Tourism Management – What Is a Tourism Manager?

Tourism is travel for business or pleasure; the art and science of attracting, arranging, accommodating, entertaining, and enjoying tourists. Tourism involves activities aimed at making people aware of their place and its surroundings. These activities include visiting, exploring, traveling, or staying in a particular place for leisure or vacation purposes. There are various types of tourism such as adventure tourism, eco tourism, local tourism, international tourism, sports tourism, cruise tourism, etc.

International tourism refers to all those tourist destinations that attract tourists from around the world. This includes but is not limited to places outside one’s own country. This type of tourism is characterized by the accommodation, transportation, eating and leisure activities offered to tourists coming from different countries. Some of the popular destinations of international tourism include Great Wall, China, Taj Mahal, Easter Island, etc.

On the other hand, inbound tourism refers to activities conducted in response to the request or requirement of tourists coming to one destination. Examples of inbound tourism include international air tourism, ship tourism, river tourism, freight transportation, package tour, etc. Outbound tourism on the other hand is a form of outbound tourism, wherein the emphasis is more on consumption of goods and services offered within one country. Outbound tourism should be considered as a complementary form of inbound tourism for it serves the purpose of attracting tourists. The major activities included in outbound tourism include: research and development of tourism infrastructure, marketing and promotion of tourism, direct tourism, support and information system development, etc.

On the contrary, inbound tourism comprises mainly domestic tourism wherein the focus is less on consumption and more on internal processes of the economy. Examples of domestic tourism include beach tourism, archaeology and anthropological exploration, gardens and landscape gardening, folk and traditional tourism, etc. On the other hand, outbound tourism refers to the activity of tourists going out from their country of origin. It may also be mixed with domestic tourism whereby the interests of tourists from overseas are also sought. For instance, tourists going out to Australia can search for shops, accommodation and facilities.

A crucial role has been played by tourism managers in the growth of tourism industry. They have been the key stakeholders and play a vital role in shaping up the industry. The growth and development of the tourism industry depend on how good the managers are.

In short, managers have a vital role in shaping up the tourism industry. They are the key players who play a vital role in the tourist’s experience. The rise of tourism industry has paved the way for a better living standard and improved standard of living. Tourism is highly creative when it comes to planning destinations, hence, managers play a vital role in the designing process. The tourism manager should be creative and innovative in his outlook as he has to cater to the expectations of tourists.