What Is the Study of Tourism About?

By Robert Palmer

If you’re interested in travel and hospitality, you might have heard about the study of tourism. But what is it really about?

Defining Tourism

Tourism can be defined as the activity of people traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for leisure, business or other purposes. This includes activities like sightseeing, visiting museums, attending conferences or simply relaxing on a beach.

The Study of Tourism

The study of tourism is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses various subjects like economics, sociology, geography, marketing, and anthropology. It aims to understand the phenomenon of tourism and its impact on different aspects like culture, society, environment, and economy.

Why Study Tourism?

Studying tourism can provide valuable insights into the behavior of tourists and their preferences. It can help businesses and governments to develop effective policies and strategies for promoting tourism while minimizing negative impacts like environmental degradation or cultural homogenization.

Moreover, the tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world economy. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals reached 1.4 billion in 2018 and are expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030.

The Scope of Tourism Studies

Tourism studies cover a wide range of topics that can be grouped into three main areas:

  • Social/Cultural: This includes topics like tourist behavior and attitudes, cultural heritage and identity, community involvement in tourism development.
  • Economic: This includes topics like tourism demand and supply analysis, economic impacts of tourism on host destinations.
  • Environmental: This includes topics like sustainable tourism development, ecotourism, environmental impacts of tourism activities.

Social/Cultural Tourism Studies

Social/cultural tourism studies focus on understanding the cultural and social dimensions of tourism. This includes topics like:

  • Tourist behavior and attitudes: This involves understanding why people travel, what motivates them, and how they make decisions about their travel plans.
  • Cultural heritage and identity: This involves studying the role of tourism in preserving cultural heritage and promoting cultural identity.
  • Community involvement in tourism development: This involves understanding how local communities can participate in the development of tourism activities that benefit them while preserving their culture and environment.

Economic Tourism Studies

Economic tourism studies focus on understanding the economic dimensions of tourism. This includes topics like:

  • Tourism demand and supply analysis: This involves studying the factors that influence tourist demand for different destinations and types of tourism products, as well as the factors that affect the supply of tourism products.
  • Economic impacts of tourism on host destinations: This involves analyzing the economic benefits and costs of tourism activities for host destinations, including employment generation, income distribution, foreign exchange earnings, and leakages.

Environmental Tourism Studies

Environmental tourism studies focus on understanding the environmental dimensions of tourism. This includes topics like:

  • Sustainable tourism development: This involves promoting tourism activities that are environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and economically viable.
  • Ecotourism: This involves promoting nature-based tourism activities that contribute to conservation efforts while providing recreational opportunities for tourists.
  • Environmental impacts of tourism activities: This involves analyzing the positive and negative impacts of different types of tourist activities on natural resources like water, air, land, and biodiversity.

Career Opportunities in Tourism Studies

Studying tourism can open up a wide range of career opportunities in different sectors like travel and hospitality, government agencies, international organizations, and consulting firms. Some of the popular career options for tourism graduates include:

  • Tourism marketing and promotion
  • Tourism policy and planning
  • Tourism research and analysis
  • Destination management and development
  • Tourism entrepreneurship

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study of tourism is an interdisciplinary field that offers a fascinating insight into the complex phenomenon of tourism. It covers a wide range of topics that can be grouped into three main areas: social/cultural, economic, and environmental.

Studying tourism can provide valuable insights into the behavior of tourists and their impact on different aspects like culture, society, environment, and economy. It can also open up exciting career opportunities in different sectors related to travel and hospitality.

8 Related Question Answers Found

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What Field of Study Is Tourism?

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What Is Tourism According to Different Scholars?

Tourism is a complex and multifaceted industry that has captured the interest of scholars from a variety of disciplines. In this article, we’ll explore what different scholars have to say about tourism and its place in our society. The Economic Perspective According to economists, tourism can be seen as an engine for economic growth.

What Do You Learn in Tourism Studies?

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What Is the Importance of Studying Tourism?

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