MAINBusiness Tourism & Travel Industry

Travel and tourism continues apace even through hard economic times as the desire to 'get away from it all' (even for a quick road trip or weekend getaway) continues to make sense for cash-strapped famiilies.

All told, tourism adds up to a trillion-dollar a year industry worldwide that is in many instances the lifeblood of national and local economies, especially for island nations such as the Bahamas, or the Philippines, among many others.

Meanwhile, major Western nations such as the USA, France, Spain, Greece and Italy also depend heavily on tourist dollars to fuel other industries closely tied to tourism. These include - but are certainly not limited to - airlines, hotels, cruise ships, taxis and public transportation systems around major tourism hubs such as London or New York City.

Then there are entertainment and sports venues such as amusement parks, ski resorts, concert halls, theaters and even outlet shopping malls that depend on large numbers of tourists to help boost their bottom line.

Within the industry, major jobs and careers in tourism includes tour guides, travel agents, travel wholesalers. reservationists, and corporate business travel consultants

The future of the travel industry looks bright as the Internet continues to lure in prospective travelers looking for cheap airfares, affordable hotels, and senior travel discounts. This, along with a whole new generation of younger travelers who want to discover the world via special interest travel and ecotourism.

Around the Web, take a tour of top resources, tools, tips and advice on the travel & tourism industry with resources for more infornation on regional and global travel operations, conventions and exhibits, business tools, forums, organizations and publications...

also see -> How to start a career as a tour guide

More about the tourism industry around the Web:

All Conferences.com - Extensive directory conferences, conventions, trade shows, exhibits, workshops, events and business meetings worldwide, plus tools for meeting planners such as online registrations and payment processing.

The Travel Institute - This is the home site of a training institute with a long list of links to online resources that can add depth to the services you offer.

Office of Travel & Tourism Industries - Fast facts, statistics and information on the current state of the US tourism industry including related resources, free newsletter.

NBTA - National Travel Business Association - Stay up-to-date in U.S. corporate and business travel management with the latest industry news & opinion, association events, online classes, membership information.

NTA | National Tour Association - With a free member directory and premium content for subscribers including marketing tools, lists, itinerary planning programs, escort notes, event schedules and more.