Glossary of tourism M-N

manifest:  final official listing of all passengers and/or cargo aboard a transportation vehicle or vessel

market segment:  the concept of dividing a market in parts

markup:  (1) difference between the cost and the selling price of a given product;  (2) difference between the net rate charged by a tour operator, hotel, or other supplier and the retail selling price of the service

master account:  the guest account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization

master bill:  all items contracted by the operator and supplier that will be paid by the operator

minimum charge:  the amount that each customer must pay no matter what is consumed.  For example:  a two-drink minimum in a club

nationwide tour:  sold to people throughout the nation

net wholesale rate:  a rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups when components are specifically mentioned in a tour brochure.  The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers to cover tour costs.

networking:  people getting together to socialize or exchange information, usually for business, in order to have contacts that are beneficial to that business

no how:  guest with confirmed reservations who does not arrive and has not cancelled.

Glossary of tourism I-L

immigration:  the process by which a government official verifies a person’s passport, visa or origin of citizenship

inbound tour:  group of travelers whose trip originated in another city or country

independent tour:  an unescorted tour sold through agents to individuals.  For one price, the client is guaranteed air travel, hotel room, attraction admissions and (typically) a car rental.

Intermodal tour: tour using several forms of transportation such as airplanes, motorcoaches, cruise ships, and trains to create a diversified and efficient tour package

itinerary:  the travel schedule provided by a travel agent or tour operator for the client.  A proposed or preliminary itinerary may be rather vague or very specific.  A final itinerary spells out all details, including flight numbers, departure times, and similar data, as well as describing planned activities.

land operator:  a company that provides local services, also see ground/receptive operator

lead time:  advance time between initiating a tour and its departure date

liability:  the responsibility  that rests on the operator (or supplier) when contracting with the passengers.  Tour operators are liable for all aspects of tour components that are listed in the brochure and must be insured.

load factor:  average number of seats occupied, eg. motorcoach or air

low season:  the time of the year at any given destination when tourist traffic, and often rates, are at their lowest,  Also referred to as off-peak or off-season