Tourists - 1593 Words

According to Smith (1988), an author of a specialist dictionary on tourism, the word ‘tourist’ was introduced in 1800 and the word ‘tourism’ in 1811. However, what exactly is ‘tourism’? Who are ‘tourists’? Researchers and practitioners have produced many definitions for both ‘tourist’ and ‘tourism’ but no definition of either term has become extensively recognised regardless of the fact that both terms have now been part of the English language for over two centuries. As indicated by Smith (1988), he suggests that there â€Å"probably never will be a single definition of tourism† or tourists as economists, psychologists and geographers perceive different things about tourism in their own professional field (Smith 1988 as cited in Leiper†¦show more content†¦Given examples of McIntosh and Goeldner’s economic and Hunziker and Krapf’s holistic definitions of tourism, Stear (2005) developed his own definition as he particularly focuses on a set of specific activities: â€Å"Tourism is travel and temporary stay involving at least one night away from the region of a person’s usual home that is undertaken with the major expectation of satisfying leisure needs that are perceived as being at places outside of, and qualitatively different to, the home region.† This definition specifies tourism as a particular set of activities and some of its key features including the relationship between the tourist and the tourist attraction or icon. One of its advantages is that it distinguishes tourism from social and economic activities, such as commuting, to work or university each day, migrating which obviously has no resemblance with â€Å"satisfying leisure needs†. However, Stear’s definition of tourism contradicts with McIntosh and Goeldner’s economic definition as Stear’s concept limits tourism to satisfying activities and is no t concerned with the tourists’ expenditure. After discussing tourism, the focus now shifts to tourists. Likewise, the term ‘tourists’ has no universally known definition. Every professional field has its own definitions for specific purposes. As Stear (2005) identifies tourism inShow MoreRelatedStears Definition of Tourism948 Words   |  4 Pagesuncommitted time for its gratification. In Stear’s definition of tourism it states that for tourism is undertaken with the major expectation of satisfying leisure needs. The definition from the World Tourism Organization outlines that motives for such travel maybe (1) leisure (recreational, holidays, health, studies, religion, sports); (2) business, family, mission and meeting, from this definition it is evident that there are various travel purposes of a tourist, these include; Leisure and recreation, businessRead MoreTourism Definitions Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Framework of Tourism: Towards a Definition of Tourism, Tourist, and the Tourist Industry ( Leiper, 1979) Find six academic definitions for tourism, tourist or travel. Discuss each of these six definitions and explain the merits and efficiencies of each one, making connections with the points raised by Leiper (1979) where possible. Then provide an overall discussion about which definition is best and for what reason/s. 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Several factors influence the fluctuating meaning of the catchall term heritage tourism, including the rather haphazard classification of things and elements as heritage because people are not quite sure exactly what this title covers (Poria, Butler, Airey, 2003), and the increased sensitivity expressed by governmentRead MoreNational Trust For Historic Preservation1537 Words   |  7 PagesHeritage tourism is a growing niche in the tourism industry and it is something that most tourists will engage at. By breaking the term is separated into heritage and tourism, the term heritage is mainly associated with the meaning of the inheritance of som ething that is passed on throughout the ages (Nuryanti, 1996). Tourism can be interpreted as the movement to somewhere to experience a contrast to the current way of living (Miller, 2015). 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