What is Tourism?

Tourism as a major economic activity.

Tourism is something that most of us have been exposed to - either as tourists ourselves or as people impacted by tourist activity in our local areas. Depending on our personal experience, we may view tourism as a positive, or as a negative, force in our lives. But tourism is an important and growing industry worldwide. More and more people and governments are struggling with how to develop tourism that is environmentally friendly, beneficial to local people and national governments, and culturally sensitive. This module begins with a discussion of the definition of tourism, looks at tourism costs and benefits, and assesses various financing options to make tourism ecologically and economically sustainable.

Tourism marketing literature emphasises locally distinctive landscapes; cultural, historical and environmental features; and related recreation, education and sporting activities. The scope of tourism as an economic sector is considerably wider. Gunn (1994) cites the best working definition as that by Mathieson and Wall (1982).

"Tourism is the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities created to cater to their needs."

This definition encompasses a very wide range of activities including business, diplomacy, conferences, cultural, religious and sporting activities. Many of these are commercial activities with environmental demands and implications no different from those of commercial or industrial land use. The infrastructure, products and services needed to support tourist activities usually has a broader development significance because it also supports and extends the range of potential activities for the local population. Tourism may provide the initial economic justification for transport infrastructure in a remote area, but once that infrastructure is in place it may service wider needs than those of the tourist industry. Tourism can bring major benefits, but if uncontrolled it may change and place urgent unexpected demands on the environment, community and economic infrastructure of an area.