Leisure travel was associated with the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom – the first European country to promote leisure time to the increasing industrial population. Initially, this applied to the owners of the machinery of production, the economic oligarchy, the factory owners and the traders. These comprised the new middle class. Cox & Kings was the first official travel company to be formed in 1758.
The developments in technology and transport infrastructure, such as jumbo jets, low cost airlines and more accessible airports have made many types of tourism more affordable. The WHO estimated in 2009 that there are around half a million people on board aircraft at any given time. There have also been changes in lifestyle, for example some retirement-age people sustain year round tourism. The advent of information and communication technology has accelerated tourism industry in the world. Today a tourist can decide the tourist destination and schedule his trip sitting his own house.
Segmentation in the Tourism market
The tourism market can be segmented by using variables like:
(a) age groups
(b) number of trips taken per annul/season
(c) income and education
(d) purpose of the trip.
In contrast to the first three the last variable i.e. purpose of the trip has been fairly extensively used by the major players in the tourism industry – hotels, tour operators and travel agents, and airlines Using this criterion segments have been identified as travel for business, vacation, convention, personal emergencies, visits to relatives and other types.
