Unit 1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts

LEARNING INTENTIONS In this unit you will learn how to: • understand the changing nature of travel and tourism, including the reasons people travel, the types of tourism available and the changing structure of the travel and tourism industry • understand different types of travel and tourism destination and explain their changing appeal to different external customer types • assess trends in travel and tourism, including changes in tourism flow and the factors affecting Unit 1 Travel and tourism themes and concepts SAMPLE these changes • understand the growth of sustainable tourism • explain the growth of ecotourism • evaluate the provision of customer service in travel and tourism • understand the importance of quality customer service and discuss ways of assessing its provision in the travel and tourism industry.

TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN CONTEXT

Chazal Ecotourism, Mauritius

Figure 1.1: A waterfall at Chamourny, near Chazal Ecotourism Chazal Ecotourism is a travel and tourism business that provides ecotourism activities and accommodation in Mauritius. Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean. Ecotourists visit places where they can enjoy the natural environment without causing damage to the habitat or local people. Chazal Ecotourism is set in the tropical forests of southern Mauritius. Many plants and animals there are unique to Mauritius. At the Chazal Ecotourism site, ecotourists can: • trek through the dense fern forest • enjoy natural tropical pools, rock slides and waterfalls • zipline over the natural landscape • stay in well-equipped eco-lodges that have separate double and single bedrooms, private balconies and bathrooms • eat local traditional dishes at the restaurant. The full-day Discovery Package is a Chazal Ecotourism product that includes ziplining, a forest walk, a restaurant lunch and an exciting 4x4 vehicle ride. It allows visitors to enjoy the natural environment of the forests in adventurous, fun and safe ways. Many Chazal Ecotourism customers holiday (go on vacation) elsewhere in Mauritius and use the visitor attraction for a day trip.

Chazal Ecotourism provides customer service to inbound (from other countries) and domestic (same country) tourism visitors. Quality customer service is important to travel and tourism providers such as Chazal Ecotourism. They can use social media reviews from customers to help ensure quality customer service. Discuss: 1 What does ‘ecotourism’ mean? 2 Why do you think the Chazal Ecotourism resort appeals to ecotourist customers? Figure 1.2: Eco-lodges are simple buildings constructed from locally sourced materials. Some eco-lodges offer basic facilities, such as a bed and perhaps a shower. Others offer luxury facilities such as private bathrooms and terraces, sometimes with room service. SAMPLE 3 Why is providing quality customer service important to travel and tourism providers such as Chazal Ecotourism? 4 How might social media help Chazal Ecotourism?