Tourism

Tourism is defined as 'the practice of traveling for pleasure' or 'the business of providing tours and services for tourists.' For some the word 'tourist' has a negative connotation. But if we look through the eyes of a local, it's unimportant whether the visitors see themselves as 'travelers' or 'tourists.'

Although many of us have been "tourists" at some point in our lives, defining what tourism actually is can be difficult. Tourism is the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.

Tourism is a dynamic and competitive industry that requires the ability to constantly adapt to customers' changing needs and desires, as the customer’s satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly the focus of tourism businesses.

Tourism is a collection of activities, services and industries that delivers a travel experience, including transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking establishments, retail shops, entertainment businesses, activity facilities and other hospitality services provided for individuals or groups traveling away from home. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) claims that tourism is currently the worlds largest industry with annual revenues of over $3 trillion dollars. Tourism provides over six million jobs in the United States, making it the country's largest employer.

Sectors of Tourism

The tourism industry is divided into five different sectors:

1) Accommodation
2) Food and Beverage Services
3) Recreation and Entertainment
4) Transportation
5) Travel Services

The diversity of these five sectors shows that the career options in the tourism industry are unlimited. Depending on your interests and skills, you can work indoors or out, nine to five or midnight to noon. You can work in an office, an airport or out of your home. You can have one career in the winter and another in the summer. In short, you can make your career fit the lifestyle you want.