Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only", as people "travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure and not less than 24 hours, business and other purposes". Tourism can be domestic or international, and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a country's balance of payments.
Cultural tourism is a type of tourism in which the visitor's essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the cultural attractions and products offered by a tourist destination. These attractions and products relate to the intellectual, spiritual, and emotional features of a society that encompasses arts and architecture, historical and cultural heritage, culinary heritage, literature, music, creative industries as well as the living cultures with their lifestyles, value systems, beliefs and traditions.
Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for economic, social, and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs of host communities. Sustainable tourism should embrace concerns for environmental protection, social equity, and the quality of life, cultural diversity, and a dynamic, viable economy delivering jobs and prosperity for all. It has its roots in sustainable development and there can be some confusion as to what "sustainable tourism" means. There is now broad consensus that tourism should be sustainable. In fact, all forms of tourism have the potential to be sustainable if planned, developed and managed properly. Tourist development organizations are promoting sustainable tourism practices in order to mitigate negative effects caused by the growing impact of tourism, for example its environmental impacts.
Tourism in Namibia is a major industry, contributing N$7.2 billion to the country's gross domestic product. Annually, over one million travelers visit Namibia, with roughly one in three coming from South Africa, then Germany and finally the United Kingdom, Italy and France. The country is among the prime destinations in Africa and is known for ecotourism which features Namibia's extensive wildlife.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association working to promote the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is a department of the state of Georgia, United States. The GDEcD is responsible for managing resources to attract new business investments to Georgia, expand Georgia's existing industries and businesses, locate new markets for Georgian products, and promote and fund entertainment projects produced in the state.
The European Travel Commission (ETC) is an association of national tourism organisations (NTOs) based in Brussels. It was created in 1948 to promote Europe as a tourist destination to long-haul markets outside of Europe; initially the US, then Canada, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific later on. The ETC currently has 35 member NTOs and 12 associate members from the private industry. The association aims to raise awareness of the importance of tourism among national European authorities and the general public through sharing best practices and cooperation in market intelligence and promotion.
The International Inbound Travel Association, formerly known as the Receptive Services Association of America, is a 501(c)6 trade association of major North American–based receptive tour operator companies and suppliers. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, IITA is the only association focused solely on international inbound travel to the United States.
Moroccan trade is still dominated by its main import and export partner France, although France's share in Moroccan trade is declining in favour of the US, the Persian Gulf region and China. If seen as a single entity, the EU is by far Morocco's largest trading partner.
The American Bus Association (ABA) serves as a trade association for motorcoach operators and tour companies operating in the United States and Canada. With its headquarters situated in Washington, D.C., the association has a membership comprising approximately 1,000 companies engaged in bus operations or bus-based tours, alongside around 2,800 organizations representing the broader travel and tourism industry. Additionally, several hundred suppliers of buses and related products and services are affiliated with the ABA.
The Idaho Department of Commerce is the state-level economic development agency for the State of Idaho. It utilizes resources at the state level to improve the state's economic growth by issuing public grants, tax credits, and tax exemptions.
Tourism is an important economic sector for many countries in Africa. There are many countries that benefit heavily from tourism like Uganda, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Tanzania. The touristic particularity of Africa lies in the wide variety of points of interest, diversity and multitudes of landscapes as well as the rich cultural heritage. Also, an ecotourist industry is present in some African countries.
Lazaro Samuel Nyalandu is a Tanzanian politician and former Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Fairs in Pristina started since the medieval period, at the time when it was famous for its annual trade fairs and its goat hide and goat hair articles. Pristina always had a development in trading due to its position in the Balkan trade routes. Despite that fact, Pristina, or Kosovo in general, is not known for occurrence of fairs. With the development of culture and especially after the last war in 1999, Pristina has had progress on holding these kinds of events.
Tourism in Ghana is regulated by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture. This ministry is responsible for the development and promotion of tourism related activities in Ghana.
Fashion tourism is a niche market segment evolved out of three major sectors: Creative Tourism, Cultural Tourism and Shopping Tourism. Fashion Tourism can be defined as “the interaction between Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), trade associations, tourism suppliers and host communities, with people travelling to and visiting a particular place for business or leisure to enjoy, experiment, discover, study, trade, communicate about and consume fashion.”
Akwaaba African Travel Market (AFTM) is an international travel, tourism and hospitality event organized annually in Lagos, Nigeria aimed at businesses, investors, governments decision - makers and buyers in the industry, providing business opportunities, industry news and showcasing products in Africa and around the world. It serves as a platform to trade and network. Akwaaba African Travel Market is the first travel market in West Africa.
The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) was established in May 2011 under the Government of Ras Al Khaimah. Its purpose is to develop and promote the emirate's tourism offering and infrastructure, both domestically and abroad.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association is an association of tourism businesses that welcome the LGBTQ+ community. As of 2016, the association had member businesses in about 80 countries.
The Ghana Tourism Authority is a Ghanaian state agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts responsible for the regulation of tourism in Ghana by marketing, promoting, licensing, classifying, researching and developing tourism facilities and services in the country.
