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back office
The back office, such as in a hotel, refers to the
location of those administrative procedures not
carried out in full view of the customer �see
service delivery system). This includes managerial
and financial procedures such as accounting,
financial and managerial reports, and payroll.
Work is allocated to the back office on the basis
that there is no requirement for a direct contact
with the guest. Developments in computing
technology are blurring the distinctions between
front and back office activities.
back-stage
DAVID KIRK, UK
The notion of back-stage was introduced by
Erving Goffman as part of his dramaturgical
perspective. In considering life as theatre, backstage
�where actors prepare) is contrasted with
front-stage �where actors perform). MacCannell
later employed the approach for his analysis of
authenticity in tourism. Whereas tourists seek
genuine back-stage experiences among destination
people, they are often provided with
contrived events and attractions by the industry.
GRAHAM M.S. DANN, UK
Bahamas
The Bahamas is an archipelago of about 700
islands, of which seventeen are inhabited, situated
in the Atlantic east of Florida and north of Cuba
and Haiti. With an estimated population of
280,000, its main economic activity is tourism,
which accounts for about 70 per cent of GDP. It is
a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The
capital is Nassau, a vibrant tourism and banking
centre.
balance of payments
AINSLEY O'REILLY, BAHAMAS
A country's balance of payments reflects its
transactions with the rest of the world, as part of
its system of national or macro accounting. The
overall balance of payments is divided into capital
account and current account, and the latter is
subdivided between visible and invisible items. The
capital account reflects flows of cash in and out of
the national economy relating to inward or
outward foreign investment �such as the receipt
of loans or grants from abroad, or the making or
repayment of the same) and purchases of financial
assets �such as shares or bonds) or real assets
�property) abroad, or sales of such assets in the
domestic economy to foreigners. The term `hot
money' is used to refer to rapid short-term
movements of cash on capital account �inward