The tourist industry has become one of the most important economic influences of modern times. Expenditures for international tourism-the travel of tourists from one country to anohter-should exceed 40billion dollars a year by the end of this decade. The total expenditures for internal of domestic tourism-travel within only one country-may total more than 200 billion dollars by 2000 !
Tourism has been one of the fastest growing industries in recent years. Indeed, the growth rate of tourism has generally exceed the growth rate for the worldwide economy. Sometimes it seems as though a new resort area springs up every day wherever there are sun and sea. The shores of the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas and the Pacific coastlines of Mexico, Florida, and Hwaii are only a few of the areas that have been intensively developed in the past few years.
In spite of this rapid growth, it is not easy to define tourism, and accurate statistics are not easy to obtain. Tourism necessarily involves travel; a tourist is usually defined as a person who is visiting some place other than his usual residence of more than 24 hours. A tourist is distinguished by the lengh of his trip from an excursionist, who if away from his usual residence for less than 24 hours, or at most a weekend.