Glossary of terms in the hospitality & tourism

The most important terms and abbreviations in hospitality & tourism from A – Z

In my individual glossary for the hotel and tourism industry, I share a personal selection of 300 terms and abbreviations from the world of travel. These include aspects of airlines, travel agencies, hotels and other tourism service providers that I have found particularly important in the industry over the years. The list is my subjective collection of terms and does not claim to be exhaustive, but offers an insight into the key terms used in the tourism industry.

All | # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
There are currently 300 names in this directory
A
A la carte
referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separatel
Accessible Tourism
Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.
Accommodation Types
various types of accommodation, including hotels, hostels, holiday flats, resorts, etc.
Accreditation
A procedure to establish if a tourism business meets certain standards of management and operation.
Add-on
an option, usually at extra cost, added to travel arrangements.
Adjoining rooms
Two hotel or accommodation rooms that have a door connecting them from the inside, allowing the guests to combine the two rooms into one larger room.
ADR (or ARR)
Average Daily Rate, or Average Room Rate (calculated by dividing revenue generated from income from hotel rooms sold by the total number of rooms sold)
Advanced Purchase Rate
the cheaper price for a hotel, plane, rail, etc. ticket when bought several days, weeks, or months before the journey.
Adventure tourism
A form of tourism in natural areas that includes active physical participation and exploration of new experiences
Affinity group
A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity
Agent
A person who has the power to act as the representative for another person. Most frequently in travel, a specific kind of agent such as a travel agent.
Agritourism
A form of travel where travellers are accommodated on farms or in rural areas to experience farming and country life.;
Airport code
A three-letter identifier designating a specific airport. Properties are often referenced to airport codes in the global distribution system (GDS).
All-inclusive
A form of package holiday where the majority of services offered at the destination are included in the price paid prior to departure.
All-Inclusive Resort
A holiday resort that includes a minimum of three meals daily, soft drinks, most alcoholic drinks, gratuities, and possibly other services in the price.
Allocation
usually refers to an ‘allocation of rooms'
Allotment
The number of hotel rooms which are reserved for a group or a tour operators.
Alternative Tourism
Travel that is not conventional in nature.
Apartment Hotel
Hotel with apartment style units, with in-room cooking facilities.
APEX
an airline term meaning “advance purchase excursion fare” normally the least expensive fares.
ARR
Average Room Rate (Total net room revenues divided by the number of paid rooms occupied).
Availability
The number of vacancies possibly for a specific type of accommodation for a specific set of dates.
Average Daily Rate (ADR)
The total room revenue for a given period divided by the number of rooms occupied for the same period.
Average Room Rate
An alternative term for Average Daily Rate (ADR).
B
B&B (Bed & Breakfast)
a rate that include bed and breakfast. A small accommodation usually in a private home providing overnight (bed) with breakfast.
Back of House
Area of the hotel that is not accessible to guests (e.g kitchens, offices, etc.)
Back to back
term used to describe tours operating on a continuing basis, usually without time between.
Baggage Allowance
The weight of baggage a passenger is allowed without having to pay extra charges.
Base fare
the basic price of an airline ticket, before taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.
Base Fee
the hotel management fee earned by the hotel operator for managing a property.
Benchmarking
Process of measuring performance against best competitors
Best Available Rate (BAR)
The lowest non-restricted rate bookable by all guests.
Best Practice
Operational standards considered the most efficient for achieving desired outcomes.
Blackout dates
Specific dates where special fares or promotions do not apply (e.g. during holidays or special events).
Block
a number of rooms, seats or places reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators to sell them as components of a tour package.
Boarding pass
document provided by transportation company during check- in, giving a passenger permission to board the airplane/ship.
Booking (or reservation)
a reservation for a room in a hotel, seat in a restaurant/train/aircraft, etc.
Booking engine
an (online) booking engine, or internet booking engine, is an application that enables online booking on a website.
Boutique Hotel
a small, stylish hotel that often offers an individual character and personalised service.
Budget Traveler
a person who favours low-cost travel and often stays in inexpensive accommodation.
Business Mix
the blend of different market segments of guests at a hotel, measured in percent.
Business Plan
detailed written document that describes a business’s activities, goals, and strategy.
Business Travel
travelling for business purposes, such as conferences, meetings or business negotiations.
C
Cabin Crew
the collective group of flight attendants providing safety and full comfort to the airline passengers on board ;
Cancellation policy
the set of rules that the hotel applies in case of cancellation of a reservation.
Carbon Footprint
the amount of greenhouse gas emissions directly or indirectly associated with an activity or organisation.
Central reservation system (CRS)
also known as computer reservations system.
Chain code
an identifier code of two characters, used by global distribution systems (GDSs) to identify hotel chains.
Chalet
a type of building or house, made of wood ,with wide eaves, common in Alpine regions, having a particular architectural style.
Channel Management
controlling of the allocation of hotel inventory and rates across all distribution channels including website, third parties and global distribution systems.
Charter
to hire the exclusive use of any aircraft, motorcoach, or other vehicle.
Check In
the process by which guests register upon arrival at a hotel and receive their key.
Check Out
the process by which a guest settles their bill and hands back any key.
Coach Class
the “economy ” section of an aircraft
Collision damage waiver (CDW)
optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in case of an accident. Car rental insurance covering any damage to a rental vehicle.
Commercial Rate
a special rate agreed upon by a company and a hotel. Usually, the hotel agrees to supply rooms of a specified quality or better at a flat rate to corporate clients.
Commission
that percentage of the selling price that a travel agency or OTA receives from a supplier (hotel, airline,..) for selling accommodation, flights or other services.
Competitive Set
Comparable hotels in a hotel’s vicinity that compete for guests.
Complimentaries (Comps)
Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, etc.
Concierge
provides additional advice, and services to guests, such as restaurant reservations.
Confidential Tariff
wholesale rates (net rates) distributed to travel wholesalers, tour operators and agents.
Confirmed Reservation
a written statement by a supplier that he has received and will honor a reservation.
Connecting Room
two adjacent rooms that are connected to each other by a door.
Constrained Demand
the quantity of rooms that are expected to be sold for a date.
Continental breakfast
a light breakfast, typically consisting of coffee and bread rolls with butter and jam.
Corporate Rate
hotel rate negotiated by companies designed to appeal to the needs of the business traveler.
COS
Cost of Sales (as a percentage of the revenue, e.g. cost of food, cost of beverage).
Cost of Walk (COW)
the cost of turning away a guest when the hotel is unable to provide the promised accommodation, which may include the cost of a hotel room, transer, and probable lost future business.
Cost per occupied room (CPOR)
The formula for CPOR calculates the average cost per occupied room. (Total, gross operating profit divided per number of rooms sold).
Cottage
a small, modest house at a lake, mountain resort, etc., owned or rented as a holiday home.
Couchette
the sleeping compartment of a train that can contain up to 6 beds.
Coupon
See voucher.
Cover
the number of seats for dining sold in a restaurant
Cover Charge
a fee, usually a flat amount per person, charged to cover the cost of music and entertainment
CRO
Central Reservations Office, that handles bookings of behalf of a hotel (or chain).
CRS
Central Reservations System.
Cruise
a voyage on a ship or boat taken for pleasure or as a vacation and usually docking at several port destinations.
Culinary Tourism
is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences.
Cultural Tourism
Travel for the purpose of learning about cultures or aspects of cultures.
Customer Satisfaction Survey
a survey used to assess customer satisfaction with a service or product.
Customized tours
a customized tour is a tour category where an independent travel plan is designed and arranged just for the traveler’s needs, goals and desires.
D
Day Pass
a ticket or pass that allows guests to use facilities such as pools, beaches or gyms for a day.
Day Rate
a reduced rate granted for the use of a guest room during the daytime, not overnight occupancy.
Day Visitors
Visitors who arrive and leave the same day, irrespective of why they are travelling.
Deposit policy
a specified amount or a percentage of the total bill due on a specified date prior to arrival.
Destination Management Company (DMC)
a company working in a specific destination to handle all bookings for tours or conferences, including hotel accommodation, transfers, sightseeing, meetings and special events.
Destination Marketing Organization (DMO)
an organization that promotes a location (city, region, state province, country) as a travel destination.
Dine-Around Plan
a meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area.
Direct Flight
a flight from a traveler’s origin directly (without stop) to their destination.
Distribution channel
see Booking channel.
DMC
Destination Management Company.
DMO
Destination Marketing Organization.
Domestic Tourism
Travel within the country of residence.
Dormitory room
a shared room with multiple beds. Shared rooms are usually sold "per bed".
Duty Manager
a hotel employee available around the clock to help with emergencies or unexpected problems.
Dynamic packaging
an online reservations process including demand-based hotel rooms pricing and flights and other non-hotel package components such as car hire, tours, etc.
E
Early Check In
the option of checking into accommodation before the regular check-in time.
Eco Tourism
ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.
Eco-Lodge
an eco-friendly accommodation in harmony with nature and promote sustainable practices.
Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
the guest’s estimated time of arrival for check-in.
Ethno Tourism
focusing on exploration of indigenous populations and their respective culture and traditions.
F
F.I.T
stands for “flexible independent traveler” or “foreign individual traveler”. It is an individual traveler, not part of a tour group.
F&B
Food and Beverage. Refers to restaurant and bar business.
Facilities
basic features of a hotel - accommodation, restaurants, bars, and meeting rooms.
FAM (familiarization) Tour
a free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to acquaint them with what a destination, attraction, or supplier has to offer.
FF&E
an acronym that stands for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment and that is used in hotel development.
Fly/drive tour
a package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components.
Folio
an itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits which is maintained in the front office until departure.
Food and Beverage
refers to restaurant and bar business.
Force majeure
this is an unforeseeable or uncontrollable situation or train of events that would excuse a breach of contract.
Free sale
the practice of selling rooms at a negotiated/confidential/contracted rate with no set allotment, until such time as the rate code is closed.
Frequent Flier Program
a program that a traveler can enroll in that earns them rewards such as free flights on a particular airline for being a loyal customer of that airline.
Full Board
Rate that includes bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Full service hotel
a hotel offering a restaurant, lounge facilities, and meeting space, as well other services such as concierge, bellboy,…
Function room
a is used primarily for private parties, banquets, and meetings. Also called banquet rooms.
G
Galley
the kitchen/kitchenette area of a plane or train or ship.
GDS
Global Distribution System.
General sales agent (GSA)
a person or company contracted by supplier (hotel, airline,…) to promote their products in a country, where they have no offices.
Glamping
luxurious form of camping where accommodation such as tents or cabins are equipped with amenities.
Global distribution system (GDS)
Network of electronic reservation systems used globally by travel agents booking hotel rooms, flight tickets, etc.
GOP
Gross Operating Profit (Total revenue minus expenses).
Graduation travel
is a milestone category of travel which refers to travel celebrating a graduation typically from high school or college.
Green Hotels
generally refers to hotels making an active effort to operate sustainably and reduce their environmental impact.
Gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR)
is calculated by room revenue minus expenses (GOP), divided by the total rooms available.
Group booking
a booking made for multiple rooms/people travelling together. It may require group billing.
Group Rate
a discounted rate given to large groups of guests.
Group Tour
packaged trips or escorted tours have a set date, price and itinerary.
Group Travel
group travel refers to a category of travel with a group arranged by an outside company or organization or travel with a group of friends and family that you have organized yourself. Some groups are small, private and escorted, while others large.
Guaranteed reservations
Room reservations booked with a guarantee of payment. They normally require a credit card at the time of booking or deposit within a specified period. The property guarantees availability and if it does not have a room available must arrange alternate comparable accommodation.
Guest account
see folio.
Guided tour
a local sightseeing trip conducted by a guide.
H
Half Board
a rate that includes bed, breakfast and either lunch or dinner.
Health tourism
Health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health.
Heritage Sites
the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are popular tourist destinations listed by UNESCO as having cultural or environmental significance.
High Season
the period of the year when occupancy of a hotel or attraction is normally the highest. Also referred to as peak season.
Hospitality Industry
the totality of companies offering accommodation, catering and entertainment services.
Hostel
an inexpensive accommodation, usually dormitory style, popular with the student crowd.
Hotel
a hotel is an establishment providing accommodations, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.
Hotel Chain
hotels that are part of a chain or group and trade under the same brand and management.
Hotel Classification
the categorization of hotels according to certain standards to indicate quality of service.
Hurdle rate
the hurdle rate is the lowest acceptable room price for a given date.
I
IATA
International Air Transport Association
IBE
Internet Booking Engine.
Inbound Operator
a receptive operator that usually serves groups arriving from another country.
Inbound Tour Operator
a tour operator based in a specific destination country who organizes travel arrangements for travelers from abroad.
Inbound tourism
Inbound tourism comprises the activities of a non-resident visitor within the country of reference on an inbound tourism trip.
Incentive tour
a trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.
Independent Hotel
any hotel that is not part of a hotel group or chain.
Interline Connection
a flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another airline.
Inventory
the total number of rooms available that the property has to distribute or sell across all channels.
Itinerary
a list of a tours or entire trip’s schedule and major travel elements.
J
Junior Suite
a hotel room with a larger sitting area that is not in a different room from the bedroom.
K
Key Card
an electronic card that allows access to hotel rooms or other secure areas.
King room
a hotel room with a king-sized bed.
KPI
Key Performance Indicator, quantifiable measurements used to gauge a company’s performance.
L
Land arrangements
all the details of a land portion of a trip (hotel, car, tours, sightseeing, etc.).
Late Arrival
Guests that advise they will be later than the agreed time of arrival.
Late Check Out
When a guest leaves the hotel later than the agreed time of departure. A fee may apply.
Layover
the period of time spent between connecting flights.
Lead time
the period between the time of booking and the actual arrival of the guest is called the lead time.
Leg
Portion of a journey between two scheduled stops.
Leisure travel
Travel for pleasure as opposed to business.
Length of stay (LOS)
Number of nights booked on a reservation.
Load factor
the number of passengers traveling on a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft compared to the number of available seats or cabins.
Lodging
Any establishment that provides shelter and overnight accommodations to travelers.
Lose-it rate (walk-away rate)
refers to a rate where the hotel would be better off leaving the room unsold than sell at this rate.
Low season
the period when a destination experiences its lowest prices and the fewest number of guests.
Loyalty Program
a marketing program that offers rewards to guests for regular or frequent business.
M
Mark-up
the difference between the supplier’s selling price and agent’s price offered to the consumer.
Market segments
a variety of consumer groups with different behaviour and needs.
Marketing mix
the 4 Ps of marketing - product, price, promotion, place (distribution).
Marketing plan
a written report that details marketing objectives for a product or service and recommends strategies for achieving these objectives.
Medical tourism
a type of tourism activity which involves the use of medical healing resources and services.
Meet and Greet Service
a pre- purchased service for meeting and greeting clients upon arrival in a city, usually at the airport, pier, or rail station, and assisting clients with formalities, baggage, and transportation.
MICE
an acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conference & Exhibitions.
Minimum Length of Stay
a room inventory control function that requires a reservation to meet or exceed a certain length of stay in order to complete the reservation.
Mission statement
the concise description of a company, its purpose, and what it intends to accomplish.
Mobile Check-In
the option to check in online using a mobile device to avoid waiting times.
Mountain tourism
a type of tourism activity which takes place in a defined and limited geographical space such as hills or mountains and encompasses a broad range of outdoor leisure and sports activities.
Mystery Guest
a quality control measure whereby an undercover guest evaluates the performance of a hotel.
N
Nature Tourism
ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas.
Negotiated Rate
a discounted rate offered to a company based on the volume of business.
Net Rate
the price of the flights, accommodation etc. without the agent’s commission added.
Niche Market
a highly specialized segment of the travel market, with a unique special interest.
Night Audit
is a reconciliation of the previous 24 hours of transactions at the hotel (night auditor is an employee who works at the reception of a hotel during the night shift).
No Show
a guest with a confirmed reservation, who doesn’t show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking.
Non-Refundable Ticket
A ticket that cannot be returned for cash or credit once it’s been purchased but may be changeable for a fee.
Non-Stop Flight
flight with no stop between departure and arrival destinations.
O
Occupancy
the percentage of available rooms occupied for a given period. It is computed by dividing the number of rooms occupied for a period by the number of rooms available for the same period.
Occupancy Forecast
the constrained occupancy that the hotel is expected to achieve for a specified period.
Off-peak
a less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during these periods.
Online Booking System
an easy way for customers to book a hotel, flight, etc. online and receive an instant confirmation without having to go through an agent.
Online travel agencies (OTA)
arranges and sells accommodations, tours, transportation and trips on an online platform for travelers.
OOO
out of Order (rooms at a hotel).
Open Jaw
travel by air in which the passenger travels to one place and returns from a different place.
Open Return
an air ticket with no return date specified.
Option Date
the date when a tentative agreement is to become a definite commitment by the buyer.
Optional
optional features that are not included in the tour price, such as extra tours or special activities.
OTA
see Online Travel Agent/Agency.
Outbound Tour Operator
an Outbound Tour Operator typically offers trips to a variety of destinations, some or all of which are not in the country that the tour operator is based in.
Outbound tourism
comprises the activities of a resident visitor outside the country of reference.
Overbooking
the practice of booking rooms beyond the capacity of the hotel in anticipation that some guests will not show up.
Overhead
fixed costs involved in regular operations, such as rent, insurance, management salaries, and utilities.
Override
a commission over and above the normal base commission percentage.
P
Package
a collection of travel or hotel components being sold at a package price.
Package Tour
a combination of several travel components from different suppliers, sold at a fixed price.
Passenger name record (PNR)
the official name of a reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS).
PAX
“PAX” is the international short version of “passengers”, used almost exclusively by the travel industry.
Pay per click (PPC)
see cost per click (CPC).
Peak Season
a destination’s high season when demand is strong. Also called the high season.
Point of sale (POS)
the place where a retail transaction is completed (e.g. restaurant, spa, shop, etc.).
Port of Debarkation
the geographic point where personnel arrive on a cruise vessel.
Port of Embarkation
the geographic point where personnel depart on a cruise vessel.
Port of entry
Destination providing customs and immigration services.
POS
Point of Sale.
Pre- and Post Trip Tour
an optional trip extension before and/or after a meeting or convention.
Pricing (Price Policy)
Structure of pricing based on market situation, competitors and costs
Profit margin
The value in percent that represents the markup of a product’s price over its costs.
Property
a specific lodging structure, such as a hotel.
Property management system (PMS)
a software application for the hotel operating system.
Q
Quad Room
a room suitable for four persons.
Quotation
is a proposal, that details the planned itinerary and the costs associated with the trip.
R
Rack Rate
the full, undiscounted published room rate (price)
Rate Fencing
using restrictions on dates and/or room types which have excess demand.
Rate Parity
Maintaining consistent rates for the same product in all online distribution channels.
Red-Eye Flight
an overnight flight that leaves at night and arrives early the next morning.
Release Period
the number of days before arrival, within which a hotel will not accept bookings from a distribution partner (OTA, Tour Operator).
Resort
a hotel, or other accommodation provider located in an area associated with recreation and leisure, such as the mountains, lakes or sea.
Responsible tourism
Type of tourism which is practiced by tourists who make responsible choices when choosing their holidays.
Restrictions
functionalities that can be applied to each room type/room rate to better control reservations and have a successful revenue management strategy.
Revenue management
to obtain a property’s maximum amount of overall possible revenue by using data and analytics to predict future guest behavior and demand.
Revenue Management System
a software application that hotels use to control the supply and price of their inventory in order to achieve maximum revenue by managing availability, room types and applying restrictions.
Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR)
RevPar = daily room revenue / total rooms available or Average Daily Rate (ADR) × Occupancy Rate.
Revenue per occupied room (RevPOR)
calculated by taking the total daily revenue (including ancillary revenues) and dividing it by the total number of occupied rooms at the hotel.;
ROH
Run of House. No room has been allocated to a guest before arrival, so they will get any room available.
ROI
Return on Investment.
Room Inventory
the volume of rooms available to be sold.
Room Night
In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night refers to a hotel room that is occupied for one night.
Room Occupancy
is the number of occupied rooms divided by the available rooms for a given period.
Room Only
a rate for the room only, no extras (e.g. breakfast) included.
Room Rate
the price for your room type, per night
Rooming List
the list of names or passengers on a tour or other group travel program, submitted to a hotel.
Round Trip
a flight to a single destination and a return.
Run of the house Rate
a flat rate for which a lodging property agrees to offer any of its available rooms.
S
Same-Day Visitor (or Excursionist)
a visitor who trip doesn’t include an overnight.
Scheduled Flights
Air flights that are publicly scheduled and promoted by airlines.
Seasonality
a periodic fluctuation of tourism demand according to weather and the time of the year.
Segment
a “leg” or part of a journey, usually in reference to an air itinerary. One take-off and landing during air travel constitutes a “segment”.
Service Charge
a specified percentage on invoiced hotel and restaurant services charged to the guest.
Service Provider
a person or company that supplies a particular service.
Shoulder Season
those periods between the peak and off season when destination demand is moderate.
Sightseeing Tour
Short excursions of usually a few hours that focus on sightseeing and/or attraction visits.
Single Room
a room that is only guaranteed to comfortably accommodate one guest.
Single Supplement
a single supplement is a surcharge applied to a single person staying in a room usually intended for two or more people.
Sleeper
the sleeping compartment aboard a train.
Soft Launch/Opening
partial launch of a hotel property, perhaps at a reduced service level, usually to test the service offering prior to the official opening.
Source of business
the marketing channel through which a guest finds the hotel.
Spa
a resort area centered around a mineral springs offering pools, massages, treatments, sauna and steam baths, etc.
Split itinerary
an itinerary in which part of the group does one thing while the other part does something else.
Sports Tourism
refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event.
Stand-by
referring to a passenger who does not have a confirmed seat on the intended flight.
Stopover
a planned stayover in a city for a day or more, before continuing to another destination.
Suite
a hotel accommodation with more than one room with distinct sleeping and living areas and often a kitchenette.
Sustainable tourism
Tourism that is economically, socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable.
T
Tariff
a schedule of prices/fares.
Total revenue per available room (TrevPAR)
a hotel key performance indicator (KPI) that gives a preview of the total revenue from all departments which the room can generate, including all hotel services.
Tour
any pre-arranged journey to one or more destinations.
Tour Guide
a person qualified (and often certified) to conduct tours of specific locations or attractions.
Tour Manager
a person in charge to escort a group of tourists, usually for the duration of the entire trip.
Tour Operator (TO)
a company which creates and markets inclusive tours and subcontracts with suppliers to create a package. Most tour operators sell through travel agents.
Tourism
the business of providing services, such as transportation, places to stay, or entertainment for tourists.
Tourism Expenditure
Tourism expenditure refers to the amount paid for the acquisition of consumption goods and services, as well as valuables, for own use or to give away, for and during tourism trips.
Tourism Industries
comprise all establishments for which the principal activity is a tourism characteristic activity.
Tourism Product
a combination of tangible and intangible elements, such as natural, cultural and man-made resources, attractions, facilities, services and activities around a specific center of interest.
Tourism Satellite Account
a system of accounting at national or regional level which reveals the total direct impact of tourism on the economy.
Tourist (or overnight visitor)
a visitor (domestic, inbound or outbound) is classified as a tourist (or overnight visitor), if the trip includes an overnight stay.
Transient Business
Guests who book their hotel individually rather than with a group and for shorts stays
Travel Agent (TA)
a business arranging travel for individuals or groups on behalf of suppliers (e.g. hotels, airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, package tours, railways, travel insurance, etc.).
Travel Component
Travel Component Transportation, lodging, dining, attractions, entertainment, guide services, and other travel elements offered as part of a travel package.
Turnaway
a potential reservation that couldn’t be satisfied because the tour (or hotel, ship, etc.) was fully booked.
U
Ultra All-Inclusive
an extended form of the all-inclusive concept with additional amenities and services.;
Unconstrained Demand
Demand that is not constrained by the capacity or restrictions of the hotel and could be sold if the hotel had an unlimited number of rooms available to sell.
Unrestricted Fare
an airfare that has no special advance purchase, or certain days to travel requirements, and is usually refundable.
UNWTO (UN Tourism)
United Nations World Tourism Organization, since 2024 called UN Tourism is the leading international organization in the field of tourism, and promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.
Upgrade
improvement in one's service, accommodations, privileges, or the like.
Upsell
Process by which a guest is offered (at a cost) additional services or upgrades to a better room.
V
Vacancy
one or more rooms available to accommodate guests.
Villa
a large and luxurious holiday residence.
Visitors
Visitors are persons who undertake tourism as defined above. They are referred to as either tourists (those who stay overnight), or same-day visitors.
Voucher
A document, such as a coupon or ticket, that is redeemable for some good or service.
W
Waitlist
a list of clients awaiting transportation or accommodations at times when they are not available.
Walk-in
a guest without a reservation who turns up and requests a reservation.
WBE
Web Booking Engine.
Wellness Tourism
is a category of travel for the purpose of promoting health and well- being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities.
Wholesaler
a company that usually creates and markets inclusive tours for sale through travel agents.
World Heritage Site
a site designated by UNESCO as being of special historical, cultural, or natural importance.
WTO
World Tourism Organization.
WTTC
World Travel & Tourism Council.
Y
Yield Management
World Travel & Tourism Council.
Z
Zoning
different eco-systems may be zoned in terms of their robustness to pressures from tourism to mitigate environmental damage.

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