what is travel guide means

What does a tour guide do?

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What is a Tour Guide?

A tour guide provides assistance, information, and guidance to individuals or groups of tourists during their travels. Their primary role is to enhance the travel experience by sharing knowledge and insights about the destinations, attractions, and cultural aspects of the places being visited. Tour guides are well-versed in the history, geography, culture, and traditions of the locations they cover, and they use their expertise to educate and entertain the tourists.

Tour guides are responsible for organizing and leading tours, ensuring that the itinerary is followed, and the group stays on schedule. They may work in various settings, including cities, historical sites, natural landscapes, or cultural landmarks. During tours, guides provide commentary, answer questions, and engage with the tourists, creating an interactive and immersive experience. They may also assist with logistical matters, such as arranging transportation, coordinating entry to attractions, and recommending places to eat or shop.

What does a Tour Guide do?

Tour guides bring destinations to life by providing valuable expertise and insights. While guidebooks and online resources can offer information, tour guides offer a unique and personalized experience that cannot be replicated.

Duties and Responsibilities Tour guides have a range of duties and responsibilities to ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel experience for tourists. Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Planning and organizing: Tour guides research and plan tour itineraries, considering factors such as the duration of the tour, the interests of the group, and the availability of attractions. They arrange transportation, accommodation, meals, and any necessary permits or tickets, ensuring that everything is well-coordinated.
• Providing information and commentary: A primary role of tour guides is to offer informative and engaging commentary about the destinations being visited. They share historical facts, cultural insights, and interesting anecdotes to educate and entertain tourists. Guides should have a deep understanding of the locations, including their history, architecture, local customs, and traditions.
• Leading tours and managing groups: Tour guides are responsible for leading the group throughout the tour. They ensure that the group stays together, follows the itinerary, and adheres to any safety guidelines. Guides should have good organizational and leadership skills to manage groups of varying sizes and diverse backgrounds.
• Assisting with logistics: Tour guides handle practical aspects of the tour, such as coordinating transportation between sites, arranging entry to attractions, and managing timing to optimize the itinerary. They provide directions, answer questions, and offer recommendations for meals, shopping, and other activities.
• Ensuring safety and security: Guides prioritize the safety and security of the tourists. They inform the group about potential risks or hazards, and they take necessary precautions to prevent accidents or incidents. In emergency situations, guides should be prepared to provide assistance and follow appropriate protocols.
• Interacting and engaging with tourists: Tour guides create a welcoming and interactive environment for tourists. They foster a positive and friendly atmosphere, encourage questions, and actively engage with the group. Guides should be approachable and adaptable, catering to the needs and interests of the tourists.
• Resolving issues and addressing concerns: Tour guides act as a point of contact for tourists, addressing any concerns or issues that may arise during the tour. They handle complaints, resolve conflicts, and provide assistance or alternative solutions when needed.
• Promoting responsible and sustainable tourism: Guides play a crucial role in promoting responsible tourism practices. They educate tourists about local customs and cultural sensitivities, encourage respectful behavior towards local communities and the environment, and advocate for sustainable travel practices.

Types of Tour Guides There are various types of tour guides, each specializing in different areas and catering to specific types of tours. Here are some common types of tour guides and a brief description of what they do:

• City Tour Guides: City tour guides specialize in providing tours within a specific city or urban area. They are well-versed in the history, architecture, landmarks, and culture of the city. Their role is to guide tourists through popular attractions, historical sites, and local neighborhoods, offering insights and commentary along the way.
• Cultural Tour Guides: Cultural tour guides focus on highlighting the cultural aspects of a destination. They provide in-depth knowledge about local traditions, customs, festivals, and arts. These guides may accompany tourists to museums, art galleries, cultural events, or religious sites, helping them understand and appreciate the cultural significance of these places.
• Ecotourism Guides : Ecotourism guides are responsible for designing and planning itineraries that are environmentally and culturally responsible, researching the destination, developing educational materials, preparing necessary equipment, and coordinating logistics such as transportation, accommodation, and meals.
• Adventure Tour Guides: Adventure tour guides lead tours focused on outdoor activities and adventure sports such as hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, or skiing. They possess skills and knowledge in the specific activities offered, ensuring the safety of participants while providing guidance and instruction. Adventure guides may take tourists to remote and challenging locations, coordinating logistics and providing a thrilling experience.
• Historical Tour Guides: Historical tour guides specialize in providing detailed insights into the history of a destination. They are knowledgeable about specific historical periods, events, and significant landmarks. These guides often work in historical sites, monuments, or archaeological sites, sharing historical context and stories that bring the past to life for tourists.
• Specialized Tour Guides: Specialized tour guides cater to niche interests or specific types of tours. Examples include food tour guides who focus on culinary experiences, wine tour guides who provide expertise on vineyards and wine tasting, or art tour guides who lead tours in museums and art galleries, offering interpretations of artworks.

Are you suited to be a tour guide?

Tour guides have distinct personalities . They tend to be social individuals, which means they’re kind, generous, cooperative, patient, caring, helpful, empathetic, tactful, and friendly. They excel at socializing, helping others, and teaching. Some of them are also enterprising, meaning they’re adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic.

Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if tour guide is one of your top career matches.

What is the workplace of a Tour Guide like?

The workplace of a tour guide can be quite diverse and dynamic, offering a mix of indoor and outdoor environments. One aspect of their workplace involves cultural and urban settings. City tour guides, for instance, operate within bustling cities, leading tourists through streets, squares, and iconic landmarks. They may work in vibrant neighborhoods, historic districts, or cosmopolitan areas, immersing tourists in the local culture and urban atmosphere. These guides navigate through crowded streets, interact with locals, and provide insights into the city's history, architecture, and vibrant lifestyle. They may also lead tours in museums, art galleries, or cultural centers, where they can showcase the city's artistic and cultural offerings.

Another significant aspect of a tour guide's workplace is outdoor settings. Nature and wildlife tour guides find themselves working in breathtaking natural landscapes, such as forests, mountains, or coastal areas. These guides lead groups on hikes, nature walks, or wildlife safaris, sharing their knowledge about the local flora, fauna, and ecosystems. Their workplace is characterized by stunning scenery, serene environments, and opportunities for visitors to connect with nature. Adventure tour guides also operate in outdoor settings, taking tourists on thrilling activities like rafting, rock climbing, or skiing. They work in adventurous and often remote locations, ensuring the safety of participants while providing an adrenaline-pumping experience.

Additionally, the workplace of a tour guide can extend to various modes of transportation. They may lead tours on buses, boats, trains, or even walking tours, utilizing different forms of transportation to explore diverse attractions and destinations. This allows guides to provide a comprehensive experience, showcasing various facets of a region while offering comfort and convenience to tourists.

Tour Guides are also known as: Tourist Guide

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How to create an Online Travel Guide

Helpful tips to understanding and writing various types of travel guides

The Different Types of Travel Guides

The goal of every travel guide is to help potential travelers prepare for their journey and have the best possible trip. A travel guide should be informative, but it can also be interesting or inspiring. Take a closer look at some of the most common types of travel guides as well as the benefits of each.

Destination Travel Guide

A destination travel guide is just what the name suggests: a travel guide that revolves around a specific destination. These guides can cover an entire country, but they can also focus on a specific city or even a small town. A destination travel guide should entice someone to visit that destination, and it should provide readers with specifics about that spot.

A destination travel guide might start by detailing the destination and explaining where it is located or how travelers can get there. Then, it should focus on the main reasons to visit the area. Readers might want to know what the main attractions in the destination are and whether they would appeal to budget travelers, outdoor enthusiasts or sports fans.

A destination guide might also focus on ways to make the most of a trip to that destination . For example, your guide could include details on how expensive the destination is or where the most popular hotels are located. Information about weather, security and transportation are all welcome in a destination guide.

Special Interest Travel Guide

While a destination guide focuses on a specific area and includes as much detail as possible, a special interest travel guide is far more focused. This is a type of niche writing, and it is designed to appeal to a specific demographic. Ultimately, the special interest you focus on is up to you. Some ideas include cuisine, history, architecture, fitness or pets.

Food is a major focus for special interest travel articles. People from around the world love to eat, and travel is often a great way to explore new cuisines and dig into new dishes. A culinary travel guide could include details on up-and-coming restaurants, Michelin-starred eateries and food vendors that tourists wouldn’t typically visit.

Other special interest guides may focus on a specific interest like history, art or architecture. If travelers are heading to Palm Springs specifically for the mid-century modern architecture, what buildings should they visit? If they are in New York City and love history, which museums are the most impressive?

A travel blog might also put an emphasis on pet-friendly travel. There are 77 million pet dogs and 85 million pet cats in the United States, and many of them travel with their owners. Highlighting which hotels, restaurants and attractions are pet-friendly can be valuable to a lot of readers.

Financial Travel Guide

One of the most common reasons why people avoid travel is cost. At the same time, many prospective travelers are eagerly searching for ways to travel more while spending less. For that reason, lots of travel guides specifically focus on the costs related to travel. Many more give readers tips on how to reduce expenses on upcoming trips.

Sometimes, readers just want information. A person who is planning a trip to Europe might want to know the average hotel costs in Paris or whether a hostel in Berlin is affordable. Financial travel guides that offer specific costs for accommodation, transport, food and attractions are incredibly useful.

Another type of financial travel guide will suggest ways to keep costs low on upcoming trips. It may include lists of affordable hostels, discounts on train travel or cheap and accessible grocery stores located in major cities.

Narrative Travel Guide

A narrative travel guide is the story of a singular travel experience. This type of travel blog can be any length, and it can detail any number of experiences. While a narrative travel guide can absolutely be educational, it is also designed to transport readers to a new destination.

A narrative travel guide might tell the story of a family that heads to Asia for an extended trip with young children. The unique challenges of this trip and the events along the way are woven together to become a cohesive narrative. This might inspire readers to take their own journey with children.

Stories can revolve around travel in off-the-beaten-path locations, or it can be an emotional journey. Narratives can discuss exploring a single city over a long weekend, or they can detail a year-long trek through Europe. These articles are less likely to include bullet points since they are more likely to read like short stories.

Side Trip Travel Guide

Many travelers will plan their getaway by booking a flight to a major destination. Their journey may take them to a bustling metropolis like London, New York or Hong Kong. These thrilling cities have a lot to offer, and a standard destination guide can certainly offer plenty of options. However, many visitors want to get away from these hubs and see something a little different for a day or two. That’s why side trip travel guides are growing increasingly popular.

A side trip travel guide can suggest and detail one or more choices for an escape from the main attraction. Visitors to London, for example, could plan a side trip to Brighton for the day. Those who travel to Berlin might take the train to Hamburg to see something new, and visitors to Orlando could see what Tampa has to offer. Offering advice on how to arrange transport for these trips, how long travelers should spend in each destination and the top attractions to include on an itinerary are all great additions to a side trip travel guide.

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How to Create The Perfect Online Travel Guide

Putting together a travel guide can be exciting, but it also takes a lot of work. Since there are so many different types of travel articles out there, it is important to stand out. Offering something unique gives readers a reason to gravitate toward your travel guide above all others. Here are some of the best tips to keep in mind as you create your travel guide.

Decide on the Type of Travel Guide You Want to Write

• Destination travel guide
• Special interest travel guide
• Financial travel guide
• Narrative travel guide
• Side trip travel guide

How to Write a Travel Blog

To know how to write a travel blog, you first need to know what kind of blog you’re writing. Then, you can put together an outline. A destination travel guide might have separate headings pertaining to attractions, accommodations and transport. A narrative travel guide might not have headings at all, and it may be a story told in the first person. Understanding the format of your article will help as you flesh it out and create something that others will truly want to read and share.

Pick an Angle for Your Travel Content

The next step in writing your travel guide is deciding on an angle. This means thinking carefully about who you want to read your work. Although it might be nice to imagine that anyone can find value in a travel guide, the reality is that targeting a specific demographic can have better results .

Think of your target audience. Imagine what kinds of people are in that group. This is known as putting together a buyer persona. As you write the travel guide, try to appeal to this specific kind of person.

If you’re writing to young professionals without children, you’ll want to include lists of higher-end hotels and great nightlife options. If you’re writing to retirees, then off-season trips with a more relaxed pace could be a better option. Targeting your audience in every sentence ensures that the right readers gain value from the final product.  

Be Sure to Include Graphics

Travel guides can be formatted in a number of different ways. However, there are some best practices that will make your content easier to read online. Keep your paragraphs short so that readers can skim through content and find the information most relevant to them. If possible, include bullet points or lists to streamline the content. Adding hyperlinks can direct readers to sources for further information. Above all else, aim to include graphics .

Graphics can break up the content and make your travel guide more visually appealing. Travel is a very visual topic. When individuals plan their trips, they want to see the places they will be visiting, admire the hotel rooms where they might be staying and drool over the food served in the region.

If your travel guide is more informative, adding in charts or infographics might be a smart idea. Visual elements of all varieties keep content interesting and appealing, which in turn keeps more readers on the page for longer.  

Invoke All the Senses

In even the most educational of travel guides, your travel content should tell a story. Whether you’re detailing the cheapest ways to visit Boston or you’re encouraging people to take a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong, your content should inspire them. As you read the guide, does it make you want to hop on the next flight? One way to make your travel guide pop is to invoke all the senses.

This simply means describing the environment using all the senses. How does the air smell while hiking in the Alps? What do you hear while sailing on a gulet boat in Turkey? What does it feel like to cross the busy streets of Tokyo? Some examples of invoking the senses in travel writing can include the following:

• Nothing compared to the sweet taste of the beignets and the bitterness of the chicory coffee. • The chatter of multiple languages swirled around the confines of the train car. • From the lookout point, I could see over the Welsh border and into England. • I followed my nose to the delightful savory smells of the local kebab shop. • The wind picked up as we headed south, and cool raindrops fell onto my bare arms.

All of this language can help readers feel like they are there with you. It turns an ordinary blog post into a guide packed with inspiration and excitement.

Don’t Forget About SEO!

Travel articles should be written with your intended audience in mind. Nonetheless, it is critical to think about how your travel guide will be found. There are three main ways for readers to access content: direct, search and social media. You can send links to your content to email subscribers, and you can post links to your travel guides on your various social media platforms. The third element, search, requires individuals to search for specific terms online, find your content and click on it from the search engine results page.

To appear on that first search engine results page, or SERP, your content should be written with search engine optimization in mind. First and foremost, that means creating high-quality content with the end user in mind. It should be engaging, relevant and optimized to include appropriate keywords (without unnatural keyword stuffing), meta tags and back-end SEO modifications. This will ensure that more people can find your content when they use search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing.

Keys to Publishing and Promoting Travel Guides

Once your travel guides have been written, it is time to get them in front of readers. Travel guides can’t be effective until they have been read! In today’s world, publishing travel guides typically means digital publishing, which means the content can be viewed on websites and blogs. Promoting this content is key in order to increase traffic, build your reputation and convert readers into subscribers or customers.

Decide Where and How to Publish Your Travel Guides

Often, individuals and businesses who are putting together travel guides already have an idea of where they will be published. Travel guides are a natural fit on a website, and they are also featured on many private and commercial blogs . However, there are still some publishing decisions you’ll need to make.

Some travel guides can be published as single reads. On the other hand, some are so long that they will need to be broken up into manageable segments. This might be a great time to introduce a blog series. You can publish a new blog entry every day or every week, depending on your publishing schedule.

If you have a collection of related travel guides, it might make sense to offer them as a single e-book. An e-book can be sold at a profit, but it can also be offered to individuals who subscribe to email marketing campaigns or who download from your website. An e-book can be a fantastic way to use content more than once and to draw in more traffic, gather email addresses and build your contact list.

Share Your Travel Guides on Social Media

Social media is one of the best strategies to promote your travel guides. Sometimes, businesses fumble with deciding which platform to use. The reality is that if you already have thriving social media platforms, then the ones you have are the best ones to use! The key is connecting with your audience by whatever means possible.

For some companies, a younger audience means utilizing visual social media platforms like Instagram or Snapchat. You might post fantastic photos of your destination along with a link that leads directly to a related travel guide. You can also share links to your travel guides on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit or Google+.

Include Snippets or Full Articles in Marketing Emails

An ideal way to share and promote your travel blog is through email. If you have a contact list made up of inquiries, current customers and past clients, then you’re already halfway there. Crafting an email marketing campaign just means getting your content in more inboxes.

Your marketing emails can include all kinds of topics, but travel articles might be a natural fit. If the travel guide in question is relatively short, you could email the entire version to readers. If it is longer, or if you want more direct traffic to the website, include just a snippet of the text. If readers want to see more, they can follow your links and head to your main page.

A valuable tool in the online travel industry is a subscriber list. This is a group of individuals who have opted in to your emails in order to learn more or snag deals. Be sure not to abuse this subscriber list and to respect those who unsubscribe. When used appropriately, email campaigns can be a fantastic way to increase traffic and brand awareness.

Consider Advertising in Order to Reach a Wider Audience

Ideally, you would be able to promote your travel content without paying a penny. If you want to get even more eyes on your travel guides, however, it may be worth paying for advertising . There are a lot of paid advertising options available, and you can advertise through any number of platforms.

Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC, means that you only pay if a person clicks on your ad and heads to your website. You may pay slightly more for this kind of advertising, but it means you only pay if someone is redirected to your site. The alternative is CPM, or cost-per-thousand advertising. In this format, you pay a set price for every 1,000 impressions on your webpage. This is cheaper per impression, but you need to work hard to ensure that the ad is being seen by the right audience.

You can pay to boost your travel guides in search engines. If someone searches for something related, your content can pop up as a sponsored result at the top of the SERP. You could even pay to occupy permanent real estate on the side or banner of a friendly, related website.

Allow Readers to Share Your Content

Sometimes, the best way to promote your travel guides is to let someone else do all the work. If readers enjoy your content, make sure there are easy and convenient ways for them to share that information with their friends and networks. One effective solution is to include share buttons at the bottom of your travel guides. This makes it possible for readers to post the link to the article on platforms like Facebook or Twitter. With the click of a button, you’ll be reaching new readers and a brand-new audience. Plus, this can be done at no cost to you.

Consider Guest Posting or Hosting as a Way to Promote Your Travel Guides

A popular form of promotion is known as guest posting. There are two ways to encourage guest posting if you have a website or a blog. First, you can be the guest that posts content on other websites. Second, you can host other guest authors who want to promote their content on your page. The best relationships have give and take, which means you do a little of both.

If you are the guest author, you can offer your travel guide content to a third party. If you’re a travel blog, you might partner up with a cooking blog. You could suggest a special interest piece about food in Morocco. Then, your travel piece about Moroccan food will be posted on the cooking website along with links back to your blog. This increases your audience and brings you valuable new connections.

As long as your content is engaging, unique and informative, you should have little trouble connecting with the right audience.

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• Adventure Travel

Comparing Guided, Self-Guided, and Independent Travel

Liz is a collector of grand adventures. She first discovered her passion for meaningful travel wh...

• Before You Go
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It’s nearly time for your next overseas trip and you’re daydreaming about the new places you’ll see, the new friends you’ll make, the new foods you’ll taste, and the stories you’ll be able to tell when you return home. Traveling can be full of adventure, curiosity, and laughter, but it can also be stressful when you’re in the planning stages.

Finding your ideal type of travel is your ticket to seeing the world.

So, how do you decide between a guided tour vs. independent travel? From visas and flights to accommodation and sightseeing, the nitty gritty of traveling can be daunting. Luckily, there are many different options when it comes to traveling so you can create an experience that feels fun and exciting for you—whether you want to go solo or let someone else take care of the logistics for you.

With options to join guided travel tours, self-guided tours, or embark on independent travel, you can make your next overseas trip anything you desire it to be. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to planning your travels abroad. Ultimately, it depends on your personality and what kind of experience you’re after. If you’re stumped on how to get the most out of your next trip abroad, here you’ll find everything you need to know about a guided tour vs. independent travel .

What is a guided tour?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed when it comes to researching and planning your travels, guided tours can be a game-changer. So what is a guided tour? Guided travel tours are the most convenient way to travel—all you have to do is pay a fee to a tour company and they create the experience for you.

Most guided tours are all-inclusive, meaning everything is taken care of for you. They often provide a local guide who can teach you about local customs, an itinerary packed full of cultural experiences, and even pre-booked accommodation and food so all you have to do is show up. Guided tours usually target specific age groups too, so you have the opportunity to connect with other travelers and make friends easily.

3 pros of guided tours

1. it’s convenient..

There’s no arguing that guided travel tours are the most convenient way to travel. Your tour company will take care of all the logistics for you, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself without having to think about your next move. If you’re a first-time traveler , don’t speak the local language, or feel overwhelmed by the planning process, guided tours can relieve some of the pressure to create an easy, more enjoyable experience.

2. You’ll make friends easily.

Lifelong friendships might just be a bonus to your guided tour package.

If you join an age-appropriate tour, the odds are, you’ll make friends fast . You won’t have to stress about putting yourself out there when you spend your days with the same group of people, exploring together, eating meals together, sharing the same accommodation. While it’s possible to make friends outside of a tour group, solo travelers often thrive on a guided tour because they never have to worry about feeling lonely.

3. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the culture.

When you’re exploring a new country with a local guide, you get a sneak peek into the culture that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Local guides will take you to all the right places, teach you fun facts about your destination you might not learn anywhere else, and fill you in on the basics when it comes to speaking the local language . Guided tours often cram a lot into a short period of time, too, which means you’ll get to visit some of the best places in your destination and see parts of the country you may not be able to see on your own.

3 cons of guided tours

1. it can be expensive..

Prices of guided travel tours vary, and most times they can be more expensive than traveling on your own. Ultimately, you don’t get to pick and choose your experience with a guided tour, meaning you pay for what the tour company organizes for you. If you don’t want to do everything that’s included in the tour or if you’d prefer to stay in budget accommodation , you may end up spending more on a tour than if you were to travel solo.

2. You’ll have less freedom.

While guided tours make travel feel easy, they take away the pleasure of going with the flow. You’ll need to stick to an itinerary that is often packed full with little time to relax and explore on your own. You won’t necessarily have the ability to wake up at your leisure, get lost in new cities, and stumble upon holes in the wall when you’re off on organized activities all day every day.

3. You may never leave your comfort zone.

When it comes to travel, there are endless opportunities to learn and expand your horizons . If one of your favorite parts of traveling is putting yourself out there, getting lost, making mistakes, and laughing with locals, guided tours may not be the most exciting experience for you. Guided tours are your comfort zone, and it’s likely you won’t have the same growth experience you would if you travel on your own.

What is a self-guided tour?

Can you picture yourself trekking this mountain?

If a fully-guided tour doesn’t appeal to you, but traveling completely solo sounds intimidating, a self-guided tour will give you something in between. But what does “self-guided tour” mean? Unlike a guided tour, you won’t have a tour guide; however, you will receive information about your destination and an itinerary to follow at your own pace.

The perfect self-guided tour example is trekking. Whether you head out to the rhododendron-filled Annapurna region of Nepal or the snow-capped Patagonias , or you walk El Camino across Spain, almost all popular trekking routes provide self-guided tours.

Once you apply for your trekking permits, you’ll receive official information about the trek and its trails, as well as information on where to start, stop, rest, sleep, and amenities along the way. With a self-guided tour, you may even have the option of adding on transportation options or organized accommodation to relieve even more of the stress of planning.

3 pros of self-guided tours

1. you set the pace..

While a guided tour doesn’t leave much room for flexibility, a self-guided tour allows you to set your own pace. You’ll often receive an itinerary or route options, but ultimately, you are in control of a self-guided tour. You can follow the route or go your own way. You can go as slowly or quickly as you desire, making pit stops along the way, skipping the parts that don’t appeal to you, and creating the experience you want.

2. It’s safer than independent travel.

Because self-guided tours do the research for you, they often leave less room for error than if you embarked on a solo journey. You’ll receive all the information you need to stay safe , and you don’t have to worry about doing all the research on your own. Self-guided tours are also often available in well-populated travel destinations, which means you’ll be surrounded by other travelers consistently throughout your journey.

3. You can pick your travel buddies.

Independent travel can often get lonely, while guided tours run the risk of getting stuck with a group of people that you might clash with. Self-guided tours offer the perfect alternative. With a self-guided tour, you can choose your people. Perhaps that looks like planning to travel with a group of friends or traveling solo and meeting others along the same self-guided route as you—either way, you can spend time with the people you like, and avoid the people who aren’t your vibe.

3 cons of self-guided tours

1. you still need to take part in the planning..

You’ll still have a hand in planning when you go for self-guided travel.

While there are perks of receiving a lot of information in a self-guided tour, you still need to be proactive and take responsibility. After all, not everything is organized for you. You still have to do a little research on your own, stay organized, and manage your own time. If you don’t want to have to worry about any of the logistics, self-guided travel might not be your best option.

2. There’s no group to make immediate friends.

While self-guided travel is a great opportunity to choose your travel companions, no official tour group means you don’t quite have access to meeting people as easily. If you’re traveling on your own in a self-guided tour, there will definitely be people to meet along the way, but you’ll still have to put yourself out there and strike up conversations with strangers to make connections.

3. You won’t have a local guide at your fingertips.

Sure, it might be nice to not have to follow a guide, but it’s always important to take into consideration what might happen when the unexpected arises . No local guide means you don’t have an expert with you if you get lost, struggle with language differences, or find yourself in an emergency situation. It means you’ll have to navigate the unknown on your own.

What is independent travel?

The difference between a guided tour vs. independent travel is that with independent travel, you’re flying solo. You’re in charge of all of it—the flights, the accommodation, the planning of the nitty gritty , deciding what you do on a day-to-day basis while abroad.

You have to do all your own research and navigate on your own. You call the shots. For some, this is the only way to travel, but for others, independent travel can be wildly outside of their comfort zones.

3 pros of independent travel

1. you’ll save money..

Independent travel can often be your cheapest travel option . You won’t have to pay a fee to a company to organize travel for you; you can spend what you want on food, accommodation, and excursions; and you can opt for budget options or free activities if you’re working with a small budget.

2. It’s the most flexible travel option.

In the mood to choose your own adventure? Independent travel is the way to go.

With independent travel, you set the pace. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want. It means you can opt for the experiences that are on your bucket list and skip the ones that don’t appeal to you without having to worry about losing money on an all-inclusive tour option. If you’re the type of traveler who loves to go with the flow and wants the flexibility of changing your plans as you please, independent travel could be the best option for you.

3. It’s where the growth happens.

Independent travel is quite possibly the most challenging way to travel, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It means you have the opportunity to truly grow , expand, and learn new skills. You have to learn how to plan, to be flexible, to adapt. You have to learn how to navigate, communicate across cultures, and put yourself out there to make friends. Yes, it can be difficult at times, but there’s no doubt you’ll return home a whole new person.

3 cons of independent travel

1. it’s less safe..

Similar to self-guided travel tours, independent travel means you don’t have a guide or anyone to protect you if things go wrong. If you find yourself sick , lost, or in an emergency situation , you’re the only one who has your back. It’s always safest to travel with a guide; however, if you are set on independent travel, you can do your research to be prepared and stay safe, even if the unknown arises.

2. It can get lonely at times.

If you’re traveling solo, independent travel is usually the most difficult way to make friends. You don’t have a group to bond with or people following the same path. It takes more effort to meet friends. Ultimately, it’s up to you—you can allow yourself to stay lonely, or you can put yourself out there, stay at hostels, talk to a stranger over dinner, and find the perfect travel mates.

3. It can feel overwhelming.

As an independent traveler, you’re responsible for all of it. It’s on you to work out the logistics , book your flights , navigate and communicate through a new country, and budget yourself throughout your travels. You have to be completely self-reliant. For some, this is the fun part, but for others, independent travel can feel extremely overwhelming.

3 guided tours to consider

Are guided tours worth it? It depends on the experience you desire. If you want to take some of the pressure off yourself and embark on a travel adventure that is packed full of new experiences and new friends, it could very well be worth it. Here are some of the best guided tour examples to dip your toes in for the adventure of a lifetime :

1. Pure Exploration: 12 Weeks Adventure Guide Program | Queenstown, New Zealand

• Why? Join Pure Exploration’s guided travel tours to New Zealand for 12 epic weeks of hiking, climbing, and sightseeing. With Pure Exploration, you’ll join a tour that takes you to Mt. Cook National Park, Mt. Aspiring National Park, the Fjordlands, and more. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in picturesque mountain landscapes, hike to snow-capped peaks, or kayak through crystal blue waters. When you aren’t getting your adrenaline pumping, you’ll also have the chance to relax in Queenstown and soak in some Kiwi culture.
• Where? New Zealand
• Read Pure Exploration reviews

2. IMA: Safaris Africa - Group and Student Travel Opportunities

• Why? Travel to Africa for guided travel tours that will take you on adventure treks or educational tours to some of the continent’s most renowned destinations. IMA specializes in combining safari experience with education, taking travelers to Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, Masai Mara Game Reserve, and Serengeti National Park where you’ll learn about the local culture and take off on ethical safaris to spot some of the most diverse wildlife on the planet.
• Where? Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia
• Read International Medical Aid reviews

3. Nepal Hiking Team Pvt. Ltd: Everest Base Camp Trek

• Why? Have you ever dreamed of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Nepal Hiking Team can help you check this off your bucket list, taking you from Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal, and guiding you through a 16-day trek to base camp on the tallest mountain in the world. The tour includes not only the trek, but sightseeing through Kathmandu and a cultural immersion into Sherpa life. It’s the ultimate adventure travel tour for those who want to push themselves to new heights.
• Where? Nepal
• Read Nepal Hiking Team Pvt. Ltd reviews

Get matched with 5 adventure travel programs for FREE

Whether guided, self-guided, or independent, what matters most is that you go.

No matter what type of travel feels right to you, you’re on your way to exploring the world.

The truth is, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to planning your travel. Whether you decide to jet off on a guided, self-guided, or independent travel adventure, you are sure to have the experience of a lifetime—connecting with new people, immersing yourself in new cultures and languages, and getting your adrenaline pumping in one way or another. The most important part? Say yes, pack your bags , and hit the tarmac!

Explore ALL Adventure Travel Programs on GoAbroad.com!

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Example sentences travel guide

By the end of 2006, she realised that her book and fledgeling travel guide business needed her full attention, so she left her job.

I may - do - disagree with that, but let's hear it for any travel guide prepared to put an opinion bluntly on the line.

I can research hotels around the world without ever buying a travel guide , find out what other guests thought of them and book them instantly.

As well as acting as a travel guide , this covers all nature, you'll find plenty of food for thought here.

Oh, and lifeguards, and any sort of travel guide .

Definition of 'guide' guide

Definition of 'travel' travel

COBUILD Collocations travel guide

Browse alphabetically travel guide

• travel film
• travel freely
• travel frequently
• travel guide
• travel halfway
• travel in a direction
• travel independently
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'T'

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The Benefits of Travel Guides

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: June 26, 2023  - Last updated: July 1, 2023

Categories Travel

When planning a vacation , there are many things to consider. One of the most important aspects of any trip is deciding what to do and see. A travel guide can be an invaluable resource in this process. Travel guides provide information on everything from attractions and restaurants to nightlife and shopping. They can help you make the most of your time away and ensure you experience all your destination offers. This blog post will discuss the benefits of using travel guides when planning a vacation. We’ll also provide tips on choosing the best guide for your needs.

Why Use a Travel Guide

Travel guides like the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide help you decide the best time to travel, which places are worth your time and money, and what activities and attractions are available. They also provide background information about the place or culture you will visit.

A Travel Guide Will Help You Decide When Is the Best Time to Travel

When is the best time to travel?

When is the best time to travel? Well, it depends. In some cases, the answer is simple. If you want to visit a place where sunshine and warm weather are guaranteed, you should travel during the summer. You should visit during the festive season to experience the best of a country’s culture. But what if you are not sure when to go on your trip? What if you are not interested in festivals or the weather?

That’s where a travel guide comes in handy! A good travel guide will give you all sorts of information about different cities around the world and what makes each city unique

It Gives You Insight Into the Places You Should Visit

Whether visiting a city for the first time or an old hand, a travel guide can help you find the best places. It gives you insights into the best places to visit in any destination, from hotels and restaurants to stores and attractions.

A good guidebook will help you decide where to go and what to do there and give you an overview of local laws and customs so you know what is expected of visitors. For example, suppose you’re visiting a Maori in New Zealand. In that case, you may want to ask if there are restrictions on taking pictures or if credit cards are accepted everywhere in South America. You could also ask if tipping is necessary for all of North America.

A Good Guidebook Will Help You Decide Which Activities and Attractions Are Worth Your Time and Money

A good guide will help you decide which activities and attractions are worth your time and money. It gives you insights into places of interest and recommendations on where to stay.

It can also save you a lot of time by not having to do extensive research before your trip. With a good book, all your questions will be answered in one place, so you do not have to spend hours searching for answers on websites or forums.

It Provides Information About the Place and the Culture

To get the most out of your travel experience, it is important to understand the culture of the place you visit. A good travel guide will help you learn about the customs and traditions of a country or region and understand better the cultural differences visitors experience. He or she will also give you information about etiquette and social situations that may occur during your stay.

For example, is it customary to greet each other with a handshake or bow? Do people resent you if you greet them in the wrong way? Do they prefer small talk at meals, or do they want to eat in silence?

It Gives Recommendations for Accommodation

In a travel guide, you will always find recommendations on where to stay, from luxury hotels to Airbnb to camping if you’re on a walking tour or traveling by car. The recommendations are based on the authors’ research and their experience in the region of your travel destination. If you are looking for a cheap place with good WiFi, a guide will tell you where to find that.

You’ll Get Information About Great Restaurants and Cafes and Even Where They Are Located

You can get information about the best restaurants, cafes, street food, and even where they are located. This means you do not have to spend time walking around on Trip Advisor or around the city to find out where the good restaurants are. You’ll know exactly where to go when you are hungry and where you can get good food any time of the day or night.

You can also find out about different parts of the city. So if you want to eat something specifically for dinner, there is probably a place nearby that will suit your needs. Since these guidebooks are often updated from time to time by their authors, who have traveled extensively in the region in question, they offer not only up-to-date information but also unique insights into local customs and traditions that may be completely absent from other sources!

A Travel Guide Can Help You Find the Best Places to Go and the Best Stores to Visit

When you are traveling, you may want to go shopping. Some people like to store souvenirs when they go on vacation. Others like to buy gifts for family members or friends back home. If this is what will make your trip memorable, then you must have a list of things that need to be purchased before you leave.

It can be difficult to buy things while traveling if you do not know where to go and what items are available there. You do not want to waste time driving around town trying to find something that may not be available in the area you are staying in during your vacation!

A good guidebook will help you find the best places to store, such as markets, malls, and the best shopping areas, with a great selection of souvenirs and gifts for everyone back home!

A Good Travel Guide Will Give You Tips on How to Stay Safe

When traveling to a foreign country, you should first learn how to stay safe. Travel guides do not take you around a city or country. Instead, they tell you how to stay safe while you are on your own. However, they will still give you tips on how to stay safe. Here are some examples of advice you might find in your guidebook:

If someone tries to rob or attack you, give them what they want – it’s not worth risking your life over something material! And if the attacker already has a weapon (e.g., a knife), fight back only if necessary – there’s no point in hurting yourself any more than necessary!

Children should never be left unattended for fear of being kidnapped or otherwise harmed.

Do not go into dark alleys or other secluded areas alone. It is much safer to stay in well-lit areas with many people.

Why Choose a Tour Guide

When planning your next trip, remember that a great tour guide can be invaluable.

A good tour guide will show you where and what to do during your visit. He or she will help you avoid getting lost and ensure that you make the most of your time in the region.

A good tour guide will also give you information about the places they show you and give you an insider’s perspective on the history or culture of the place.

For example, if you visit Rome for the first time, a tour guide can tell you stories about how the ancient Romans lived and what they ate. With this knowledge, you can better understand why each place is important today.

A Great Tour Guide Also Makes It Easier for You to Interact With Locals

He can help you meet people and make friends if you are traveling alone. He can give you tips on where to stay and eat and even help you avoid scams that tourists might otherwise get ripped off with. They can also give you an insight into the local culture that is not possible for most tourists who only visit a place once or twice in a lifetime.

Having a Good Tour Guide Allows You to Ask Questions

As a traveler, you will probably have a lot of questions. You can ask to your tourist guide. Here are just a few examples:

A tour guide can also answer any questions about local transportation, including busses, trains, cabs, and more.

You Do Not Have to Worry About Getting Lost or Missing Anything Important

If you are worried about traveling alone, a tour guide is probably the best way to ensure you do not get stranded.

If you are traveling with friends or family, you can hire a tour guide to ensure everyone stays together and no one gets lost or separated from the tour group. However, remember that it is not a tour guide’s job to watch over unsupervised children; that is your sole responsibility.

You Save Yourself the Trouble of Organizing Private Transportation

If you have a full-time tour guide, transportation will likely be arranged by the tour operator as part of the package you book. This means you do not have to worry about your transportation and can focus on the fun parts of your vacation.

This can be especially useful if you have limited mobility or difficulty with language barriers. Also, if you are traveling with children or elderly relatives, it is often easier to have someone else drive, so they do not get tired or frustrated as quickly when trying to find their way around new places.

They Give the Latest Advice on Safety Precautions

Tour guides are well-informed about what is happening in the area and are trained to keep their tour members safe. Tour guides are well-informed about what is happening in the area; if crime has increased recently, they probably know about it.

In most Western countries, tour guides often must take a first aid course to know what to do in an emergency.

Do not be afraid to ask questions! If you have safety concerns, you can talk to your tour guide before or during your trip.

They Have a Wealth of Knowledge

The best tour guides will ensure you see all the major sights and attractions on your trip. This way, you will not miss any must-see sights while visiting a tourist destination. It is also a good idea to choose an experienced tour guide because they know the best places to visit and how long it will take you to see these attractions.

Group tour guides are known for helping tourists in popular areas, but they also know things you would not find in guidebooks. They have a wealth of knowledge about the places they take visitors to and can share that knowledge with their clients. This can be invaluable for those looking for something new and different.

They Can Help You Better Understand the Local Culture

When traveling to a new country, it’s always good to have someone who can help you better understand the local culture. Many people travel to learn about other cultures. Group tour guides are experts in their field and know everything about their country or city. They also have a lot of stories to tell.

If you want to learn all the local customs, traditions and culture, you should hire a tour guide to help you. You will be able to see things you would not have seen if you were traveling alone or with other people who do not know much about the place they are traveling.

A Travel Guide Book vs. A Tour Guide

If a guidebook is a book that tells you what to do and where to go, then a travel guidebook is a book that helps you figure out where to go and what to do.

A tour guide has everything planned out for you. At the same time, a travel guidebook does not tell you where, when, or what, but it gives tips on how to get around, what transportation is available, what other activities are available nearby, and so on.

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W HAT IS A TOURIST GUIDE?

At the National Department of Tourism we measure success not only in the visitor numbers, but in the experiences we create, the new opportunities for meaningful employment and growth and the understanding that is fostered between people from different backgrounds and different corners of the world and our tourist guides play an integral role in this.​

Tourist Guides are often one of the first people to welcome tourists and the last to bid them farewell. Their role is to enhance our visitors' experience and be ambassadors for South Africa as a tourist destination.

Definition of Tourist Guide

Tourist Guides act as ambassadors of the country, they are the first to meet and welcome tourists and they are often the last ones to bid farewell to them when they leave the country. ​

Various international organizations such as the World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations (WFTGA) define a tourist guide as the person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and interprets the cultural and natural heritage of​ an area, which person may possess an area specific qualification. Such specifications are usually issued and/or recognized by the appropriate authority. 

A tourist guide is someone who points out the way and leads others on a trip or tour. Generally, a tourist guide will work at a specific location, city or province. In some cases, guides qualify to guide throughout an entire country. 

According to the Tourism Act No. 3 of 2014, Tourist guide means any person registered as such under section 50 and who for reward accompanies any person who travels within or visits any place within the Republic and who furnishes such person with information or comments.

Importance of Tourist Guides

Characteristics of tourist guides.

How To Write A Perfect Travel Guide ?

Table of Contents

Creating an ideal travel guide is significant as it can offer helpful insights to tourists and enable them to have a hassle-free and delightful journey. A guide that is well-crafted can aid travelers in organizing their schedules, maximizing their time, and steering clear of typical mishaps.

Also, it can offer insider tips and unique suggestions to improve one’s travel experience. Providing accurate and current information about local customs, cultural sensitivities, and environmental concerns can assist travelers in making informed decisions and avoiding any unpleasant surprises.

Welcome to this blog post, where we will delve into the vital components of a well-crafted travel guide and offer guidance on conducting research, structuring, and conveying information. So grab your notebook, and let’s get started!

Understanding Your Target Audience

To create a perfect travel guide, you should first remember to understand your target travelers’ insight clearly. When determining the demographics and preferences of the target travelers, several important factors must be considered. These may include:

Age Gender Income level Current location Occupation Religion Ethnicity Family size Marital status.

Luxury Solo or group Adventure Relaxation Backpacking Business Etc

Preferred activities Preferred mode of transportation Destinations Special needs such as dietary restrictions or accessibility requirements. Etc

To gather all this information, you can conduct market research to gather insights into their interests and needs through:

• Surveys and questionnaires
• Focus groups and interviews
• Asking open-ended questions and encouraging discussion
• Analyzing data from travel websites and social media

By blending these methods, you can create a comprehensive profile of your target travelers and tailor your guide to cater to their unique interests and desires.

Example : A travel blogger researching their audience’s preferred travel destinations and activities through surveys and social media engagement. They could post a poll on their Instagram story asking their followers to vote for their favorite travel location, ask their followers to share their travel experiences and recommendations in the comments section of their posts, etc.

Choosing A Destination And Researching

You can create a list of potential locations and, when considering different ones, research each location’s attractions, accommodations, dining options, transportation, and safety.

Utilize various resources such as travel websites, guidebooks, personal anecdotes, social media, travel blogs, online forums, etc to gather the exact information.

Tips: Focus on highlighting specific details that would benefit the travelers. Rather than simply mentioning that a place has “good restaurants,” provide more valuable information, such as the names of highly-rated or locally recommended restaurants.

Example: A travel writer visiting a destination and exploring its various aspects (attractions, accommodations, dining options, and transportation systems) to gather first-hand information for the guide. During the stay, record experiences and engage with locals or fellow travelers to obtain insider tips and insights. This can involve seeking recommendations on places to visit and things to do and learning about the local customs and cultural norms.

Structuring the Travel Guide

This usually includes advice on introduction, getting there, attractions, accommodations, dining, activities, safety tips, and more. Covering these topics in detail is vital to ensure your guide is comprehensive and valuable.

• Comprehensive overview of the destination and its purpose.
• Be captivating and informative
• Encompass a brief history, geography, climate, distinctive characteristics, and tourist attractions.
• Contain practical information, such as the optimal time to visit, prevailing currency, and spoken language.

Detailed, up-to-date, and accurate information on how to reach the destination, including

• Information on flights, airlines that fly to the destination, and airport transfer options.
• Information on other transportation options such as trains, buses, car rentals, visa requirements, and border crossings.

Provide detailed information on the destination’s top sights and activities.

• Name historical landmarks, museums, natural wonders, cultural experiences, etc.
• Brief description, practical information such as opening hours and admission fees, and tips for visiting.
• Also contain photos and maps to help travelers plan their itinerary.
• List of hotels, hostels, vacation rentals, camping options, and more.
• Added information such as amenities and location and tips for booking.
• Organize the information by price range or location to make it easy for travelers’ budgets and preferences.
• List of restaurants, cafes, street food vendors, local specialties, and more.
• Information by cuisine or location, opening hours, prices, and tips for ordering.

Attach location, cost, and tips for participating

• Outdoor activities: hiking and biking
• Cultural experiences: cooking classes, dance performances
• Entertainment options: nightlife and shopping

Information on

• Local customs and cultural sensitivities
• Health concerns such as vaccinations and food safety
• Crime rates and safety concerns
• Emergency contact information

Example: A travel agency designing a travel guide with a user-friendly layout, including a table of contents for easy navigation. Consider organizing the information into clear and logical sections with headings and subheadings to make your guide easy to read and understand. Adding visual elements like photos, maps, and icons can help break up the text and make the guide more engaging for readers.

A table of contents can also be a useful feature for easy navigation. By following these steps, you can create a user-friendly guide that your audience will appreciate.

Writing Engaging and Informative Content

When creating a travel guide, aim to produce interesting and informative content that will assist your readers in planning a remarkable journey.

Using a captivating introduction to grab the reader's attention

Crafting an alluring opening to seize the reader’s interest is a crucial element when composing a flawless travel guide. An aptly written introduction has the potential to establish the mood and allure readers to peruse further.

• Be descriptive
• Provide an overview
• Be engaging

For instance: “Welcome to our travel guide to the vibrant city of Tokyo, Japan! From its neon-lit skyscrapers to its tranquil temples, Tokyo is a city of contrasts that offers something for everyone. In this guide, we’ll take you on a journey through Shinjuku’s bustling streets, the Imperial Palace’s serene gardens, and the trendy boutiques of Harajuku. Whether you’re a foodie, a history buff, or an adventure seeker, Tokyo has something to offer. So pack your bags and get ready to explore one of the most exciting cities in the world!”

Providing accurate and detailed information

Here are some pointers on how to provide accurate and detailed information about attractions in your travel guide:

Research the history and significance of the attraction: What is its cultural or historical significance? Who built it, and why? What is its role in the local community?

Describe the critical features: Explaining their significance What makes them unique?

Write practical information: The attraction’s hours of operation Admission fees Accessibility information Special events or activities that take place there

Incorporating personal experiences, anecdotes, and storytelling

One effective approach to make your travel guide more appealing and captivating for readers is by incorporating personal experiences, anecdotes, and storytelling. Adding these elements can help readers connect with the guide on a personal level.

Including Practical Tips and Recommendations

Incorporating useful advice and suggestions into a travel guide can greatly assist travelers in organizing their journey, economizing their time & finances, and augmenting their overall travel encounter. Through the provision of exclusive recommendations, valuable knowledge, and insights, a proficiently composed travel guide can enable visitors to make informed choices, evade typical setbacks, and relish an unforgettable and authentic experience.

Offering practical advice

Some advice you should focus is transportation, local customs, currency, and communication

Transportation

Provide detailed information on the transportation options available in the destination, including Public transportation, taxis, car rentals, and ride-sharing services. Included information on routes, schedules, fares, and safety tips.

Provide information on the local currency of the destination, including Exchange rates, ATM availability, and accepted forms of payment. Tips on how to get the best exchange rates and avoid common scams

Communication

Provide information on communication options at the destination, including Cell phone coverage Internet access Emergency contact numbers Tips on how to stay connected while traveling and how to communicate effectively with locals

Recommending specific restaurants, cafes, and local dishes

• Research the local cuisine
• Find the best places to eat: Use online reviews, local food blogs, and recommendations from locals to find the best places.
• Include a variety of options
• Highlight local dishes: This can include traditional dishes, regional specialties, and street food.

Incorporating high-quality photographs, maps, and illustrations

When writing a perfect travel guide, incorporating high-quality photographs, maps, and illustrations can greatly enhance the guide’s visual appeal for visitors. Here are some tips on how to do this:

• Use high-quality images
• Include a variety of visuals: This can include photographs of local landmarks and attractions, maps of the area, and illustrations of local customs or traditions.
• Use visuals to enhance the text
• Be mindful of layout

Formatting and Design

Proper formatting and design can enhance readability, improve visual appeal, make information easier to find, and reflect professionalism. By focus on these elements, you can create a travel guide that is easy to read, visually appealing, and user-friendly, helping to establish trust with the reader and make them more likely to follow the recommendations in the guide.

Using clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points for easy readability

Using headings, subheadings, and bullet points can greatly improve the visual appeal of a travel guide. These elements help to make the guide look organized and professional, grabbing the reader’s attention. To effectively use these elements, choose clear and descriptive headings, use consistent formatting, effectively use white space, and incorporate design elements such as color and images.

Choosing an attractive layout and font style

• Using columns, boxes, or other design elements to organize information logically
• Selecting a font size that is large enough to be easily legible, clear, and uncluttered.
• Using color to highlight important information or use graphics or images to enhance the visual appeal of the guide.

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Proofreading and Editing

Improving the accuracy of the information, enhancing readability, boosting credibility, and reflecting professionalism are all achieved through proofreading and editing. When you meticulously proofread and edit your travel guide, you can produce a trustworthy, professional, and accurate guide that is more likely to be followed by readers and recommended to others.

Check for grammar, spelling, and factual accuracy

When creating a travel guide, it’s crucial to edit it for clarity, coherence, and flow. To achieve this, use plain language and avoid technical terms to keep the text simple and accessible. Group similar information together using headings and formatting for better organization.

Make sure there are smooth transitions between sections by using transitional words and phrases. Lastly, eliminate any unnecessary information to keep the guide concise and to the point.

When crafting a travel guide, it is imperative to consider your intended audience, conduct thorough research on your chosen destination, and present your content in a clear and logical manner. Incorporating personal anecdotes and storytelling can add an element of relatability and engagement to your guide, while also providing accurate and comprehensive information on local attractions and insider tips that can enhance the travel experience.

Furthermore, including visual aids such as photographs and maps can help readers visualize the destination and better plan their itinerary. By following these guidelines, you can create a high-quality travel guide that will assist travelers in having an unforgettable and fulfilling journey.

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For Travel Writers with an Independent Spirit

Types of Travel Guide #1: The Destination Travel Guide

All about The Destination Travel Guide

Destination guides should inspire your reader. If they have already booked their tickets, your Destination Guide should give them peace of mind they’ve chosen the right location.

Definition of a Destination Travel Guide

Destination guides are the most popular type of travel guidebook, and there are different ways to approach them. They tend to be more fact-oriented than narrative, and although most are written in the first person, the majority of the content positions the writer as the neutral observer rather than an active participant.

Bear in mind though, your destination guide can’t just be facts and figures. It also needs to include a human perspective so that your readers have something to connect with. It may be something as simple as giving them the confidence to explore the area for themselves.

Whether your travel guide covers a city (London, Paris, Munich, etc.), a country (Mexico, Brazil, Australia, etc.), or a specific geographic region (Europe, South America, etc.), it needs to be clear to your reader. They need to know what they’re getting when they buy your book, which means you need to be clear about your intent.

A destination travel guide tends to be more fact-oriented than narrative. Although some of it may be written in the first person, the majority of the content positions the writer as the neutral observer rather than an active participant.

Bear in mind though, that your destination guide can’t just be facts and figures. It also needs to include a human perspective so that you readers have something to connect with. It may be something as simple as giving them the confidence to explore the area for themselves. We’ll cover how to evoke an emotional response in your audience in a later article.

Destination Guide Focus

Whether your travel guide is going to cover a country, city or specific geographic area, it needs to be clear to your reader. They need to know what they’re getting when they buy your book. So in turn, that means you need to be clear about your intent.

Here’s some examples of some destination guide titles:

• Sightseeing Tour of London
• A Weekend in Venice
• Eat, Sleep & Play in Europe
• Top 10 cities in France

Each of these destination guides has a scope that implies the content, but there’s still questions about the level of detail they contain.

For examples – in the Sightseeing Tour of London – there are so many sights to see in England’s capital city that you may decide you only want to focus on historical sites or royal sites to narrow the focus. Or you could expand the focus of your book by including places to eat and drink nearby.

When you write your own Destination Travel Guide “what to leave out” is actually more difficult than deciding what to include.

Scope of your Destination Guide

The geographic area you plan on covering can help to define how much detail you go into. Obviously, if you choose a town or small destination you can go into a lot more detail. If you choose a larger destination you won’t be able to include every single snippet of information. If you try, you will end up with a draft the size of War and Peace.

Destination Travel Guide Examples

Take a look at these Lonely Planet Destination Guide  examples below which includes country guides, a city guide, and a combination country guide. Lonely Planet guide books are packed with information. They include a little bit of everything and cover each topic you would expect in a destination guide, but don’t cover all of them in-depth. They’ve found a happy medium between too-much and not enough.

London Villages: Explore the City’s Best Local Neighbourhoods was written by Zena Alkayat and Jenny Seddon and offers an intimate view of the UK’s capital city, highlighting the small, locally-known enclaves of independent shops, cafés and public spaces that give the capital its inimitable character.

• London Villages: Explore the City’s Best Local Neighbourhoods

Rick Steves’ Pocket Venice is a compact 280-page book that includes Rick’s advice for prioritizing your time, whether you’re spending 1 or 7 days in the city. It has everything a busy traveler needs, including a neighborhood overview, city walks, tours, sights, handy food and accommodations charts, and an appendix packed with information on trip planning and practicalities.

• Rick Steves’ Pocket Venice

Europe by Eurail 2017: Touring Europe by Train written by Laverne Ferguson-Kosinski is a comprehensive guide that provides the latest information on fares, schedules, and pass options, as well as detailed information on more than one hundred specific rail excursions. It also includes sample rail-tour itineraries combining several base cities and day excursions into fifteen-day rail-tour packages complete with hotel recommendations and sightseeing options.

• Europe by Eurail 2017: Touring Europe by Train

South-East Asia Travel Guide Package: Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Travel Guides is a box set of guides written by Hoang Pham. He provides an introduction to each of these neighboring countries and explains how they are different from each other, and what cultural traditions overlap. It includes eating, getting around, what to do, and bucket list items.

• South-East Asia Travel Guide Package: Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Travel Guides

Each of these destination guides has a scope that implies the content. When writing a destination travel guide, what to leave out is more difficult than deciding what to include. The geographic area you plan on covering can help to define how much detail you include. Obviously, if you choose a town or small destination, you can go into a lot more detail.

If you choose a larger destination, you won’t be able to list every single snippet of information. If you try, you will end up with a draft the size of War and Peace.

Considerations when planning your travel guide

When you plan your destination guide, you should consider the following:

• Should I cover a little bit of everything ?
• Should I narrow down my focus to a specific topic ?
• Should I combine these two approaches ? (e.g. focus on a few things in detail and cover the rest more broadly)

If you plan on writing an all-inclusive destination guide, consider the length and attention span of your reader. Do you really want to include everything, in minute detail?

If the answer is a resounding “yes” – you could opt to break your destination guide into multiple segments and write a series of books instead.

Destination guides can include full details about accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and sightseeing activities. They can also feature historical, cultural or general travel tips. This reference-type information is valuable when making travel arrangements as well as while you are on a trip.

Destination guides should inspire your reader. If they’ve already booked their tickets, your destination guide could confirm they’ve chosen the right destination. Examples of destination guides are Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer’s and Insight Guides.

Important last note, the information in your destination travel guide must be updated regularly to keep it current.

Want to learn about the other types of travel guides ? Here’s the full list of this article series:

• Type of Travel Guide #1: Destination Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #2: Side Trip Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #3: Journey Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #4: Special Interest Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #5: Event Specific Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #6: Expat Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #7: Culinary Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #8: Advice Travel Guide
• Type of Travel Guide #9: Reporting Travel Guide  ** coming soon

In addition to these articles, I also wrote the following articles about writing a Local Travel Guide (which is a sub-genre of special interest travel guides):

• Think Local, Share Global: Writing a Local Travel Guide Pt.1
• Think Local, Share Global: Local Travel Guides Pt.2

Read more articles in my How to Write a Travel Guide Series

I’m putting the finishing touches on my  How to Write and Self-Publish a Travel Guide Series , which details a step by step approach for writing and producing your own travel guide. It’s part of a four-part series aimed at helping travel bloggers achieve passive income based on their passions and existing content.

Each month I host a monthly free prize draw and give away a travel writing e-book to the lucky winner. Sign up to join my mailing list to participate.

If you’re a travel blogger who wants to turn their travel blog into an ebook or paperback destination guide, leave me a comment below.

© Destination Guide Logo

Author: Jay Artale

5 thoughts on “ types of travel guide #1: the destination travel guide ”.

I’m sure this post gets lots of visits because this has to be the most popular type of travel guide to write. To be honest, I thought it was the only type of guide, so gonna read your other posts in this series to find out more about the other.

This is an interesting article which really helped me. I was struggling to start my travel guide for couple of month and finally got an idea. Thank you very much for the tips.

These have got to be the most popular types of guides to write. but the competition is fierce so the quality has to be high.

Thanks for sharing the information about Ingram Spark. I’ve heard of Lulu before but not explore Ingram.

As far as I can tell, Lulu is great if you want to print spiral bound books, but Ingram has such a wide distribution spread that it makes it a good option.

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I abandoned my corporate career to become a digital nomad and full-time writer, and now run Birds of a Feather Press to help other writers become authors. I also write about my travels on my personal blog Roving Jay: Nomadic Adventures in Wonderland – without the rose-tinted glasses

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verb (used with object)

He guided us through the forest.

Synonyms: escort , steer , pilot

Antonyms: follow

• to accompany (a sightseer) to show points of interest and to explain their meaning or significance.
• to force (a person, object, or animal) to move in a certain path.
• to supply (a person) with advice or counsel, as in practical or spiritual affairs.

Synonyms: rule , govern , manage , regulate

Synonyms: conductor , director , pilot

Synonyms: clue , key , indication , signal , sign

• a guidebook .

an investment guide.

• a guidepost .

a sewing-machine guide.

• a spirit believed to direct the utterances of a medium.
• Military. a member of a group marching in formation who sets the pattern of movement or alignment for the rest.
• sometimes not capital a member of an organization for girls equivalent to the Scouts US equivalentGirl Scout
• to lead the way for (a person)
• to control the movement or course of (an animal, vehicle, etc) by physical action; steer
• to supervise or instruct (a person)

he guided the country through the war

let truth guide you always

• a person, animal, or thing that guides

a guide dog

• a person, usually paid, who conducts tour expeditions, etc
• a model or criterion, as in moral standards or accuracy
• See guidebook

a guide to better living

• any device that directs the motion of a tool or machine part
• a mark, sign, etc, that points the way
• spiritualism a spirit believed to influence a medium so as to direct what he utters and convey messages through him
• navy a ship in a formation used as a reference for manoeuvres, esp with relation to maintaining the correct formation and disposition
• military a soldier stationed to one side of a column or line to regulate alignment, show the way, etc

Discover More

Derived forms.

• ˈguideless , adjective
• ˈguidable , adjective
• ˈguiding , adjective noun
• ˈguider , noun

Other Words From

• guida·ble adjective
• guideless adjective
• guider noun
• guiding·ly adverb
• non·guida·ble adjective
• pre·guide verb (used with object) preguided preguiding
• re·guide verb (used with object) reguided reguiding
• un·guida·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of guide 1

Example Sentences

Download this guide to explore all the winners of the 2020 Digiday Media Awards Europe.

Looking through this public art guide, I noticed a number of artworks placed in police stations throughout the city.

Gear Patrol, which bills itself as the definitive buying guide for men, is taking similar steps to increase engagement on its social media channels, primarily on Instagram, in order to introduce audiences to products that it covers on its website.

Readers were particularly drawn to deep-dives, explainers and guides around streaming platforms’ catalogs of older shows, Hill said.

The made-for-Amazon brand is using most of the tools and techniques of a best in class ad campaign strategy to have, and can serve as a guide if brands don’t know where to start.

I've seen video of that satirical guide to SXSW in 1998 where you asked a bunch of bands odd questions.

If history is a guide, Huckabee will need to resonate with more than just the faithful if he is to win.

Objectively, they are not just riding with the tide, but helping to guide its very direction.

Add to that the DISH Anywhere app, and you have instant access to the program guide and the ability to record shows on the go.

In “Cartoons and Cereal,” he sings, “Reminisce when I had the morning appetite/ Apple Jacks, had nothing that I hit the TV Guide.”

This, of course, I always gave to the guide to use in sending the letter when he got to the trading-post.

He said something laughingly to the head guide to the effect that climbing was good sport and a fine test for the nerves.

To guide his mind into the channel of the printed exposition, he calls into play the Directory power of the attention.

Taking half a dozen men with him, and compelling the woman to act as guide, he went to the tomb in the dark.

Men of science strove to read the riddle of life; to guide and to succour their fellow creatures.

Related Words

When to use, what are other ways to say  guide .

To guide someone is to assist them in traveling through or in reaching a destination by accompanying them or giving them directions. How does guide compare to synonyms conduct , direct , and lead ? Find out on Thesaurus.com .

• Travel Terms Glossary

We have provided a glossary for your use.  The travel industry is replete with jargon and acronyms and we hope you find this glossary/dictionary of travel terms useful when you run across a term you are not familiar with.  We encourage our clients to submit any words or concepts they would like defined or clarified to us on the Contact Us page and we will be happy to reply by email with a definition and include the term or clarification in our glossary/dictionary of travel terms for other clients benefit as well.

A la carte – referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separately; also that a choice of meals may be vailable, such as on a tour.

A la Carte Bar – Also known as a “Cash Bar,” a bar located within one’s hotel room that is pre-stocked with an assortment of snacks and beverages.

ABC – a reference to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles, just off the northern coast of South America (Venezuela). Fabulous for diving, snorkeling and all manner of watersports.

Abeam – A directional term, used on ships and aircraft, which describes something off to the side of the vessel, such as the wings.

Accessible Tourism – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.

Accessible Travel – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.

Actual Time of Arrival – Literally, the actual time of arrival. As opposed to the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).

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.

Adoption Rate – the percentage of tickets issued through an online booking system compared to the traditional booking channel of agent-assisted reservations.

ADT – Atlantic Daylight Time; Alaska Daylight Time. Advance Purchase Fare – airfare that requires the traveler to purchase the ticket a minimum number of days prior to departure.

Advance Purchase Requirement – APR, or Advance Purchase Requirement, is the requirement that a ticket must be purchased a minimum number of days before the flight departs.

Adventure tour – A tour designed around an adventurous activity such as rafting, hiking, or mountain climbing.

Adventure travel – adventure travel is category of travel involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.

Adventure Traveler – Adventure travelers travel to destinations with the specific purpose of active physical participation and exploration of new experiences.

Affinity Card – These are credit or debit cards issued by a banking institution in partnership and co-branded with a particular frequent traveler program.

Affinity group – A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity, or that are united through regular participation in shared outings. Also see preformed group.

Aft – toward the rear of a ship.

After-departure charge – Charges that do not appear on the guest’s bill at checkout such as telephone or dining charges.

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.

AIO variables – Activities, interests, and opinions-used to measure and categorize customer lifestyles.

Air mile – a distance of approx. 6076 feet.

Air Traffic Control – Usually refers to the control tower at the airport, but may also be a control center somewhere else in charge of controlling a large area of sky.

Air Travel Card – a credit card sponsored by the airlines, for the purchase of air travel only.

Air Travel – air travel is the action or process of making a journey by aircraft.

Air/sea – a term referring to tickets, trips, fares, etc. that include both air and land-based travel arrangements, such as a cruise package with air included.

Aircraft – Generally speaking, any machine capable of flight. However, in the travel industry, these often mean airplanes.

Airline Alliance – These are agreements of cooperation between groups of airlines. Alliances offer airlines more flexibility and larger networks.

Airline fare – Price charged for an airline ticket. Several types of fares exist and can change with market conditions.

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) – An organization that provides a method of approving authorized agency locations for the sale of transportation and cost-effective procedures for processing records and funds of such sales to carrier customers.

Airport access fee – a fee paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, etc. – usually passed on to the consumer.

Airport transfer – a transport service to/from an airport to hotel, etc., normally prepaid as part of a package tour, but available separately as well.

Air-Sea – A cruise or travel package in which one or more transportation elements are provided by air and one or more by sea. The package is usually combined with local lodging.

All Inclusive – sold for one price that includes charges and fees that are often added separately.

All-inclusive package – A tour package in which most travel elements are purchased for set price. Also called an all-expense package.

Alternative Tourism – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.

Alternative Travel – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.

Alumni tour – A tour created for customers who have previously traveled with a tour operator. Also called a reunion tour.

Ambassador – The head of a state’s diplomatic mission in another state, usually with offices inside the main embassy.

Amenities – a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place

Amenity package – A cluster of special features, such as complimentary shore excursions, bar or boutique credit, or wine at dinner offered to clients on a given tour or cruise, usually as a bonus or extra feature. Usually used to induce clients to book through a particular travel agency or organization.

Amenity – The facilities and features of a property, usually cruise ship, airline or destination accommodation.

American plan – a hotel’s meal plan that usually includes all three meals each day.

AMEX – American Express (AX).

Amidships – toward the middle of a ship – usually the most stable part of the vessel.

Anniversary travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a date that is remembered or celebrated because a special or notable event occurred on that date in a previous year, such as a wedding anniversary.

Antebellum – describes a building and/or period of time prior to the Civil War, such as an antebellum mansion on a cotton plantation in the southern US.

APEX – an airline term meaning “advance purchase excursion fare” – normally the least expensive fares.

Apron – The area surrounding the gate areas of a terminal, generally used for parking and maintenance of planes.

ARC – Airline Reporting Corporation- the agency that regulates ticket sales and reports to the airlines for travel agencies.

Archipelago – An archipelago is a grouping of islands, essentially. Indonesia and Japan are both archipelago countries.

ARTA – Association of Retail Travel Agents – professional trade group of travel agents only.

ASC Fee – Administrative Service Charge.  Usually it’s the same as the change fee, or the fee to exchange the ticket for future travel.

AST – Atlantic (or Alaska) Standard Time.

ASTA – American Society of Travel Agents – trade group consisting of travel agencies, travel agents, and allied members (suppliers, etc.).

ATO – Airline Ticket Office – becoming rarer these days, as carriers continue to reduce customer service.

Attractions – An item or specific interest to travelers, such as natural wonders, manmade facilities and structures, entertainment, and activities.

Autobahn – high-speed equivalent to the US interstate highway system, in Germany and a few other European countries.

Availability – The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.

Average room rate – The total guest room revenue for a given period divided by the number of rooms occupied for the same period.

B&B – A bed and breakfast home or guest house that a proprietor has converted into accommodation(s) for the public. Each room becomes a separate unit for rent and typically breakfast and/or other meals are served as part of the fare.

Babymoon – A relaxing and romantic vacation or getaway taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born.

Back to back – A term used to describe tours operating on a consistent, continuing basis. For instance, a motor coach arriving in a city from a cross-country tour may conclude the first tour upon arrival, then transport a second group back along the same route to the origination city of the first tour.

Back-to-back ticket(ing) – an against-the-rules practice whereby an air ticket is issued round-trip with only one portion to be used. Another is then issued roundtrip, again with only one portion to be used. In effect, this amounts to using one ticket for the outbound part of a trip, and the other for the return. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided – useful only when two roundtrip tickets are less than the cost of a single ticket with no Saturday night stayover.

Baggage Allowance – The amount of baggage a passenger may transport without having to pay extra charges, determined by carrier.

Baggage handler – See porter.

Baggage master – The person who controls baggage handling on a ship.

Balcony – sometimes called a verandah – an outside “porch ” that is usually private, just outside your ship’s cabin. Great for relaxing and port arrivals!

Barge cruising – pleasure cruising along a canal system, such as in upstate New York or in Europe, in converted barges or new ships that resemble them.

Base fare – the basic price of an airline ticket, before ANY taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.

Base – Flight crew term for their home airport; where the flights originate from and terminate at.

Beam – a ship’s width at its widest point; determines whether or not a vessel can pass through the Panama Canal.

Bed and breakfast (B&B) – Overnight accommodations usually in a private home or boarding house, often with a full American-style or Continental breakfast included in one rate.

Bell captain – The person in charge of luggage at a hotel.

Bellboy – Also called “Bellboy” or “Bellman,” a person that is hired by the hotel to assist guests, such as with luggage, running errands, etc.

Bellman – a person who carries one’s luggage to a hotel room.

Benelux – term for the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Berth – usually refers to the bed in a ship’s cabin; also the space at which a ship is docked.

Bespoke tour – a tour that is customized, personalized and tailor-made for the traveler.

Biking Trips and tours – Bicycle trips and touring means self-contained cycling trips or pleasure, adventure and autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Touring can range from single to multi-day trips, getaways or vacations.

Birthday travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a birthday, quite often marking decade birthday milestones such as 40 th , 50 th , 60 th , 70 th etc. birthdays.

Blackout dates – Specific dates in which special fares or promotions do not apply. Typically exist around holidays or special events.

Block – A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages.

Blocked space – seats, rooms, and/or cabins held on airlines, in hotels, or aboard ships. Usually held speculatively and made available at reduced rates.

Boarding pass – a receipt with a seat number, now issued only at check-in at the airport. A ticket is not valid unless a boarding pass has been issued. A Boarding Pass is not a ticket, but allows you to board a plane or ship or other mode of transportation.

Boarding Pass – Bonded – protected or guaranteed by a bond, usually referring to the protection of passenger’s funds.

Booking form – A document which purchasers of tours must complete to give the operator full particulars about who is buying the tour. It states exactly what is being purchased (including options) and must be signed as acknowledgment that the liability clause has been read and understood.

Boutique Hotel – A boutique hotel is a type of hotel, usually smaller and more intimate than a chain hotel, which conforms to a niche.

Bow – Bow is a directional term. Front of a ship or the nose of an aircraft; specifically, the foremost point of the hull of the craft.

Breakage – Expenses budgeted for a tour but not used or expended, thus resulting in additional profit to the tour operator. Examples include meals budgeted but not consumed, currency fluctuations in favor of the tour operator, or the tour selling to much larger numbers of passengers than expected.

Break-even point (BEP) – The point at which revenues and expenses are the same. For example, the BEP is the number of products (or seats, cabins, tickets, etc.) that must be sold for a company to break even. The BEP is calculated as fixed costs divided by the selling price less variable costs. See reasonable number.

Break-even pricing – Pricing a product based on a forecast of the break-even point and the cost of achieving the break-even point.

Bridge – the navigational center of a ship.

Bucket list destinations – Bucket list travel is a list of destinations a person wants to travel to and experience before reaching a certain age or dying.

Bulk contract – An agreement whereby an airline sells large blocks of seats at a discount for resale by a third party.

Bulk fare – A reduced fare for purchases of a large number of tickets.

Bulkhead Seat – Seats located directly behind a bulkhead wall separator. As these seats don’t have the benefit of a seatback in front of them.

Bulkhead – A partitioning wall, usually referring to one within the cabin of an aircraft, or perhaps on another mode of transportation.

Bumping – the airline practice of denying boarding to confirmed passengers who hold tickets on a specific flight, due to an oversold condition. The carrier will ask for volunteers to take later flights, and will normally provide some sort of compensation in the form of vouchers or tickets for future travel. Rules for when compensation must be provided are complicated; ask the ticket agent for a copy of that carrier’s rules, as each has their own set of guidelines.

Business class – While amenities vary based on the airline, business class generally falls between first class and coach.

Cabin – the passenger area on an aircraft; the stateroom aboard a cruise ship.

Cabin Crew – The collective group of flight attendants and the purser as a whole. The cabin crew is responsible primarily for handling the duties within the cabin.

Cabin steward – the person responsible for maintaining/cleaning the cabins aboard ship.

Cabin-(Aircraft) – The section of the aircraft in which passengers travel.

Cabin – A sleeping room on a ship.

Cancellation penalty – the monetary penalty due when travel plans are cancelled, usually after final payment has been made.

Cape – A small version of a peninsula, usually long and narrow, that juts far out into a body of water.

Captain – (Aircraft-The captain is the pilot in command (PIC), which is the person in the cockpit sitting on the left with 4 stripes on their shoulder.

Card mill – a “business “that sells potentially fake travel agent ID cards, usually in a sort of pyramid scheme, whereby the buyer intends only to partake of any legitimate agent benefits.

Carrier – generic term for any company that transports passengers and/or freight.

Carry-on – currently, there are no uniformly enforced airline restrictions concerning carry-on luggage.

Cashless cruising – a term that applies to the system of onboard payment used for most all cruises; the final bill for any such purchases is presented against a credit card or cash deposit given upon check-in. The final statement itemizes the purchases of all passengers in a cabin, such as drinks, shore tours, etc.

Casual research – A form of marketing research that is used to test cause-and-effect relationships between a marketing program and customers.

Cay – pronounced “key” – term for a small island, used primarily in the Caribbean, such as Princess Cay.

Celebrity Travel – celebrity and high net worth travel is an ultra-luxurious travel category describing the highly demanding travel requirements of celebrity and high net worth travelers characterized by the ultra-luxurious travel modalities and destinations with attention to privacy, security and confidentiality.

Certified Tour Professional (CTP) – A designation conferred upon tour professionals who have completed a prescribed course of academic study, professional service, tour employment, and evaluation requirements. The CTP program is administered by the National Tour Association (Lexington, KY) and is open to individuals employed in any segment of the tourism industry.

Certified Travel Associate – (CTA) – a travel professional certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, who has passed a series of rigorous tests, assuring the traveling public of professional competence.

Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) – A designation attesting to professional competence as a travel agent. It is conferred upon travel professionals with five or more years of industry experience who compete a two-year graduate-level travel management program administered by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (Wellesley, MA).

Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) – A designation conferred upon American Bus Association member company employees who successfully complete five correspondence courses (three) required and two electives and written evaluation of eight marketplace seminars.

Chain-ratio method – A method for forecasting market demand by multiplying a base market figure by a series of consumption constraints.

Chamber of commerce – A DMO that operates at the local level and is comprised of businesses that are not necessarily associated with the tourism industry.

Chancery – The physical building that houses an embassy and its diplomatic delegation.

Change of equipment – when a flight, with a single flight number, lands and changes the type of airplane used before continuing on to its destination.  Sometimes referred to as a change of gauge.

Charter service – The transportation of preformed groups (organized by someone other than the carrier), which have the exclusive use of the vehicle.

Charter – To hire the exclusive use of any aircraft, motorcoach, or other vehicle.

Chauffer driven tours – a chauffeur tour is a tour driven by a chauffeur employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.

Chunnel – slang for the tunnel beneath the English Channel, from England to France, through which the Eurostar train passes.

Circle itinerary – A travel routing design that overnights in different locations and returns to the point of departure without retracing the travel route.

Circle trip – any trip that involves more than a single destination, but which returns to the initial point of departure.

City guide – A tour guide who points out and comments on the highlights of a city, usually from a motor coach or van.

City Pair – The departure and destination points of an air or rail journey.

City tour – A sightseeing trip through a city, usually lasting a half day or a full day, during which a guide points out the city’s highlights.

Class of Service – The inventory in which a passenger is booked according to the fare purchased. (E.g. a full fare coach class cabin is usually Y class of service)

CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association, located in New York City, NY.

Client list – A printout of the names of all tour participants.

Client mix – Objectives set by companies to achieve percentages of customers from different market segments.

Closed-end question – A question for which the answers are provided for the respondent, who chooses only from those answers.

Closeout – Finalization of a tour, cruise, or similar group travel project after which time no further clients are accepted. Any unsold air or hotel space is released, and final lists and payments are sent to all suppliers.

Coach – the “economy ” section of an aircraft, which may have literally scores of different fares for the same flight.

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 (CDW) many credit card companies cover their clients in this area if they use that card to pay for the rental. Check with you credit card company to see if you are covered and to what extent.

Commission – Money paid to a travel agency or ARC number by suppliers for generating bookings.

Commission cap – The limit placed on commissions paid to travel agents for the sale of air tickets, regardless of their price; designed to allow airlines to increase their profits at the expense of their primary distribution system – the travel agents.

Commissionable tour – A tour available through retail and wholesale travel agencies which provides for a payment of an agreed-upon sales commission to the retailer or wholesale seller.

Common carrier – Any person or organization that offers transportation for a fee.

Commuter – term referring to the small, regional airlines, sometimes called puddle-jumpers.

Comp policy – Arrangements for free tickets, rooms, meals, etc.

Complimentaries (comps) – Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, gifts, souvenirs, etc.

Computerized reservation system (CRS) – An automated system used by travel agents that contains pricing, availability and product descriptions for hotels, car rentals, cruises, and air transportation.

Concierge – a hotel employee who provides additional advice, recommendations, and other services to guests, such as restaurant reservations. An employee of the hotel whose primary task is to serve as the liaison between the hotel and non-hotel attractions, facilities, services, and the guest.

Concierge Level – special service level normally offered at higher grade hotels that provide the guest additional amenities and information, typically at a higher rate.

Conditions – The section or clause of a transportation or tour contract that specifies what is not offered and that may spell out the circumstances under which the contract may be invalidated (in whole or in part).

Configuration – The interior arrangement of a vehicle, particularly an airplane. The same airplane, for example, may be configured for 190 coach-class passengers, or it may hold 12 first-class passengers and 170 coach passengers, or any other combination within its capacity.

Confirmed reservation – An oral or written statement by a supplier that he has received and will honor a reservation. Oral confirmation have virtually no legal weight. Even written or faxed confirmations have specified or implied limitations. For example, a hotel is usually not obliged to honor a reservation if a guest arrives after 6 p.m., unless late arrival has been guaranteed.

Confluence – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.

Conflux – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.

Connecting Flight – A flight that makes a stop at an intermediate point where travelers must change planes in order to connect to another flight to reach their destination. (I.e. San Francisco to Chicago and Chicago to New York).

Connecting room – Two rooms that are connected to each other by a door.

Consolidation – Cancellation by a charter tour operator of one more flights associated with a specific charter departure or departure period, with the transfer of passengers to another charter flight or flights to depart on or near the same day. Also, selling the same tour with identical departure dates through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.

Consolidator – A wholesaler who purchases airline tickets in bulk and re-sells them to individuals and travel agencies at a discounted rate. These fares tend to have complex restrictions, but can be cheaper than buying direct from the airline. Consolidator fares are found to have the most savings on international flights.

Consortium – A collection of organizations made up of independently owned and managed agencies who band together to increase their buying power.

Consulate – Essentially a satellite office of the embassy, but its roles are limited in scope.

Consul – Head diplomat of the consulate.

Consumer protection plan – A plan offered by a company and/or association that protects the customer’s deposits and payments from loss in the event of company bankruptcy.

Consumer – The actual user of a product or service. See also customer.

Consumption constraints – Issues that limit the number of people in a market who will purchase a product.

Continental breakfast – At a minimum, a beverage (coffee, tea, or milk) and rolls and toast, with fruit juice sometimes included.

Continent – Large landmasses that the world is divided into, by convention, although it is generally-accepted that there are seven.

Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.

Control Tower – Often referred to as simply the tower, the people in the Control Tower oversee aircraft movements at the airport, including ground traffic.

Convenience sample – A collection of research subjects who are the easiest for the researcher to select.

Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) – A nonprofit DMO that operates at the county and city level. A CVB typically encourages groups to hold meetings, conventions, and trade shows in its city.

Co-op tour – Selling a tour through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.

Cooperative (co-op) advertising – An agreement between two parties to share the cost of placing an advertisement.

Corporate agency – A travel agency that usually caters to medium-large sized businesses.

Corporate Rate – a hotel rate that is designed to appeal to the needs of the business traveler. It is not necessarily a discounted rate or the minimum rate offered by the hotel. Corporate rates normally guarantee the best available room at a fixed cost for a specific period of time, typically outlined in a contract between the hotel and company.

Corporate Travel – Corporate Travel is travel arranged by a business for business purposes. A division or department of a travel agency devoted to such travel.

Costing – The process of itemizing and calculating all the costs the tour operator will pay on a given tour.

Cost-plus pricing – See markup pricing.

Couchette – the sleeping compartment of a train that can contain up to 6 beds.

Coupon – See voucher.

Cruise Tour – A land and sea vacation, which combines a cruise with a multi-night land tour to inland destinations that the ship can’t reach.

Cruise – A cruise is a voyage on a ship or boat taken for pleasure or as a vacation and usually docking at several port destinations.

CST – Central Standard Time.

CTA – Certified Travel Associate.

CTC – Certified Travel Counselor – the ultimate in travel professionals, CTC certification can be compared to the “Master’s Degree “of the industry.

Cuisin e – a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes associated with a specific culture or geographic region.

Culinary Tourism – Culinary tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. By combining travel with these edible experiences, culinary tourism offers both locals and tourists alike an authentic taste of a specific culture or geographic region.

Cultural Tourism – Cultural tourism is the category or tourism concerned with a country or region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.

Cultural Travel – This is travel with regard to a region’s culture and history.

Culture – Similar shared traits or characteristics unique to an ethnic group, region, or nation.

Custom tour – A travel package created specifically for a preformed group or niche market.

Customer – The buyer of a product or service. See consumer.

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. This type of travel includes private airport/hotel transfers, hotels, internal airfare, trains, cruises, performances, events, activities and privately guided tours.

Customs – The common term for U.S. Customs Service, the federal agency charged with collecting duty on specified items imported into the country. The agency also restricts the entry of forbidden items.

CVB – Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (generic term).

Database – A computerized, organized collection of individual customer information.

Day rate – Also called a day room. A reduced rate granted for the use of a guest room during the daytime, not overnight occupancy. Usually provided on a tour when a very late-night departure is scheduled.

Day tour – An escorted or unescorted tour that lasts less than 24 hours and usually departs and returns on the same day. See sightseeing tour.

Deadheading – Making a trip or a segment of a trip without passengers, such as driving an empty motor coach somewhere.

Debark – to get off an airplane or passenger ship.

Deck – the floor area of a ship. Some cruise liners have as many as 11 to 14 decks or more.

Deck plan – the drawing representing the location of the decks, public rooms, cabins, etc. of a cruise ship.

Demand generators – Strategies and programs developed by DMOs and suppliers to generate destination demand. Examples include festivals, events, cultural tours, and consumer promotion.

Demands – A consumer’s wants backed by the ability to purchase.

Demographics – Population measures, such as age, gender, income, education, race/ethnicity, religion, marital status, household size, and occupation.

Denied-boarding compensation – that payment and/or voucher given those bumped from a flight; may be somewhat negotiable – always ask! See “bumping”.

Department of State – the US government agency that, among other things, issues cautions and warnings concerning travel to many points worldwide. Connect to the Department of State for the latest updates for the areas you are interested in.

Departure point – The location or destination from which a tour officially begins.

Departure tax – Fee collected from a traveler by the host country at the time of departure.

Deplane -To disembark, or get off, a plane.

Deposit policy – A specified amount or a percentage of the total bill due on a specified date prior to arrival.

Deposit – An advance payment required to obtain and confirm space.

Descriptive research – a form of marketing research that is used to provide detailed answers about customer markets.

Destination alliance – A DMO that operates as a for-profit association of select suppliers who form a paid-membership network to promote their services to travelers.

Destination management company (DMC) – A for-profit company that operates similar to a CVB by providing planning and execution services for the convention and meeting market.

Destination marketing organization (DMO) – An organization that promotes a location (city, region, state province, country) as a travel destination.

Destination Weddings – a destination wedding a category of travel where couples celebrate their marriage at a destination of their choosing away from home.

Destination – The geographic place to which a traveler is going.

Dine-around-plan – A meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area.

Direct access – Refers to a travel agent’s ability to get directly into an airlines database to get true last-seat availability and correct pricing – a big difference between internet fare ” quotes ” and an agent’s CRS ( Computer Reservations System ).

Direct Flight – A flight that goes from a traveler’s origin to their final destination with one or more intermediate stops. No change in aircraft occurs. (I.e. San Francisco to New York with a stop in Chicago)

Direct marketing – Sales and marketing communication that feature direct interaction between a company and its customers without any distribution intermediaries.

Disaster Tourism – Travel when tourists go to an area that may be or may have been affected by natural disasters, civil strife, or warfare.

Disclaimer – a legal document that advises clients that a travel agent acts only as a middleman in the sale of travel products; any liability ultimately lies with the supplier, i.e. airline, hotel, car rental company, tour operator, railway, etc.

DMC – Destination Management Company

Docent – A tour guide who works free of charge at a museum.

Domestic fare – a fare charged for travel within a country.

Double booking – a not-nice practice of holding reservations to the same destination for the same times/days, on the same carriers but through different travel agencies, when only one reservation will ultimately be used.

Double Double – A room with two double beds.

Double occupancy – the way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room.

Double-occupancy rate – The price per person for a room to be shared with another person; the rate most frequently quoted in tour brochures.

Double-room rate – The full price of a room for two people (twice the double-occupancy rate.)

Downgrade – To move to a lesser level of accommodations or a lower class of service.

Driver guided tours – A driver guided tour is a tour guided by an individual that operates a vehicle while providing commentary in a front-line position who leads participants (individual or groups) on tours, ensures that itineraries are followed, provides commentary in an informative and entertaining manner, and creates positive experiences for tour participants.

Driver-guide – A tour guide who does double duty by driving a vehicle while narrating.

Drop-off charge – the fee added to a car rental when the vehicle is returned to a city other than where it was originally rented. In some states, there is no drop off fee most of the time, such as in Florida.

Duty-free imports – Item amounts and categories specified by a government that are fee of tax or duty charges when brought into the country.

Early Check-In – A perk that allows a guest to check in at an earlier time than the standard check-in time.

Eco/Sustainable Tourism – Eco or Sustainable Tourism is tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, especially to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.

Eco-Conscious Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.

Eco-Friendly Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.

Economic impact study – Research into the dollars generated by an industry and how these dollars impact the economy through direct spending and the indirect impact of additional job creation and the generation of income and tax revenue.

Ecotour – A tour designed to focus on preserving the environment, or to environmentally sensitive areas.

Ecotourism – Tourism directed at exotic and/or endangered destinations while fostering an environmental understanding and conservation.

Educational tour – A tour designed around an educational activity, such as studying art.

Elder hostel – hostel catering to seniors – see “hostel”.

Electronic ticket – a “paperless” airline ticket allowing one to check-in and fly with just proper photo ID. What may look like a ticket is actually just a paper passenger receipt. E-tickets cannot be lost, or used by anyone else, so they are safer than standard paper tickets, which may soon become extinct. One drawback is that e-tickets on one carrier cannot be honored by another, so in a cancelled-flight snafu, the original carrier must print hard copy tickets before another airline can accept them. This presents major paperwork problems for the affected carrier.

Embark – to board a plane or cruise ship.

End suite – in the hotel industry, indicates that a certain feature(s) is directly in the room, or adjacent to that room.

English breakfast – basic meal of cereal, juice, eggs, meats, and other beverages. Common with most hotels in the UK/Great Britain.

Environmental scanning – The process of monitoring important forces in the business environment for trends and changes that may impact a company.

Errors and Omissions Insurance – Insurance coverage equivalent to malpractice insurance, protecting an agent’s or operator’s staff if an act of negligence, an error, or an omission occurs that causes a client great hardship or expense.

Escort – See tour director.

Escorted group tour – A group tour that features a tour director who travels with the group throughout the trip to provide sightseeing commentary and coordinate all group movement and activities.

Escrow accounts – Funds placed in the custody of licensed financial institutions for safekeeping. Many contracts in travel require that agents and tour operators maintain customers’ deposits and prepayments in escrow accounts.

ES T – Eastern Standard Time.

Estimated Time of Arrival – Literally, the estimated time of the transport’s arrival. As opposed to the ATA (Actual Time of Arrival), the ETA is the time that the flight or transport arrives.

Estuary – A body of water connecting a flowing river and a larger body, such as a sea or ocean. Because it is the transition point.

ETA – estimated time of arrival.

ETD – estimated time of departure.

Ethnicity – A term that groups people together with a similar cultural identity; unlike terms such as nationality, ethnicity is more ambiguous.

Ethno-Tourism – Focusing on exploration of indigenous populations and their respective culture and traditions.

E-Ticket – Regarding transportation, especially on airlines, an electronic ticket, or e-ticket, is the digital version of a paper ticket, issued via email.

Eurailpass – a special fare ticket that allows either unlimited train travel, or travel for a certain number of days/weeks, in many European countries (except in Britain, where the Britrailpass offers similar travel in England, Scotland, and Wales).

European pla n – a rate at a hotel that includes no meals.

Exchange order – See voucher.

Exclusive fare – Discounted airfares offered by travel consolidators.

Excursion – a side trip from a main destination, usually at added cost and optional.

Excursion Fare – special airline fares with restrictions such as minimum and maximum stays.

Exotic Travel – Exotic travel refers to a category of travel that is strikingly, excitingly and mysteriously different or unusual.  Exotic travel is travel that is completely different than what a traveler is accustomed to and is highly subjective in nature.

Experiential Travel – Experiential travel is also known as immersion travel and is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

Exploratory research – A form of marketing research that’s used to obtain preliminary information and clues. It is most often used when the marketing problem is ambiguous.

Extension – A fully arranged sub-tour offered optionally at extra cost to buyers of a tour or cruise.

Extensions may occur before, during, or after the basic travel program.

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.

Familiarity Tour – A familiarity tour as used in the travel industry it is a tour of a travel destination, travel accommodation, travel activity or travel mode (airline, cruise, ground transportation) to familiarize a travel advisor and provide knowledge and direct experience with the product or service so they can better serve their clients.

Family plan – offered by most hotels, allow children to stay in the same room as parents, at no additional charge. Age requirements vary between hotels.

Family Vacation – a family vacation is a travel category referring to travel involving family members. It is also commonly referred to as multi-generational travel.

Familymoon – A neologism term used to describe a type of honeymoon a newlywed couple can make along with their children from previous relationships.

Fare Aggregator – Fare aggregators’ redirect the users to an airline, cruise, hotel, or car rental site or online travel agent for the final purchase of a ticket. Aggregators’ business models include getting feeds from major OTAs, then displaying to the users all of the results on one screen. The OTA then fulfills the ticket. Aggregators generate revenues through advertising and charging OTAs for referring clients.

Fare Basis – the letters and numbers assigned to a specific fare like an identification number.

Fare basis (code) – The code that determines the price of an airline ticket.

Final Boarding Call – Last call to board before the jet bridge closes and the flight departs, leaving late passengers stranded.

First class – The class which offers the most premium service. Enhanced seating, meal selection, and drink offerings staples of this services.

First Officer – Pilot who is second in command. The pilot in the cockpit sitting on the right with 3 stripes.

Fishing Trips and tours – a fishing trip or fishing tour is a travel tour category where groups of fisherman are provided guided tours and typically lodging with the overall purpose of catching fish.

FIT – foreign independent tour – actually used generically now for a travel package put together by a travel agent from separate components such as car, hotel and airfare, adjusted exactly as the traveler wishes. May include city tours, theater tickets, and other “independent ” options, and may also include custom mapping/routing to accomplish the client’s goals. It now is more commonly used as an acronym for Flexible Independent Travel.  It describes a type of travel or tourism that does not incorporate a packaged tour but is nonetheless customized by a travel-selling professional.

Fjord – a narrow inlet from the ocean, usually bounded by cliffs, and with spectacular scenery. Most are located in Alaska, Norway, and New Zealand.

Flight Attendant – Commonly referred to as stewards/stewardesses and air hosts/hostesses, flight attendants are available to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers of an aircraft.

Flight Crew – Sometimes called the aircrew, the flight crew consists of everyone hired by the airlines on a flight, including pilots, pursers, and flight attendants.

Fly/drive tour – An F.I.T. package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components.

Fly-drive package – a travel package featuring airfare, rental car, and perhaps hotels. Usually less expensive than booking each separately.

Folio – An itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits which is maintained in the front office until departure. Also referred to as a guest bill or guest statement.

Fore – Directional term. Towards the front of the craft, lengthwise, such as the bow of a ship or the nose of a plane. Opposite of aft.

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.

Frequent Flier – One who flies frequently.

Frequent Independent travel (F.I.T.) – A custom-designed, prepaid travel package with many

Full house – A hotel with all guest rooms occupied.

Full service hotel – a hotel with restaurant facilities.

Function room – A special room that is used primarily for private parties, banquets, and meetings. Also called banquet rooms.

Funnel flight – a flight, such as on a regional or commuter carrier that “feeds “larger planes which continue on to other destinations. Also, the use of a single flight number for an itinerary that really involves a connection with two separate flight numbers, thus making the itinerary appear to be a direct flight with a change of aircraft as opposed to a connection. Just call it a connection and be done with it.

Fuselage – The aircraft’s main body section, the cylindrical, central piece that contains the cabin and holds the crew and cargo.

Galley – The kitchen/kitchenette area of a plane or train or ship. On a plane, the galley may be a small affair with a simple arrangement and a few carts.

Gate-Airport – The specific area in an airport where passengers board a plane for a flight. Gates are located in concourses.

Gateway – City, airport, or area from which a flight or tour departs.

GDS – Global Distribution Systems – A system containing information about availability, prices, and related services for Airlines, Car Companies, Hotel Companies, Rail Companies, etc. and through which reservations can be made and tickets can be issued. A GDS also makes some or all of these functions available to subscribing travel agents, booking engines, and airlines. The GDS leaders are Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo/Worldspan, Sabre.

Geotourism – this is “tourism that sustains or enhances the distinctive geographical character of a place.

Global distribution system (GDS) – An international computer reservation system that accesses many databases of suppliers, airlines, etc. in different countries, such as Sabre.

Graduation travel – graduation travel is a milestone category of travel which refers to travel celebrating a graduation typically from high school or college.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – solar based time in Greenwich, England, fun which time in all other time zones in the world is based.

Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) – a measurement of the enclosed space in a ship. Cruise ships in the 70,000 ton range are considered “superliners”.

Ground operator – See receptive operator.

Group – several persons, usually 10 or more, traveling together. Group travel is often available at discounted rates.

Group leader – An individual who has been given the responsibility of coordinating tour and travel arrangements for a group. The group leader may act as a liaison to a tour operator or may develop a tour independently (and sometimes serve as the tour director).

Group Rate – A negotiated rate on travel, perhaps a stay or vacation plan, that incentivizes for a large crowd or group that books together.

Group tour – A travel package for an assembly of travelers that has a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation. Group tours are usually prearranged, prepaid, and include transportation, lodging, dining, and attraction admissions. See also escorted group tour.

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.

GST – Goods and Services Tax, such as levied in Canadian Provinces.

Guaranteed share – a cruise term that promises that a companion will be found for a single passenger, at a special rate. That rate will be honored even if the cruise line is unable to find a cabin mate. The rate is usually the going double-rate at that time, and is much less than the single person rate for that cabin.

Guaranteed tour – A tour guaranteed to operate unless canceled before an established cutoff date (usually 60 days prior to departure).

Guest account – See folio.

Guest houses – a guest house is a private house offering accommodations to paying guests.

Guest ranch – a guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.

Guide or guide service – A person or company qualified to conduct tours of specific localities or attractions.

Guided tour – A local sightseeing trip conducted by a guide.

Half pension – a hotel rate that includes breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner. Sometimes called Modified American Plan (MAP) or demi-pension.

Hard-copy – a printed version of a document, such as an airline ticket or hotel voucher.

Head tax – Fee charged for arriving and departing passengers in some foreign countries.

Hidden-city ticketing – another airline no-no; buying a ticket from A to C with a stop in B. The passenger gets off at B, which was the intended destination anyway. The ticket is purchased because the fare from A to C is LESS than A to B.

High season – the time of year when a destination gets the greatest crowds, and thus can increase hotel and rental car rates, etc. As an example, summertime is high season for travel to Europe (just check the airfares!).

High season – See peak season.

Hiking Trips and tours – a hiking trip or hiking tour is a category of travel vacation or getaway where the traveler is walking or hiking as the major mode of transportation.

Honeymoon Travel – Honeymoon travel is a category of travel where a newly married couple travels while celebrating their marriage.

Hosted group tour – A group tour that features a representative (the host) of the tour operator, destination, or other tour provider, who interacts with the group only for a few hours a day to provide information and arrange for transportation. The host usually does not accompany the group as it travels.

Hostel – an inexpensive accommodation, usually dormitory style, popular with the student crowd – thus the term “youth hostel”.

Hotel – a hotel is an establishment providing accommodations, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.

House – A synonym used for hotel.

Hub – an airport or city in which an airline has a major presence and many flights to other destinations. As an example, Delta has a hub in Atlanta. Many carriers use the hub-and-spoke system to maximize profits by keeping the aircraft in the air as much as possible. Flights to the hub are many, and from there flights too many other destinations are scheduled.

Hub-and-spoke itinerary – A travel routing design that uses a central destination as the departure and return point for day trips to outlying destinations and attractions.

Hurricane season – in the Caribbean primarily, and the Southeastern US, a period from June through October during which such storms are likely to occur.

IATA – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

IATAN – International Airlines Travel Agent Network – administers the IATAN card, the only widely accepted form of legitimate travel agent identification.

In season – meaning only available at certain times of the year.

In transit – en route; in the process of traveling.

Inbound operator – A receptive operator that usually serves groups arriving from another country.

Inbound tour – A tour for groups of travelers whose trip originates in another location, usually another country.

Incentive or incentive commission – See override.

Incentive tour – A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.

Incentive trave l – travel as a reward for an employee’s outstanding performance.

Incidental Charge – Items and services billed to a room after their use, such as movies, phone calls, etc.

Incidentals – Charges incurred by the participants of a tour, but which are not included in the tour price.

Inclusive tour – a package tour that bundles transportation, accommodations, transfers, sightseeing, possibly some meals, etc.

Inclusive tour – See all-inclusive package.

Independent tour – A travel package in which a tour operator is involved only with the planning, marketing, and selling of the package, but is not involved with the passengers while the tour is in progress.

In-flight Service – Entertainment (movies, television, etc.), meals, beverages and other items made available during a flight for the convenience of the passenger.

Inside cabin – a stateroom aboard ship that has no window. Sometimes smaller, but at times the same size as an outside cabin.

Intercontinental – Having to do with two continents. In travel, transit from one continent to another. Not to be confused with transcontinental.

interline connection – a flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another carrier – these tickets are usually more expensive than flying all on one carrier but may be the only way to get to a destination in some cases.

Intermodal tour – A tour that uses several forms of transportation, such as a plane, motorcoach, cruise ship, and train.

International Air Transport Association – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

International Date Line – at 180 degrees longitude, the date on one side of this imaginary line, running from the north to the South Pole, is different from the other. The line runs through the Pacific Ocean, and because of it, it is possible to leave one destination on one day, and arrive in another the day before

International Rate Desk – Utilizes all available resources to ensure the lowest fare for your selected itinerary, including splitting tickets, consolidator fares, and available discounts.

Involvement device – An element of direct mail that gets the reader involved in the process of evaluating and/or responding to the solicitation.

Itinerary – A list of a tour’s or entire trip’s schedule and major travel elements.

Jet Bridge – An enclosed, movable connector which extends from a terminal gate to a plane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside.

Jet lag – an upset of one’s biological clock, due to travel across many time zones; not all folks are affected by it.

Jones Act – a law dating back to 1886, that forbids foreign-flagged ships from carrying passengers between US ports with no foreign port stops in-between.

Judgment sample – A sample based on the researcher’s choice of subjects for a study.

Jump Seat – A flight term referring to an auxiliary (extra) seat for persons who are not operating the aircraft, such as the cabin crew or perhaps a trainee.

Kilometer – a measure of distance used in almost all other countries, at about 5/8 mile.

King room – a hotel room with a king bed.

Knot – a nautical measure of speed equaling approx. 1.5 mph. A ship traveling at 15 knots is traveling at about 22 mph.

Kph – kilometers-per-hour – land speed measurement in most other countries. 60 kph equals approx. 36 miles-per-hour.

Land arrangements – all the details of a land portion of a trip (hotel, car, tours, sightseeing, etc.).

Land Destinations – A land destination or travel destination is a place to which one is journeying, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.

Land operator – See receptive operator.

Land Transfers – travel by train, bus, limo or taxi to and from an accommodation, plane or cruise ship.

Land-only – a rate that does NOT include airfare; usually includes most other land-based charges such as accommodations, transfers, taxes, and perhaps other optional items like theme park tickets, rental care, etc.

Last-seat availability – the ability of a travel agent to get, literally, the ” last seat ” for you on a particular flight, either at a certain fare or actually the last remaining seat on an aircraft. See “direct access”.

Late booking fee – a fee due if travel arrangement are made at the last minute. Normally covers express delivery of documents and other last-minute arrangements that may have to be made by a tour operator.

Late Checkout – A more exclusive perk for some guests that allow a few extra hours to check out from the normal hours.

Latitude – imaginary horizontal lines of angular distance, measured in degrees north or south of the equator.

Layover – a period of time spent during a trip, sometimes overnight, while waiting for a transportation connection – usually a change of planes.

Layover – The period of time spent between connecting flights.

LDW – loss damage waiver – additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.

Lead-in price – the lowest available price for a travel product, often pertaining to cabins on a cruise ship. Usually, there are only a few staterooms available on board each cruise liner in this category, but often better accommodations are only slightly higher in price. Rock-bottom price shoppers normally insist on these rates, though they sell out quickly.

Leeward – the side of a ship or an island that is located opposite from the direction of the prevailing wind -the “Leeward Islands” in the Caribbean for example.

Leg – Portion of a journey between two scheduled stops.

Leisure travel – Usually signifies traveling for relaxation, vacation, or to visit friends/family. Travel for pleasure as opposed to business.

Letter of agreement – A letter from the buyer to the supplier accepting the terms of the proposal. This may also be the supplier’s first proposal that has been initialed by the buyer.

Lido deck – usually the deck on a cruise ship that surrounds the pool area.

Limited service hotel – a hotel property without a restaurant.

List broker – A seller of mail lists for direct marketing.

Load factor – The number of passengers traveling on a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft compared to the number of available seats or cabins.

Locater map – A map of an area or a city, showing locations of attractions and hotels.

Lodging – Any establishment that provides shelter and overnight accommodations to travelers.

Logistics – Management of the details of an operation.

Low season – the period when a destination experiences its lowest prices and the fewest number of guests.

Low season – See off peak.

Lower (bed) – in a cruise stateroom, the bed(s) on the floor as opposed to the higher bunks (uppers), if any. On many ships, two lowers can be arranged to make a king or queen bed.

Lowest available fare – the current, lowest airfare available for purchase right then.

Lowest available fare – The most inexpensive flight currently available.

Lowest fare – the lowest published airfare between two cities; may not have seats available at that fare, as the airlines usually have a limited number of those seats on any given flight.

Luxury class – the most expensive, high-class accommodations or category of fare.

Luxury Cruise – Luxury cruises are the most comfortable and convenient way to see the world. Ships are usually smaller in size so the ratio of crew and staff to guests is generally higher than other cruise ships offering that premium service and attention to detail to be expected of exquisite vacations.

Luxury Ocean Cruise – a luxury ocean cruise is an ocean cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury cruise liner or passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.

Luxury River Cruise – a luxury river cruise is a river cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.

Luxury travel – while luxury travel is completely subjective to the traveler, it can be loosely defined at travel that constitutes the state of great comfort and extravagant living.

Luxury vacations – a luxury vacation is a vacation that encompasses a state of great comfort and extravagant living.

Macro-environment – The broad forces in society and the business world that impact most companies.

Management Company – A firm that owns several lodging properties.

Manifest – Final official listing of all passengers and/or cargo aboard a transportation vehicle or vessel.

Market demand – The amount of a specific product or service that may be purchased during a certain period of time in a particular geographic area.

Market forecast – The realistic demand within a given time period for the products produced by all companies within a certain industry or product category.

Market – All existing and potential customers for a product or service.

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.

Marketing research – The function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through the systematic gathering and analyzing of information.

Markup pricing – Pricing a product by adding a standard markup to costs. Also called cost-plus pricing.

Markup – A percentage added to the cost of a product to achieve a selling price.

Master account – The guest account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization. See folio.

Maximum stay – The longest period of time a traveler can stay at a particular destination and still qualify for the promotion or discounted fare.

Media – Communications channel such as broadcast (radio, TV), print (newspapers, magazines, direct mail), outdoor (billboards), and multimedia (Internet).

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 entrance formalities, collecting baggage, and obtaining transportation.

Meeting/conference tour – A tour designed around a specific meeting or conference for the participants.

Microenvironment – Those forces close to a company that impact operations and marketing programs.

Midships – Directional term. Amidships, sometimes termed midships, is the center of the vessel or aircraft.

Minimum connect time – defined as the minimum time necessary between connecting flights – 30 minutes domestically, usually – ideally, at least an hour. The shortest time required in order to successfully transfer to a connecting flight. It is recommended to select a connecting flight that exceeds the minimum connection time.

Mission statement – The concise description of what an organization is, its purpose, and what it intends to accomplish.

Modified American plan (MAP) – meal plan that includes two daily meals, usually breakfast and dinner.

Motorcoach tour operators – Tour operators that own their own motorcoaches.

Motorcoach Tour – A tour that features the motorcoach as the form of transportation to and from destinations.

Motorcoach – A large, comfortable bus that can transport travelers and their luggage long distances.

MST – Mountain Standard Time.

Multi-day tour – A travel package of two or more days. Most multi-day tours are escorted, all-inclusive packages.

Multigenerational Travel – multigenerational travel is a travel category referring to travel with parents, siblings, kids, grandkids, and assorted family members with the goal to broaden horizons, provide opportunities to reconnect and provide an enriching assortment of shared experiences.

Murder-mystery tour – A tour that features a staged “murder” and involves travelers in solving the crime.

Mystery tour – A journey to unpublicized destinations in which tour takers aren’t told where they will be going until en route or upon arrival.

NACTA – National Association of Career Travel Agents – trade group representing primarily independent and home-based agents, now part of ASTA.

National tourism organization (NTO) – A federal-government-level DMO that promotes country as a travel destination.

Nautical Mile – Unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude. Air-Sea distance measurement of approx. 1.1 statute miles.

Negotiated Rate – A discounted rate offered to a company based on the volume of business you agree to provide the selected vendor.

Net fare, net rate – Implies the commission has already been added to the price of the fare.

Net wholesale rate – A rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups of individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers of tours to cover distribution and promotion costs.

Niche market – A highly specialized segment of the travel market, such as an affinity group with a unique special interest.

No show – a passenger who doesn’t show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking. A guest with confirmed reservations who does not arrive and whose reservation was not canceled.

Non Stop Flight – Do not land in between your departure and arrival destinations. (I.e. San Francisco to New York)

Non-Changeable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be exchanged for a different route or flight once it’s been purchased.

Non-refundable – a fare that cannot be refunded either in cash or via a credit card credit; very seldom is there an exception.

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.

Nonstop – A flight that travels directly to its destination without connections or layovers.

Non-transferable – A ticket that can only be used by the person who was originally scheduled to fly at the time of purchase.

NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board; investigates accidents and other incidents related to public transportation.

Objective and task method – A process for creating a promotion budget that sets objectives first, then defines the tasks needed to achieve those objectives, and then commits funds necessary to perform the tasks.

Occupancy rate – the percent of hotel rooms expected to be filled during a specific time period.

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.

Ocean view cabin – a cabin aboard a cruise ship with a window, such as a porthole or picture-window, and perhaps a balcony/verandah.

OCV – ocean view, usually in reference to a hotel room.

Offline connection – a change of aircraft also involving a change of carriers.

Off-peak – A less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during these periods.

On-site guide – A tour guide who conducts tours of one or several hours’ duration at a specific building, attraction, or site.

Onsite – An on-site is an expert travel provider that lives in the country they serve and has firsthand knowledge and long-standing relationships with all aspect of travel in their country.

Open jaw – a trip in during which there is no travel by air between two cities, such as a flight to Washington DC, then travel by rental car to Charlotte, NC, then a return by air from Charlotte back to the original departure city.

Open return – an air ticket with no return date specified. Rarely done these days, usually quite expensive and not allowed on most discounted fares.

Open-end question – A question that allows the respondent to provide a free-response answer.

Open-jaw itinerary – A travel routing design that departs from one location and returns to another. For example, travelers may fly into one city and depart from another one. Or a traveler may purchase round-trip transportation from the point of origin to one destination, at which another form of transportation is used to reach a second destination, where the traveler resumes the initial form of transportation to return to the point of origin.

Operations – Performing the practical work of operating a tour or travel program.

Operator – a company providing transportation or travel related services (airline, cruise line, railway, hotel, car Rental Company, etc.).

Operator – See Tour Operator.

Option date – drop dead date on which a reservation must be deposited or cancellation will result.

Optionals – Optional tour features that are not included in the base tour price, such as sightseeing excursions or special activities.

OTA – Online travel agencies, examples include Priceline, Expedia and Orbitz

Outbound – the departure leg of a journey.

Outbound operator – A company that takes groups from a given city or country to another city or country.

Outbound tour – A tour that takes travelers out of the area, usually from a domestic city to another country.

Outside cabin – see “ocean view ” cabin.

Outside salesperson – job description of a travel agency employee who sells travel but is not based primarily in the agency location most of the time.

Overbook – Accepting reservations for more space than is available.

Overbooking – the practice of selling more airline seats than are available on a specific flight, to make up for no-shows. Usually backfires on the carrier and at times can create much consumer ill-will. Requires passengers to be “bumped” – not always voluntarily. To some extent, happens in the hotel industry as well.

Overhead – Those 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.

Packaged travel – A package in combination of two or more types of tour components into a product which is produced, assembled, promoted and sold as a package by a tour operator for an all-inclusive price.

Passenger facility charge (PFC) – a fee for the use of many airports, added in to the cost of an air ticket – another name for an additional tax on travelers.

Passenger name record (PNR) – The official name of one’s reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS).

Passenger vessel – Ships, yachts, ferries, boats, etc.

Passport/visa service – a service that will take your passport and hand carry, if necessary, to the appropriate embassy in order to expedite a visa. Can be expensive if you have waited until the last minute to obtain a travel visa.

Patronage Program – A program that rewards the customer for loyalty and repeat purchase, such as frequent-flyer programs.

Peak season – A destination’s high season when demand is strong. Also called the high season.

Peninsula – A piece of land that is connected to a mainland or larger piece of land on only one side, while the other sides are surrounded by water.

Per Diem – “by the day;” in the cruise industry, the per-day cost of a cruise, per person.

Per-capita costs – Per-person costs.

Per-capita tour – See scheduled tour.

Perceived value – The ratio of perceived benefits to perceived price.

Personal effects coverage – Additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle.

Point-to-point – refers to the fares between two cities; the service between two cities without additional segments or any continuation.

Port – the place where a ship docks; a place visited by cruise ship; the left side of a vessel.

Port charges/taxes – fees levied by local authorities upon the cruise lines for each passenger visiting a port of call, normally added to the total cruise fare.

Port of Debarkation – Port of Debarkation is the geographic point where personnel arrive on a cruise vessel

Port of Embarkation – Port of Embarkation is the geographic point where personnel depart on a cruise vessel

Port of entry – Destination providing customs and immigration services.

Port-Directional – When facing forward, the side of the ship or aircraft that is on the left.

Porter – A person who handles luggage at an airport, train station, etc.; also called skycap or baggage handler.

Porthole – usually a round, sealed window in a shipboard stateroom.

Posada – a small country hotel (Spanish).

Positioning strategy – The development of a clear, unique, and attractive image for a company and/or product in the minds of target customers.

Positive space – space aboard a ship or aircraft that can be confirmed ahead of time.

Post-Cruise Vacation – a post-cruise vacation is a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of debarkation of the cruise.

PPDO – per person, double occupancy. Most tours and cruises are quoted this way; the average cost to stay in a particular location per day.

Pre- and post-trip tour – An optional extension or side trip package before and/or after a meeting, gathering, or convention.

Pre-Cruise Vacation – a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of embarkation of the cruise.

Pre-deduct commission – When a distributor such as a travel agent takes up front the commission on a sale and sends the supplier the balance of the sales price.

Preferred Supplier – The selection of specific supplier(s) for priority promotion to customers and/or integration in travel packages in exchange for reduced rates and/or higher commission.

Preferred Vendor – The vendor(s) a company specifies as their first choice for travelers.

Preformed group – A pre-existing collection of travelers, such as affinity groups and travel clubs, whose members share a common interest or organizational affiliation.

Prepaid ticket advice – a form used when purchasing an air ticket to be picked up and used by someone else at another airport. E-tickets have reduced the need for this greatly.

Primary research – The collection of data specifically to solve the marketing problem at hand.

Prix fixe – meals offered at a fixed price, usually fairly low, consisting of several courses with no substitutions allowed. Common in Europe.

Profit margin – A dollar value that represents the markup of a product’s price over its costs.

Promotion mix – Promotion tools including advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations.

Promotional group tour – A travel package composed of tour elements that match the specific needs and wants of niche customers who aren’t part of an organized or preformed group.

Promotional partnership – The combination of two or more companies to offer special incentives to customers.

Prop – referring to propeller-driven aircraft.

Property – A specific lodging structure, such as a hotel, and the ground on which it is built.

Property – A general term that may be used by a place of accommodation that denotes the facility.

Protection overbooking – The practice of blocking space that will likely be in excess of what will actually be needed.

Pseudo-agent – someone claiming to be a travel agent who really isn’t.  They often produce bogus ID cards, and can disappear when problems arise!

PST – Pacific Standard Time.

Psychographics – Measures of a person’s lifestyle. See also AIO variables.

Public relations (PR) – A management function that determines the attitudes and opinions of an organization’s publics, identifies its policies with the interests of its publics, and formulates and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and goodwill.

Public tours – See scheduled tour.

Published fare – an airfare that is listed in the carrier’s tariff.

Pull strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the customer level by generating awareness, interest, and desire so customers pull a product through a distribution channel by demanding it.

Purser – aboard ship, the person responsible for providing a wide array of services such as information, making change, stamps, etc. Found at the purser’s desk.

Purser-(Airline) – On a flight, the purser is the head flight attendant, responsible for overseeing the attendants and making sure travelers’ needs are met.

Push strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the distributor level by providing resellers with an incentive to push (sell) a product to end consumers.

Quad – a room suitable for four persons.

Quay – a pier – pronounced the same as “key”.

Query – The process of sorting and retrieving information from a database.

Quid – a monetary term for a British pound sterling.

Quota sample – A research sample that involves forming groups based on certain characteristics. A random sample can then be selected form the quota segments.

Rack rate – The published (brochure) rate for a travel component. The price of a hotel prior to discount.

Rate desk – the office of an air carrier that calculates fares for passengers and travel agents.

Reach – The measure of how many people in a market will be exposed to a certain advertisement via a specific medium.

Reasonable number – A forecast of the break-even point for a tour.

Rebate (ing) – the practice of returning part of an agency’s commission on a scale back to the client in the form of a rebate or “discount.” The trade-off is usually little or no personal/customer service. This is practiced often by “800 ” number travel sellers and others who deal in huge volume.

Receptive operator – A local tour company that specializes in services for incoming visitors, often for tour operator groups.

Reconfirm – to double-check a reservation.

Record locator – The number assigned to a reservation in the airlines number. This number is unique, as it will never be assigned again.

Record locator – the number assigned to one’s reservation in an airline’s computer system.

Red-eye flight – An overnight flight that leaves at night and arrives early the next morning.

Referral agent/agency – an ” agent ” that refers business to a travel agency in return for a commission or fee – often as part of a card mill operation

Registry – the formal registration of a ship’s ownership, and the country it is registered in (such as Panama, Liberia, Norway, etc.).

Reissue – the generation of a new ticket that is exchanged for another, due to a change of plans, dates, flights, etc. May involve additional fare, penalties and fees.

Relationship marketing – The process of building and nurturing ongoing, solid relationship with customers.

Repositionin g – the moving of a cruise ship to another home port for all of part of a season, such as the repositioning of ships to Alaska for the summer. Often these cruises are excellent bargains, but will involve one-way airfare home from the port of debarkation.

Res – short for “reservation”.

Research constraints – Those issues, such as cost and timing that will limit the scope of marketing research.

Reseller – See retailer and wholesaler.

Reservation fee – A customer payment for a certain percentage of the travel package price that’s made immediately after booking.

Responsible Tourism – Travel that extends beyond being merely environmentally responsible, to being culturally-conscious and economically-aware, locally.

Retail price – The actual price a customer pays for a travel element or tour.

Retail tour – See scheduled tour.

Retailer – A middleman, such as a travel agent, who sells directly to the customer.

Retirement travel – retirement travel is a category of travel referring to when a traveler is has retired from a career and commences to travel.  Travel done after retirement age.

Rollaway – a cot or other bedding that can be added to a hotel room to accommodate another guest. There is often an extra charge for this.

Romantic Destinations – romance destination and romance travel is a category of travel that involves travel involving a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love and often refers to travel associated with a wedding, honeymoon, wedding anniversary, babymoon or another type of romantic getaway.

Room Night – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.

Room Occupancy – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.

Room rates – The various rates used by lodging properties to price rooms. These include- day rate (usually one half the regular rate for a room used by a guest during the day up to 5 p.m.-sometimes called a use rate), flat rate (a specific room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel and group in advance), group rate (same as flat rate), net group rate ( a wholesale rate for group business to which an operator may add a markup if desired), net wholesale rate ( a rate usually lower than the group rate and applicable to groups or individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour folder), and published rate ( a full rate available to or advertised to the public-also called the rack rate.)

Rooming list – A printout of the names of all tour participants that also lists special lodging requests and provides a spot for the hotel or cruise ship to fill in the passenger’s room number.

Round trip – A flight to a single destination and a return.

Run-of-house (ROH) – refers to a hotel room, the type of which is assigned at the discretion of the hotel shortly before you arrive. Usually, the rates are lower.

Run-of-ship – cabin is assigned at the last moment, giving the cruise line the ability to shift accommodations as needed. Usually, you are guaranteed a minimum category of cabin, and sometimes get an upgraded stateroom at no additional cost. Most upgrades are from inside-to-inside cabins, or from outside-to-outside but occasionally an inside-to-ocean view upgrade will occur. It is not always worth the gamble though.

Run-of-the-house rate – A flat rate for which a lodging property agrees to offer any of its available rooms to a group. Final assignment of the rooms is at the discretion of lodging management.

Sabre® – A computerized travel reservation system.

Safaris – Today the negative hunting connotations of the word ‘safari’ are being rapidly replaced by more modern associations with socially and environmentally responsible travel. Safari travel typically implies that the journey will include game viewing and some time spent in wilderness areas (game reserves and national parks). A traditional is usually focused on seeing wildlife, but safaris are definitely not limited to game viewing.  Safaris are now for admiring wildlife and birds in the wild, along with a host of other adventures. Safaris have largely developed into vacation trips that actually benefit the wildlife by supporting local conservation efforts and wildlife sanctuaries. As opposed to hunting the animals, visitors get to encounter them and help make a difference in protecting the species. Safari companies either actively contribute towards conservation projects or help generate tourism revenue which is used to manage wildlife projects and game reserves. The modern safari is also a socially responsible journey designed to interact ethically with local communities and have a positive impact on local economies. The cultural interactions offered by reputable safari operators do not exploit local people. The local communities benefit from sustainable tourism through employment and financial gains from selling goods and services.

Sales margin – A term used by resellers to describe profit as a percentage of sales revenue.

Sample – The portion of a population chosen to represent the population being studied for research.

Saturday night stay – A requirement by the airlines that your travel must involve a Saturday night stay over in order to obtain our lowest fare.

Saturday night stay – In order to receive a specialty fare, a Saturday stay over is sometimes required.

Scandals tour – A light-hearted history tour that shows locations where interesting scandals took place.

Scheduled carrier – An airline that offers regularly scheduled flights between destinations.

Scheduled flights – Air flights that are publicly scheduled and promoted by major airlines.

Scheduled tour – A tour that’s set in a tour operator’s regular schedule of tour departures and that’s often sold to the general public. Also called public tour or retail tour.

Sea bands – a product resembling a bracelet that is worn on the wrists and operates via acupressure.

Wearers claim that seasickness can be avoided by their use, thus eliminating the need for drugs such as Dramamine, etc.

Sea legs – the ability to move around on a ship without losing balance and without sea sickness.

Secondary information – Research data that was collected by another company or person and usually for a purpose that’s different than the research objectives and tasks at hand.

Sectioning system (GPS) – system of satellites that allows miniature radio receivers on earth to pinpoint one’s location within a few feet. Most cruise ships make use of this system to navigate the world’s oceans.

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”.

Segment – One leg or portion of a trip. The segment begins when you board the plane and ends when you de-board the plane. (I.e. A connecting flight from San Francisco to New York through Chicago equals 2 segments)

Self-drive – a rental car (British term).

Service non comprise – in French, meaning “service not included”.

Shells – Preprinted brochures with photos, illustrations, and graphics but no text; also called slicks.

Shore excursio n – tours that are purchased as an option when visiting ports of call while on a cruise; can sometimes be bought before you cruise.

Shore excursion – A land tour, usually available at ports of call, sold by cruise lines or tour operators to cruise passengers.

Shoulder season – a period of time between high and low seasons, where prices at a destination are between their highest and lowest, and the crowds are thinner.

Shoulder season – Those periods between the peak and off season when destination demand is moderate.

Sightseeing companies – Organizations that provide local guided tours.

Sightseeing guide – See driver/guide.

Sightseeing tour – Short excursions of usually a few hours that focus on sightseeing and/or attraction visits.

Simple random sample – A sample that draws a group of respondents randomly from all members of the population.

Single Room – A room that is only guaranteed to comfortably accommodate one guest. May also be called a “Standard Room.”

Single Supplement – An additional charge added to a solo traveler, when prices were originally quoted for dual occupancy.

Sleeper – the sleeping compartment aboard a train.

Soft adventure – an outdoor travel experience that is not especially physically demanding, such as a canyon horseback trail ride or a hot-air balloon flight.

Sommelier – A wine professional, usually hired by the most upscale restaurants and establishments, on staff to primarily suggest wine and food pairing to patrons.

Spa – a resort area centered around a mineral springs, hot springs and the like, typically where one can find massage, hydrotherapy, exercise, steam baths, etc.

Special event tour – A travel package that features major happenings, such as concerts or sporting events, as the reason for the journey.

Special fare – Any fare that deviates from normal pricing (typically discounted).

Special interest tour – a tour catering to the needs of a specific interest, such as bird-watching, whale-watching, river rafting, mountain biking, rain forest exploration among many others.

Split itinerary – An itinerary in which part of the group does one thing while the other part does something else.

Split Ticket – Issuing multiple tickets for one round-trip journey. This is done to reduce the total cost of the entire reservation.

Sports Tourism – sports tourism refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment.

Stabilizer – a device on most all cruise vessels, to reduce pitch and roll when at sea – the movement that can cause seasickness. Stabilizers are often pulled in at night in order to allow faster speeds when traveling between ports of call.

Standby – Referring to a passenger who does not have a confirmed seat on the intended flight.

Star Service – a critical guide describing in detail many hotel and cruise ship properties. Can be subjective, as it is based on someone’s opinion, but provides a travel agent with a non-commercial point-of-view.

Starboard – the right side of a ship.

Stateroom – A private cabin or compartment with sleeping accommodations on a ship or train.

Step-on guide – A tour guide who boards a motorcoach to give detailed, expert commentary about the city or area being visited.

Stern – the rear of a ship.

Stopover – a planned stayover in a city for a day or more, while enrooted to another destination. Sometimes adds significantly to the cost of an air ticket.

Strategic plan – A report that describes a company’s mission statement, goals, objectives and strategic actions.

Student visa – permission to enter a country, issued to a student, normally for the purpose of attending school in that country.

Subcontractor – A local operator who provides services for a wholesaler.

Suite – a hotel accommodation with more than one room, or sometimes a single room with distinct sleeping and living areas and often a kitchenette. A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation denotes a class of accommodations with more space and amenities than a typical accommodation room. Luxury or upscale accommodations often have a scaled range of suites progressively increasing in size, luxury and amenities starting with a junior suite and culminating in the largest and most luxurious suite which is often called a presidential or royal suite.

Supplier – any company that supplies travel and/or related services to the traveling public. The actual producer and seller of travel components.

Surface – travel over land that does not involve an aircraft.

SWOT analysis – A summary of a company’s strengths and weaknesses, and the environmental opportunities and threats that will most influence it.

T&E – Travel and Entertainment expenses.

Target market – The group of customers who will be the focus of a company’s marketing efforts.

Tariff – a schedule of prices/fares.

Telemarketing – Direct marketing via the telephone.

Tender – a small boat or ferry that carries passengers from an anchored cruise ship to the pier at a port of call. Many ships are too large for existing port facilities at some destinations, and so they anchor just off shore and “tender “their passengers in for their visit.

Terminal – A building where clients report for trips via train, plane, etc.; also called a depot or a station.

TGV – the term applied to the French high-speed train system.

Theme cruise – a cruise devoted to a specific interest, such as big bands, country western, Star Trek, exercise and weight-loss, cooking and cuisine, and many more. There is usually a theme cruise to suit just about any interest.

Theme tour – A tour that’s designed around a concept of specific interest to the tour takers, such as history or sports.

Through passenger – a passenger who is not disembarking at a particular stop while enrooted to the final destination.

Ticket stock – Blank airline tickets.

Tickler system – A method for monitoring reservations and payments that’s arranged by date and points out late payments so customers can be contacted.

Tiered override pla n – When commissions rise proportionately with a corresponding increase in sales.

Tiered pricing – When suppliers offer different prices to receptive operators, tour operators, and group leaders, so each party can earn a profit by marking up the supplier’s price while still offering a fair price to customers.

Tour broker – See tour operator.

Tour catalog – A publication by tour wholesalers listing their tour offerings. Catalogs are distributed to retail agents who make them available to their customers. Bookings by retail agents are commissionable.

Tour Company – A tour company or tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a packaged vacation. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, vacation and itineraries.

Tour conductor – the person who accompanies and is in charge of a tour, often on a motor coach tour. See tour director.

Tour departure – The date of the start by any individual or group of a tour program or, by extension, the entire operation of that single tour.

Tour director – Also called tour manager, tour conductor, and tour escort. The person who is responsible for a group on tour and for most aspects of a tour’s execution.

Tour escort – See tour director.

Tour guide – A person qualified (and often certified) to conduct tours of specific locations or attractions.

See also step-on guide, city guide, on-site guide, and docent.

Tour manager – See tour director.

Tour manual – A compendium of facts about a destination, tour procedures, forms, and other information that a tour operator gives to its tour directors.

Tour menu – A menu that limits group clients to two or three choices.

Tour operator – A person or company that contracts with suppliers to create and/or market a tour and/or subcontract their performance.

Tour order – A voucher given to the purchaser of a tour package that identifies the tour, the seller, and the fact that the tour is prepaid. The purchaser then uses this form as proof of payment and receives vouchers for meals, porterage, transfers, entrance fees, and other expenses. See also voucher.

Tour planner – A person who researches destinations and suppliers, negotiates contracts, and creates itineraries for travel packages.

Tour rate – See group rate.

Tour series – Multiple departures to the same destination throughout the year.

Tour – A prearranged, prepaid journey to one or more destinations that generally returns to the point of origin, is usually arranged with an itinerary of leisure activities, and includes at least two travel elements.

Tourism – The business of providing marketing services and facilities for leisure travelers.

Tourist card – a card issued to a visitor in lieu of a visa, usually for a short duration visit.

Tourist – This is the majority of adult travelers, when not vacationing. Tourists may be couples, families, or just a person or two who visit locations.

Tours – a tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.

Tracking study – A survey of customers before and after implementing a promotion campaign to assess changes in consumer behavior.

Trans-canal – passing through the Panama Canal.

Transcon – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.

Transcontinental – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.

Transfer – Local transportation and porterage from one carrier terminal to another, from a terminal to a hotel, or from a hotel to an attraction.

Transient Occupancy Tax – Also known as a Bed Tax, it is a City or County tax added to the price of the room.

Transient – A person who stays in a place for just a short while; not a permanent resident, such as a visitor or tourist.

Transit visa – A visa allowing the holder to stop over in a country or make a travel connection or a brief visit.

Transportation – Any method of moving travelers from one point in a journey to another, such as air, ship, rail, and motor coach travel.

Travel advisor – a travel advisor simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many advisors specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.

Travel advisory – a travel warning issued by the US Department of State, indicating a special caution should be taken in a country due to political unrest, natural disaster, or other special situation. These can be obtained from any good travel agent, on any area you are considering visiting.

Travel agency – Usually used in the travel industry to refer to an ARC-appointed storefront retailer.

Travel agent – A person or firm qualified to arrange for lodging, meals, transportation, cruises, tours, and other travel elements, typically on a commission basis. A travel agent simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many agents specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.

Travel component – Transportation, lodging, dining, attractions, entertainment, guide services, and other travel elements offered as part of a travel package.

Travel Destination – a place to which one is journeying.

Travel Experience – A travel experience or experiential travel (also known as immersion travel) as it is commonly referred to, is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

Travel Institute – the primary educational and certification arm of the travel industry. Was formerly the “Institute of Certified Travel Agents” (ICTA), located in Wellesley, Mass.

Travel Insurance – Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either internationally or within one’s own country.

Travel Itinerary – a travel itinerary is a travel plan or organization of your travel and involves all of the details, times and dates concerning things like airline, cruises and train transportation confirmations, hotel, villa and accommodation reservations, rental car information, restaurant reservations and much more.

Travel Policy – A fluid internal document, pertinent to the company’s culture that outlines the guidelines for business travel and expenses within a company.

Travel rewards – Travel reward programs are often referred to as a loyalty rewards program, and they are generally a campaign devised to generate repeat customers for a particular company by offering a point gratification system for the customers’ business. They are also meant to provide customers with a “thank you” for their loyalty to a company’s product or service. That benefit is typically some sort of discount on certain items or services. Travel specialist – a travel specialist is a travel agent or travel advisor that concentrates in a special segment of travel; many travel agents or travel advisors specialize in leisure, group or business travel, or destination specific travel.

Travel Tours – a travel tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.

Traveler – One who travels.

Travelogues – Many travel websites are online travelogues or travel journals, usually created by individual travelers and hosted by companies that generally provide their information to consumers for free. These companies generate revenue through advertising or by providing services to other businesses. This medium produces a wide variety of styles, often incorporating graphics, photography, maps, and other unique content.

Trip director – An escort for an incentive company. Larger companies reserve this title for the person who directs all personnel and activities for a particular incentive trip.

Trundle Bed – Bed that stores itself under another bed, usually on casters. Often found in smaller hotel rooms or in cramped transport accommodations.

Turn – Airline parlance. A flight that leaves base and returns back to base in the same day. Also known as a turnaround.

Turnaway – A potential reservation that couldn’t be satisfied because the tour (or hotel, ship, etc.) was fully booked.

Twenty-four hour time – used extensively in Europe and other countries, 1pm becomes 1300 hours, 4pm is 1500 hours, etc., up to 2359 ( 1159pm ). Midnight is then considered 2400 or “zero ” hours. 1-20am is then 0120 or “one hour, twenty minutes “and so on. Most schedules and timetables in the majority of other countries are listed in the 24-hour format.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites – a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.

Unlimited mileage – No mileage restriction when renting a car.

Unrestricted fare – an airfare that has no special advance purchase, Saturday stay or certain days to travel requirements, and is usually refundable. Many full coach and most first-class fares are unrestricted. An airfare with no limitations. It is typically refundable and has no blackout days.

Upgrade – To move to a better accommodation or class of service.

USTOA – United States Tour Operators Association – a trade association which requires its members to be very financially stable and to have a million dollars or more in funds set aside for consumer protection against defaults. Visit www.ustoa.com for more information.

Value added tax (VAT) – a tax on goods in Europe, which under certain circumstances can be refunded.

Value season – similar to shoulder or low season, when pricing is lower. See off season.

Value – The relationship between the benefits associated with a product or service and the costs of obtaining the product or service. See also perceived value.

Value-added tax (VAT) – A type of tax system which adds a fixed percentage of taxation on products and services at each step of production or service delivery.

Value-based pricing – Pricing a product based on buyer perceptions of value rather than actual product costs.

Variable costs – Costs that change with sales or production levels.

Variance report – A summary of how much a company has gone above or below budget.

Verandah – a roofed-porch, such as connected to a cruise ship stateroom.

VIA rail – the Canadian railway system.

Villas – a large and luxurious country residence. A villa is a fancy vacation home. The word has been around ever since ancient Roman times to mean “country house for the elite.” In Italian, villa means “country house or farm.” Most villas include a large amount of land and often barns, garages, or other outbuildings as well.

VIP experiences – a VIP Experience is the most exclusive way to go behind the scenes or experience a travel destination, accommodation or mode of transportation.

Visa – usually a stamp in a passport allowing entry into a country for a specific purpose and a finite amount of time.

Visa service – a service that can expedite the processing of a visa, sometimes even at the last minute. A fee is charged that varies, depending on the nature of the service needed. Visas are usually stamped into the pages of a valid passport and are issued for varying reasons and periods of time. Not all countries require them, especially for United States Citizens.

Volume incentive – See override.

Volume purchase – The purchase of large quantities of a product or service.

Voucher – Documents that are exchanged for goods and service to substantiate payment that will be or already has been made.

Voyage – a voyage is a long journey involving travel by sea or in space.

Waitlist – A list of clients awaiting transportation or accommodations at times when they are not available. Waitlisted clients are confirmed as a result of subsequent cancellations.

Waiver – a written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something, such as insurance coverage for a trip, for example. Also, the formal acknowledgement of the waiving or dismissal of a requirement, such as a waiver of a penalty for late booking, etc.

Waiver – A written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something.

Walk-up – one who purchases an air ticket at the last moment, usually at the airport ticket counter.

Wants – Ways in which a person satisfies a basic need.

Wellness Travel – wellness travel is a category of travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities

Wet bar – the area of a hotel room that has a bar or other counter space with running water, used for the preparation of drinks.

Wholesale – Sale of travel products through an intermediary in exchange for a commission or fee generally at reduced tariffs.

Word-of-mouth promotion – Personal communication about a product or service from one customer to another.

World Travel Guide – a yearly publication that provides detailed information on most every country in the world, with entries on currency, transportation, climate, visa and passport requirements, sightseeing opportunities, etc. A primary book of knowledge for the professional travel agent.

Yield management – Calculating and analyzing the profits earned per customer.

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Definition of tour guide

Examples of tour guide in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tour guide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near tour guide

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“Tour guide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour%20guide. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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The Mindful Traveller

Eco Travel Blog & Photography

Sustainable Travel Guide: What, Why & How

17 March 2022 · In: Sustainable Travel

Here is a  complete guide to sustainable travel  – an incredible way to explore the world whilst positively impacting people and our planet! 

How to explore with less harm and more positivity?

Sustainable travel may be a term you have heard before, but you still wonder what it truly means. In this article, I go into more depth into the meaning of sustainable travel, why it matters, and some tips to help you travel differently. 

Don’t forget to download your free sustainable travel checklist! ↓

10- Prioritise slow travel = travel less, stay longer

What does sustainable travel mean.

Sustainable travel means exploring the world whilst being aware of your surroundings and having a positive social, environmental and economic impact on the places you visit.

It could be by adopting more sustainable methods of transportation, staying in more environmentally friendly accommodations, eating local and seasonal foods, and avoiding harmful activities.

What is the goal of sustainable travel?

The goal of sustainable travel is to reduce the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities. It means avoiding over-consumption, contributing to the conservation of the environment and respecting local traditions and heritage to participate in their protection.

Ultimately, the primary goal of sustainable travel is to create a better and more viable long-term future for tourism, aiming for a beneficial ‘give and take’ relationship.

Why is sustainable travel important?

Sustainable travel is important as tourism growth has had negative impacts on many places – including the destruction of lands and wildlife, deterioration of historical sites, pollution, littering, price inflation and loss of authenticity. Despite this, tourism remains an incredible way to experience the world and its beauty, share and connect with others, and generate economic benefits for a local area – and these positive effects should be the priority.

Today, tourism, a $9 trillion industry, continues to grow. That is why understanding its impact is vital to ensure a viable expansion, and current habits must change. Creating safe and responsible travel to protect our planet and communities will become crucial over time.

How to be a sustainable traveller?

You can travel sustainably by being mindful of the consequences of your journey. Responsible travel is about adjusting your habits and behaviours and paying attention to your surroundings. 

For example, ask yourself: what is the impact of my flight? Does my hotel care about the environment? Does my tour operator support local communities? 

When you travel, always consider your impact first.

Although adopting a greener way of travelling is a beautiful opportunity to slow down and be responsible, it is not magic and does not happen overnight. But step by step altogether, we can make a difference and create a better future for our planet – whilst enjoying it!

Here are some sustainable travel tips to make your next adventure greener:

1- Consider the most sustainable method of transport

How to get to your destination without harming our planet?

That is a question I have asked myself a lot, considering how much I travel by plane. Whilst doing some research, I discovered (without surprise) that transportation pollution is a significant issue caused by tourism. Air pollution has steadily increased with the number of tourists travelling by planes each year, severely affecting local air quality and contributing to climate change.

That is why, when booking your trip, try to choose the greenest form of transport possible. 

• If you use a plane, take direct flights as much as possible to reduce your carbon footprint, as landing and take-off have the worst effect. You can also choose greener flights with Skyscanner . It has an option that only displays flights with lower CO2 emissions.
• Take the train when you can, as it is one of the transports that emits the lowest levels of pollutants. It is also a beautiful way to slow travel and take time to enjoy the scenery.
• Avoid cruises . Using boats may sound like a good idea, but they have proven to be the most pollutant for our environment. According to a 2017 study , even the most efficient cruise ships emit more carbon dioxide per passenger per kilometre than commercial flights. However, a cruise is another great way to slow travel, so what do you do if you care about the environment but are not ready to abandon cruises? Look carefully at the company website, consider a smaller ship, reduce your single-use plastic consumption and be mindful of your energy and water usage.
• If using the car, try carpooling like Blablacar (the more passengers, the lower the carbon footprint). If you decide to rent a car, go for an electric or at least the smallest vehicle that suits your needs.
• Finally, whatever your choice, use EcoPassenger to calculate the environmental impact of your journey. It will allow you to become aware of your effect and offset your carbon footprint when you get home.

The method of transport you choose to reach your destination will play a crucial role in your overall holiday footprint. However, it is equally important to be eco-conscious once you are there. Here are some other tips to help you reduce your impact: walk as much as possible, use a bike, take public transport, rent an electric or hybrid car or use small-group tour operators.

2- Book eco-friendly accommodations

Once you have booked your vacation, try to reserve a hotel or B&B that adopts eco-responsible practices. Many accommodations are working toward becoming greener by innovating and reducing their impact.

What is an eco-conscious accommodation?

Eco-conscious accommodations or sustainable hotels significantly reduce their environmental impact through green practices in maintenance, services, logistics, products, and supplies. The core elements revolve around reducing waste, saving energy, and decreasing water usage.

How to know if a hotel or guesthouse is eco-friendly?

Doing your research is essential. Go further greenwashing and find a responsible retreat that helps you explore your destination whilst leaving a positive impact.

Here are some guidelines to determine if a hotel or guesthouse is sustainable and using green practices:

• It has a sustainability policy : a hotel committed to sustainability will almost always have a sustainability policy on its website.
• It is committed to limiting its environmental impact : beyond the implementation of energy and water-conserving technologies, initiatives to look out for include an on-site garden that supplies the hotel restaurant, rooftop beehives, single-use plastic-free amenities, locally made furnishings, recycling bins in guest rooms, the use of eco-friendly cleaning products, and washing linens only on request.
• It works closely with the local community : sustainable hotels empower local communities by hiring local staff, using local suppliers, supporting sustainable community programs and integrating guests with the local community.
• It encourages guests to get involved : a sustainable hotel will inspire guests to follow their lead by incorporating interactive initiatives, such as offering reusable water bottles, free or cheap bicycle rental or shared transport options, and guest experiences that support local people and businesses.

To help you further, whether you are looking for a hotel or an Airbnb, you can use EcoBnB  or  BookDifferent to find your green accommodation.

3- Pack your suitcase mindfully

After choosing your destination and booking your trip, what you pack is the next step in reducing your impact. The best way to avoid waste and plastic when travelling is to arrive prepared. That is why considering what you bring with you is so important.

Here are some ideas:

• Reusable cups or mugs are the perfect way to enjoy your trip whilst having a positive impact, as they reduce the number of single-use plastic cups you need on your journey. Here are some brands offering light and eco-friendly cups and mugs: KeepCup , Circular&Co , and Klean Kanteen .
• Reusable water bottles are also a great way to cut down on single-use plastic and should become a must-have in your life, even when you are not travelling! Stay hydrated on the go with these incredibly sustainable bottles: Pure Panda , Jococups , and Sweet Bamboo .
• Whether you like climbing the highest peaks or walking around the city, organic and eco-minded clothes are practical, functional, and a great way to celebrate the adventurer in you. Here are some brands trying to make a difference: United by Blue , Toad&Co , and Coalatree .
• Travel towels are very helpful for any adventure. A quick-drying, antimicrobial towel made of eco-friendly fibres like the Trespass bamboo towel is a must-have and all-in-one option. It is also very convenient as it folds easily, takes no space, and requires less washing.
• Having gear charged on your trip is essential to capture your beautiful adventure and come home with memories. However, it can sometimes be trouble when you are on the road, and it also consumes a lot of energy. Here are some portable solar chargers you can easily take everywhere: Goal Zero and Anker PowerPort Solar .
• Travel tote bags are an excellent substitute for single-use plastic bags and can be very helpful for shopping or the beach! They are practical, functional and easy to take wherever you go. Here is my favourite one: EcoRight .

Check out  this page  for more inspiration on eco-friendly products & gear.

Other ideas:

• Cutlery and containers (reduce single-use plastic)
• Reusable straws (reduce single-use plastic)
• Zero-waste sunscreens (protect reefs and marine life)
• Biodegradable shampoos (reduce toxic chemicals)
• Solid toiletries (reduce water usage)

Looking to stay warm and dry in winter? Check out these top 10 ethical winter coats .

4- Use eco-conscious tour operators and activities

When travelling, being mindful of the activity you choose and the travel agent you select is very important for helping reduce impact. A sustainable tour operator offers travel products or services complying with high social and environmental standards. They focus on creating benefits for local communities, protecting the environment using conservation projects, and prioritising animal welfare.

It is essential that you do your research before booking an activity or tour. Only get involved in activities that benefit the environment, locals and wildlife. Also, try using local guides and look for authentic experiences to ensure your money goes into the local economy. Most importantly, never take part in activities that do not seem right!

• Look on the website for their practices and mission.
• Look for certifications : responsible tour operators are certified by a GSTC accredited certification scheme.
• Look for information on carbon footprint : responsible tour operators take measures to minimise their environmental impact.
• Look for animal activities : responsible tour operators do not offer activities or excursions with captive wildlife or animal interaction.
• Look for statements on local benefits : responsible tour operators benefit local communities with their tourism activities and are proud of it.
• Look for collaborations with local research and conservation projects : responsible tour operators prioritise animal welfare and environmental protection.
• Look at their group sizes : responsible tour operators will not go on an excursion with large groups but with small groups to create less impact.
• Look at the offered accommodations : responsible tour operators will not book your rooms in large hotel chains but in local small-scale accommodations.
• Look for sustainable travel tips : responsible tour operators are all about sharing their knowledge and want you to travel sustainably.

Some of the best sustainable tour operators:

• Intrepid Travel
• G Adventures
• Lokal Travel

Check out this article for more inspiration: Top Ecotourism Activities Around the World .

5- Eat locally and seasonally

When travelling, being mindful of what you eat is crucial to leaving a lower footprint on your destination.

Here are some tips for eating locally and responsibly:

• Eat vegetarian or vegan.
• Ask the locals where they like to eat.
• Buy your food at local markets and shop seasonally.
• And finally, avoid big resorts and go to local restaurants supporting farmers and sustainable products.

And if you want more, check out  HappyCow .

6- Shop and buy local

The souvenirs we bring home matter as much as how we travel. Being mindful of your shopping habits is another way to become more responsible whilst exploring.

Here are some tips:

Buy local and avoid big chain stores.

Shopping locally means less fuel to move goods and food long distances and less energy to cool warehouses and trucks. It also means more money stays in the local community, enriching neighbours instead of corporations in a far-off city or country. So buy locally made gifts to take home as souvenirs. It is better to take home souvenirs unique to the country where you are travelling, rather than something from a factory elsewhere. Local markets are also a great way to ensure you buy local.

Shop responsibly.

• Ask questions to find out more about the product and its origin.
• Go for vegan and decline objects made with animal products.
• Research eco-friendly boutiques and shop vintage.
• Reduce the use of packaging and gift wrap.
• Prioritise sustainable materials or buy second-hand.

Bring reusable shopping bags.

When you bring reusable bags to shop, you adopt a more eco-friendly travel lifestyle with less plastic and waste. Reusable tote bags are lightweight and easily fit in your suitcase, so do not forget to add one to your packing list!

Ask yourself: is it needed?

It can sometimes be challenging to differentiate what you need from what you want. Most of the time, we buy things because of temptation rather than necessity. Therefore, it is essential to ask yourself if you require the product you want to purchase or if the person you are buying it for will use it.

When buying clothes, ask yourself if you really need this item in your closet. Think about how often you will wear it. Always ensure the item will add to your collection and fill a practical niche. Any article that does not meet one of these criteria is not worth the cost to you or the environment.

7- Leave the place better than you found it

Always pick up your trash, or any you come across, avoid plastic at all costs, do not touch everything, be mindful of your water and electricity usage, stay on track when you hike, smile and be grateful to the locals for welcoming you.

Be mindful of cultural sites.

Over-tourism has generated dangerous environmental effects on our sites, and we have, for instance, observed many cases of path erosions over the past few years. Therefore, be mindful and considerate of the places you attend. Learn about them beforehand and respect them whilst visiting.

8- Offset your carbon footprint

Even if you have done your best to lower your footprint, it is still a good idea to offset your carbon emissions from your trip. BUT do not use carbon offset as a complete solution. Combine it with other sustainable practices, like prioritising other methods of transport, avoiding single-use plastic on the plane and mindfully packing your suitcase to be ready for your green adventure.

What is a carbon offset?

A carbon offset is an act of reducing or removing emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases to compensate for the emissions produced elsewhere. You can offset your carbon footprints by investing in carbon offset projects, locally or internationally, as a way of balancing your impact. For example, you can invest your money in a project in Costa Rica to offset the amount of carbon produced by your flight.

What are carbon offset projects?

Carbon offset projects allow you to invest in environmental or social projects to balance the carbon footprint of your travels. They help fight global climate change and care for local communities. For example, they can provide employment, health improvement, biodiversity, reforestation and broad social benefits to disadvantaged communities.

How to offset carbon?

To do this, visit an offset website, use the online tools to calculate the emissions from your trip, and then pay the offset company to reduce emissions elsewhere in the world by the same amount – making your journey “carbon neutral”.

Here are some companies you can use:

• Sustainable Travel International
• Cool Effect

9- Take action = volunteer, donate or share!

Take this opportunity to come back home and feel inspired by your adventure. Now is the best time to take action, whether by volunteering locally or abroad, donating to an organisation or sharing your experience. Speak up and share your sustainable travel experience with your family, friends and followers.

The more we talk about it, the more we will change the world.

Slow travel is a way of exploring the world that accentuates slowing down and connecting with the places and locals. This approach allows you to take more time to get to know a country and its culture on a deeper level, which can also mean travelling less but staying longer = quality over quantity.

Therefore, if you can, try to always stay longer in the destination you are visiting – for at least 3 or 4 days, and avoid day trips as they contribute to overtourism.

Shop the ultimate road trip planner

Create your dream vacation and live unforgettable eco-adventures on the road.

I hope this sustainable travel guide will help make your future trips greener. Remember, always leave your destination better than you found it and educate yourself as much as you can. You got this – one step at a time!

Want to know more?

• 10 Best Travel Apps for Exploring Sustainably
• Top Ecotourism Activities Around the World
• 8 Best Filtered Water Bottles for Travel & Hiking
• Carbon Offset your Flights: What, Why & How
• 10 Best Zero-Waste & Reef-Safe Sunscreens

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Do you have any other suggestions for travelling sustainably and reducing impact? Let me know in the comments below!

With love ♡ Lucie

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Reader Interactions

28 January 2023 at 10:20

This read is such an eye opener. When we talk about sustainability, sustainable travelling is lesser talked about subject. I didnt know cruise is the most pollutant for of travel. I sometimes wonder, does cruise or boats disturb the marine life. How can we offset our carbon footprint from travel at our home without investing in other ofset companies?

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of guide in English

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guide noun [C] ( BOOK )

• He has written a fully comprehensive guide to Rome.
• He's written the definitive guide to Britain's Lake District.
• The informative asides about rural life make this wine guide rather special .
• The grammar guide falls between two stools - it's too difficult for a beginner but not detailed enough for an advanced student .
• It says in the guide that this area of the countryside offers some of the best walks in England .
• phrase book
• the Yellow Pages
• who's who idiom

guide noun [C] ( HELP )

• Use the picture on the front of the box as a guide to what the finished model should look like.
• The instructions are offered as guides and are not meant to be taken too literally .
• The number of houses for sale gives you a guide to the state of the property market .
• The tests are a rough guide to students ' progress .
• As a rough guide, ten paces is about equal to ten yards .
• argumentation
• ascribe something to something
• explanation
• explication
• extenuating
• extenuation
• talk your way out of something idiom
• unclarified
• warrantable
• warrantably

guide noun [C] ( PERSON )

• A guide conducts tours of the cathedral every afternoon .
• We had to ask our guide to interpret for us.
• We needed a guide and he was only too happy to oblige .
• You will be taken round the museum by one of the guides.
• The guides sometimes receive gratuities from the tourists that supplement their salaries .
• air corridor
• amenity kit
• caravanning
• high season
• package tour
• post-holiday
• put something up
• ranger station
• tourist trap

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

guide noun [C] ( INFLUENCE )

• administrator
• anti-management
• counter-power
• manipulator
• movers and shakers
• multi-headed
• vice presidency
• vice president
• vicegerency

guide noun [C] ( TV SCREEN )

• breakfast television
• ghost image
• plasma screen
• square-eyed
• the small screen phrase

guide verb ( HELP )

• The government is planning to launch a benchmarking scheme to guide consumers .
• Parents have the right to expect information to guide them through a growing , yet unregulated market .
• The instructions will guide you through the process of assembling the equipment .
• The glossary is useful for guiding you through some of the technical terms that are used in the book .
• The help file will guide you through the installation process .
• breastbeating
• masterclass
• ostensively
• point ( something / someone ) out
• point the way idiom
• virtue signalling

guide verb ( SHOW WAY )

• Jane guided us round the colleges .
• My colleague here will guide you around the museum .
• He guided us through the woods .
• It's better if you have someone to guide you round the city .
• UK Shall I guide you round the house ?
• accompanied by someone/something
• accompany someone to something
• bring someone/something along
• see someone off
• self-guided
• show someone around ( something )
• show someone over something

guide verb ( MAKE MOVE )

• across-the-board
• applicability
• be/fall under someone's influence/spell idiom
• bear on something
• inspiration
• instrumental
• instrumentality
• instrumentally
• interinfluence
• sphere of influence
• sportswashing
• start (something) off

guide verb ( INFLUENCE )

• affect Low-income women were disproportionately affected by the legislation.
• influence The jury could have been influenced by all the media coverage surrounding the case.
• be/fall under someone's influence/spell The young queen seemed to fall under the spell of her counsellor, believing everything he told her.
• be under someone's spell We warned her about him, but all he had to do was turn on the charm and she was under his spell.
• guide He is guided by the core beliefs of his religion.
• impact Severe storms will impact on travel across the region tonight.
• Beavers phrase
• the Ordnance Survey
• the Red Crescent
• the Red Cross

guide | American Dictionary

Guide | business english, examples of guide, collocations with guide.

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a name someone uses instead of their real name, especially on a written work

Hidden in plain sight: words and phrases connected with hiding

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What a Travel Advisor Really Does and Why You Need One

A good travel advisor can be the key to a memorable trip, handling logistics, access, and on-the-ground support. here’s how to find and use the best of the best..

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The best advisors have connections that an open doors for travelers: to exclusive hotels, to popular restaurants, and to special VIP experiences.

Illustration by Rose Wong

Planning trips these days can feel like a full-time job: flights to book, an itinerary to perfect, the best restaurants and hotel suites to reserve. Luckily, it literally is a full-time job for many knowledgeable people—and they’ll do all the planning and booking for you.

There are thousands of travel advisors across the world who specialize in virtually every destination and type of trip. And they’re more in demand than ever as people seek authentic, meaningful, and conscientious experiences in a world of overtourism, air travel hassles, and climate concerns.

But what value can travel advisors add in this interconnected age, when you can text almost any person or company around the world in an instant, and endless startups are replacing personal interaction with AI-formulated answers? They can add a lot.

More than just logistics

These days, the phrase “travel advisor” most commonly refers to what used to be called a travel agent—a generalist based in the country you live in, who can arrange an itinerary almost anywhere via the local providers they know around the globe. But it’s also worth broadening the way you think about a trip planner to include destination experts—the in-country providers themselves—who create and run trips only in that region and who often work with travelers directly. No matter which kind of travel planner you work with, there are benefits to be had—and they’re not limited to booking flights and hotels. They can usher you into a VIP world of exclusive reservations, singular experiences, and special amenities.

“The best ones know the destination incredibly well and have connections to be able to pull strings to make things happen that you might think are impossible,” says travel journalist and industry expert Wendy Perrin, who maintains a “Wow List” of the best-reviewed planners and matches travelers to the ideal people for their needs.

Her site, WendyPerrin.com , is full of detailed reviews from travelers who have used the experts on her list. Take Jeannie Mullen, who’s on the board of directors of a professional theater company in her hometown of Highlands, North Carolina. Perrin connected her with Jan Sortland of Norwegian Adventures , a destination expert who arranged for Mullen to meet his actress sister-in-law for coffee, followed by a backstage tour of Oslo’s National Theatre. Then he packed in storytelling with a reindeer herder and four nights of northern lights viewing.

Advisors can also unlock such perks as hotel credits for free breakfasts and late checkouts. These benefits “can be valued in hundreds of dollars, depending on the accommodations, without [you] having to play the points and rewards game,” says Josh Bush, the CEO of family-owned travel advisor group Avenue Two Travel . Other advisors may have access to cruise credits and cabin upgrades.

A travel advisor can help prepare and protect travelers in cases of bad weather, sickness, and other emergencies.

When things go awry

Advisors can come in handy during your travels, too. They’ll have an extensive support network on the ground to “prevent the pitfalls that can hex a trip,” Perrin says.

Amina Dearmon, who founded the agency Perspectives Travel , recalls a time some of her clients were leaving the Caribbean country of Dominica. Adverse weather canceled their Friday flight home, and they were told at the airport that the next flight would be on Tuesday. Dearmon used her knowledge and contacts to get them on a flight the following morning and arranged a shuttle back to their villa for an extra night. Fancy doing all that yourself at the end of a holiday?

When Afar’s executive editor, Billie Cohen , landed in Beijing with food poisoning, Mei Zhang of Wild China (a destination expert who’d fashioned a two-week trip for Cohen) was there to help. “Mei was on the phone with my driver as soon as I landed . . . and was ready to take me to the doctor if I needed it,” Cohen says. “It was reassuring to have someone looking out for me, and who spoke the language.”

William Kiburz, vice president of Coronet Travel, was able to go a step further when a client had a health emergency while touring Christmas markets in Europe. Kiburz had secured the traveler a comprehensive insurance policy that allowed him to have surgery in a German hospital—and then Kiburz assisted with claims to cover the medical procedure.

Unexpected perks

Enlisting the right professional can also improve your travels in ways you may not have imagined. Come in with an open mind, and they’ll broaden it further. Perrin often makes a case for new possibilities—Panama instead of Costa Rica, say, or Sri Lanka (which “so many people just don’t even think about”).

Bush agrees: “Advisors can redirect clients to an alternative destination by getting to the ‘why’ and identifying another similarly amazing destination with those attributes and interests. And they can point them to a time of year when it’s great to go but minus all the crowds.”

Indeed, in popular spots, advisors can help avoid the scourge of overtourism. For cruises on Egypt’s Nile River, Jim Berkeley, founder and CEO of Destinations & Adventures International , introduces travelers to small, semi-private dahabiya houseboats, which can dock at ports the big ships can’t access, allowing guests to visit less crowded sites off the typical main route.

Advisors can also do a lot of the groundwork to ensure trips are sustainable—an increasing request from travelers—by vetting suppliers and partners. Advisors at Avenue Two Travel, a certified B Corp, take time to research the activities and in-country companies, appraise them in person, and have “frank conversations,” Bush says. They then present travelers with ways to leave a smaller footprint, give back to the community, and engage in philanthropy. “An advisor takes the worry of sustainability off the client by handling it for them,” he adds.

How to find the right advisor

Don’t blindly Google your way to a good advisor. First, consider consortia. The Virtuoso group is a network of some 20,000 travel advisors and more than 1,800 travel companies; each one must be invited to join and must meet certain criteria regarding business model, philosophy, and culture. Signature Travel Network is another; it’s been around since 1956. The Afar Travel Advisory Council, meanwhile, is a small, select group of 14 experts in experiential travel. Kiburz and Bush are both members. SmartFlyer is a travel agency of in-house advisors and more than 250 independent affiliates—Dearmon’s agency, Perspectives Travel, is one of them.

The price of an advisor varies. According to Perrin, the cost is usually applied as a deposit toward the trip or as an additional fee.

But another option is to join a membership-based travel agency such as Indagare. For about $3,000 per year, members receive unlimited customized itinerary planning, a dedicated “trip designer,” and other perks.

A good advisor is well connected, well traveled, and always learning, Bush says. He recommends searching for an advisor based near your home if you’re after an in-person interaction; if you’re not, Perrin suggests a phone or video call at minimum to kick off the planning. “It’s important to find an advisor who you connect with and enjoy working with,” Bush says, noting that successful partnerships can last years or even generations. “The goal is to find one who really gets your travel and communication style.”

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What Does Travel Mean to You?

A few years ago, I went around the world and asked people what travel meant to them. As I travel the country on my current book tour and hear everyone’s reasons for travel, I’m reminded of that experience.

Travel means something different to every single person in the world.

There are a million and one reasons to travel. Many people travel the world to get the bug out of their system, or to check things off a list to say they’ve been there and done that. Some run to escape their problems. Some people travel simply to get drunk around the world.

For me, travel means many things. Travel is freedom . It’s about being able to do what I want and fill my day with excitement. Travel was an escape. Travel was “elsewhere”. That place where exciting things and people resided. It was escaping the Matrix to learn about the world, why people do what they do, and how they act. It’s about pushing myself to the limit and getting more comfortable in my own skin.

But I wondered what motivates other people to do the same.

I have my theories of course.

But I wanted to hear it from people directly.

So, during an extended trip, I asked people I met on the road one question:

“What does travel mean to you?”

And here is what they said:

I loved hearing everyone’s answers because it so accurately describes all the various reasons that push us to travel the world, learn about the people in it, and ourselves.

Now, tell me in the comments below:

What does travel mean to you?

Share what drives you.  

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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What is a Travelogue?

Travel writing is a genre that is becoming increasingly popular. It seems that each week a new travel book gets published and every day more writers are interested in writing one. Yet, as interest in travel writing grows, so too does the need to clarify the questions: What exactly is a travelogue? And how does it compare to a travel book?

What is a travelogue?

A travelogue is a truthful account of an individual’s experiences traveling, usually told in the past tense and in the first person.

The word travelogue supposedly comes from a combination of the two words  travel  and  monologue . In turn, the word  monologue  comes from the Greek words  monos  (alone) and  logos  (speech, word). A travelogue is then, in its most basic form, a spoken or written account of an individual’s experiences traveling, which usually appears in the past tense, in the first person, and with some verisimilitude.

Because a travelogue aims to be a true account of an individual’s experiences traveling, descriptions of what the traveler sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels in the external world while traveling are essential components . 

Of course, thoughts, feelings, and reflections are important parts of our experience of travel. So, descriptions of a traveler’s inner world are not out-of-place in the travelogue.

Likewise, notes and observations on history, society, and culture are also common features of travelogues, as we certainly learn about the world when we travel.

If you want to write a better travel stories, check out our tips to write better travelogues .

What are the types of travelogue?

A travelogue can exist in the form of a book, a blog, a diary or journal, an article or essay, a podcast, a lecture, a narrated slide show, or in virtually every written or spoken form of creation. 

There are many examples of travelogues online in the form of “travel blogs.”

However, not all travel blogs are travelogues in the pure sense of the term because some of their authors are less concerned with giving personal accounts of their own experiences traveling than capturing internet search traffic by providing tips, advice, or practical information about travel.

For example, they claim to present the “best things to do” in a particular destination instead of “what I did” there. Though, some travel blogs do publish hybrid travelogues that also provide tips and advice in order to market their travel services.

Travelogue books

Mark Twain’s  The Innocents Abroad  is a good example of a travelogue in book form. While it was published as a book in the 19 th  century, it is perhaps best characterized as a travelogue by today’s standards and not as a modern travel book . The frontispiece of the first edition in 1869 explains why:

In  The Innocents Abroad , Twain gives us and “account of the steamship  Quaker City ’s pleasure excursion to Europe and the Holy Land; with descriptions of countries, nations, incidents and adventures, as they appeared to the author.” It is a descriptive account of his travels and thoughts, sometimes funny and often bigoted. He tells us what he saw and what he felt while also offering historical and cultural remarks on the places he visited.

While it is well-written, I’m not sure the book has a story, a plot, a narrative arc, or a storyline that holds everything together. These are features seldom found in travelogues, R. K. Wilson reminds us in his 1973 study  The Literary Travelogue .

A destination isn’t a story. Neither is simply going from one place to another.

Instead,  The Innocents Abroad  is an account of Twain’s holiday, written as if were a letter to his mother half a world away. “Dear Mom,” we imagine the book starting.

Travelogues vs. travel books

As we have seen in the example above, a travelogue can exist in the form of a book. But this does not mean that it is the same thing as a  travel book as we understand it today. 

Indeed, terms like  travelogue  and  travel book  often get conflated. “Even [E.M.] Forster is uncertain what to call these things,” Paul Fussell wrote in his book  Abroad . “In 1941 he calls them  travelogues , in 1949  travel books .” Like Forster, Fussell conflates the terms.

In the last 100 years or so, we have seen the travel book evolve from the travelogue and mature into a more rarefied thing with its own set of stylistic and formal expectations. Carl Thompson calls this the  modern travel book , a concept he discusses in the early chapters of his academic study  Travel Writing . 

While it can appear in book form and evoke a day-to-day account like a logbook, a ship’s log, or a captain’s log, a travelogue does not necessarily have the formal dimensions and stylistic conceits of the  modern travel book .

A travelogue does not necessarily have the formal dimensions and stylistic conceits of the  modern travel book .

This is not to say that travelogues are not insightful or uninteresting. Quite the opposite. They are incredibly revealing and can expose a tremendous amount of information about the world, the writer, and the reader.

But the modern travel book is a different beast. Among other important distinctions, modern travel books and modern travelogues have stories , plots, and through-lines. A mission, quest, or journey isn’t a story in and of itself.

Perhaps making a distinction between a travelogue and the modern travel book is an elitist or academic move. But perhaps it is no more pompous to say this than it is to say that a modern novel has a specific form and style different from its earlier iterations.

Is the travel book a “sub-species of memoir,” as Fussell notes? Is travel writing even a genre? How do travelogues fit into the travel writing landscape?

Travel writing historians and scholars do not agree upon the definitions and boundaries of travel writing. The one thing they agree on is that there is no consensus on the definition. To that point, Thompson writes, “the boundaries of the travel writing genre are fuzzy, and there is little point in policing them too rigidly.”

P.S.: At the time of writing this, the Wikipedia article on The Innocents Abroad says that the book “presents itself as an ordinary travel book based on an actual voyage” (emphasis added). We’ll leave it at that.

Last Updated on 29 December 2020 by Travel Writing World

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Travel Writing World

With an emphasis on travel books and long-form travel literature, host Jeremy Bassetti talks with the world’s most inspiring travel writers about their work and about the business and craft of travel writing in this award-winning podcast and website. In addition to the podcast, the site also features travel writer profiles, book reviews, and articles.

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Must-have tools and apps for travel writers, books to help writers cultivate and create a..., capturing a sense of place in travel blogging, become a travel writer: the best books on..., 10 travel book subgenres with examples, crossing cultural boundaries.

Extremely helpful; informative and insightful. Has stimulated me to dig a little deeper into the sub-divisions within travel writing and gain a better understanding of where my own Mad Cow in Galicia memoir series sits within the genre. Thank you.

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Saguaro National Park offers travelers an iconic slice of the Southwest

Get your camera ready for Saguaro National Park .

The park is home to the tallest cactus species in the country, the saguaro, a symbol of the Southwest. They’re particularly concentrated in the west district of the park, just outside Tuscon, Arizona.

“We like to call that one the Instagram side because you can literally go anywhere in the park, and there will be at least two or three dozen saguaros in the background of your photo,” said Cam Juárez, Community Engagement and Outreach coordinator and public information officer at the park.   

Here’s what else travelers will find at Saguaro, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series .

Why is Saguaro National Park worth seeing?

“Saguaros are super special because they only exist in this part of the world the way they do,” said Juárez. “You can visit certain parts of Mexico, you can visit certain parts of central Arizona, but you’re never going to see them the way you see them here.”

They’re not the only scenic beauties in the biodiverse park. 

“Our peaks are in the neighborhood of around 9,000 feet,” Juárez said. Visitors can find aspen, pine and fir trees in its sky islands. “As you climb every few 100 feet down in elevation, you're experiencing different biomes all the way down to grasslands, to desert shrub, to basically just what you would imagine a desert to look like.”

Which side is better for Saguaro National Park?

The park is divided into east and west districts, which bookend Tucson. Tucson International is the closest airport.

“My favorite is the west district, just because I love seeing the saguaro. You're going to have 2 million, versus maybe a quarter million saguaros on the east side,” Juárez said. “But if you're a backcountry hiker and you want to hike long distances, the east district, Rincon Mountain District, is definitely better.” 

He noted the Arizona Trail , from the U.S.-Mexico border up to the Grand Canyon, goes right through the east district. 

Can I drive in Saguaro National Park?

Yes. There is a $25 vehicle entry fee for the park, which is cashless. 

Visitors can purchase passes online at Recreation.gov or at a park kiosk using a debit or credit card.

How long does it take to go through Saguaro National Park?

You could visit both sides of the park in one day but may be better off with two.

“If you only have one day, definitely take the Cactus Forest loop ,” Juárez recommended. Cactus Forest Drive is a scenic 8-mile roadway in the east district. The west district has a 5-mile Bajada Loop Drive.

What is the best time to visit Saguaro National Park?

Juárez called October and mid-November magical. That’s just before the park’s busiest time of year, which he said runs from after Thanksgiving through April.

“Two times a year, we see a lot of rainstorms,” he added. “We have our traditional summer monsoons, and we have our winter rains. As a bimodal desert, you're going to see different blossoms at different times of the year.”

He said monsoons amplify the park’s already magnificent sunsets.

“The different colors of red and yellows and golds, coupled with purple skies, it's just everything that you see on postcards,” he said. “It just comes alive.”

What does the saguaro mean to Native Americans?

“The Tohono O’odham have a very special relationship with the park. Their whole culture revolves around the saguaro cactus, or as they call it, the Ha:san ,” Juárez said. Tribal members may harvest the fruit for traditional uses with a special permit through the Interior Department and National Park Service. “The fruit is harvested as part of their traditional medicine, their traditional foods. A lot of ceremonial wines come from that.”

He said other tribes tied to the land include Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Gila River Indian Community .

What else should visitors know about Saguaro?

“I would love for people to know that Saguaro National Park is making a concerted effort to be conscientious of the fact that the representation matters,” Juárez said. “ Friends of Saguaro National Park , in conjunction with our team here, developed what's called the Next Generation Ranger program, and it's not just a paid internship. It's an opportunity for (interns) to gain experience and gain what's called the Public Land Corps credit opportunity, which will help us diversify not just race and ethnicity but also ability and gender …  so when you walk into Saguaro National Park, you're going to run into very knowledgeable, very experienced, diverse young people that are matching our country's identity.”

Nearly 45% of the Tucson population is of Hispanic or Latino heritage, according to the U.S. Census . Several park staffers speak Spanish, including Juárez. 

“It comes in handy because we're not just talking our friends to the south. We're talking all the way down to Central America and South America that are visiting national parks,” he said, adding that sometimes they’ll welcome visitors in Spanish. “You should see the look on people's faces. They're like, ‘Wow, you speak my language.’ I encourage all of my coworkers and staff people to make it a point to try to at least learn how to say welcome and hello in different languages.”

National parks for every body: How to make the outdoors more accessible

The park is also making a concerted effort to welcome guests of all abilities. Both districts offer a variety of accommodations, including accessible trails , braille and large-text versions of the park brochure, touchable exhibits, captioned programs and more.

“I definitely am an active voice, as a person with a physical disability, that says we can't just give folks a smidgen of what able-bodied individuals can get,” Juárez said. “We should make a very concerted effort to expand on everything we've done so far.”

The complete guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards points give you access to some of the best hotel and airline transfer partners in the business, as well as Chase Travel℠ , the issuer's easy-to-use travel portal that allows you to redeem points for a wide variety of bookings, including rental cars, hotels, flights, tours and activities.

Despite increasing competition from American Express Membership Rewards , Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One miles and Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards has maintained its place as one of the most valuable and useful points currencies.

If you're ready to get serious about traveling more for less, here's everything you need to know about how to earn and redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

What are Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

Ultimate Rewards points are the currency of most Chase-branded credit cards . You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points for everyday spending on these cards that you can then redeem for a wide range of rewards.

If you're just getting started in the world of travel credit cards, it's typically best to start with Chase products , thanks to the issuer's well-documented 5/24 rule . In short, you generally can't get approved for any Chase cards — including those that earn Ultimate Rewards points — if you've applied for five or more new credit cards across all banks in the past 24 months.

Keep this restriction in mind as you build a strategy to maximize your credit card rewards.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

How do I earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

There are many ways to earn Chase points at rates of 1 to 10 points per dollar spent, depending on the specific Chase credit card you carry.

The first three cards below earn fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points all by themselves, while the remaining four are technically billed as cash-back credit cards .

However, if you have a full Ultimate Rewards points-earning card, you can combine your Chase cash-back rewards in a single account, effectively converting your cash-back rewards into fully transferable points. For this reason, having more than one Chase card can make sense to maximize your earning and redeeming potential.

Here are the seven cards that allow you to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Welcome bonus : You'll receive 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's worth over $900 when redeemed through Chase Travel.

Why you want it : This is a fantastic all-around travel credit card . It earns points at the following rates:

• 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through March 2025)
• 5 points per dollar spent on all travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 3 points per dollar spent on dining , including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out
• 3 points per dollar spent on select streaming services
• 3 points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

The Sapphire Preferred has no foreign transaction fees and comes with many travel perks , including delayed baggage insurance, trip interruption/cancellation insurance and primary car rental insurance .

Annual fee : $95

Application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Welcome bonus : You'll receive 75,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's worth $1,125 when redeemed through Chase Travel.

Why you want it : Put simply, you want this card for its earning power and its travel perks that can easily cover the annual fee. It accrues the following earnings:

• 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through March 2025)
• 10 points per dollar spent on Chase Dining booked through Ultimate Rewards
• 10 points per dollar spent on hotel and car rental purchases through Chase Travel
• 5 points per dollar spent on airline travel booked through Chase Travel
• 3 points per dollar spent on travel not booked through Chase
• 3 points per dollar spent on other dining purchases
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

Other perks include an easy-to-use annual travel credit worth $300, a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (up to $100 once every four years) and Priority Pass Select lounge access, as well as entry to the growing list of new Sapphire lounges . This is one of the few cards that allows you to use your Priority Pass membership for discounted meals in airport restaurants , though this benefit will no longer be available from July on. Cardholders also get primary car rental coverage, trip interruption/cancellation insurance and other protections .

Annual fee : $550

Application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Welcome bonus : You'll receive 100,000 points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Why you want it : This is one of the best credit cards for small-business owners , earning 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, and advertising made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. You earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases, and points don't expire as long as your account is open.

Application link: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Welcome bonus : Earn up to $750: $350 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

Why you want it : Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year (then 1%). Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year (then 1%). You can convert these earnings to Ultimate Rewards points if you have one of the three cards above.

Annual fee : $0

Application link: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Welcome bonus : Earn up to $750 cash back (which can become 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. Plus, an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.

Benefits : Earn unlimited 1.5% cash-back rewards on every purchase. These cash-back earnings can be converted to Ultimate Rewards points if you have one of the top three cards listed above, meaning your small business can essentially earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on all charges made with this card.

Application link: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Welcome bonus : Earn $200 after you spend $500 in the first three months of account opening

Benefits : The card earns 5% back on select bonus categories, which rotate every quarter and apply up to $1,500 in combined spending (activation required). Past bonus categories include gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants, warehouse stores and department stores. You can convert these rewards to valuable Ultimate Rewards points if you have one of the top three cards listed above. Plus, earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and 3% on drugstore purchases.

Application link: Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Welcome bonus : Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 cash back.

Benefits : These earnings can be converted to valuable Ultimate Rewards points if you have one of the top three cards listed above. Plus, earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and 3% on drugstore purchases. Earn 1.5% on all other purchases. The card also offers 120-day purchase protection and extended warranty protection .

Application link: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Other Chase credit cards

Note that there are many other Chase-issued credit cards that aren't listed here, including:

• Those that are no longer available to new applicants, like the Ink Plus and Chase Freedom
• Those that don't fully participate in the Ultimate Rewards program, like the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card , which exclusively offers cash back and doesn't allow rewards to be combined with other cards
• Cobranded products with a partner's loyalty program, like United Airlines cards and Southwest Airlines cards , which don't participate in Ultimate Rewards

Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points expire?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points do not expire, provided you keep at least one card that earns Ultimate Rewards points open.

If you cancel all your Ultimate Rewards cards, you must redeem or transfer your points before closing the last card. Otherwise, you will forfeit the points.

What are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?

TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece . This is largely due to the array of valuable transfer partners like World of Hyatt and United Airlines MileagePlus, as these options give you valuable flexibility in your redemptions.

However, you'll get varying values for Chase points if you pursue other redemption opportunities. For example, Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents apiece through Chase Travel for Sapphire Reserve cardholders and 1.25 cents for those with the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred. You'll also have access to Chase Pay Yourself Back as a cardholder of any of the above cards, and there are occasionally offers to use Chase points for Apple products or gift cards at an enhanced value.

Finally, Chase points are worth 1 cent apiece if used for simple cash back.

What are the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners?

You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to 11 airline programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United Airlines MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Chase also partners with three hotel programs:

• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

All transfer ratios are 1:1 (though there are occasional transfer bonuses ), and you must transfer points in 1,000-point increments.

Options to redeem Ultimate Rewards points

When redeeming Ultimate Rewards points, you have three basic options:

• Fixed-value, non-travel redemptions (e.g., cash back, gift cards, Apple products)
• Fixed-value Chase Travel bookings
• Transfers to travel partners

The "best" option comes down to your travel needs. Points are here to save you money, and you should use them when it suits you.

That being said, you should aim for the highest value whenever possible. Here's a look at all of your options.

Transfer to travel partners

Transferring Ultimate Rewards points to travel partners often can be the most valuable way to redeem your hard-earned points. With 14 transfer partners, you have plenty of options, and you can keep your Chase points in your Ultimate Rewards account until you are ready to transfer them, which provides excellent flexibility. Our favorite sweet spots include:

• Top-tier Hyatt hotels : The World of Hyatt award chart is incredibly inexpensive compared to some competitors. You can book some of the fanciest Park Hyatt properties in the entire portfolio, including the Park Hyatt New York and the Park Hyatt Sydney , for 35,000 points per night during off-peak dates. TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each, so 35,000 points are worth $595. That's a great deal for hotels that routinely sell for close to $1,000, even when demand is low. There's also great value at the lower end of the Hyatt award chart. Category 1 hotels range from 3,500 to 6,500 points per night, depending on peak, standard and off-peak pricing.
• Iberia flights to Madrid : Round-trip flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Spain's capital will only set you back 34,000 Avios in economy, 51,000 points in premium economy or 68,000 points in business class when you transfer your Chase points to Iberia Plus. Considering that most airlines charge at least 60,000 miles for a one-way business-class award to Europe, you're essentially getting a 50% discount.
• Flights to Hawaii with Alaska Airlines and American Airlines : By transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways, you can book awards with Oneworld partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. As long as your nonstop flight distance is under 3,000 miles each way, you can leverage British Airways' (unpublished) distance-based award chart to fly from any West Coast gateway to Hawaii for only 26,000 Avios round-trip.
• All Nippon Airways flights booked through Virgin Atlantic : For just 145,000 points, you can fly round-trip in first class between the West Coast and Tokyo. Flights from other U.S. gateways only cost an extra 25,000 points (170,000 points round-trip). Business-class redemptions are an even better deal, costing just 90,000 to 95,000 points round-trip, depending on your U.S. departure airport. If possible, you'll want to route through JFK and fly ANA's "The Room" business class , which is only available on select routes.
• Short-haul flights to Canada : Aeroplan stuck to an award chart for partner redemptions but added dynamic pricing for Air Canada flights. As a result, you can often find super-cheap short-haul tickets from the U.S. to Canada. For example, a flight from JFK to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) can be booked for under 6,000 points one-way on many dates.

Book via Chase Travel

You can book through Chase Travel and redeem points for your plane tickets, hotel stays, rental cars or experiences at a fixed cash value per point.

As a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Business Preferred cardholder, each point is worth 1.25 cents. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your points are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel redemptions in the portal. If you have a Chase Freedom Flex, Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, Ink Business Cash Credit Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited, all points are worth 1 cent each.

However, as noted previously, if you have multiple cards earning Ultimate Rewards points, you can combine your points into the account with the highest value for Ultimate Rewards bookings. For example, your points earned with the Chase Freedom Flex can be moved to your Sapphire Reserve account, thus increasing their value from 1 to 1.5 cents apiece. This is a generous offer from a credit card program.

If you can find inexpensive airfare via Chase Travel, using your points for these flights can make sense to save cash. In the eyes of the airline, tickets booked this way are essentially the same as paid fares. This means you'll earn elite status credits and redeemable miles. Be careful to avoid basic economy tickets unless you are OK with their restrictions.

In the case below, spending 2,973 Ultimate Rewards points from a Sapphire Reserve account to fly from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) isn't too shabby.

You might also consider the travel portal option if you only have a handful of Ultimate Rewards points left since Chase lets you redeem points to cover even just a portion of the trip cost. You would then pay the remaining balance with cash.

Finally, this is a decent option for car rentals, non-chain lodging and when cash rates make spending points through transfer partners a bad value. The hotel options are quite varied, though be aware that if you book a hotel that participates in a major loyalty program through Chase, you likely won't earn hotel points, nor will you be able to take advantage of any elite status perks.

Enjoy fixed-value, non-travel redemptions

You can redeem Chase points for a statement credit or bank deposit at a flat rate of 1 cent each, and this rate also applies to gift cards and Apple products (outside a limited-time special).

However, with Chase Pay Yourself Back, you can redeem points for cash back at a rate of 1.25 to 1.5 cents each, depending on your card. This redemption rate is valid on statement credits toward rotating purchase categories, such as dining.

Finally, you can also link your eligible Chase cards to your Amazon account and pay for purchases with the Shop With Points program. However, you will only receive a value of around 0.8 cents per Ultimate Rewards point.

As you can see, you'll generally get much better value with the program's transfer partners and Chase Travel bookings. However, we know needs can change, so these non-travel redemptions remain fall-back options.

Bottom line

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of our favorite credit card programs at TPG. It allows you to start with a credit card offering a large welcome bonus and then enjoy bonus points on many everyday spending categories — like airfare, hotels, dining and groceries. Then, you can choose from a huge range of transfer partners, redeem points for travel directly with Chase or choose cash back.

More From Forbes

The best new restaurants in las vegas.

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Resorts World’s Carversteak.

While some might argue that the best way to get to know a place as sensory saturated as Las Vegas is to get out and explore, to truly experience this city, from the Strip to downtown and from the westside to Boulder City, is to taste it.

When Wolfgang Puck’s Spago — imported from Los Angeles — opened its doors in 1992, it ushered in a celebrity-chef-driven restaurant migration to the Strip. From that moment, Las Vegas’ luxury dining scene has been a continually evolving world that’s only expanding into a wider playing field.

Beyond offering delicious dupes of renowned restaurants from coast to coast, all within a four-mile stretch around the Las Vegas Valley, the area brightly shines with an up-and-coming local dining scene, innovative takes on culinary trends and exceptional places to try different types of cuisines in varying styles.

These are the best new restaurants in Las Vegas.

Mother Wolf.

Top New Fine Dining Experiences

Fontainebleau

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The recently opened Fontainebleau features top restaurants from coast to coast, and the pinnacle comes from Hollywood with chef Evan Funke’s Mother Wolf . Martin Brudnizki designed the opulent Roman temple dedicated to the dishes of the Italian capital.

When you dine here, start with polpette di coda (oxtail meatballs). Their dense, rich, crisp texture is a surprising departure from the traditional. Move on to the Roman-style, wafer-thin woodfired pizzas, which come in eight different styles such as diavola (spicy salami), quattro formaggi (four cheese), Calabrese and funghi (mushroom). Next is the dedicated pasta Romana course, with carbonara, all’amatriciana, alla gricia (cheese and the guanciale), al burro (butter and Parmesan) and arrabbiata filing out of the open kitchen, rapid fire.

Funke aims to tell authentic stories with his food and provide a sense of place and meaning to the people who dine in his restaurant. “It’s not just about the food, a great wine list or ambiance,” Funke said. “It’s the entire experience. I want to sweep people off their feet and put them into a different mindset and a different place.”

Durango Resort

After debuting in December 2023, southwest Las Vegas’ Durango Resort has quickly become adored by locals and visitors alike as the place to dine off the Strip.

The new resort’s parent company, Station Casinos , is known for its popular steakhouses around town. The new jewel is Nicco’s Prime Cuts & Fresh Meats from chefs and Nobu alumni Frankie Gorriceta and Daniel Ye. Nicco’s prides itself on high-quality beef and presents a tableside grilled wagyu flight with Hokkaido snow wagyu, true Kobe and the rare A5 olive wagyu. Additional bragging rights go to the open kitchen, luminous selenite bar and 4,000-bottle wine cellar.

Peter Luger Steak House at Caesars Palace

New York City dining institution Peter Luger makes its way to Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. Revel in Luger’s legendary dry-aged porterhouse steak for one, two, three or four. If you are lucky enough, you might be given a tour of the impressive dry-aging room deep in the resort’s basement.

Only available midday, the burger and the steak sandwich might have enough pull to make the three-martini lunch a thing again.

Safta 1964’s delightful dips.

Exploring International Cuisines

Mother Wolf’s close neighbor at Fontainebleau, Chyna Club, from Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Hakkasan Las Vegas creator Alan Yau, serves Cantonese cuisine and dim sum in a setting with the allure of a private residence in Hong Kong .

In a city that does Peking duck well, this restaurant serves one of the best, carved tableside and presented the traditional way with featherlight pancakes, steamed buns and sweet bean sauce with thinly sliced cucumbers and scallions. Fresh lobster Cantonese and drunken king crab are the yang to the yin of delicately folded Sichuan dumplings. Yau’s classics, such as jasmine tea short ribs, scallop shumai, crispy duck salad and club carbonara, are also found on the menu.

Safta 1964 by Alon Shaya

Innovating on the pop-up restaurant trend and playing off the city’s popular music residencies, New Orleans -based chef Alon Shaya (whose eateries include Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans ’ Miss River) kicks off a culinary residency with Safta 1964. Taking over Four-Star Wynn Las Vegas ’ Jardin restaurant by night to create a playful prequel to his Denver-based Mediterranean restaurant, Safta (“grandmother” in Hebrew) is inspired by the chef’s matriarchal figure riding around town in her ’64 Thunderbird and throwing elaborate dinner parties.

What kinds of things served at those social gatherings can you expect at Safta 1964? Salatim (dips, spreads and vegetables) and freshly milled wheat pita start the evening. Shaya makes hummus six different ways, from classic tahini and lamb ragu to warmed buttered black summer truffles and blue crab with Ossetra caviar. The duck matzo ball soup and harissa-roasted chicken steal the show. And in the ultimate throwback, there’s a tableside Jell-O service.

French dining sensation LPM has made its way to Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas with Côte d’Azur charm and a spectacular look onto the Strip. This eatery’s French Riviera-inspired food is unique compared to other Las Vegas bistros. Warm prawns with olive oil and lemon juice are simple and perfect. On the more decadent side, the roasted chicken comes with foie gras, rigatoni and truffles. The cocktail menu is inspired by the French artist Jean Cocteau and is even accompanied by drawings and poems. The piquant Tomatini (tomatoes, white balsamic, honey and pepper) is LPM’s don’t-miss cocktail. You’ve never tasted savory goodness like it before.

With locations in New York City, Miami and Tel Aviv, celebrated Israeli chef Eyal Shani and Shahar Segal’s HaSalon found a natural fit in Las Vegas. The part nightclub/part restaurant at the Four-Star Palazzo at the Venetian Resort is culinary theater at its finest. Expect a celebration of the Mediterranean’s fresh ingredients in creative iterations and dishes that have velocity, literally. The Terrifying Hammer, for example, features herbs and flowers smashed atop thin slices of beef carpaccio.

There are two nightly seatings. The first makes the food the star of the show in a more tranquil environment. The second transitions from calm to wild with thumping music and napkin waving as the wine flows. The evening menu features a disclaimer about standing on the serving counters, tables or bar stools. But if you dance, sing and drink in a reasonable manner, you’ll have a safe, satiated time.

Eat Your Heart Out Hall of Foods’ Fiorella.

Unique Settings

Eat Your Heart Out Hall of Foods

Also at Durango, Eat Your Heart Out Hall of Foods eschews the typical fast-food-style counters found at most trendy food halls, for bar and table seatings in intimate boutique restaurant spaces and fast-casual settings. One of these unique enclaves belongs to Fiorella from celebrated Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri, whose Vetri at Palms and Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock consistently rank among the top high-end restaurants in Vegas.

Fiorella is almost a replica of his Philly pasta bar with 40 seats, a brick facade, a red-painted front door, copper ceilings, wood paneling and Murano chandeliers. The menu’s nine different pastas share signature touches like brown-butter ricotta gnocchi, basil-almond pesto garganelli and lemon-poppy seed tagliolini. Everything is made in the open kitchen and best enjoyed at the chef’s counter.

Carversteak

Carversteak at Resorts World opened in 2021, but new for this season is a climate-controlled, 3,500-square-foot enclosed patio garden and bar. Dine alfresco year-round on executive chef Daniel Ontiveros’ Japanese, Australian and domestic wagyu steaks.

As one of the largest steakhouses in the city, it boasts one of the most diverse meat programs in the highly competitive field. The indoor-outdoor addition makes for a tremendous dining ambiance at one of the most Instagrammable restaurants in town. Check your social feed for pictures of the famed dining room portrait of Cookie Monster or the beloved Cookie Monster dessert trio if you have any doubts about the place’s popularity.

Off-Strip Deliciousness

Esther’s Kitchen

Esther’s Kitchen, a breakout star in the Arts District and a hero of the local Las Vegas dining scene since its 2018 debut, recently relocated to a next-door space (a 1940s-vintage corrugated steel and concrete building that previously housed the Retro Vegas vintage store) that’s three times the size. As a result, chef James Trees expanded the menu and hours to meet the demand for reservations. Now, there are pasta-making setups, wood-fired pizza stations, a private dining room and a wraparound bar.

Casa de Raku

The Spring Mountain corridor welcomes Casa de Raku, a traditional Spanish-European tapas and wine bar created by restaurateur Mitsuo Endo, of Raku fame. Open for dinner and late-night, the tapas bar is as authentic as you will find stateside, with products discovered on culinary expeditions to Madrid , San Sebastián, León and Segovia.

The Iberico katsu represents the best of both Japan and Spain as premium Spanish Iberico ham is prepared in a classically Asian style. These sophisticated snacks are best paired with a sample of Spanish wines.

Casa Don Quixote

For a real break from the Strip, head out about 30 minutes to the quaint enclave of Boulder City, where Eligio Gomez Morais has opened Casa Don Quixote. The restaurant courts the authentic flavors of Galicia, Spain, Morais’ home province, as well as Italy, France and Portugal. Dinner here feels like a warm hug disguised as a home-cooked meal of classics such as gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus) and lomo de vaca a la plancha (grilled beef loin).

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Money latest: Supermarket caught out over 'fake farm'; bank boss reveals interest rate prediction

Our series on how to eat more healthily for less is back - and we're looking at breakfast. Read this and all the latest consumer and personal finance news below, plus leave a comment in the box.

Friday 3 May 2024 19:30, UK

• Lidl rushes to remove 'fake farm' references after MP grilling
• HSBC chair predicts when interest rate cut will come
• Prescription charges rose this week - but there are ways to pay less
• Weak US jobs news sparks rise in bets on interest rate cut

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• Mortgage rates are rising - here's everything you need to know if you're a first-time buyer right now
• Which cereals have least sugar? Your guide to a healthier breakfast without paying a fortune
• How to nab yourself a free upgrade on a flight
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Ask a question or make a comment

A cash ISA offering an interest rate of 4.5% has been launched today by Melton Building Society .

The interest is paid annually on 31 March and can be added to the account, transferred to your bank account or transferred to an existing Melton savings account.

Here's what you need to know...

How do you open an account?

• You must be a UK resident and be aged 16; 
• Accounts can be opened with a minimum amount of £25 and the maximum that can be held in this account is £500,000.

Can you withdraw money?

Yes, you can withdraw money as long as you give the bank 180 days' notice in branch, by post or phone

Once you have done this, all or part of the investments in the ISA, including any interest earned, will be transferred to you.

You can also access your money without giving notice, but you will be charged 180 days' interest on the amount you withdraw. 

A lack of demand for new electric cars has led some brands to begin slashing prices. 

Even some of the UK's best-selling electric cars are thousands of pounds cheaper than a year ago, according to Auto Trader figures shared with The Times . 

Among the most heavily discounted vehicles are the Honda E, down 20% versus a year ago at £29,600, and the Peugeot E-2008, which has fallen in price by 15% to £30,000. 

The Vauxhall Corsa-e and Mokka-e are both being advertised at a 20% off sale price, while the MG ZS and MG5 are discounted by 15%. 

Meanwhile, Ford's flagship electric car, the Mustang Mach-E, has fallen in price by 14%. 

Ian Plummer, Auto Trader's commercial director, said lower prices are good news for car buyers and that it was "encouraging" to see more affordable electric cars on the market. 

He said the discounts had been "driven by a softening in consumer demand, coupled with the introduction of the zero-emissions vehicle mandate, which is putting pressure on manufacturers to comply with the new regulations or face heavy fines". 

The government's zero-emission vehicle ( ZEV ) mandate requirers manufacturers to produce a certain percentage of zero-emission cars and vans each year.

It started when comedian Peter Kay, who was supposed to be the first official act for the new Manchester Co-op Live on 23 April, had his performances rescheduled.

Rick Astley's performance on 20 April was a "test event" for the venue but ticket capacity was slashed just hours before his gig was due to begin.

Astley fans who had their tickets cancelled were instead offered seats to see US rock band The Black Keys play - but their show has also been affected.

And to add to the chaos, this week Olivia Rodrigo's concerts, scheduled for 3 and 4 May, were postponed.

Then, Take That announced they were moving their shows from the venue to the AO Arena in Manchester.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie concert was also postponed just over an hour before the rapper was set to perform.

Today, Barry Manilow also said he had a "back-up plan" to move his Manchester performance from the beleaguered venue. 

The ongoing mayhem has left disgruntled concert-goers voicing their frustration, with some calling for travel and accommodation to be reimbursed and others calling the situation "embarrassing".

"There will be countless people who would've booked travel and hotels just for you to stitch them up because you couldn't meet assured deadlines," one person wrote on X.

Another person said the music venue should "at the very minimum" be "looking at refunding travel/hotel costs for people that can prove they paid for cancelled dates".

And another person asked: "How do I get a refund for parking? There's no info on your site or app."

Organisers at Co-op Live said the venue would be taking "a short pause to events" before welcoming members of the public to the arena from 14 May.

A Co-op Live statement said: "At this time, we do not expect further impact on our opening season. We are aware our actions have frustrated and angered ticketholders."

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of Oak View Group, which developed Co-op Live in partnership with the City Football Group, has said they cannot run any event until it is "absolutely safe to do so".

A Co-op Group spokesperson said: "As naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live we are disappointed with these further schedule changes.

"Co-op is a sponsor and does not own or run the venue, and we have made it clear to Oak View Group, who are responsible for the building, that the impact on ticketholders must be addressed as a priority."

An Itsu freezer product is being urgently recalled over fears it could contain plastic. 

Customers are being told not to eat Itsu's sizzling pork gyoza, which is sold at Asda and Sainsbury's.

The 240g packs with a best before date of 8 March 2025 are those affected by the recall.

A 200-year-old Edinburgh attraction is reopening this month after being closed for four years. 

The Nelson Monument is a 150ft tower overlooking the city, and was built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

It has been shut for essential works for years, but visitors will soon be able to climb its 143 steps again.

An official opening date has not yet been given.

HMRC's Welsh-language app is only being used by two in every 100 native speakers, according to a new report by The Telegraph .

A freedom of information request by the paper found that 13,831 Welsh speakers have used the app since its launch in June 2022.

That equates to 1.5% of the nearly 900,000 people who say they speak the language.

Jonathan Eida, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance pressure group, told the newspaper he thought the move was a "gimmick".

Gig ticket prices may be eye-wateringly high at the moment (just like everything else, let's face it) but a big sale next week will see tens of thousands of tickets at discounted prices. 

LiveNation is holding a sale for 24 hours from noon on Thursday until noon on Friday, with prices starting from £25. 

Artists who you can get discounted tickets to see include Doja Cat, Meghan Thee Stallion, Shania Twain, Becky Hill, Avril Lavigne, Eric Prydz, Giggs, Glass Animals, James Arthur, JLS, Jungle, Kaiser Chiefs, Limp Bizkit, Offset, McFly, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, Placebo, Tom Jones, Tiesto and The Streets. 

You can find the full line-up of artists and venues with discounted tickets  on the LiveNation website here .

The company will also be holding promotions and competitions throughout next week. 

By James Sillars , business news reporter

Financial markets are strange beasts.

You would think that fewer new jobs being created in the United States would be a cause for concern.

Hardly. It is being positively celebrated.

Closely watched figures out at 1.30pm showed an easing in both jobs and wage growth by more than expected last month.

It has led to greater bets on the US Federal Reserve, the central bank, introducing its first interest rate cut in September.

A hot economy and stubborn inflation have dragged on market sentiment in recent weeks.

Investors desperately want to see cheaper borrowing costs.

In reaction, US stock market futures showed the S&P 500 would open more than 1% higher.

The FTSE 100 was also on track for another record close. It was trading 0.8% higher at 8,234.

That was despite a big weakening in the dollar.

The pound gained three-quarters of a cent to $1.26 versus the US currency after the jobs data dropped.

Tech giant Apple has recorded the biggest drop in iPhone sales since the early months of the COVID pandemic.

Sales for January to March were down 10% on the same period last year - something not seen since the 2020 iPhone model was delayed due to lockdown factory closures.

Overall, Apple earned $90.8bn (£72.4bn) in the latest quarter - down 4% from a year ago. It was the fifth consecutive three-month period that the company's revenue dipped from the previous year.

Apple's profit in the past quarter was $23.64bn (£18.85bn) - a 2% dip from a year ago.

It was good news, however, for the overall value of the company as its share price rose nearly 7% after investors had expected a bigger drop in sales.

You can read more here ...

The chair of HSBC has predicted the Bank of England will cut interest rates in June.

Speaking at HSBC's annual general meeting today, Mark Tucker said he expected the European Central Bank and Bank of England to cut rates next month, both lowering by 150 basis points by the end of 2025.

He also said he expected the US Federal Reserve to cut rates in September.

However, yesterday, one of the world's leading economic authorities, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, said interest rates, which are at a post-2008 era high of 5.25%, should stay there.

"The fiscal and monetary policy mix is adequately restrictive and should remain so until inflation returns durably to target," the OECD's economic outlook for 2024 said.

Mango plans to open 20 new stores this year as it continues to strengthen its UK presence.

The Spanish fashion retailer, which arrived in the UK in 1999, will be opening stores in several cities in Northern Ireland and central and southern England, as well as Scotland.

There are also plans to open four stores in London. 

Daniel Lopez, Mango director of expansion and franchising, told Retail Gazette the expansion "will consolidate the Mango brand" and help "strengthen it internationally".

The retailer recently unveiled a spring/summer collection in collaboration with Victoria Beckham.

Lidl has rushed to remove old references to so-called fake farm branding on its website after being questioned by MPs.

The retail chain told MPs yesterday that a picture of its "Strathvale farm chicken" was a "mistake" after telling them they did not use so-called fake farms.

Appearing in front of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on fairness in the food supply chain, Lidl GB's chief commercial officer Richard Bourns was questioned on the fairness of supermarkets using fake farms to market their food.

Mr Bourns, who was questioned by committee member Rosie Duffield on using "Strathvale farm" branding for meat products, replied: "We don't use Strathvale farms, we use Strathvale.

"We do not use farm brands, just to be absolutely clear."

Committee chairman Robert Goodwill, who had access to the internet, said: "Oh wait a minute, we have here a Strathvale farm Scottish large chicken, for £3.85. Gosh that's cheap.

"So there is on the website at least, a reference to Strathvale farm."

Mr Bourns replied: "If there is a reference to Strathvale farms on our website I'd want to take that away and correct it.

"It could be the case that our website is not up to date.

"We do not have an online offering but I can categorically tell you we do not have farms brands in our business, just to be absolutely clear."

After the committee hearing a Lidl spokesperson said: "Any historic web pages featuring old packaging that appear via a search engine are in the process of being removed to ensure complete accuracy."

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What does Waikiki mean?

Waikiki stands as one of Hawaii’s most iconic tourist destinations, renowned for its stunning beaches, vibrant cultural scene, and luxurious resorts. Yet, beyond its allure as a paradise for sun-seekers and adventure enthusiasts lies a rich history encapsulated in its name. “Waikiki,” more than just a label on a map, carries with it stories of ancient traditions, natural beauty, and a deep cultural significance that beckons to be explored. This article delves into the roots of Waikiki, shedding light on the meaning behind its name and uncovering the layers of history and heritage that make this destination truly unique.

The Etymology of Waikiki

The name “Waikiki” holds a profound connection to its natural surroundings and the rich Hawaiian language from which it originates. In Hawaiian, “Wai” translates to water, and “kiki” is derived from “kīkī,” meaning spouting or spraying, collectively depicting the area’s abundant springs and streams that once flowed into the ocean. This etymology not only reflects Waikiki’s geographical features but also its historical essence as a fertile and bountiful land cherished by the Native Hawaiian people. Historically, Waikiki served as a retreat for Hawaiian royalty, known for its excellent surfing and rejuvenating waters. The naming of Waikiki, therefore, is deeply embedded in the natural and cultural heritage of Hawaii, offering a glimpse into the region’s past as a place of restorative beauty and significance.

Historical Overview of Waikiki

Long before Waikiki became synonymous with picturesque beaches and luxury resorts, it held deep pre-colonial significance for Native Hawaiians. Originally, this area was a marshland, sustained by the streams and springs that its name commemorates. It was transformed by early Hawaiians into a productive landscape of fishponds, taro fields, and gardens, showcasing an advanced understanding of aquaculture and agriculture. Waikiki was also a favored retreat for Hawaiian royalty, who indulged in surfing and canoe racing on its shores, highlighting its status as a place of leisure and recreation within Hawaiian society. Over centuries, Waikiki evolved from this vital agricultural and royal ground into a global tourist destination, its history reflecting a journey from natural abundance to a cultural hotspot, all the while retaining its essence as a cherished Hawaiian locale.

Cultural Significance of Waikiki

Waikiki, a name synonymous with Hawaiian paradise, serves as a living museum where the essence of traditional Hawaiian culture is not only preserved but vibrantly alive. Its beaches and stages echo with the sounds of ukuleles and slack-key guitars, providing a melodious backdrop to hula dancers whose movements tell ancient stories beneath the open skies. Waikiki has also become a canvas for contemporary Hawaiian artists, showcasing their work in galleries and public spaces, blending traditional themes with modern expressions. Throughout the year, the area buzzes with cultural festivals and events, from the Waikiki Ho’olaule’a to the Lei Day Celebration, each offering a glimpse into the heart of Hawaii’s heritage.

Waikiki’s Natural Beauty and Landscape

Waikiki captivates with its stunning geography, where diamond-shaped volcanic formations meet the azure embrace of the Pacific Ocean, crafting a landscape that is both breathtaking and serene. The golden sands of its beaches, framed by swaying palms and crystal-clear waters, are more than just picturesque—they are integral to Waikiki’s identity, a symbol of natural splendor, and a playground for both leisure and sport. Recognizing the preciousness of this natural beauty, concerted efforts are made to conserve Waikiki’s environment. Initiatives to protect marine life, restore beaches, and maintain the area’s lush green spaces are vital, ensuring that Waikiki remains a paradisiacal haven for future generations, a testament to the balance between nature’s bounty and human stewardship.

The Economic Impact of Waikiki

Waikiki is the pulsating heart of Hawaii’s tourism industry, serving as a crucial economic engine that drives the local and state economy. Its world-renowned beaches, cultural attractions, and hospitality sector not only draw millions of visitors annually but also significantly contribute to employment and local businesses, from restaurants and retail to services that cater to tourists’ needs. The ripple effect of tourism in Waikiki extends beyond immediate revenues, fostering growth in ancillary sectors and promoting cultural exchange. Looking ahead, Waikiki’s economic prospects appear robust, with ongoing investments in infrastructure, sustainability, and tourism offerings poised to enhance its appeal and ensure a sustainable balance between welcoming visitors and preserving the unique beauty and culture that define it. This strategic approach aims to secure Waikiki’s position as a premier destination while contributing to Hawaii’s economic resilience and prosperity.

Partake in a Story Centuries in the Making!

Understanding the meaning and history of Waikiki enriches the experience of every visitor, turning a simple holiday into a journey of discovery. We invite you to delve deeper into Waikiki’s heritage, to see beyond its surface beauty, and connect with the heart of Hawaii. Join the movement to preserve this paradise, ensuring that the stories, traditions, and natural wonders of Waikiki continue to inspire awe and respect for generations to come. Your exploration contributes to a legacy of understanding, appreciation, and conservation.

A writer whose words flow where the mountains meet the sea.

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