Tourism is travel for recreation, leisure, religious, family or business purposes, usually for a limited duration. Tourism is commonly associated with international travel, but may also refer to travel to another place within the same country. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".
Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. Tourism can be domestic or international, and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a country's balance of payments. Today, tourism is a major source of income for many countries, and affects the economy of both the source and host countries, in some cases being vital importance.
Travel businesses offer a wide spectrum of services, with the intent of saving their clients time or money. Creating travel itineraries, mediating on behalf of a traveler if plans become disrupted, and serving as a subject matter expert on customs regulations, travel advisories, and exchange rates are just a few examples of the services that travel businesses provide.
Clients of travel businesses typically fall into one of three categories: independent leisure, business, or group travel.
The World Tourism Organization, which tracks travel trends internationally, estimates that by 2020 the number of persons traveling will reach 1.6 billion per year. Though the world's economy has slowed recently, The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts a revenue growth in the travel industry to be on average 3.6% per year. Individuals seeking to open a group travel business will find that all-inclusive vacations and tours will be the most desired by economically conscious travelers.
