Running Head: TOURISM AS AN
Tourism As an International Business
Abstract
Tourism is much more than just traveling and spending money. It is a way
to enhance one’s health and stamina, as well as a way to increase and maintain
the economy. The tourism industry employs hundreds of businesses and
employees, accounting for much of the financial movement throughout the world.
An apple a day, a glass of wine, a good laugh and a yearly vacation; all of these have been proven to enhance life expectancy and longevity (Tugend, 2008). However, only one of the abovementioned remedies has had a similar effect on the world’s economic state. Tourism and travel are not only good for the health of the human body, but they also promote global and domestic spending, as well as social interactions and education.
The United Nations Statistical Commission defines tourism as “all activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside of their usual environment for no more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes (WTO, 2008).” Regardless of the reason, however, traveling stimulates multiple aspects of the economy as well as the dealings of many companies. In this broad definition, tourism is comprised of and employs numerous industries. From hospitality, dining and transportation, to entertainment, education, retail and many more, there are an abundance of businesses that rely on the yearly commerce that tourism attracts.
UNWTO’s Secretary General, Francesco Frangialli, explained it best in saying that “economic and tourism growth are driven by emerging markets and developing economies. While mature markets remain the leading destinations in the world, the faster growth rate of new markets confirms UNWTO’s main message of tourism’s potential for the developing world.”
According to the World Tourism Organization, in the year 2000 alone, almost 700 million people across the country took a vacation at some point....