Geography terms in Leisure, tourism and sport

The process by which a culture changes by adopting features of another, usually more dominant, culture through prolonged contact, for example with visitors or global media.

Tourism that involves physical challenge and a degree of perceived risk, usually in a natural setting, such as trekking, mountaineering, white-water rafting or bungee jumping.

A resort where one price, usually paid in advance, covers accommodation, meals, drinks and most activities, so that guests have little need to spend money outside it.

Describes a tourist who seeks new, unfamiliar and adventurous destinations and travels independently, often before a place becomes popular (Plog's 'venturer').

The competitive procedure through which cities or countries apply to host an event, presenting plans, guarantees and campaigns to the owning organisation, which then chooses the host.

The deliberate refusal to take part in an event, or to buy from or deal with a country or organisation, as a form of protest.

The process by which cultural traditions, objects, places or experiences are turned into products to be bought and sold, often for visitors.

Tourism that is owned and managed by a local community, which decides how visitors are received and keeps most of the income.

The use of a place's scenery, heritage or atmosphere as a product that visitors experience and pay for, which can change or degrade the landscape being consumed.

A process in which an initial advantage attracts investment and growth, which create further advantages and growth, so success builds on itself in an upward spiral.

Travel to places associated with death, suffering, atrocity or disaster, such as battlefields, genocide memorials, former prisons and disaster zones.

The process by which residents, especially young people, copy the behaviour, dress and consumption patterns of visitors, which can change local values and aspirations.

A map that shows straight lines from each user's place of origin to a facility or destination, used to show its sphere of influence.

A population that has spread from its original homeland to other countries while keeping cultural, emotional or family links with it.

Time free from paid work, study, sleep, personal care and household or caring obligations, which a person can choose how to spend.

The income a household has available to spend or save after paying income taxes and social security contributions.

The decline in an interaction, such as the number of visitors to a facility, as distance from it increases.

Tourism by residents of a country to places within the same country but outside their usual environment.

A model (1975) suggesting that residents' attitudes to tourists pass through four stages, euphoria, apathy, annoyance and antagonism, as visitor numbers grow.

The level of visitor use a site can sustain before damage to its ecosystems, such as erosion, coral loss or wildlife disturbance, becomes unacceptable or irreversible.

The level of tourism beyond which it displaces other economic activities or raises costs for residents, such as housing, to the point that the local economy is harmed.

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of local people and involves education about the environment; one form of sustainable tourism.

The level of use or stress beyond which an environment's condition changes sharply, so that damage accelerates or can no longer be reversed naturally.

The first stage of Butler's model, when small numbers of independent, adventurous visitors arrive and there are almost no facilities built for tourists.

A model of the stages a person passes through, from young single adult through partnership and parenthood to the empty nest and retirement, each with typical patterns of income, time and leisure.

The supporters of a sports team, from local season-ticket holders to national and global followers who watch through broadcasting and social media.

An organised event, held regularly or once, that celebrates music, culture, religion, sport or arts and attracts large numbers of people to a place for a short time.

Investment by a company in productive assets in another country, such as building or buying factories, hotels or resorts, in which it keeps a lasting ownership interest and control.

A closed league in which membership is fixed by the league, with no promotion or relegation, and teams (franchises) may relocate to other cities.

An agreement by Commonwealth heads of government in 1977 to discourage sporting contact and competition with South Africa, as part of the campaign against apartheid.

Travel to experience places, buildings, artefacts and traditions that represent the history and culture of a people, such as ancient monuments, historic cities and religious sites.

The ranking of clubs in a sports league system into levels or divisions, from a top tier with a few wealthy clubs down to many smaller ones.

A specialised facility that is used infrequently, has a large range and threshold population, and draws users from a large sphere of influence, such as a national park or national stadium.

A place that attracts large numbers of visitors because of its attractions and facilities; managers may develop honeypots deliberately to concentrate visitors where damage can be controlled.

The merger or takeover of companies at the same stage of a supply chain, such as two hotel groups combining, to gain market share and economies of scale.

The global governing body of the Paralympic movement, founded in 1989 and based in Bonn, which organises the Paralympic Games and sets classification rules.

Tourism that involves crossing an international border, either by residents travelling abroad (outbound tourism) or by non-residents visiting a country (inbound tourism).

The arrival of an overnight visitor in a country other than their country of residence; arrivals count trips rather than individual people.

Travel to see places, landscapes or species that are disappearing or changing, such as glaciers, coral reefs or polar wildlife, before they are lost.

The proportion of tourist spending that leaves the host country's economy, through imports, profits repatriated by foreign owners, wages of foreign workers and commissions paid abroad.

The long-term effects of hosting an event that remain after it ends, such as new infrastructure, urban regeneration, sports participation, debt or a changed international image.

The discretionary time left after work, study, sleep, personal care and obligations such as housework and caring, and the activities people freely choose to do in that time.

A management approach that defines how much change in a site's environmental and social conditions is acceptable, monitors indicators of those conditions and acts when a limit is approached.

A tourist destination far from the visitor's home, usually reached by a flight of more than about six hours, often in another continent.

An airline that offers low fares by cutting costs, for example through one aircraft type, secondary airports, quick turnarounds, online booking and charges for extras.

A common facility that is used frequently, has a small range and threshold population, and serves a small local area, such as a neighbourhood park or gym.

Tourism in which large numbers of people visit the same destinations, usually on standardised and relatively cheap products such as package holidays, often at the same times of year.

A large, short-lived event of international significance, such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup, that attracts many visitors and global media coverage and requires major investment by the host.

Business tourism for meetings, incentives (reward trips for employees), conferences and exhibitions or events.

Travel to places that have appeared in films or television series, or where they were made, such as film sets and filming locations; also called film-induced tourism.

The process by which spending in an economy is re-spent locally, creating further rounds of income and employment, so that the total effect is larger than the initial spending.

An organised competition in which clubs from one country play each other over a season, often arranged in a hierarchy of divisions.

Tourism that offers a specialised product, built around a particular interest or activity, to a small and clearly defined market segment, in contrast to mass tourism.

A website or app that sells travel products such as accommodation, flights and car hire from many suppliers, earning a commission on each booking.

A visitor who stays at least one night in collective or private accommodation in the place visited; UN Tourism calls overnight visitors tourists.

A situation in which the number of visitors to a destination is so high that it damages the quality of life of residents, the experience of visitors or the environment.

A holiday sold at a single price that combines at least transport and accommodation, often with transfers, meals and excursions, usually organised by a tour operator.

The main international multi-sport event for athletes with physical, visual or intellectual impairments, held after the Olympic Games in the same host city.

The percentage of a population, or of a group within it, that takes part in a particular activity over a stated period.

The level of crowding that visitors will tolerate before their experience of a site is spoiled; also called psychological carrying capacity.

The maximum number of visitors a site can physically hold at one time, limited by its space and facilities, such as seats, beds or beach area.

A model (1974) that classifies tourists by personality on a scale from psychocentric (familiar, safe, organised travel) to allocentric (new, unfamiliar, independent travel), with most people mid-centric.

Features that exist independently of tourism and attract visitors, such as climate, landscape, coasts, wildlife, historic buildings, culture and religious sites.

A system in which the most successful teams in a division move up to a higher division and the least successful move down at the end of each season.

Describes a tourist who prefers familiar, safe and well-developed destinations, organised travel and familiar food and surroundings (Plog's 'dependable').

A tourist resort planned and constructed specifically for tourism, often on a largely undeveloped site, rather than growing gradually from an existing settlement.

The maximum distance people are prepared to travel to use a particular service or facility.

An activity undertaken voluntarily in leisure time for enjoyment, relaxation or refreshment, usually at or near home or in the local area.

In Butler's model, a renewed growth in visitor numbers after stagnation, brought about by new attractions, investment, re-branding or new markets.

Travel by members of a diaspora to the places their ancestors came from, to explore their family history, heritage and identity.

A visitor who does not stay overnight in the place visited, such as a day-tripper or a cruise passenger on a shore visit; also called an excursionist.

The variation in tourist numbers and tourism activity through the year, caused by climate, school holidays and festivals, which makes many tourism jobs and incomes seasonal.

Facilities and services created to serve or attract visitors, such as accommodation, restaurants, transport, ski lifts, theme parks, conference centres and marketing.

A tourist destination relatively close to the visitor's home, usually reached by a flight of up to about three hours or by land, often in the same world region.

The physical and human characteristics of the land where an event or settlement is located, such as space, relief, drainage, water supply, access and ownership.

The ability of a tourism site to absorb visitor pressure and recover from damage while keeping the qualities that attract visitors.

The level of tourism that residents of a destination can accept before their quality of life and their attitudes to visitors deteriorate.

The ability of a country to influence others through attraction, such as its culture, values, image and diplomacy, rather than through military or economic force.

A sport whose events attract large audiences who watch in person or through broadcasting, as well as or rather than taking part.

The area from which a facility, such as a park, stadium or national park, draws its users or visitors; also called its catchment area.

A physical activity governed by rules or customs, often competitive, undertaken for enjoyment, health or as a profession, by participants or watched by spectators.

A term used by critics for the use of sport, such as hosting events, sponsoring teams or owning clubs, by a government or organisation to improve a reputation damaged by human rights abuses.

A performance, setting or experience arranged for tourists so that it appears to be genuine local life or tradition.

Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, meeting the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.

A place that is used intensively for leisure for a short period, such as a festival or event site, before returning to its normal use and population.

The minimum number of users or customers needed to keep a service or facility economically viable.

A lack of enough discretionary time for rest and leisure, because of long or irregular hours of paid work, commuting, and unpaid domestic and caring work.

The activities of people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year, for leisure, business or other purposes (UN Tourism definition).

Butler's model (1980) of how a tourist destination grows and changes through exploration, involvement, development, consolidation and stagnation, followed by decline, stabilisation or rejuvenation.

A place with a very high concentration of visitors relative to its size or resident population, at the local, regional or national scale.

A charge on visitors, usually per night of accommodation or on entry to a place, collected by a government to fund public services, conservation or the management of tourism.

The transformation of a place, especially a city neighbourhood, so that its housing, shops and services serve visitors rather than residents, often displacing local people.

Official advice issued by a government to its citizens about the safety of travelling to another country or region, ranging from general caution to advice against all travel.

The ownership by one company of businesses at different stages of the same supply chain, such as a tour operator that also owns travel agencies, airlines, hotels and cruise ships.

Travel whose main purpose is to visit family or friends, who often provide the accommodation; abbreviated to VFR tourism.

The methods used by site managers to control the number, timing, distribution and behaviour of visitors in order to protect a site and the experience it offers.

An expensive facility, such as a stadium built for a mega-event, that is little used afterwards and costs more to maintain than it earns.

An international body, founded in 1999, that promotes and coordinates the fight against doping in sport and maintains the World Anti-Doping Code.

A cultural or natural site inscribed on a list kept by UNESCO because it is judged to have outstanding universal value, which the state agrees to protect.