According to the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals reached 1.23 billion in 2016, up strongly from 674 million in 2000. These OTAs may also double as metasearch engines. Technology has played a vital role in the tourism industry for over a decade now by helping businesses minimise costs, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience. These commercial sites will typically charge for access, but will also provide additional facilities or utilities. Read “Travel Agencies: Find the Right Travel Agency to Boost Bookings” and you will be able to find out more about the value of travel agencies and access a list of some of the main platforms to try to partner with. It is a form of sociable accommodation, where multiple guests will rent beds in a shared space, typically with communal bathroom and kitchen facilities. Tourism Services. The retail industry and the travel industry are closely connected and most major tourist destinations will also provide shopping facilities. Add to this the domestic holiday market and there can be no doubt that the tourism industry is a thriving and important sector to … In doing so, they are able to offer assistance, expert insight, and context, often making the experience more enjoyable, convenient and worthwhile for the tourist(s). With this in mind, it is important to work with the right travel agency to further your strategic objectives. Tourist guides provide tourists with access to organised tours of local attractions, landmarks, educational buildings and other places of interest. Online travel agencies, or OTAs, offer similar services to other travel agents, although these services are delivered over the internet, providing more of a self-service experience. However, different agencies specialise in different areas in the tourism industry and appeal to different types of customers. As an example, this means that expatriates and long-term international students are not technically classed as tourists. The tourism industry is extremely diverse, but plays an essential role in the economic prosperity of many countries. It is also a wide-ranging industry, which includes the hotel industry, the transport industry and a number of additional industries or sectors. It could also include holiday experiences or a set itinerary. Home | About WTO | News & events | Trade topics | WTO membership | Documents & resources | External relations, Contact us | Site map | A-Z | Search. In fact, by many definitions, a tourist is only classed as such if their stay exceeds 24 hours and they use some form of overnight accommodation. The owners or hosts of these establishments will often live in the bed & breakfast too. The hospitality industry is part of the travel industry and the hotel industry is part of the hospitality industry. Cruises also come under the accommodation sector, because cruise liners serve as a form of accommodation in their own right. Read the “Tourism Management Jobs: List of Websites to Find Your Next Job” article for a breakdown of the various online channels and websites you can use to find your next job. Indeed, Virgin Galactic, recently sent the VSS Unity spaceplane into outer space and is planning to offer commercial flights to ‘space tourists’ in the near future. Additionally, casinos are commonly connected to hotels and may offer further entertainment, such as music or comedy performances. i.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-1{ color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; border-color: #000000;}i.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-1:hover { color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; border-color: #000000;} Extra: How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Impacted the Tourism Industry. Tourism offers a wide range of benefits, including economic benefits for countries attracting a large number of visitors, due to the money they spend not only on their actual stay, but also in local businesses. Read “Tourism Jobs: The Best Tourism Industry Job Boards for Your Career” for a list of some of the best tourism industry job boards available, broken down according to which sector(s) they focus on.