Developing Tourism In Your Community

Section 1

Defining Texas

Defining Tourism and Tourists

The term tourism once described only travel undertaken for vacation or leisure purposes. Today, the travel industry defines tourism to include both pleasure and business travel. For the purpose of this publication, tourist and the tourism industry are broadly defined as:

• A tourist is anyone traveling outside their usual environment to engage in activities which are not a part of the person's regular routine of activity, such as to work or school.

• The tourism industry is all of the businesses, organizations, governmental bodies, and their related facilities, lands and services that accommodate the needs of travelers.

From a community’s perspective, one can easily see that tourism involves many different business, such as food and beverage, transportation, attractions, retail, lodging, as well as the services and facilities of public and non-profit agencies and organizations. The degree to which a business or a public facility supports travelers will vary with the number of tourists it serves.

What Can Tourism Do For Your Community?

Tourism may help some communities meet a variety of needs. For example, tourism can:
•   create opportunities for employment
•   lead to the identification and recognition of local heritage, historic sites, arts and folklore
•   increase revenues for local businesses and industry
•   generate tax revenues

•   increase stability by broadening the economic base
•   reduce seasonal variations in revenues
•   increase leisure opportunities for residents, and
•   make a community more attractive

The following chart provides an illustration of how the initial expenditures of tourists flow through an economy, creating employment, tax revenues and economic activity.5 As illustrated, a dollar spent by a visitor to your community can end up in the pocket of a local fisherman, bank or business store owner. A community’s ability to weather difficult economic times is enhanced when there are several sources for economic activity. Therefore the challenge for developing successful tourism initiatives is to systematically assess your needs and create strategies that are most likely to achieve your community tourism goals.

How Tourism Expenditures Flow Through the Economy

6. Adapted from A Guide to community Tourism Planning in Nova Scotia. 2005