Identify major industry elements in the travel and tourism field.

Identification should include a definition of travel and tourism and examples of their major components, such as the following:

  • Agritourism
  • Air travel
  • Events and conferences
  • Cruises
  • Ecotourism
  • Entertainment (e.g., gaming)
  • Experiential travel (e.g., swimming with dolphins, culinary experiences, adventure)
  • Ground transportation (e.g., car rental, motor coach, rail)
  • Historical sites
  • Incentive travel (e.g., trade promotion; reward for employees and/or customers)
  • Lodging (e.g., hotel, motel, B&B, timeshares)
  • Museums, historic sites, and attractions (e.g., gardens)
  • Natural resources
  • Niche tourism (e.g., education, medical, retail, food, etc.)
  • Outdoor recreation
  • Restaurants
  • Special events (e.g., weddings)
  • Special interest travel (i.e., rewarding, enriching, adventuresome experiences, learning experiences)
  • Sports management
  • Theme parks
  • Travel management companies, including online travel agencies (OTAs)
  • Voluntourism

Process/Skill Questions:

  • What resources are available for locating information about the various travel and tourism industry segments?
  • What is experiential travel? Why has it become popular? Why is it important to the travel and tourism industry?
  • How have cruises affected the travel and tourism industry?
  • How have theme parks affected the travel and tourism industry?
  • Why is incentive travel important to the travel industry?
  • What areas offer the greatest potential for future growth?
  • What is ecotourism? How can ecotourism help a popular travel destination safeguard its natural resources?
  • How has the pet industry changed the types of amenities being offered in upscale lodgings?
  • What are the top foreign destinations for American citizens? From which countries are the most visitors to the United States?