The hospitality and tourism industries revolve around helping people to have comfortable and enjoyable travel experiences. Like any professional field, hospitality has its own vocabulary, so if you're considering pursuing a career path in this industry, it's a good idea to acquaint yourself with the terminology. Understanding these terms can be a good first step toward a job in hotel management, event planning, or travel.
Accommodation: A room offered to a hotel guest
ADR: Average daily rate, calculated by dividing total room revenue in one day by the number of rooms sold
Amenities: Facilities and services that a hotel offers its guests, such as free Wi-Fi, laundry service, or a swimming pool
Attendance-Building: Promotional efforts used to increase attendance at conferences and other large events
Attractions: Places that tourists want to visit, like museums, theme parks, or historic sites
Bed Tax: A municipal tax levied on hotel rooms as a percentage of the room rate
Best Available Rate: The lowest rate available for a hotel room
Blackout Dates: Dates when a hotel cannot offer discounts on rooms
Booking: A completed sale of a hotel room or event space
Carrier: A transportation provider, most commonly an airline
Chamber of Commerce: A municipal organization that promotes local tourism and trade
Charter Group: A group of people traveling together with the same itinerary
Commission: A fee paid to a travel agent for making a booking
Concierge: A member of a hotel's staff who helps guests to have a better travel experience by assisting with things like restaurant reservations and travel arrangements
Continental Breakfast: A light breakfast consisting of coffee, juice, pastries, and fruit
Convention: A large gathering of professionals in an industry for networking and educational purposes
Cooperative Marketing: When multiple businesses or organizations work together on a marketing effort that will benefit all of them
Cover: A person dining in a restaurant
CRS: Central reservations system, the software that hotels use to handle room reservations
Duty Manager: The person responsible for the day-to-day operations of a hotel
Fam Tour: A familiarization tour, which is set up by a tourism organization or a hotel chain to show off a location to travel agents
Gateway City: A city that serves as the primary entry point to a region for travelers
GDS: Global distribution system, the software that travel agents use to find and book flights, hotel rooms, and other products
High Season: The busiest time of year for hospitality and tourism businesses, when the most people visit and prices are usually higher
Hub: An airport that's a central point to which other, smaller airports' routes connect
Inclusive Tour: A tour that includes accommodations, transportation, and other expenses in one price
IPW: The largest American tourism trade show, showcasing travel destinations and attractions for an international audience
Loyalty Program: A program that allows hotel guests to earn rewards for repeated stays
Motel: A hotel located near a major highway
Net Rate: The rate offered to travel agents and wholesalers, who can then add their own markup
Night Auditor: The hotel employee in charge of balancing the books every night and handling late-night check-ins
No-Show: A hotel guest who does not show up at the intended time or cancel their reservation
Occupancy: The percentage of a hotel's rooms that are in use
Off-Peak: The time of year when tourism is at its lowest
OTA: Online travel agency, a business that sells multiple travel products from different companies online
Overbooking: Accepting more reservations than a carrier or hotel can satisfy
Person Trip Visit: A trip by a single person involving an overnight stay or more than 100 miles of travel in a day
PMS: Property management software, which hotels use to automate administrative tasks
Rack Rate: The price available to the public, outside of any special group rates or discounts
Room Block: A group of hotel rooms held for a specific organization or event
Site Inspection: A tour of a location by an event planner to see if it meets their needs for an event
Spouse Program: Activities offered for spouses of those who attend a convention or trade show
Target Rating Points: A measurement of the impact of an advertising campaign
Trade Show: A gathering of industry professionals aimed at showcasing products and services for potential customers
Vacancy: A room that's available to be booked
Valet Parking: A service where an employee parks and retrieves guests' vehicles
Walk-In: Someone who arrives at a restaurant or hotel without making a reservation