Terms Related to Tourism
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
à la carte – A menu in which each item is priced and prepared separatelyAAD – Agent Automated Deduction
ABC – Advanced Booking Charters
Abv – Beverages alcohol by volume
AC – Alternating Current
Access code – A combination of characters that enables a computer user to gain entry to a field of information
Accommodation – Loosely defined as establishment engaged primarily in providing lodging space to the general public
Ack – Acknowledge
Actual Quality – The level of quality a consumer perceives following the consumption of a good or service
Ad – Advertising Agency
Ad valorem – Showing that a tax is calculated according to the value of the goods taxed
ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
Add-on – Any component of a package tour that is not included in the package price
Adjoining rooms – Two or more hotel rooms side by side but not necessarily with connecting doors
ADR – Average Daily Rate
Advance deposit –Partial payment in advance for goods or services
Adventure tour – A tour designed around an adventurous activity such as rafting or hiking
Adventure tourism – A growing portion of the nature-based tourism around the world. Adventure tourism frequently tests the tourist’s skills, and places the tourist in an unusual, remote, and exciting environment or culture. Tourism that involves activities with an above-average element of physical risk; also called “extreme tourism.” There are three categories: (1) high-risk adventure tourism; (2) soft adventure tourism; (3) and cultural adventure tourism
Affinity group – An organization formed for any purpose and subsequently sponsoring group travel arrangements; clubs, schools and trade associations are examples
Aft – In, near or toward the back of a ship or aircraft
After-departure charge – expenses such as telephone charges that do not appear on a guest’s account at check out.
Ag – Agriculture & Ranching
Age cohort – A generation affected by common experiences
Agency manager – The person who manages a retail travel agency; in an airline-appointed agency in the U.S., must have at least three years of experience selling travel to the public
Agency rep – Sales representative of a hotel, airline or other travel industry segment who calls on travel agents
Agent – One who acts or has the power to act as the representative of another. Most frequently in travel anyone other than a principal, such as a retail travel agent, receiving agent, ticket agent, local operator or wholesaler (usage uncommon in No. America)
AGM – Annual General Meeting
Air Sea – A cruise/travel program which includes both air/sea arrangements. Often combined with local hotel arrangements for pre/post stays
Air taxi – Small operator of nonscheduled or on-demand air transportation for short distances
Air Travel Card – A credit card owned and administered by the airlines; formerly called the Universal Air Travel Plan
Air/sea – Cruise or travel arrangement in which air and sea transportation are combined
Airline classes of service – Variety of terms used to express a particular type of aircraft cabin service. Classes vary with types of compartments, seating comfort, and amenities, with variation between domestic and international flights, and denoted by a fare code on the ticket.
Airline codes – The systems of abbreviations for airlines, airports, cities, and fares used by the travel industry throughout the world
Airline fare – Price charged for an airline ticket. Some of the categories are as follows: (1) Advance purchase excursion (APEX) - heavily discounted excursion fare available on many international routes. Reservations and payment will be required well in advance of departure, with varying penalizes for cancellation, (2) Excursion - individual fares that require a round-trip within time limits, discounted from coach fare, limited availability, (3) Group - discounts from regular fares for groups, (3) Regular or normal - any unrestricted fare, generally good for one year such as coach, business class or first class, round trip not required.
Airport code – A three-letter designation used to identify specific airports (for a complete list, click http://www.world-airport-codes.com/)
Airport tax – See head tax
All-expense tour – A fixed-price tour including transportation, meals, lodging and sightseeing; be aware that the terms 'all expense' and 'all-inclusive' are often misused
All-inclusive – Single price for all or nearly all major services provided in a tour, resort, or cruise package
Allocation – Assignment of rooms to a specific organization for them to sell exclusively
Allocentrics – Travelers who seek adventure
Alternative tourism – A form of tourism that advocates smaller scale tourism in terms of the number of tourists and the dimensions of tourism development. Sometimes called responsible or green tourism
Ambiance – A feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing
Amenities – Goods and services provides with accommodations that contribute to guest comfort
American plan – Type of rate that includes the price of the hotel room, breakfast, lunch and dinner. AP is the common abbreviation. See also room rates.
Amex – American Express
Amidships – At or in the direction of the middle of a ship
Amtrak – An acronym drawn from the words “American travel by track” which is the trade name for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. The U.S. Congress established Amtrak in 1970 to take over intercity passenger operation from railroads that desired to drop passenger service. Amtrak is subsidized in part by federal funds appropriated yearly by Congress and administered through the Department of Transportation
AONB – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
APEX – Advanced Purchase Excursion – Special roundtrip air fare calling for restrictions and advance payment and subject to penalties for alterations
Appointment – Procedure by which travel agencies obtain rights to sell products on behalf of travel industry suppliers
Appropriations – Funding provided through governmental entities
APR – Annual Percentage Rate – Is the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that the borrower is required to pay
Aquaculture – The farming and cultivation of water plants, fish, and crustaceans, such as kelp, salmon, catfish, oysters, and shrimp, in large quantities for human consumption
Area settlement plan – The mechanism through which U.S. travel agents report and remit ticket sales to the airlines and Amtrak, operated by ARC
ASH – Action on Smoking and Health
ASMs – Available Seat Miles – The distance traveled multiplied by the number of seats available
Association executive – A full-time professional administrator who is employed by an association and is responsible for planning and promoting annual conventions and association meetings.
ATB – Automatic Ticket and Boarding Pass
ATM – Automatic Teller machine
ATOL – Air Travel Organizers’ License
Attn – Attraction
Attraction – A natural or man-made facility, location, or activity which offers items of specific interest to tourists.
Authenticity – A dimension of a tourism setting that refers to the concept or state of experiencing what a culture or society is really like – now or historically – through attention to authentic detail in artifacts, costumes, activities, attractions, and lifestyles
Auto drop PNR – A passenger name record that automatically appears in the appropriate queue when it needs to be attended to; for example, when space becomes available for a wait listed client
Automated ticket/boarding pass – Ticket stock that can include a flight coupon and boarding pass on one document
Avail – Availability
Availability – Usually refers to seat or bed capacity or its availability for booking
Available seat miles – One aircraft seat flown one mile whether occupied or not
Average room rate – The total guest room revenue for a given period divided by the number of rooms occupied for the same period. Since it can be related to investment, this statistic is frequently used as a measure of economic feasibility.
B
B Hotel – B tariff hotel same as four-star hotel
B&B – Bed & Breakfast
Back of the house – Parts or departments of a lodging facility not normally having direct contact with guests
Back-office automation – Systems that computerize agency functions other than reservations; most often used to refer to automated accounting
Back-to-back – A program of multiple air charters between two or more points with arrivals and departures coordinated to eliminate deadheading-sending an empty aircraft-and waiting
Baggage allowance – Weight or pieces of baggage that may be carried by a passenger with no extra charge
Baggage check – Official receipt issued by a carrier for a passenger's luggage
Baggage tag – Personal identification attached to a piece of luggage
Bandwidth – The amount of data, including voice and video, that can be transmitted over a network; often referred to as a pipe, meaning a network's communications' capacity
Bank settlement plan – Airline-operated system for payment of travel agents accounts
Banquet – A food and beverage function designed, priced, and produced for a client usually for a single event occasion
Banqueting rooms – Rooms set aside for functions
Bareboat charter – Rental of a yacht or other boat without crew or supplies
Barter – The exchange by an airline or other supplier of its product for goods and services providing by another entity
BBQ – Barbecue
Bchft – Beachfront
Bed and breakfast – (B & B) overnight accommodations usually in a private home or boarding house, with a full American-style or continental breakfast included in the rate, often without private bath facilities
Bed night – One person spending one night in a hostelry; 10 persons staying 10 nights would be 100 bed nights; a standard measure of overnight tourist traffic
Bedienung – German term meaning the tip is included on the bill
Benchmarks – Performance measures that are used by similar types of business to monitor key operations
BEO – Banquet Event Order – A contract for a meeting or other special occasion that details the date, the sequence of events, special needs, foods and beverages, prices, and guaranteed quantities
Berth – A bed on a common carrier, often but not necessarily built in; also a space at a wharf for a ship to dock or anchor
BFL – Business Facilitated Lease
Bias – Preference given to flights of one carrier over those of others in the displays of choices on computerized reservations systems,. A practice forbidden in the U.S., Canada and most European countries if the listed carriers pay to appear in a system
BIC – Business Information Center
Bilateral – Agreement between two countries respecting the designation of air carriers to fly routes between them, and the limitations, if any, of schedules and fares on those routes
Biz – Business
Bkg – Booking
Blacked out – A time when special lower fares and other prices do not apply
Block – A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages.
Blocked space – Reservations, often subject to forfeiture of deposit, made with suppliers by travel agents or wholesalers in anticipation of resale
BMA – Block Management Area
Boarding priority – The standardized order in which airlines board passengers holding different types of tickets
Bonding – Purchase of a guarantee of protection for a supplier or a customer; certain bonding programs being mandatory in the travel industry
Bonus – See override
Booking – A reservation
Booking form – A document which tour purchasers must complete which gives the operator full particulars about who is buying the tour. It states exactly what is being purchased, (including options) and must be signed as acknowledgment that the liability clause has been read and understood.
Botanical gardens – Gardens dedicated to the preservation, display, and study of growing plants
Bow – Front end of a vessel
BRC – Business Reply Card
Breakage – Money earned by a travel supplier when client does not use all the services paid for as part of a package
Break-even – The level at which total sales equals total costs
Break-even load factor – The load factor necessary for scheduled traffic revenue to cover operating costs
Britrail pass – Allowing unlimited travel over the British Rail system for a specified period of time
Brochure – A printed folder describing a tour, package, attraction, or designation and specifying the arrangements
Browser – A program that enables computer users to access the Internet; the most widely used browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape and America Online
Bucket shop – Travel agency that sells to the public discounted air tickets obtained from consolidators
Bulk fare – Fare available only to tour organizers or operators who buy a block of seats from carrier
Bulkhead – A wall dividing a vessel into cabins, or a wall of an aircraft usually located at the front of a passenger compartment
Bulkhead seat – Usually roomier seat on an aircraft right behind the bulkhead
Bullet train – High speed train
Bumped – The process of denying boarding to airline passengers with confirmed reservations due to overbooking (overselling) the flight
Business class – A grade of airline seat and service usually between first class and coach, with better seating, food, service and check-in facilities; called club class by some carriers
Business plan – A formal document which assesses a business’s strengths and weaknesses, analyzes the competition and marketing conditions, and provides various strategies for success; often required by lending institutions as documentation for new business loans
Business Travel – Travel-related activities associated with commerce and industry
Business travel agent – See commercial travel agent
Bustout – Purchase of an agency to steal and/or fraudulently use its ticket stock and perhaps other assets before abruptly closing down
Bypass – Practice by some suppliers of selling travel products directly to the public rather than through travel retailers
C
C – Celsius
C of C – Chamber of Commerce
C&B – Conference & Banqueting
Cabana – A room or hut in a beach or pool area, usually separate from a main building, and maybe having beds.
Cabin – Passenger compartment of an aircraft; standard bedroom on a ship; a small, isolated building for rent to travelers.
Cafeteria – A food-service operation of a limited menu, in which customers carry their own trays to seating
Canc. – Cancellation
Cancellation insurance – Insurance policy for travelers guarding against loss of funds in case traveler cannot take trip or the arrangements are cancelled by the supplier.
Cancellation policy – Travel supplier policy regarding cancelled bookings and amount of notification necessary for granting of refunds.
Caps – Limits placed on the amount of commission that will be paid to travel agencies on reservations and bookings
Car ferry – A boat designed to carry automobiles and passengers from one point to another.
Carousel – The circular conveyer in transportation terminals that carriers baggage for passengers to claim.
Carriage – The transportation of passengers, cargo or freight and the accompanying charges.
Carrier – A company organized to transport passengers and/or goods.
Carrying capacity – A key concept in environmental impact analysis that relates to the amount of use an environment is capable of sustaining under certain circumstances
CAS – Call Accounting System
Cash flow – Monies available to meet the company’s daily operating expenses, as opposed to equity, accounts receivable, or other credits not immediately accessible
Catering – A department within a restaurant, hotel, or resort property that is charged with selling and planning special meetings and food and beverage events
CCTV – Closed Circuit TV
CDC –Center for Disease Control
CDW – Collision damage waiver – Protection offered, for an extra fee, by a car rental company against liability for damage to a rental car
CENSTATES TTRA – Central States Regional Chapter of TTRA
Central reservation office – Sales office that handles bookings on behalf of a group of hotels.
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
Chain operations – Groups of properties that are affiliated with each other and have common ownership and/or management control and oversight
Chapter 11 bankruptcy – Court protection in the U.S. from creditors, allowing a failing firm to continue operations, while seeking to settle its debts.
Charter – (verb) To hire all or part of an aircraft, ship bus, train or other transport for a specified group or for resale to the public; (noun) the trip so involved.
Charter airline – A U.S. or foreign carrier with an operating certificate or permit that allows charter service only; formerly called supplemental airline.
Charter coach – Motorcoach or bus to be used by a specific group for a specific trip.
Charter operations – (1) term referring the transportation of pre-formed groups which have the exclusive use of the vehicle. (2) An operator authorized to arrange transportation, however, is not limited to dealing with pre-formed groups, but can itself form the tour group.
Check-in time – The hour at which a room is ready for occupancy by a guest; also, the time for preflight ticket checking and baggage handling.
Check-out time – The hour by which a guest must vacate his or her accommodations, although the management may permit continued use of facilities.
Circle fare – A special fare lower than the sum of the point-to-point fares for a circle trip.
Circle trip – A journey with stopovers that returns to the point of departure without retracing its route
City guide – A person who has a specialty of guiding in the city only
City pair – The origin and destination points of an air trip.
City terminal – An airline ticket office, not at an airport, where a passenger can check in, check baggage, receive a seat assignment and get transportation to the airport.
City tour – Sightseeing tour through a city to view its main attractions, usually by bus and usually lasting a half-day.
Closeout – Finalization of a tour, cruise, or similar group travel project after which time no further clients are accepted. Any unsold air or hotel space is released, and final payments are sent to all suppliers.
CMO – Community Marketing Organization
Co. – County
Coach – Usually the lowest and cheapest class of transport.
COD – Cash on Delivery
Codes – Standard abbreviations and designations used by the travel industry to indicate elements such as airports, fares, and classes of service and cities.
Code-sharing – An arrangement between two airlines that allows one carrier to list its flights under the two-letter designation of another, usually to obtain the benefits of on-line status for connections displayed in reservations systems; often part of a broader marketing pact such as feeder agreements between regional and major carriers, or between carriers that cooperate on international routings.
Cognitive map – A mental representation of the world; a collection of information that an individual uses to orient him/herself within and environment or setting
Comm – Commission
Commercial rate – A special rate agreed upon by a company and a hotel. Usually the hotel agrees to supply rooms of a specified quality or better at a flat rate to corporate clients or to a special customer
Commercial recreation system – Recreational products, services, and facilities created and operated by privately owned businesses or corporations as opposed to public facilities
Commercial travel agent – One whose clients are companies rather than members of the public; also a corporate agent
Commissary – Central storage area where food and supplies are received and kept until requisitioned
Commission – An amount, usually based on a percentage, paid to a travel agent for the sale of supplier's product or service.
Common carrier – A privately owned carrier which offers transportation for a fee
Common rated – Two or more relatively adjacent destinations to which the fare from the point of origin is identical.
Common rating system – A European practice enabling long-haul travelers from outside the continent to move freely on a single ticket at no extra cost.
Commuter airline – Scheduled carrier operating regional U.S. service, usually with aircraft carrying fewer than 60 passengers; also called regional airline.
Comparative advantage – The benefits of one alternative relative to another
Complimentary room – A guest room for which no charge is made. Complimentary rooms with a tour group are usually occupied by the tour manager or driver.
Concessionaire – A firm which, under contract rights, operates for another party (in many cases, a government agency) food and beverage services, lodging facilities, and other services on-site at an attraction
Concierge – A hotel employee who handles restaurant and tour reservations, travel arrangements, and other details for hotel guests
Concierge services – Services provided by employees who specialized in meeting the special request of guests and provide guest services such as making reservations and supplying information
Concorde – A supersonic aircraft operated by Air France and British Airways.
Conditions – The section or clause of a transportation/tour contract which specifies what is not included and which may spell out the circumstances under which the contract many be invalidated
Conducted tour – See escorted tour.
Conference – An association of carriers formed to establish standards and rules governing others, such as travel agents, who do business with members of the association.
Confidential tariff – A schedule of wholesale rates distributed in confidence to travel wholesalers and agents. Better known as a net rate
Configuration – The interior arrangement of a vehicle, particularly an airplane. The same airplane, for example, may be configured for 190 coach-class passengers, or it may hold 12 first-class passengers and 170 coach passengers, Configuration is also used in conjunction with how the plane is arranged such as three seats on each side or in larger planes two seats on each side with four middle seats
Confirmed reservation – An oral or written agreement by a supplier that he has received and will honor a reservation. Oral confirmations have no legal weight. Even written or telegraphed confirmations have specified or implied limitations. e.g.: a hotel not honoring a reservation after 6 pm., unless late arrival has been guaranteed in some manner
Connecting flight – A flight plan that includes a change of aircraft and flight number
Connecting rooms – Two or more rooms with private doors permitting access from one to the other without use of a hotel corridor.
Consolidation – Cancellation by a charter tour operator of one or more tours/flights associated with a specific charter departure or departure period, with the transfer of passengers to another charter tour/flight to depart on or near the same day
Consolidator – A person or company which forms groups to travel on air charters or at group rates on scheduled flights to increase sales, earn override commissions or reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.
Consolidator wholesaler – Selling discounted scheduled air tickets to travel agents or to the public.
Consolidators – Wholesalers who buy excess inventory of unsold airline tickets and then resell these tickets at discounted prices through travel agents or in some cases directly to travelers
Consortium – A loosely knit group of independently owned and managed companies such as travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, or other suppliers, with a joint marketing distribution process
Constituent groups – Subgroup of citizens with a set of common needs or wants
Consumer behavior – The study of consumer characteristics and the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, and use goods, services, or experiences to satisfy wants and needs
Continental breakfast – At a minimum, a beverage (coffee, tea or milk) and rolls or toast. Fruit juice is often added.
Continental plan – A hotel rate which includes a continental breakfast with the overnight room stay
Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties
Contractor – An operator who provides services to wholesalers, tour operators and travel agents
Convention center – A property developed to serve the special needs of groups, especially regarding meetings and trade shows
Co-op tour – A tour which is sold through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations
Cooperating carrier – Scheduled line that pays or helps to pay for brochures or other costs of marketing a tour program
Cooperative – A trade association formed for the same purposes as a consortium but structured differently, with shares held by agency owners; see consortium
Corporate card – An individual charge or credit card issued through the traveler's employer and typically carrying the names of both
Corporate rate – A reduced price applicable to business travelers, sometimes specially negotiated
Corporate travel manager – An employee who makes travel arrangements for other employees of a company; also called a passenger traffic manager
Cost-benefit analysis – A method used to determine the relative impact of a development, in which total costs and total benefits are estimated and then compared
Costing – The process of itemizing and calculating all costs the tour operator will pay on a given tour. Costing is usually the function of the operations manager
Couchette – A sleeping berth on a European train.
Counter agent – Ticket agent for a carrier.
Coupon, passenger – Portion of airline ticket retained by passenger; should be one coupon for each air segment of a trip.
Coupon, tour – A voucher that can be exchanged for a travel product
Courier – A European definition for tour manager/guide
Cover charge – A fee, usually a flat amount per person, charged to patrons to cover the cost of music and entertainment
CPI – Cost Per Inquiry
CRS – Computer Reservation System
CRS – Computerized reservations system – Computer system through which many travel products, including airlines and major hotel chains, are booked; several systems, all started and controlled by airlines, compete for travel agency business.
CRS rules or codes of conduct – Regulations imposed on operators of agency CRSs in the U.S., Canada and most European countries; includes prohibition against bias displays.
Cruise director – The person who plans and operates passenger entertainment and activities on board a cruise ship
CTA – Certified Travel Agent
CTA – Close to Arrival
CTAP – Community Tourism Assessment Program
CTC – Certified Travel Counselor – A certification granted by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents upon completion of a required course of study leading to professional competence
CTEP – Community Transportation Enhancement Program
CTO – City ticket office – Airline ticket office or counter not located at an airport.
CTP – Certified Tour Professional – a designation conferred upon tour professionals who have completed a prescribed course of academic study, professional service, tour employment and evaluation requirements. It is administered by the National Tour Association.
Cuisine – The creative arts and crafts of preparing foods
Culinary – The creative arts and crafts of preparing foods
Cultural impact – The effects of tourism activity or development on the culture of a locality or region – on its arts, artifacts, customs, rituals, architecture, and, in particular, the cohesiveness and cultural identity of the residents
Cultural tourism – A form of tourism in which the culture of the area is the primary attraction
Culture – The practices of a society; its customary believes, social roles, and material objects
Curator – Person in charge of a museum
Customized tour – A tour designed to fit the specific needs of a particular target market
Customs – The common term for a government agency charged with collecting duty on specified items imported into that country. The agency also restricts the entry of persons and forbidden items without legal travel documents
Cut-off date – Designated day when the buyer must release or add commitments to their event or tour
CVA – Convention and Visitors Association
CVB – Convention and visitors bureau – A non-profit local organization supported by transient room taxes, government budget allocations, private memberships, or a combination of any of these funding mechanisms. A CVB typically encourages groups to hold meetings, conventions, and trade shows in its area
D
Data Mining – Analyzing information stores in computer databases with the help of statistical techniques to uncover hidden relationships and patterns
Day rate – A reduced rate granted for the use of a guest room during the daytime, not overnight occupancy. Often used when someone needs a display room, office, or is in-transit due to odd airline schedules.
Deadhead – Aircraft, ship or other transportation vehicle in transit without a payload; also known as an empty leg.
Deck – The equivalent on a ship to a floor or story of a hotel
Deck plan – A diagram or model of a ship's decks; often used by agents to select cabins.
DED – Department of Economic Development
Deluxe – Used in travel to suggest highest quality, but much misused and meaningless.
Deluxe tour – In travel usage, presumably of the highest standard
Demi-pension – Half-pension, a hotel rate, particularly in Europe, including bed, breakfast and either lunch or dinner; also called modified American plan.
Demographic Segmentation – Dividing consumer markets based on demographic data such as age, education, income, gender, religion, race, nationality, and occupation
Demographics – Characteristics used to classify consumers on the basis of criteria such as age, education, income, gender, and occupation
Denied-boarding compensation – Payment in the form of cash or additional airline ticket made to passenger by carrier when he or she is bumped.
Departure tax – Fee collected from the traveler by the host country at the time of departure
Deposit – An advance payment required to obtain confirmed space
Deposit policy – A specified amount or a percentage of the total bill due on a specified date prior to arrival
Deposit reservation – A reservation for which a hotel has received advance payment for at least one night and is usually obligated to hold the room regardless of the guest's arrival time; policies vary and should be checked.
Deregulation – The act of removing regulations from the travel industry. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, which amended the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, provided for the end of the Civil Aeronautics Boards regulating authority over domestic airlines on January 1, 1985, for removing travel agent exclusivity, thus paving the way for carriers to appoint and pay commissions to non-travel agents, and for the removal of antitrust immunity for travel agents. The motorcoach industry was deregulated in 1982
Destination – The place to which a traveler is going. In the travel industry, any city, area, or country which can be marketed as a single entity for tourists.
Destination Image – The detailed impression an individual or target segment has of a specific destination
Destination Management Company – (DMC) A company that provides on-the-scene meetings assistance for corporations and associations
Destination marketing organization – (DMO) A category of membership of the National Tour Association which includes state or provincial tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, and chambers of commerce which promote a city, region, or state as a travel destination
Destination Resorts – Properties that are relatively self-contained and provide a wide range of recreational and other leisure-time activities
Dine-around plan – A plan that permits tourists to dine at a variety of restaurants using vouchers and coupons on a tour
Direct access reservations – A CRS feature that offers agencies a direct link via the host's mainframe to a number of airline or other suppliers; simple versions allow agents only to look at but not book in the nonhost computer, enhanced ones permit real-time bookings there.
Direct air carrier – An airline that actually operates aircraft, as opposed to an indirect air carrier, which charters passenger or cargo space for resale in its own name.
Direct flight – A flight plan that includes one or more intermediate stops but no change of aircraft or flight number
Direct impact – The first-round effect of tourist spending
Direct sell – British usage for selling tours directly to the public without going through agents.
Direct spending – Money that goes directly from a tourist into the economy of the destination
Directional tariff – A reduced fare, often seasonal and usually roundtrip, for passengers originating at one end of a route only.
Director, tour – A person, usually employed or subcontracted by the tour operator, who accompanies a tour from departure to return, acting as a guide and troubleshooter and performing all functions to make the tour operate. Also see tour manager or escort.
Discounted rates – Any rate below the standard minimum rate.
Disembark – To go ashore from a ship
Disposable Income – Household income after paying taxes that is available for personal use
DIT – Domestic Independent Tour – A custom-made tour of a part of the USA planned exclusively for a client by a travel agent
DM – District Manager
DMC – Destination Management Company
DMO – Destination Marketing Organization
DNR – Department of Natural Resources
Docent – A museum guide
DOD – Department of Defense
Domestic escorted tour – A packaged, pre-planned itinerary, including the services of a tour manager (escort) within a traveler s own country
DOR – Department of Roads
DOS – Director of Sales
Double – A hotel room with a double bed.
Double occupancy – Rate the room rate for a double or a twin room when it is being occupied by two people; a discount of 50% or less of the double rate is usually offered for single occupancy.
Double-occupancy rate – The price per person for a room to be shared with another person; abbreviated ppdo and most often quoted in the industry
Double-room rate – The full price of a room for two people (twice the double-occupancy rate)
Downgrade – To move to a lesser level of accommodations or a lower class of service
Dptr – Departure
Drop-off charge – Fee charged by car rental company when the renter does not return the car to the original rental location.
Dry lease – Rental of a vehicle, particularly an aircraft, without an operator, crew or service; a pure dry lease does not include fuel, supplies or maintenance.
Duplex – A two-story suite connected by a private stairway.
DVMT – Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled
E
Ecological Capacity – The maximum level of users that an area can accommodate before ecological damage is incurred
Economic impact – A macroeconomic effect on the aggregate number of jobs and amount of income that a region can expect from economic development of various industries such as tourism
Economic impact analysis – A basic economic tool used to examine macroeconomic concerns about the aggregate number of jobs and amount of income a region can expect from economic development of various industries such as tourism
Economics – The study of the choices people make in using scarce resources to meet needs
Economies of scale – Savings in time, money, or other resources organizations enjoy as the results of purchasing and/or selling in large quantities, specialization at a particular job or function in the use of specialized machinery
Economy – Fare or service in airlines operations, coach or tourist class.
Economy fares or services – In U.S. domestic airline operations, passenger carriage at a level below coach service; in international operations, carriage at a level below first class
Ecotour – A tour designed to focus on preserving the environment of environmentally sensitive areas
Ecotourism – A form of tourism that focuses on environmental and cultural preservation
Ecotourist – Leisure travelers who prefer to visit less popular, more primitive destination
Ecotravelers – See Ecotourist
EDC – Economic Development Corporation
Educational tour – Tour designed around an educational activity, such as studying art
Efficiency accommodation – With some cooking facilities.
EFT – Electronic Funds Transfer
EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment
EIS – Environmental Impact Statement
Elapsed flying time – Duration of actual air travel after all scheduled ground time at intermediate stops has been deducted.
Elapsed travel time - Duration of an air trip including time on the ground between connecting flights.
Elastic Demand – The quantity of goods or services used changes in a proportion that is greater than changes in prices
Embark – To go on board a ship
Emerging authenticity – The result obtained when current artifacts and cultural activities replicate historic or older artifacts and, in time, become “authentic” artifacts of the community
Employee Turnover – The number of employees who leave their jobs because they intentionally miss work quick or are terminated
EMS – Emergency Medical Services
EMS – Environmental Management System
English breakfast – Hearty breakfast served in the U.K. and Ireland; usually including fruit or juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, toast and beverage.
Enterprise System – Management information systems that combine data from multiple properties
Entrepreneurial – Assuming the risks of a personally owned business
Entry requirements – The official documentation required by a country to allow a foreigner to enter.
Environmental capacity – The limit on the number of users that an area can accommodate before visitors perceive decline in the desirability of the area
Environmental perception – A holistic approach to perception which considers how an individual translates and interprets information from the environment
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
EPOS – Electronic Point of Sale
Errors and omissions insurance – A policy that covers damages resulting from an agent's mistake or omissions.
Escort – (1) A person, usually employed or subcontracted by the tour operator who accompanies a tour from departure to return, acting as a troubleshooter. This term is often incorrectly interchanged with courier, conductor, host, manager, director, or leader, since each term designates different duties although they do perform the escort function.
Escorted tour – Prearranged foreign or domestic tour, usually for a group, with escort service and often local guides; a sightseeing program conducted by a guide
Escrow – Funds placed by a travel agency or supplier in the custody of a bank or other financial institution until the fulfillment of certain conditions, such as the completion of a travel contract.
Escrow accounts – Funds placed in the custody of licensed financial institutions for safekeeping. Many contracts in travel require that agents and tour operators maintain customers deposits and prepayments in escrow accounts until the time of service.
ESTO – Educational Seminar for State Travel Officials
Ethnic tour – Tour designed for people usually of the same heritage traveling to their native origin, or to a destination with ethnic relevance
Eurailpass – Allows unlimited travel for non-European tourist for varying periods of time throughout Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
European plan – A type of rate that consists of the price of the room only, no included meals
Events – Special occasions and scheduled activities
Ex – Departing from, as in ex Sydney
Excess baggage – In excess by size weight of the free allowance specified by a carrier
Exchange order – Document issued by a carrier or other travel related entity requesting provision of specified services or the issuance of a ticket to the person named in the document
Exchange rate – The number of units of one currency necessary to be exchanged to obtain a unit of another currency, for example, 121 Japanese yen for $1.00 U.S
Excursion – Journey where the traveler returns to the original point of departure
Excursion fare – Any fare offering roundtrip transportation below the combined cost of component one-way fares; usually with restrictions, sometimes with advance purchase requirement.
Executive coach – A luxury motorcoach with seating of 25 or fewer with upscale amenities
Expatriate – A citizen of one nation who lives in a nation of which s/he is not a citizen
Expected Quality – The level of quality that a consumer predicts he or she will receive from a good or service
Export – A good or service produced in one country and purchased by a resident of another country; the opposite of “import”
Ext. – Extension Office
Extension – Tour at additional cost to buyers of a tour or cruise; may be taken before, during or after the basic program.
Extensions – An arranged sub-tour offered optionally before or after a tour or cruise at an extra charge
Externalities – Costs of benefits of a transaction affecting third parties not directly involved in the transaction. These costs or benefits escape the control of the market system
Extra section – Additional transportation equipment, such as a plane, bus or train, used or scheduled.
Extreme Tourism – See Adventure tourism
F
F & B – Food and Beverage
FA – Federal Government/Agency
Fairs – Temporary gathering places for the exhibition of products and services, often accompanied by entertainment and food and beverage services
FAM – Familiarization Tour
FAM tour – An abbreviation for familiarization tour which is often a complimentary or reduced-rate travel program for travel agents, tour operators, travel writers or others to acquaint them with a specific destination or attraction, thereby helping to stimulate sales
Familiarization Tour – (also called “fams” or “fam trips”) Trips offered by governmental tourism agencies, hotels, resorts, and tour operators at low or no cost to acquaint travel salespeople (typically travel agents) with the products and services they offer
Family plan – Discounts offered to a family group by hotels, resorts and other suppliers.
Fantail – The stern overhang of a ship.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions, or everything-you-wanted-to-know about a Web site, from technical questions to privacy policies; usually presented in a question-and-answer format.
Fathom – Unit of length measuring 6 feet, usually used for describing water depth.
Feasibility analysis – A type of market analysis which includes a study of pricing, costs, development, an potential return on investment – everything, in short, which could help determine whether introducing a new product or service is feasible
Fee simple – right of ownership evidenced by the transfer of a certificate of title. The buyer has the right to sell, lease, or bequeath the property of interest (as in a time-share)
Fee-based pricing – A method of pricing agency services based on the suppliers' net price, plus a mark-up that covers the cost of delivering the service and a profit.
Feeder airlines – Small, regional airlines which meet commuter needs in less populated areas by making connecting flights to areas served by larger airlines
Ferry flight – A non revenue flight for positioning an empty aircraft.
Festival – A time of celebrating with scheduled activities
FFP – Frequent Flyer Program
FIRE – Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
First sitting – The earliest dining time; usually applies to cruises.
FIT –Acronym with multiple meanings. -Foreign individual traveler -Frequent individual traveler -Fully independent traveler - Usually a "FIT Package" will include lodging, meals, and attractions. Customized foreign tour including many elements, designed and planned to fulfill the particular needs of a traveler; may be designed by a travel agent or by a wholesaler in consultation with the traveler’s agent
Fixed expense – An expense related to the tour as a whole, which does not vary with the number of passengers such as a meal or a per person entrance to an attraction
Flag carrier – A transportation carrier designated by a country to serve international routes
Flt – Flight
Fly/drive tour – Package for a certain number of nights supplying car and a series of hotel vouchers; itinerary may be prearranged although frequently only first and last night reservations are; air travel may or may not be included in the price.
Flycruising – A travel trend in which tourists fly to a destination to begin a cruise; generally as part of a travel package
Focus Group – An in-depth interview about a topic among 8 to 12 people, with a researcher (called a “moderator”) leading the discussion
FOI – Freedom of Information Act
Folio – An itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits, maintained in the front office till departure, and can be referred to as guest bill or guest statement
Food cover – A unit of food service provided to a customer. The term is not synonymous with meal because a food cover may comprise only a cup of coffee or bowl of soup
FOP – Form of Payment
Fore or forward – In or toward the front of a ship.
Forecasting – An educated guess about future trends, events, sales levels, etc., based on data collected both within and outside a tourism operation
Foreign exchange rate – Rate at which one country's currency can be exchanged for that of another
Foreign flag – Any carrier not registered in the USA (applies to air and sea transportation)
Frag – Fragile baggage
Franchise – The right to market a product or service, often exclusively for a specified area by a manufacturer, developer, or distributor in return for a fee
Free port – Port where goods are not subject to duties
Free sale – A system of reserving facilities whereby the sales agent or the CRS equipment does not need to obtain availability on a booking-by-booking basis from the principal
Freedoms of the air – The concept that international air commerce should operate under six basic freedoms in any country, allowing an aircraft or airline the right to: 1. fly over another country's territory without landing; 2. land for technical or other non-traffic purposes; 3. disembark traffic originating in the carrier's home country; 4. pick up traffic destined for the carrier's country; 5. carry traffic from one foreign country to another foreign country, and; 6. carry traffic to the carrier's home country and beyond to another foreign country
Frequent flyer program – A plan offered by airlines to award bonuses, such as free or upgraded passage, to fare-paying customers who fly specified minimum mileage; concept extended to hotels and car rental firms through frequent stay and frequent rental plans.
Front office – Office situated in the lobby of a hotel, the main functions of which are (1) control/sale of guest rooms, (2) providing keys, mail, and information, (3) keeping guest accounts, rendering bills/payments, and (4) providing information to other departments
Front office automation – Computer system used to make bookings particularly CRS's.
Full house – A hotel with all guest rooms occupied
Full-service restaurant – A food-service establishment with several menu selections and table service
Fully appointed – Travel agent approved by the principal airline, cruise and railroad conferences for selling travel products and services
Function – A pre-arranged, catered group activity, usually held in private room/area
Function room – Room used for functions, also called banquet room
FY – Fiscal Year
FYTD – Fiscal Year to Date
G
Gap – The portion of an airline itinerary involving transportation by means other than an IATA carrier.
Garbage survey – An indirect observation technique used for monitoring consumer preferences for menu items. It involves keeping a systematic tally of which menu items are thrown away rather than eaten by guests
Gateway – City, airport, or area from which a flight or tour departs
Gateway city – City with an international airport
General accounting office – The U.S. agency responsible for, among other matters, travel regulations for federal employees.
Geographic segmentation – Dividing consumer markets along different geographical boundaries such as nations, states, and communities
GGDS – Global Distribution Service
GLBT – Gay Lesbian Bi Travel
GM – General Manager
GMT – Gross National Product
Green Hotel – A lodging property where guests and employees are actively involved in resource conservation and pollution reduction
Green movement – Environmentally-oriented movement or political party composed of concerned citizens who call for less destructive methods in agriculture, community development, rural development, and tourism
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – The mean solar time at Greenwich, England, used as the basis for calculating standard time throughout the world
Gross registered ton – 100 cubic feet of enclosed space on a ship.
Ground operator – A company or individual providing such services as hotel, sightseeing, transfers, and all other related services for groups
Ground operator – See land operator or contractor.
Group leader – An individual, acting as liaison to a tour operator, acts as escort
Group tour – A pre-arranged, pre-paid travel program for a group usually including all components. Also see packaged tour.
GS – Guest Services
GSM – Guest Service Manager
GST – Goods and Services Tax
Guarantee policy – A hotel's requirements for holding a room for late arrival.
Guaranteed payment reservation – A hotel reservation secured by the guest's agreement, usually by credit card, to pay for the room even if it is not used.
Guaranteed tour – One guaranteed to operate unless canceled before an established cutoff date
Guest account – An itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits
Guest history – Personal profile of client's previous stays with a hotel.
Guide – (1) A person qualified to conduct tours of specific localities or attractions (many reliable guides are licensed), (2) an airline, bus, railroad, or ship manual of schedules and fares, usually printed seasonally
Guided tour – A local sightseeing trip conducted by a guide
H
Half-roundtrip – One-way portion of a roundtrip fare; the two halves may vary on a charter depending on the season; often scheduled excursion fares may be advertised on a half-roundtrip basis.
Hard currencies – A currency, such as Canadian dollars and Japanese yen, that is valued in all countries and is easily exchangeable into other currencies
HCIMA – Hotel & Catering International management Association
Head tax – Fee charged for arriving and departing passengers in some foreign countries
Heritage Attraction – Places, structures, and activities with historical and cultural significance
High season – The period of the year when occupancy/usage of a hotel or attraction is normally the highest. High usage invariably means higher prices for rooms or admission. Also referred to as on-season or peak season
Hire car – A rental
HLTT – Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism
Hospitality suite – A hotel suite, parlor or studio engaged for the entertainment of those attending a meeting, conference or convention.
Host – (1) A representative of the group (organizer) that may arrange optional excursions and answer questions but does not have escort authority (2) liaison to the tour operator or tour manager, or (3) a representative who provides only information or greeting services or who assists at the destination with ground arrangements without actually accompanying the tour
Host Community – The community that a tourist is visiting, including its economic, human, and government service resources that are all shared by resident with visitors
Host system – Usually a CRS that gives users access to others vendors and systems though the same equipment.
Hosted Tour – A host is available at each major tour destination to welcome guests, solve problems, and answer questions
Hostel – An inexpensive, usually supervised lodging primarily for young people.
Hostelry – An accommodation that provides lodging and/or food.
Hotel classification – There is no official classification or accepted rating system for US hotels, but the following definitions are generally understood. (1) Budget or tourist: Budget hotels/motels are reasonably priced accommodations and are the fastest growing segment of the US lodging industry. In general, they provide a room with a bed and bath, TV set, and telephone, as well as free parking. They usually do not have room service or a restaurant. (2) Moderate: accounts for nearly 75 percent of available US hotel rooms. Offer on-site restaurants, bars, and perhaps conference rooms, as well as the basic services. (3) Deluxe: a top-grade hotel with all rooms usually having a private bath. The public rooms and services are provided and a high standard of decor and services maintained. (4) First class and luxury: Many first class/luxury hotels in the US exist in large cities, offering a number of special services to the business/leisure traveler. They offer first-rate restaurants, banquet and conference rooms, valet service, room service cable TV and complimentary morning news.
Hotel meals – (1) American Plan: rate includes three full meals and the room (AP), (2) Bermuda Plan: rate includes a full American-style breakfast and the room (BP), (3) European Plan: No meals included with the room rate (EP), (4) Modified American Plan: rate includes breakfast and lunch OR dinner with the room (MP), (5) house: a synonym for hotel commonly used within the industry. Examples of usage include full house, house count, house income, house bank, and house charge.
Hotel package – A package offered by a hotel, sometimes consisting only of room and breakfast, and sometimes, especially at a resort hotel, of room, meals, transportation, use of sports facilities and other services.
Hotel personnel – All individuals responsible for the care and service of cruise-ship passengers
Hotel register – The permanent record kept by all hotels of the arrival and departure of guests, each of whom must sign in on arrival.
Hotel rep – A representative offering hotel reservations to wholesalers, agents and the public; some also offer marketing and other services.
Hotelier – A hotel owner, manager or keeper.
Housing bureau – An organization, often government-sponsored, that acts as a clearinghouse for accommodations, particularly for meetings and conventions; often established on an ad hoc basis during major tourist events to maintain a registry of private accommodations to supplement an area's regular lodging industry.
Hub and spoke – In the airline industry, a system of routing of passengers through a central airport, permitting a carrier to operate fewer flights on less traveled routes
Hub-and-spoke system – The primary airline route pattern in the United State. By designating primary hubs, airlines are able to funnel traffic into these centers to feed their trunk point-to-point routes between major market cities
Human (cultural) Geography – The human activities that shape the face of a location and shared experiences, including the cultural aspects of language, religion, and political and social structures
I
IDD – International Direct Dialing
Image – The perceptions one has of some thing, place, or event which is carried in one’s memory
IMAX – Image Maximum (Large-screen movie theatre format)
Immigration – The process by which a government official verifies a person’s passport, visa or origin of citizenship
Import – A good or service purchased in one country but produced in another country; the opposite of “export”
Inaugural – Institution of a new airline route or equipment, often with free tickets for travel agents, along with free accommodations.
Inbound agent or operator – A ground operator specializing in serving incoming visitors, particularly those from foreign countries.
Inbound tour – Group of travelers whose trip originated in another city or country
Inbound tour operator – Company specializing in domestic tours for foreign visitors in the strictest sense. Can also be used interchangeably with receptive operator.
Incentive tour – (1) A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents, or (2) the business of operating such travel programs
Incentive travel – The offering of travel by companies to their employees as an incentive toward greater productivity.
Incidentals – Charges incurred by participants of a tour, but are not included in the tour price
Inclusive price – Guests are charge one price for a package of services such as accommodations, food, and activities
Inclusive resort – A property that prices itself to include the room, meals and amenities in a single package rate; also called all-inclusive resort.
Inclusive tour – Tour in which all specific elements – transportation, airfare, hotels, transfers, and other costs – are offered for a flat rate. An inclusive tour does not necessarily cover all costs such as personal items and telephone
Income multiplier – A tool used to estimate the effect of an injection of new money on income in an economy
Independent contractor – A person contractually retained by another to perform certain specific tasks. The other person has no control over the independent contractor other than as provided in the contract. In the context of group travel, a tour manager is often retained by the tour operator, or tour brochure designer/writer might be hired in this capacity
Independent hotel – One not affiliated with a chain or group.
Independent tour – An unescorted tour sold through agents to individuals. For one price, the client guaranteed air travel, hotel room, attraction admissions and (typically) a car rental
Indirect air carrier – Generally synonymous with charter tour operator. A tour operator, travel agent, or other promoter who (under federal regulations) contracts for charter space from a carrier for resale to the public. In theory, indirect air carriers act as independent, risk-taking entrepreneurs, promoting their own product
Indirect impact – The effect of tourist spending as the money passes through various stages or recirculation
Induced impact – The effect on an economy of employees spending their tourist-derived incomes
Inelastic Demand – The quantity of goods or services used does not change in direct proportion to changes in prices
Infrastructure – The foundation utilities and other systems necessary for an economy, such as roads, electricity, and water and sewerage systems
Infrastructure – The physical necessities and supporting systems that must be supplied for human activity and communication. Generally, the infrastructure includes all forms of construction on and below the grounds such as roads and conduits for electricity, gas, water and sewage, telephones, and so on
Injections – In economics, new dollars “injected” into a local economy by the spending non-residents (such as tourists)
Innkeepers' lien – Legal right of an innkeeper in some countries to keep the property of a guest for unpaid charges
In-plant agency – A travel agent's sales outlet located on the premises of a company and doing business primarily for that company only; also called a customer-premises agency location
Input-output models – A means of calculating Keynesian-type multipliers that derive employment and income multipliers for specific sectors of the economy instead of just the aggregate effect on the whole destination region
Int’l – International
Interactive marketing – A form of marketing based on the premise that marketing doesn’t stop when a tourist arrives at a destination. Interactive marketing contends that effective marketing includes managing and optimizing interactions between tourist and employees, tourist and other guests, as well as other pertinent interactions
Interface – In the travel agency industry, a direct link between an airline reservations system and an agency's computer.
Interline connection – The transfer of passenger baggage or cargo between flights of different airlines.
Interline cooperation – Among air carriers that permits travelers to fly on two or more lines on the same trip by using a single ticket and to check luggage at point of origin for the connecting flight or flights.
Interline rep – An airlines salesperson who deals with other airlines.
Interliner – An airline employee traveling on a carrier not his own.
Intermediate carrier – A carrier that transports a passenger or piece of baggage as part of an inter-line movement, but on which neither the point of origin or destination is located IT Number: a registration number that is assigned to a tour package
Intermodal – Using more than one mode or means of transportation, such as beginning a tour on a motorcoach and ending it on a flight
Intermodal tour – Tour using several forms of transportation such as airplanes, motorcoaches, cruise ships, and trains to create a diversified and efficient tour package
Internal marketing – A type of marketing that focuses on employees as customers – in effect, “selling” employees on the values important to management
International dateline – The line at 180 degrees; longitude where, by international agreement, each day begins; eastbound travelers gain a day when they cross the line, westbound lose a day.
International Student Identity Card – Issued by the Council on International Student Exchange to qualified students to help them secure special travel rates, low-cost accommodations and other benefits.
International tourism – Travel people make abroad – or outside their country of residence
ISO 14001 – International standard for environmental management systems
ISTEA – Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (federal highway funding program)
IT number – Number assigned to an inclusive tour containing certain specified elements that make it eligible for commission overrides from the airline.
Itinerary – The travel schedule provided by a travel agent or tour operator for the client. A proposed or preliminary itinerary may be rather vague or very specific. A final itinerary spells out all details, including flight numbers, departure times, and similar data, as well as describing planned activities
J
Jet lag – Discomfort caused by long flights and changes in time zones
Jetway – A loading and unloading bridge giving passengers protected entry and exit from an aircraft; the term is a registered trademark
Jitney – A small bus or motorcar that serves a route, usually on a flexible schedule
Joint fare – Fare applying from the point of origin to the destination through one or more intermediate points for travel on more than one airline; see through fare.
Joint notice of change – Form containing information about an agency's status and about proposed new owner or owners; submitted with a change of ownership application to conferences to continue appointments under new ownership.
Joint operations – Two or more carriers operating a service using one aircraft, with one carrier administering and one carrier controlling the reservations.
Joint venture – Combines efforts of two or more partners, usually organizations
Junior suite – A large hotel room with a partition separating the bed and sitting areas.
K
Kg – Kilogram
Kilo – Short for kilogram; major measurement of weight throughout the world except the U.S.; consists of 1,000 grams, equivalent to 2.2 pounds
Kilometer – Major measurement of distance throughout the world except the U.S.; equivalent to 0.62 statute mile
King room – A hotel room with a king-size bed
Km – Kilometer
Knot – One nautical mile per hour, approximately 1.15 statute miles per hour
KPH – Kilometer per Hour
L
L – Liter
L/C – Letter of Credit
Lanai – A room with a balcony or patio overlooking water or a garden, usually in a resort hotel
Land arrangements – All services to a client at his destination
Land only – Transportation to and from the destination not included
Land operator – A company that provides local services, see also ground/receptive operator
Landmarks – Distinguishing features that stand out and provide a reference point for orientation; landmarks also provide travelers with information about direction and distance
Last-seat or room availability – An agent's ability to book the last seat on flight or room in a hotel; for travel agents, this access is an issue when a vendor cannot or will not release through a CRT operated by another supplier.
LatAm – Latin America
Late charge – Charges appearing on a guest's credit card for services such as restaurant and telephone that do not appear on the bill at checkout
Late-show – Passenger holding a reservation who arrives at the check-in desk after the designated time.
Lb – Pound
LDW – Loss Damage Waiver
Lead time – Advance time between initiating a tour and its departure date
Leakage – Purchasing power that is spent on imports to an area, resulting in transfer of income out of the local economy
Leakage – The amount of money that leaves and economy as it moves through various spending rounds. Also, an economic term describing the situation when monies are drawn from the economy of one nation to pay for imported goods from another nation, resulting in a net gain for the exporting nation (also referred to as trade imbalance)
Leased-space operations – Where a carrier leases seats or cargo capacity on a service to another carrier; also known as shared operations.
Leg – Portion on a journey between two scheduled stops
Leisure Activities – Activities performed during one’s free time away from work
Leisure Travel – Travel for personal interest and enjoyment
Letter of agreement – a letter from the buyer to the supplier accepting the terms of the proposal. This may also be the supplier s initial proposal that has been initialed by the buyer
LG – Local Government
Lido – The area around the swimming pool on a cruise ship or a fashionable beach resort
Life-seeing – Activity or orientation of a tourist seeking to observe and meet residents of the destination to experience how they live
Light rail – A form of passenger rail transportation designed for use over short distances in metropolitan areas
Limousine service – At hotels, the transportation provided to guests, especially between the airport and the property.
Line of credit – An agreement with a bank in which loans are automatically made up to an established limit
Liter – Volume measurement used in most of the world except the U.S.; equal to 1.057 quarts (liquid).
LO – Land Owner
Load factor – Average number of seats occupied, e.g. motorcoach or air
Load factor – The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of an aircraft's capacity sold to the total capacity offered for sale; a 100-seat plane with 75 paying passengers is operating at a 75% load factor
Lodging – Facilities designed and operated for the purpose of providing travelers with a temporary place to stay
Loss damage waiver (LDW) – Protection offered by a car rental company against responsibility for damage to the rental car resulting from loss, theft, vandalism or collision.
Low season – That time of the year at any given destination when tourist traffic, and often rates, are at their lowest. Also referred to as off-peak or off-season
LRV – Light Refreshment Voucher
M
M&IT – Meetings & Incentive Travel
Macroeconomics – The branch of economics which deals with and analyzes a whole economy or a large sector of it
Maglev – (magnetic levitation) new concept in high-speed surface travel where vehicles would float off the ground following a guideway
Managerial – Qualifier agency staff person who meets the requirements for managerial or sales promotion experience established by the airline conferences
Manifest – Final official listing of all passengers and/or cargo aboard a transportation vehicle or vessel
Marginal cost – The change in total costs associated with producing one more unit of output
Market analysis – A part of the market research that analyzes aspects of the marketplace to determine the potential of a product or service
Market mix – The combination of all the kinds of customers – market segments – to which a product or service will be marketed (compared with marketing mix)
Market research – The systematic study of any issue, problem, or phenomenon related to the marketing of a product or service
Market Segment – The concept of dividing a market in parts
Market share – The percent of the total market for a good or service that a single company has
Marketing – Traditionally, marketing has meant the process of exchange between buyer and seller; today, it also means identifying potential customers’ needs and desires, developing products and services to meet those needs and desires, and using advertising and other tools to persuade customers
Marketing communication – Any communication between a marketer and a consumer
Marketing concept – An overall organizational philosophy that is focused on understanding and meeting the needs of customers
Marketing mix – The combination of good or services, distribution, promotion, and price that are used to accomplish an organization’s objectives and satisfy the needs of target markets (compare with market mix)
Marketing orientation – A business orientation which focuses on and emphasizes the needs and desires of customers
Marketing plan – A plan which provides the results of market research in analyzing market conditions and competition, and details a strategy to reach particular market segments and persuade them to purchase a product or service
Marketing segmentation – Dividing a broad market into smaller and distinct groups of buyers-each group with similar needs, characteristics, or behaviors
Markup – (1) Difference between the cost and the selling price of a given product; (2) difference between the net rate charged by a tour operator, hotel, or other supplier and the retail selling price of the service; (3) Adding a percentage to the cost of a good or service to arrive at a selling price.
Mass tourism – Twentieth-century phenomenon where the working and middle classes began traveling in large numbers for leisure purposes
Mass tourism – Wide-scale travel by a large number of people – not just the elite – brought about by the increase in leisure time, discretionary income, and reliable and inexpensive modes of transportation such as the automobile and airplane
Mass tourists – Travelers participating in wide-scale travel designed for large numbers of people
Master account – The guest account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization
Master bill – All items contracted by the operator and supplier that will be paid by the operator
Meet and greet – Pre-purchased service for meeting and greeting a client/group upon arrival in a city, usually at the airport, pier, or rail station. Service may include assisting the client/group with entrance formalities, collecting baggage, and obtaining transportation to the hotel
Meeting Planner – An individual who specializes in planning and coordinating all the details of meeting, conferences, or events
Mega-resort – A destination resort containing multiple facilities and world-class attractions and entertainment venues. Each revenue center at these destinations could operate as a separate business revenue
Microeconomics – The branch of economics which deals with and analyzes individual units or markets in an economy
Microsegmentation – The process of identifying and serving small subsegments of the market
Minibar – A small refrigerator unit in a hotel room stocked with alcoholic and soft drinks as well as snacks; guests are usually charged for each item taken.
Minimum charge – The amount that each customer must pay no matter what is consumed. For example: a two-drink minimum in a club
Minimum connecting time – The time allowed between the arrival of one scheduled flight and the departure of a connecting flight, established separately for every commercial airport.
Minimum land package – The minimum tour expressed in terms of cost and ingredients that must be purchased to qualify for an airline inclusive tour, or contract bulk inclusive tour fare. Such packages usually include a certain number of nights lodging, other specified ingredients such as sightseeing tours and/or entertainment and/or car rental. The minimum rate for the combined air fares and ground package is often expressed as a percentage (often 100% or 110%) of the lowest regular fare for the air travel scheduled.
Minimum land packages – The minimum tour, in terms of cost and ingredients, that must be purchased to qualify a passenger for certain tour-basing or bulk air fares.
Minimum/maximum stay requirements – Conditions of sale of airline tickets and other service providers that require travelers to stay at the destination for certain period.
Miscellaneous charges order (MCO) – A payment voucher used by an airline or travel agent to cover payment for transportation, accommodations, sightseeing and other services.
ml – Milliliter
MLOS – Minimum Length of Stay
mm – Millimeter
MO – Marketing Organization
Modified American plan (MAP) – A hotel room rate that includes breakfast and one other meal; also known as demi-pension or half-pension.
Monitoring – Consist of daily sales reports, gust counts, and other management reports designed to provide information on a firm’s current performance and its progress toward meeting operational goals
Motorcoach – A large, comfortable, well-powered bus that can transport groups and their luggage over long distances
Motorcoach tour operator – A company that creates tours in which group members are transported via motorcoach on a planned itinerary of stops
MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
mpg – Miles per Gallon
MPM – Maximum Permitted Mileage
MRP – Manufacturer’s Recommended Price
MSA – Motorway Service Area
MTWA – Midwest Travel Writers Association
Multi-access reservations system – Computerized reservations system offering travel agencies access to the computers of various carriers and other suppliers; can also be used to book space on nonparticipating airlines and other suppliers.
Multi-level rates – Range of rates, such as rack or corporate, that may be applied to one or more room types.
Multiplier – A tool used in economic impact analysis to express the impact of a given investment in terms of change in employment, income, or sales
Multiplier concept – The additional economic activity that results when money is spent and respent in a region from the purchase of local goods and services
Multiplier effect – Concept that tourist expenditures in an area generate even more expenditures and thus more money as the tourist income is spent by residents who receive it as wages or profits; can be estimated statistically.
Museum – The International Council of Museums uses the following definition: A non-profit-making, permanent institution, in the service of society and it development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits, for the purposes of study, education, and enjoyment, material evidence of humans and their environment
Mystery tour – A tour to an unpublished destination -- passengers get a surprise!
N
N/S – No Shows
NACVB – National Council of Convention and Visitors Bureaus
NAEM – National Association of Exposition Managers
National monument – A landmark, structure, or other object of historic or scientific interest
National park – Large natural places having a wide variety of attributes
National preserve – An area in which Congress has permitted continued public hunting, trapping, oil/gas exploration and extraction
National scenic trail – A linear parkland
National tourism office – Primary government agency responsible for implementing national goals and public policy with respect to tourism, and for providing information services to international travelers
National tourism policy act – The first comprehensive national tourism policy in the United States; enacted by the Reagan Administration in 1981
National tourism resources review commission – A commission created by Congress in 1970 and charged with assessing tourism needs through the 1970s and into the 1980s; represents the first large-scale, government-sponsored tourism study in the Unites States
Nationwide tour – Sold to people throughout the nation
Nautical mile – Measure of distance at sea; equivalent to 6076.115 feet.
Negotiated rates – Usually a commercial rate, which is available to specific clients in return for volume of business.
NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act
Net rate – A wholesale rate to be marked up for retail sale.
Net wholesale rate – a rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups when components are specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers to cover tour costs.
Netiquette – The unwritten rules of Internet etiquette.
NGO – Non-Governmental Organization
No show – Guest with confirmed reservations who does not arrive and has not canceled
Nonprofit Tourism Association – An organization that exists to support the tourism industry of an area an often promotes the area as destination
Nonrefundable ticket – Air ticket whose dates cannot be changed and which cannot be turned in for a refund because of its low cost; sometimes elements may be changed by paying an extra fee.
Nonrevenue – A flight on which there are no paying passengers; also, a passenger, usually an employee of the airline, who has not paid for a ticket.
Nonsked – Nonscheduled; an airline or other carrier that operates at irregular times, usually at a lower fare.
Nonstop – A flight or other journey that goes from origin to destination without interruption
Non-stop flight – A flight between two cities with no intermediate stops
NPO – Non-profit organizations
NRD – Natural Resource District
NRP – Non Revenue Passenger
NT – National Treasure
NTO – National Tourism Organization (replaced USTTA)
O
Observation car – A railroad car with special provisions for sightseeing, some of them with high windows that curve into the ceiling and are called bubble cars or dome cars
OCC – Occupancy – The percentage of available rooms occupied for a given period. It is computed by dividing the number of rooms occupied for a period by the number of rooms available for the same period.
Occupancy Rate – Ratio comparing the total number of rooms occupied for a given time period to the total number of rooms available for rent
Oceanfront – A hotel room directly facing the ocean
Oceanview – A hotel room, usually at a side, with a view of the ocean
Off-line – Any employee, function or facility located or performed off a carrier's regular route
Off-line carrier – Any airline other than the one whose computer is being used to obtain information and make reservations; any carrier other than the airline an agency is using to make a multi-airline booking, whether by computer or by telephone.
OFFMKT - Off Market
Off-peak – A period in which a hotel or attraction is not in its busiest season
Off-route charter – A flight by a scheduled airline to or from a point it is not authorized to serve on a regularly scheduled basis; limited by some governments.
Off-season – Time when business is traditionally slowest; rates are often lowest then.
OHV – Off-Highway Vehicle (ATV's, off-road motorcycles & 4x4 use)
On-demand public transportation – Transportation services, such as taxicabs that do not have regular schedules
One-off – British term for one time only, one-shot.
One-way flight – A flight plan that includes no return to city of origin
One-way trip – Transportation from a point of origin to a destination without provision for returning.
On-line connection – The transfer of passenger baggage or cargo between flights of the same airline.
On-line reservations system – Automated access to a reservations database.
Open jaw – An arrangement, route, or fare, authorized in a tariff, granting the traveling public the privilege of purchasing round-trip transportation from the point of origin to one destination, at which another form of transportation is used to reach a second destination, where a passenger resumes the initial form of transportation to return to the point of origin. Used for airline travel mainly
Open rate – A situation in which airlines have failed to negotiate a uniform fare, leaving each carrier able to charge its own fare; applies only to international market.
Open ticket – A ticket that does not specify when a service is to be performed, leaving the holder responsible for reserving at a later time.
Operations – Performing the practical work of operating a tour or travel program. Operations usually involves the in-house control and handling of all phases of the tour, with both suppliers and clients.
Operator – A loose term meaning contractor, tour operator, wholesaler or a combination of any or all of these functions.
Option – A tour extension or side trip offered at extra cost.
Option date – The date agreed upon when a tentative agreement is to become a definite commitment by the buyer
OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Other service information – Information included in a client's airline booking record that does not require specified action by the carrier, such as VIP designation
Outbound operator – A company which takes groups from a given city or country to another city or county
Outbound tour – Any tour that takes groups outside a given city or country, opposite of inbound
Outfitter – A business that provides services or equipment at a recreational facility
Output multiplier effect – The additional economic activity that results when money is spent and respent in a region from the purchase of local goods and services
Overbook – Accepting reservations for more space than is available
Overbooking – The practice by a supplier of confirming reservations beyond capacity, either in expectation of cancellations or no shows, or in error
Override – A commission over and above the normal base commission percentage
P
P/U – Pick Up
Pacing – The scheduling of activities within an itinerary to make for a realistic operation and give a certain balance of travel time, sightseeing, events and free time
Package – (1) Pre-arranged combination of elements such as air, hotel, sightseeing, and social events put together and sold at an all-inclusive package price; (2) to package, meaning to combine elements as above into an all-inclusive package product
Package tour – A combination of several travel components provided by different suppliers, which are sold to the consumer as a single product at a single price
Packager – An individual or organization that coordinates and promotes the package tours and establishes operating guidelines for the tour
Packaging – The practice of combining a selected number of products and services (often from different companies) into a single package for one price. Travel packages, for instance, often include airfare, hotel, and meals for one price
Parador – Castle, monastery or such converted into first-class or luxury tourist accommodations by government, particularly in Spain and Puerto Rico
Parlor – A living room or sitting room that is part of a hotel suite and not used as a bedroom; in Europe often called a salon or lounge.
Parlor car – In the U.S. or Canada, rail cars featuring individual swivel seats and food and liquor service
Part charter – A situation in which a scheduled airline transports charter passengers, using some of the seats.
Passenger facility charge (PFC) – A head tax allowing U.S. airports to impose a fee to be used for federally approved airport improvements; airlines collect the tax and remit the funds to the airports.
Passenger name record (PNR) – The record of a booking made and stored in a computerized reservations system, including all the pertinent information, such as passenger name, flight number, travel times and dates, the airline(s) and price.
Passenger service agent – Airline employee helping passengers with check-in and boarding procedures.
Passport – Government document permitting a citizen to leave and re-enter the country
Pax – Passenger or people
Payload – Paying passengers on transportation vehicle.
Peak – Fare, rate or season when travel and tourism are traditionally at the highest level.
Peak fare, rate, or season – Highest level of charges assessed during a year
Pension – A small inn or boarding house similar to a bed and breakfast
Per Diem – Maximum travel expense amount that will be reimbursed on a per day basis
Petit dejeuner – French term for breakfast
Physical Carrying Capacity – The number of users that can be accommodated in an area
Physical Geography – The natural features of our planet, including such things as climate, land masses, bodies of water, and resources
Pilgrimage – Travel to a holy place or shrine
Piston-engine plane – Aircraft powered by internal combustion engine.
Pitch – The space occupied by an aircraft seat, measured from the back of one seat to the back of the next; also a fore-and-aft rocking motion, as of a ship
P-mix – The marketing mix is often said to include four “Ps” – product, price, place, and promotion. Since tourism is so experiential and service-oriented, one researcher combined the traditional four “Ps” with four additional “Ps” – programming, packaging, partnership, and publicity (including public relations) – to create the P-mix
pn – Per Night
PO – Post Office
PO – Purchase Order – Specifies the item(s) wanted, including a brief description of quality and grade, the number desired, and the price
Point-to-point fare – A basic fare from one destination to another.
Policy – A general statement that provides direction for individuals within an organization
Pool cooperation – Two or more airlines coordinating services in a market and pooling costs and revenue; such flights are administered by the operating carrier, which also controls the reservations.
Port – Left side of a ship or aircraft facing toward the front; city where shipping docks.
Port of entry – Point at which persons enter a country where customs and immigration services exist
Porterage – Baggage-handling service, may be included in the price of a tour.
Portion control – The effort by commercial food services to provide equal-size portions to all customers.
pos – Point of Sale
Positioning – A marketing strategy which attempts to “position” a product or service favorably in comparison with the competition or “position” it to better serve particular market segments
Positioning – The movement of a vehicle on land, air or sea to place it for boarding and departing
Positive space – A confirmed reservation.
pp – Per person
pppn – Per Person Per Night
PR – Public Relations
Pre- and post-trip tours – Optional extension packages before or after a meeting, tour or convention
Pre-formed group – A tour group in existence prior to the tour, the members of which share a common destination and purpose
Prepaid ticket advice (PTA) – Notification from a carrier or a travel agent in one city asking a carrier in another city issue a ticket for prepaid transportation to a specified person.
Preregistration – Assignment of room and filling out registration information before a guest's arrival; often used for convention, meeting and tour guests and sometimes involving a lower rate.
Price points – Different levels of prices designed to appeal to varying market segments
Pricing – Decision-making process of ascertaining what price to charge for a given tour, once total costs are known. Pricing involves determining the markup, studying the competition, and evaluating the tour value for the price to be charged; function performed by the operations manager.
Primary market – A country in which the US Travel & Tourism Admin (USTTA) maintains an office
Principal – A primary producer of an element of travel- such as transportation, accommodations or a cruise - that pays a travel agent a commission to sell it
Privatization – The action of converting a government-owned business to private ownership
Prix fixe – French term for the price for a specific complete meal.
PRO – (Governor’s) Policy Research Office
Product life cycle – A series of stages used to distinguish between different phases in the life or duration of a product; the stages of a product life cycle are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline
Product-related Segmentation – Dividing consumer markets according to characteristics such as the amount of use or benefits consumers expect to drive from the service
Professional Travel – Travel by individuals to attend meetings and conventions
Profile – Information, such as travel preferences and typical methods of payment, stored in a reservations system computer on frequent travelers and other important customers; also known as a frequent travel file.
Programming – The practice of resorts and other tourism enterprises to create and schedule (program) a combination of activities designed to attract visitors and maximize their enjoyment of the facilities
Promotional fare – An air or other tariff below regular levels established to stimulate travel in slack times or for other reasons; usually roundtrip and restricted in one way or another
Proof of citizenship – A document, necessary for obtaining a passport, which establishes one’s nationality
Property management systems – An integrated hardware and software system that manages guest, employee, and financial systems for a hotel property
Protected – A guarantee by a supplier or wholesaler to pay commission to a travel agent and full refunds to clients on prepaid, confirmed bookings regardless of subsequent cancellation by the supplier; see guaranteed tour
Provisioned charter – Rental of a yacht without crew but with fuel and provisions.
Pseudo-PNR – Reservation or other information stored in an airline reservations system that does not include an air booking; for example a package tour, car rental or travel insurance.
psgr – Passenger
Psychocentrics – Travelers who seek the comforts of familiar surroundings
Psychographic segmentation – Dividing consumer markets into groups based on lifestyle and personality profiles
Psychographics – Consumer psychological characteristics that can be quantified, including lifestyle and personality information
Psychographics – The measurement of personality traits, attitudes, interests, activities, and values from a marketing perspective
Public charter – The predominant form of vacation charter travel in the U.S. airline industry; the rules allow U.S. and foreign carriers and tour operators to offer public charters directly or through travel agents, with or without inclusive land packages, no purchase or duration requirements, but rigid consumer protection, refund, bonding and escrow provisions.
Public goods – Goods provided by the public sector because they are considered too important to the public at large and/or too big for the private sector to deals with adequately (national parks, for example)
Public/private organizations – Organizations made up of private and public members, usually to coordinate efforts between government and private business
Purser – A ship official responsible for papers, accounts, and the comfort and welfare of passengers
Q
QA – Quality Assurance
Quad room – Suitable for occupancy by four persons
Quarterdeck – Rear part of the upper deck of ship, usually reserved for ship's officers
Quay – Dock, wharf or pier
Queen – Room a hotel room with a queen-size bed
Queue system – Computerized tickler file that is part of an automated reservations system and can provide such information as wait listed clients, bookings affected by fare or schedule changes and ticket-printing reminders
R
Rack rate – Regular published rate of a hotel or other travel service
Ramp agent – An airline employee who loads and unloads baggage, cargo and food supplies on an airplane.
Rate desk – Department of an airline that calculates fare constructions.
Ratio multiplier – An economic mathematical modeling tool which can be used to indicate the extent of a region’s economic self-sufficiency
RC&D – Resource, Conservation & Development (regional districts funded by federal government)
RDMO – Regional Destination Marketing Organization
Receiving airline – A carrier that will transport a passenger after arrival at an interline point
Reconfirmation – Notice of intent to use a reservation, required by some airlines
Recreational activities – Activities and experiences people pursue for personal enjoyment
Red eye – Transportation late at night or overnight
Refund policy – Policy regarding reimbursement, especially following cancellation
Regional Geography – The components of geography that focus on regional landscapes, cultures, economies, and political and social systems
Registry – Attestation of a ship's registration in a country not necessarily the country of ownership; does not indicate the quality of the ship or the nationality of officers, crew or service personnel
Regulatory agency – A local, state, federal or international agency with authority to approve or disapprove the actions of principals in an industry
Release – (1) Signed form giving the tour operator permission to use a person s name, picture or statement in an advertisement; (2) to give up space, as in returning unsold airline reservations
Rep – Representative
Representative sample – A small sample of a targeted population group that is designed to represent, as accurately as possible, the entire targeted group
Req – Request
Res – Reservation
Res agent – A person who takes reservations and/or sells tickets
Research instruments – Questionnaires and other forms used to survey a selected group of people
Reservationist – An employee who accepts, verifies and confirms reservations
Resort – Destination locations that are distinguished by the combination of attractions and amenities for the express purpose of attracting and serving large numbers of visitors
Resort – Generally, an area offering recreation and leisure possibilities along with accommodations
Resort condo – Usually, individually owned but jointly managed apartments that are rented out to vacationers for short stays.
Resort destinations – Communities or areas that contain attractions, entertainment, and supporting facilities needed to draw and host tourists
Responsibility clause – That section of a brochure that spells out the conditions under which a tour is sold. The clause should name the party responsible for the tour financially
Responsibility clause – The section of a brochure that spells out all the conditions of a tour offering; should include the name of the financially responsible principals
Restitution – An amount of money or other item given to make up for some mistake or wrongdoing
Restricted fare – Airline fare that restricts the time the holder can travel and imposes other restrictions, such as advance-purchase and minimum/maximum-stay requirements
Retailer – (1) travel agents or (2) one who sells directly to the consumer
Return – British and European term for roundtrip
REV PAR – Revenue Per Available Room
Revalidation sticker – Attachment to a flight coupon validating a change made in the original reservation
Revenue passenger mile (RPM) – One paying passenger carried one mile, basic statistical unit in the airline industry
RFI – Request for Further Information
RFP – Request for Proposal – A written document sent to outside research consultants to request their proposals on how they will approach the research problem and what they will charge for their services. And RFP should be specific so that researchers can make accurate estimates of their costs
Risk monies – Funds that an agency would not recoup should a tour not take place, such as nonrefundable deposits, promotional expenses, and printing costs
ROI – Return on Investment – A measure of management’s efficiency, showing the return on all of an organization’s assets
Room night – One hotel room occupied by one or more guests for one night; see bed night
Room rates – (1) day rate: usually one-half the regular rate for a room during the day up to 5 pm, (2) flat rate: a specific room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel/group in advance, (3) group rate: rate based on an agreed upon minimum number of rooms used, also called flat rate, (4) net group rate: a wholesale rate for group business (usually a minimum of 10 and 15 people) to which an operator may add a markup if desired, (5) net wholesale rate: a rate usually lower than the group rate, applicable to groups or individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour folder, (6) Published rate: a full rate available to or advertised to the public. The rate can change, depending upon the season. Also known as rack rate.
Room service – Food or beverages served in a guest’s room
Room type – General room description by type, such as single, twin, suite
Roomette – On trains, a small bedroom with toilet facilities
Rooming list – The list of names or passengers on a tour or other group travel program, submitted to a hotel/motel. The names are not alphabetized as on a flight manifest, but rather room by room indicating who is rooming with whom. Twin-bedded rooms, singles and triples are usually listed in separate categories
Roundtrip fare – The rate charged for a trip to a destination and return by the same route
RRW – Resort Reservations World-wide
RSO – Receptive Service Operator – A local company that specializes in handling the needs of groups traveling to its location
RT – Round Trip – A flight plan that includes return to city of origin via identical routing
rtn – return
Run-of-the-house rate – A flat price at which a hotel agrees to offer any of its rooms to a group.
RV – Recreational Vehicle
RVDA – Recreational Vehicles Dealers Association
Ryokan – A traditional inn in Japan
S
Sales multiplier – A tool used to estimate the effect of an injection of new money on total sales in an economy
Satellite ticket printer (STP) – A ticket printer placed on the premises of an agent's client to deliver airline tickets electronically to a corporate account
SBDC – Small Business Development Center
Scheduled airline – An airline operating passenger or cargo service on published schedules.
Science tourism – A subgroup of ecotourism in which laymen and laywomen travel with scientist and student to help with scientific work at various sites throughout the world; the phenomenon is that people pay for vacations in which they often work very hard, long hours but also make a contribution to a body of scientific knowledge
Seat rotation schedule – Whereby passengers on a tour motorcoach change seats to afford everyone an equal opportunity for the best views
Secondary Seasons – Periods when tourism activities are either increasing toward peak levels or declining from peak levels, also called “shoulder seasons”
Segment – A leg of an air itinerary from boarding to deplaning point.
SEGP – Special Events Grant Program
Self sale – Sale of airline tickets by an agency to a company with which it is financially affiliated; limited by some carriers
Self-drive tour – A tour that has a preplanned itinerary with vouchers for meals, hotels and optional air travel arrangements; clients can rent a car or drive their own
Sell-through – Booking accepted by a hotel, although unavailable days may be included, because of length or value
Senior fares – Lower airline fares available from some U.S. carriers for senior citizens; age qualifications and other elements vary from line to line
Series Operator – A travel agent, wholesaler, tour operator, or broker who blocks space in advance for a series of movements over a given period of time, not necessarily on a back-to-back basis
Service – Non-physical, intangible attributes that management controls, including friendliness, efficiency, attitude, professionalism, and responsiveness
Service charge – (1) a specified percentage of a hotel’s daily rate (usually 10% or 15 %) charged to the guest, who in return is relieved of the responsibility for tipping; (2) a fee charged to a client by a travel agent in addition to the commissions paid to him or her by the principals
Service charge – Additional charge levied for care of guests
Service compris – French term meaning a tip has already been included in the bill
Service cycle – A series of impressions and activities which start with a tourist’s first impression of a destination – whether first sight or advertisement – and includes every service interaction with the facility thereafter
Service encounter – A single episode during which a customer and service personnel interact; often also called a “moment of truth”
Service expectations – The quality level of the five dimensions of service expected by a customer
Service non compris – French term for tip or gratuity not included
Service recovery – The process of reversing a service problem
Service script – Learned patterns of behavior that guide interactions during a service encounter
sgl – Single
SH – Superhost
Shared airline designator – Operations when a carrier operates flights or legs for another carrier using the latter's airline designator; most frequently when commuter lines provide feeder service to major carrier's hub
Ship personnel – All individuals responsible for the safety and navigation of cruise ships
Shore excursion – A land tour, usually available at ports of call and sold by cruise lines or tour operators to cruise passengers
Short-haul – Travel and packages between two nearby points
Shoulder – Fare, rate or season between high and low season
Shoulder season – Period when there is neither a high nor low demand for a destination, usually falling in the spring or fall months for most areas
SHPO – State Historic Preservation Office
SI – Service Information
Single – Any reservation, facility or service to be used by one person.
Single entity charter – An air charter sponsored and paid for by a single company, organization or person
Single supplement – Additional charge to one person occupying a hotel room accommodating two or more; usually charged on a tour
SIT – Special-Interest Travel – Tourism undertaken for a distinct and specific personal reason
SITE – Site Inspection
Site Destination Selection Company – Company that investigates and suggests potential meeting sites to suit corporate or association needs
Sitting meal – Serving times on a ship for breakfast lunch and dinner, usually two each and usually an hour and a half apart
Six p.m. release – Room released for resale after 6 p.m. because it was reserved but not guaranteed
Sleeper – A railroad car with accommodations for sleeping
Sleeper Seat – A modified first or business class seat used on some airlines that reclines to an almost horizontal plane
Slot – The scheduled time of arrival or departure allocated to an aircraft movement on a specific date or dates at an airport; by FAA definition applies only to four high density U.S. airports where flights are limited, but term has been extended loosely to other airports
Slow rec – Slow record; a PNR; that has been delayed in its transfer from one airline's computer to another; see no rec
SME – Small and Medium Enterprises
Social Carrying Capacity – The number of outsiders to an area that can be accepted without having damaging psychological effects on the locals of the area
Social impact – The effects of tourism activity and development on the social fabric of residents of destination communities – as individuals, as families, and as members of social organizations
Social norms – Guides to behavior within groups and particular cultures which describe how a person is expected to act in various situations
Society – A community, nation, or broad grouping of people who have common traditions, institutions, activities, and interests
Society of Government Travel Professionals (SGTP) – A U.S. trade association for agencies involved in government travel.
Soft opening – Preliminary opening of a new hotel, normally for invited guests and the media
Sound-and-light show – Staged nighttime spectacle, usually at a historic site, involving dramatic use of light beams and narration.
Spa Resorts – A resort property dedicated to fitness and the development of healthy lifestyles
Special event tour – A tour designed around a particular event, e.g.: Mardi Gras
Special interest tour – A tour designed to appeal to clients with a curiosity or concern about a specific subject. Most special interest tours provide an expert tour leader and usually visit places and/or events only relevant to that interest
Special market – A foreign country with high potential for US inbound travel which does not have an office of the US Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA)
Special service requirement – A request for a specific service for a passenger, such a kosher meal, a wheelchair or a specific seat assignment; stored in passenger name record
Split charter – A vehicle, usually an aircraft, engaged by two or more entities for a specific flight or number of flights.
SRP – Special Rate Plan
SST – Supersonic transport, an aircraft capable of cruising at a speed greater than that of sound; for example, the Concorde
Stabilizer – A device designed to eliminate or lessen a ship's tendency to roll; a gyrostabilizer constantly adjusts the attitude of underwater vanes at the command of a gyroscope; a flume stabilizer uses the weight and motion of water brought in and expelled from tanks in a rhythm counter to the ship's roll
STAC – State Trails Advisory Committee
Staged authenticity – The result of using the environment to enhance or support the authentic or to give the appearance of authenticity through imitations or re-enactments
Standby – A passenger holding a ticket on a reduced standby fare, meaning he cannot make a reservation; a passenger on a wait list for a seat.
Starboard – Right side of a ship or aircraft when facing toward the front.
State travel office – An official government agency or privately run, non-profit organization responsible for travel development and promotion of a state or province
Steamship – Literally, a large ship powered by steam, of which few remain; actually, shipping people still may refer to the steam ship business.
Stem – Bow or prow (front) of a ship.
Step-on guide – An independent guide who comes aboard a motorcoach to give an informed overview of the city or attraction to be toured
Stern – The rear end of a ship.
STICDA – State Travel Information Center Directors’ Alliance
STOL – Short takeoff and landing; an aircraft with those capabilities.
Stopover – The act of leaving or the right to leave a flight for an indefinite period, promotional fares often not permitting stopovers or carrying a surcharge for them; also a tour package name for a short stay in a city.
Stripped package – A package that includes the minimum ingredients to qualify for an IT number; a package or tour offering lesser accommodations and features.
Subcontracting – Hiring another organization to perform on or more operational functions or services
Subcontractor – A local operator who provides services for a wholesaler
Suite – Hotel unit of at least two rooms, one a parlor; may include kitchen facilities.
Supplement – The price for an extra or better grade of service; see also single supplement.
Supplemental liability insurance – Liability coverage for accident claims against a car renter by a third party.
Supplier – The actual producer of a unit of travel merchandise or service such as a hotel or restaurant
Supply curve – A graphic depiction of the relation between the amount of supply of a product or service and its price
Supporting document – Additional evidence needed to verify identity or a transaction; driver's license, birth certificate, health card, visas and passport are examples for the former, cancelled checks and receipts for the latter.
Surety bond – Insurance to guarantee that an insure will carry out the specific work he or she was hired to do
Sustainable Tourism – Tourism activities and development that do not endanger the economic, social, cultural, or environmental assets of a destination
SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
T
TA – Travel Agent
Table d’hôte – French term referring to a menu offering a complete meal at a fixed price (prix fixe)
Tabled'hote – A full-course meal served at a fixed price.
Target market (target segment) – A group of people sharing common characteristics that an organization attempts to serve by designing strategies to meet the group’s specific needs
Tariff – (1) Fare or rate from a supplier; (2) class or type of a fare or rate; (3) published list of fares or rates from a supplier; (4) official publication compiling rates or fares and conditions of service
TCPU – Transportation, Communication, Public Utilities
TDA – Tourism Development Authority
TDI – Tourism Development Initiative
Technical stop – A stop en route, planned or unplanned, for refueling, crew change or other operational need, but not for discharging or taking passengers on board an aircraft.
Teleticketing – Automated procedure that permits a machine to print airline tickets at an agency when the booking is made by telephone.
TGV Train a Grade Vitesse – France's ultra-fast passenger train.
Theme park – A large amusement facility with rides, shows, restaurants, shops and other attractions; architecture, decoration, uniforms, music and other features suggest a theme or image for the entire park or for designated sections of it.
Themed tour – A tour designed around a specific theme such as fall foliage, also a special interest tour
Through fare – Fare applying from the point of origin to the destination through one or more intermediate points for travel on one airline.
TIC – Tourism Information Counselor
Ticket agent office or counter – Authorized to make reservations and write tickets for travel supplier; the employee authorized so to do.
Ticket stock – Blank ticket forms held by travel agents and travel industry services to be filled out and validated, at which point they become tickets that can be exchanged for travel services.
Time-share – Either ownership or the right to occupy and use a vacation home for a specific period of time
tkt – ticket
TODS – Tourism Oriented Directional Signage
Tonnage – Gross registered tonnage is measured as 100 cubic feet of enclosed space per ton on a ship; net registered tonnage is gross less space occupied by such elements as crew quarters, engines, cargo, fuel, stores and so on that a ship can carry; displacement tonnage is the amount of water a ship displaces.
Tour – A tour includes at least tow of the following elements: transportation, accommodations, meals, entertainment, attractions, and sightseeing activities. It can vary widely in the number of elements included and in the structure of the itinerary
Tour basing fare – A reduced-rate excursion fare available only to those who buy pre-paid tours or packages. Tour basing fares include inclusive tours, group inclusive tours, incentive tours, contract bulk inclusive tours, and group round-trip inclusive tours
Tour broker – A person or company which organizes and markets tours
Tour catalog – A publication by tour wholesalers listing their tour offerings
Tour conductor – See tour manager/director
Tour consultant – Individual within an agency selling and advising clients regarding a tour. The consultant is sometimes a salesperson with particular expertise in escorted tour sales.
Tour departure – The date of the start by any individual or group of a tour program, also used in referral to the entire operation of that single tour
Tour escort – The tour company staff member or independent contractor who conducts the tour. Often called the tour manager or tour director. It is technically a person that only escorts the group and does not have charge of the commentary portion.
Tour leader – Usually a group leader, also see escort
Tour manager – A person employed as the escort for a group of tourists, usually for the duration of the entire trip, perhaps supplemented by local guides. The terms tour director, leader, escort, conductor, and (in Europe) courier have roughly the same meaning and are used interchangeably. A person with this title is usually at a professional well trained level
Tour manual – (1) A summary of facts about a company s rules, regulations, and official procedures; (2) a compendium of facts about a destination, including its attractions, accommodations, geography, and special events, used by destination marketing organizations to attract tour operators and visitors and their area
Tour menu – A menu that limits group clients to two or three choices at a special price
Tour operator – A business entity engaged in the planning, preparing, marketing, making of reservations, and, at times, operating vacation tours
Tour operator – A person or company which creates and/or markets inclusive tours and subcontracts with suppliers to create a package. Most tour operators sell through travel agents and/or directly to clients
Tour option – Any component of a package tour that is not included in the package price, but may be purchased as an added feature to extend the length of the package or enhance the trip
Tour order – A coupon given to the purchaser of a tour package, identifying the tour, the seller, and the fact that the tour is pre-paid. It is used as a form of proof of payment and receives vouchers for meals, porterage, transfers, entrance fees, and other expenses. Also see tour vouchers
Tour organizer – Person who locates and creates groups for preformed tours. The tour organizer is often compensated only with a free trip
Tour package – Two or more travel services put together by a tour operator, such as air transportation, accommodations, meals ground transportation, and attractions
Tour shells – Brochures containing artwork and graphics but no printed copy, which subsequently is printed separately by wholesalers or tour operators
Tour vouchers – Documents issued by tour operators to be exchanged for tour components, also called coupons
Tour-basing fare – A reduced rate excursions fare available to purchasers of prepaid tours or packages, including group inclusive, incentive and inclusive tours; any fare offered by a carrier on which a travel agent may claim a higher commission by selling specified ground arrangements at the same time
Tourism – “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”
Tourism – The business of providing and marketing services and facilities for leisure travelers. Thus, the concept of tourism is of direct concern to governments, carriers, and the lodging, restaurant, and entertainment industries, and of indirect concern to virtually every industry and business in the world
Tourism development – The long-term process of preparing for the arrival of tourists; entails planning, building, and managing attractions, transportation, accommodations, services, and facilities that serve the tourist
Tourism enclaves – Self-contained resort complexes that cater to all the needs of tourists who arrive as part of a tour or other type of package
Tourism planning – A continual process of research-and-development decisions to create and sustain tourism in a region
Tourism policy – A master plan formulated by governments (national, state/provincial, local) to aid in guiding the development of sustainable tourism industries within its jurisdiction
Tourism policy – guidelines and decisions designed to assist the tourism industry in meeting goals and objectives; tourism policies usually result from the actions of government, agencies, organizations, and business
Tourist card – A kind of visa issued to tourists prior to entering a country (required in addition to a passport or other proof of citizenship)
Tourist card – Document issued to prospective tourists as a prerequisite for entry and exit; the card may be the only travel document required by the issuing country
Tourist class – Accommodations and services of less quality that those for first class; on airlines, unofficial designation for economy or coach service.
TQM – Total Quality Management
TR – Tourism Regions (Countries)
Track – Charter route, particularly the route followed by a series of back-to-back charters
Tracking – A cause of action or method of monitoring, such as tracking the number of tours that come into a specific destination
Transaction fee – Charges for certain types of services, such as the making or canceling of bookings, delivery of tickets and providing insurance or visas; rare but has been proposed as an alternative to commissions.
Transfer – Local transportation, sometimes including porterage, as from one carrier terminal to another, from terminal to a hotel, or from a hotel to an attraction
Transit – Process of changing planes without going through security and/or customs
Transit visa – Visa allowing the holder to stop over in a country to make a travel connection or brief visit
Travel advisory – Official U.S. State Department warning about conditions in an area or a country
Travel agent arbiter – The person who is empowered to adjudicate disputes between the Airlines Reporting Corp. and individual U.S. travel agencies
Travel agent/agency – A person or firm qualified to arrange for all travel components
Travel clubs – Membership organizations designed to serve the needs of last-minute leisure travelers at bargain prices
Trb – American Indian Tribes
Trip director – An escort for an incentive company. Larger companies reserve this title for the person who directs all personnel and activities for a trip.
Triple – A hotel room suitable for occupancy by three persons.
Turbofan jet – Jet aircraft powered by turbojet engines, the thrust of which has been increased by the addition of a low-pressure fan
Turbojet – Aircraft powered by engines incorporating a turbine-driven air compressor to take in and compress air for fuel combustion, the combustion gases and/or heated air being used both to rotate the turbine and create a thrust-producing jet
Turboprop – Aircraft powered by engines in which the propulsive force is supplied by a gas turbine that drives a propeller.
Twin – A hotel room with two single beds
Twin double – A hotel room with two double beds
U
U.S. Travel Data Center organization – Affiliated with TIAA that provides economic to the industry
UBC – Uniform Building Code
UCADB – Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings
UCBC – Uniform Code for Building Conservation
Unit load device (ULD) – A load-carrying device that acts directly with aircraft loading and restraint systems and meets all restraint requirements without use of supplementary equipment.
Upgrades – Receiving a better class of service or facility than was paid for, such as moving from coach to first-class
Urban tourism – Tourism that takes place in large cities, where hotels and other facilities and services have become an integral part of urban activities
URL – Universal Resource Locator. This is the term used for the address of a Website. Think of a URL as similar to a phone number or street address. Example: http://www.rtmnet.com; http://www.usdm.net
V
Validation – Imprinting a piece of generic airline ticket stock with the stamp of particular airline, which makes it a ticket.
Validator – A mechanical device used in validation; any of the special airline die plates used in such a device to imprint tickets.
Value added tax (VAT) – Part of a country's tax system that imposes a levy at each stage of production of a product or service.
Value season – A time of year when prices are lower than peak, also called low or off-season
Variable cost – A cost that changes according to how many people take a tour, such as motorcoach expenses
VAT – Value Added Tax
VAT/TVA/MWS/GST – Acronyms for value-added tax, a tax system which adds a fixed percentage of taxation on products and services at each step of production or service delivery. Common in Europe and Canada.
VCB – Visitors and Convention Bureau
Venue – The location of an event or attraction
VFR – Visiting Friends and Relatives
VFRM – Visiting Friends and Relatives of the Military
VIC – Visitor Information Centre
Visa – Stamp of approval recorded in a passport to enter a country for a specific purpose
Visa waiver – A program to eliminate the visa requirement for selected countries
Visit USA fares – Air tariffs offering visitors to the USA reduced fared on domestic travel, also called VUSA fares
Vol – Volunteers
Volume incentive – See override
Vouchers – Tour documents issued by tour operators to be exchanged for accommodations, meals, sightseeing and other services.
VV – Vice Versa
W
w/c – Will Call
Wait list – List of clients awaiting transportation or accommodations at times when they are not available, confirmed as a result of subsequent cancellations
Walk-ins – Hotel guests who arrive without reserving.
Warsaw Convention – Agreement limiting the legal liability of international airlines in regards to passengers and cargo; currently the per-passenger liability limit is $75,000.
WATS – Wide Area Telephone Service (toll-free dialing)
WC – Water Closet
Weekend rates – Special rates often used to attract leisure business to business hotels
Weigh anchor – To raise a ship's anchor
Wet lease – The rental of a vehicle, particularly an aircraft, including crew, supplies, fuel and maintenance services
Wholesaler – A company that develops tour packages with all the components for sale through travel agents
Wholesaler – A company that usually creates and markets inclusive tours and FITs for sale through travel agents. Although the term is used often as a synonym for tour operator there are several distinctions: (1) presumably sells nothing at retail while a tour operator often does both; (2) does not always create his/her own products, while a tour operator always does; (3) is less inclined than a tour operator to perform local services
Wide-body jet – Any of a number of large-capacity aircraft that can seat up to 10 passengers abreast, such as 707's DC10s and L-1011s
Word of mouth – A term used to describe people talking to each other about their experiences as consumers
WTM – World Travel Market
WTO – Stands for two international organizations: 1) the World Tourism Organization, a UN-related institution based in Madrid that collects data on tourism and lobbies on behalf of the industry; and 2) the World Trade Organization
Y
Yield management industry – Practice of controlling the mix of bookings by computer to achieve highest revenue and profit
YTD – Year to Date
Z
ZIP – Zone Improvement Plan
**This list of terms was compiled from various books and on-line resources.
