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References
Leiper, N. �1995) Tourism Management, Melbourne:
RMIT Publishing.
Smith, S.L.J. �1988) `Defining tourism: a supplyside
view', Annals of Tourism Research 15: 179±90.
Further reading
Sheldon, P.J. �1989) `Professionalism in tourism and
hospitality', Annals of Tourism Research 16: 492±
503.
inevitability
NEIL LEIPER, AUSTRALIA
There are three reasons for considering tourism to
be inevitable. First, there is continual pressure to
turn `undiscovered' places into resorts to accommodate
expansion of the world's largest industry.
Second, the processes of postmodernism have
made everyone either a tourist or object of
tourism. Third, travel can be viewed as a human
imperative, starting with migration and culminating
in a growing interest in space tourism.
information centre
FRANCES BROWN, UK
Tourism information centres provide information
and reservations for destinations and tourism
enterprises. Run by local, regional or national
organisations, they aim to facilitate the visit for
consumers and to assist organisations to implement
their policies, by increasing tourists' length of
stay and expenditure or by discouraging them
from visiting environmentally sensitive areas.
informal economy
DIMITRIOS BUHALIS, UK
The informal economy is a process of income
generation which is unregulated by the societal
institutions so that such businesses operate without
legal recognition and are neither registered and
enumerated nor officially taxed. In contrast to the
formal sector, these enterprises generally exhibit
ease of entry, reliance on indigenous resources,
family ownership, small scale of operation, labour
intensivness, skills acquired outside of the formal
school system, part-time labour, and unregulated
and competitive markets.
The informal sector is particularly important in
developing countries. Within tourism, such businesses
are found in lodging �unlicensed guest
houses), craft-related activities and other small
enterprises, including souvenir vendors �who also
may be called peddlers or hawkers), pedicab
drivers, prostitutes, unofficial guides and small
food stalls. In spite of the number of people
involved in informal activities, few tourism plans
address the needs of the informal sector or even
acknowledge its existence.
Further reading
Cukier, J. and Wall, G. �1994) `Informal tourism
employment: vendors in Bali', Tourism Management
15: 464±7.
Kermath, B. and Thomas, R. �1992) `Spatial
dynamics of resorts: Sosua, Dominican Republic',
Annals of Tourism Research 19�2): 173±90.
Timothy, D. and Wall, G. �1997) `Selling to tourists:
Indonesian street vendors', Annals of Tourism
Research 24�2): 322±40.
information source
information source 307
GEOFFREY WALL, CANADA
Information sources are used by tourists to plan
trips, the industry to formulate strategic and
operational plans, and scholars to investigate a
research area. Tourists use information centres,
brochures, tour guides and travel literature.
Professionals utilise market research and financial
reports. Scholars consult previous research results
published in books and journals. National tourism
boards collect statistics and provide the initial
resource base.
DIMITRIOS BUHALIS, UK