What are the sectors of tourism?

Answer 1

The Tourism industry is divided up into eight sectors:

1. Accommodation

2. Adventure and Recreation

3. Attractions

4. Events and Conferences

5. Food and Beverage

6. Tourism Services

7. Transportation

8. Travel Trade

Accommodation

Whether you are interested in starting a quaint family-run hotel or a remote wilderness lodge, the accommodation sector is full of possibility. Since 2012, the accommodation sector has seen an increase in its contribution to the Canadian Gross Domestic Product and a rise in employment (Statistics Canada).

Here in Yukon, there are over 100 accommodation providers that are actively marketing their product via the Travel Yukon website, yet there is still a lot of room to develop a unique and welcoming "home away from home."

Adventure Tourism and Recreation

Considering the size and beauty of our backyard, it is no wonder that the Yukon adventure tourism and recreation sector is growing fast. This sector includes everything from watching wildlife by your lakeside lodge to cross-country skiing in the rugged backcountry.

Although Yukon boasts a high number of adventure tourism and recreation businesses-upward of 80 licensed operators-there remains a high demand for niche outdoor products.

Attractions

Yukon has a wide-array of diverse and dynamic attractions, including museums, historical sites, art galleries, and First Nations cultural centres. While many of these attractions are seasonal, due to our Northern climate and visitor seasons, they are a vital and vibrant part of the tourism industry.

A large percentage of Yukon's overnight tourists visit an attraction while on vacation. This indicates that developing a tourism business that supports our territory's minor and/or major attractions could be both a lucrative and rewarding venture.

Events and Conferences

Yukon is increasingly being thought of as an ideal place to hold an event or conference. Annually, we host over 25 events including art, theater, film and music festivals, as well as sporting, wildlife viewing, community and First Nations cultural events. In terms of conferences, the Yukon continues to attract groups that are interested in conducting their meetings in an exciting and unique location. Yukon secures at least five large-scale conventions each year.

There are many facets to ensuring an event or conference goes as planned. Making sure you have the capacity to meet the size of the event is the first step. Unlike traditional tours, incentive groups and conferences require thinking outside of the box to ensure that the event is unique to the destination and delivers on the experience sought by organizers and participants.

Food and Beverage

The Food and Beverage sector is the largest in Canada, accounting for the creation of over 700,000 jobs (Statistics Canada). Considering that everybody eats, this sector can be quite lucrative if you have a creative and responsive business idea. Compared to other major cities in Canada, which have already developed a substantial amount of niche and speciality products and services, Yukon has plenty of room to grow and expand. The unique dietary needs from the international traveller, coupled with our own territory's growing diversity, suggest that new and innovative products and services are in demand.

Tourism Services

Consists of organizations, associations, government agencies and companies that specialize in serving the needs of the tourism industry as a whole rather than the needs of travellers specifically. Those working in tourism services include people who research tourism trends, advertise and market tourism products, educate or inform others about tourism, and those who distribute general tourism information, like statistics. Retail businesses that benefit from tourism and travel also fall into this sector.

Transportation

The Transportation sector refers to any area that supports the comfort, safety and enjoyable movement of individuals. This sector is divided into four categories including 'Air,' 'Rail,' 'Ground,' and 'Water.' In Yukon, the tourists travel via Yukon highways by motor coach or van tours, private vehicles(car), motorcycle, bicycle, or recreational vehicle (camper, motorhome). Although there has been a steady increase in air traffic arrivals over the past several years, tourists still travel through Yukon and Alaska by road. Water travel within Yukon is usually via canoe or powered boats. Water "arrivals" are associated with the cruise ship industry in Alaska, which converts to motor coach travellers when here.

All these different methods of travel produce a plethora of business and employment opportunities. Furthermore, because individuals are interested in exploring every corner of our vast territory, there appears to be no shortage of possibilities in developing additional transportation services.

Travel Trade

The travel trade facilitates the sales and at times the development of the holiday itinerary consumers purchase. They act as the middle man between the tourism supplier and the client. They package other sectors products into an itinerary or sell components separately to their travel market. The travel trade consists of:

• International Tour Operators- ITO (located in markets around the globe selling to their clients
• Receptive Tour Operators - RTO (located in Canada or Yukon and facilitates sales to ITO's or consumers)
• Travel agents (located in national and international markets selling direct to clients)

Although not considered "travel trade" these other providers are integral to the mix.

• Tour Operators (located in the destination, develop and guide tours. Sell to ITO's, RTO's, travel agents and consumers)
• Suppliers (own and operate the product ie. accommodations, day tours, attractions and sell to travel trade)