The Tourism system

The Tourism system

Tourism unlike other economic activities is still researching for an industrial definition. One of the problems in trying to define a phenomenon like tourism is the structural foundation on which it seats. On any visit, a tourist may utilize the reserves of a hotel, restaurant, transportation Company, retail shopping outlets, private or public altercations, and a host of other related service vendors. Each separate business, agency, or bureau providing tourist’s services is allied with respective organization.

Tourism development planning, to be effective, requires co-operation between all service providers. The fact that they may have different missions of operational objectives makes the task more difficult. Effective planning requires recognition of the complicity involved in touristic activity. It establishes a process where the need of each service provider is recoiled with the needs of all others and the host community. Every segment of tourism is related to every other segment in one way or the other. Hence, tourism cannot be planned without understanding the inter-relationships among the several components of the supply side, especially when they relate to market demand.

 Leiper’s Model of Tourism System

Tourism happens only when people travel from their residence to the destinations to enjoy the beautiful landscapes or the historical interests. Otherwise, tourism cannot be considered as tourism and a tourist not as the tourist. For example, a person who visits the Forbidden City in Beijing cannot be regarded as a tourist if he lives and works in Beijing.

Therefore, a tourist has to leave his residence for a certain destination by means of transport. The spatial movement from his residence to the destination plays an important role in realizing his travel desire. What is more, while traveling, a tourist will consume the tourism product. On the other hand, he also helps to produce it in that he can choose his destination, route and service freely according to his own likes and dislikes. This can help improve the design and quality of the tourism product.

As mentioned above, spatial movement is very important and worth our attention. Moreover, it is necessary to provide an organizing framework in order to study the tourism. To do so, we have adopted Leiper’s model, which was suggested in 1979 and adapted in 1995 (Figure). In the model, he points out three aspects of the tourism- tourists, the tourism sectors and the geographical element.

Leiper’s Tourism Model

Tourists:-

The tourist is the key player in this system. Tourism, in fact, is a human experience, enjoyed, anticipated and recalled by a lot as a historic and/or life time aspect. Therefore, defining the tourist and its classification turns out to be equally relevant.

Geographical Elements:-

Leiper describes three main geographical elements in his system’s model. These are:

• Traveller-generating region
• Tourist destination region
• Transit route region

The traveller-generating region (TGR) exemplifies the area breeding markets for tourism, and practically acts as the ‘push’ force to motivate and stimulate i.e., set off and encourage travel.
It is this region where the tourist tries to seek information, goes for reservations and makes the departure. This region is basically related to the demand aspect of travel and tourism.

Further, the tourist destination region (TDR) symbolizes the ‘sharp end of tourism’ and is, indeed, the raison d’ etre for tourism. The pull force of the destinations activates the whole tourism system besides begetting demand for travel in the traveller generating region.
According to Leiper, it is at the destination where the most noticeable and dramatic consequences of the system occur. Since, it is the destination where the utmost impact of tourism is felt, therefore, the planning and management strategies are implemented in this region.

Furthermore, the transit route region (TR) typifies not only the in-between places which may be visited en route, but also the short period of travel to get to the destination.
Leiper highlights that ‘there is always an interval in a trip when the traveller feels they have left their home region but have not yet arrived. Where they chose to visit’.

Tourism Industry

The tourism industry refers to the businesses and organizations that help to promote the tourism product. According to Leiper, various industrial sectors can be located in different places. In the traveler-generating region, we can find travel agents and tour operators. In the destination region, we can find attractions and hospitality industry and in the transit route region, we have the transport sector.

The tourism system is made up of three elements: the tourist, the destination and the tourism intermediaries. Among them, the tourists the most crucial one. It is the starting point of the tourism and gives impetus to the development of it.

The destination functions as the tourism object. It is the area in which various kinds of tourism product are delivered, such as the accommodations, restaurants, leisure facilities and other ancillary services. The tourism intermediaries help to connect the traveler-generating region and the tourist destination. It mainly includes the transport and the travel agents, tour operators, etc who help the tourists to realize their travel desire and obtain a tourism experience worth memorizing.

The primary tourism industry is composed of travel trade, transport, accommodation and catering, as well as catering facilities and tourist attractions, etc. Different sectors or companies to suit all budgets and tastes provide these products and services. The hospitality industry provides accommodation and entertainments for travelers. The tour wholesaler and travel agency sell and promote the products and services of the other sectors to travelers.

Now students may have a clearer idea of the tourism system. But we also should keep in mind that the tourism system is not an independent system. Its development relies on the support of other external or environmental systems, such as socio-cultural, economic, political, physical, etc. These systems are interdependent. For example, without agriculture, no one can supply food for restaurant; without the oil industry, no vehicle can move and help tourists realize their spatial movement. And the tourism system, in turn, is also important to the development of other systems.

Characteristics and barrier of travel

The Tourism system
The Tourism system
The Tourism system
The Tourism system
The Tourism system
The Tourism system
The Tourism system