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Cambridge IGCSE Travel and Tourism
An important distinction in the accommodation used by tourists is in the difference between serviced and non-serviced types. Serviced accommodation means that members of staff are available on the premises to provide services such as cleaning, meals and room service. The availability of such services, even if they are not in fact used, is included in the price charged. If the accommodation is non-serviced, this means that the sleeping accommodation is furnished and provided on a rental basis, normally for a unit comprising several beds such as a cottage, an apartment or caravan. While services for the provision of meals, bars and shops may be available on site on a separate commercial basis, as in a holiday village, they are not included in the price charged for the accommodation. Most of the hotels used by international travellers have rooms with en-suite bathrooms and, more commonly in the United States than elsewhere, climate control. Other features usually found include a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, and broadband Internet connectivity. Food and drink may be supplied by a minibar (which often includes a small refrigerator) containing snacks and drinks (to be paid for on departure), and tea and coffee making facilities. The cost and quality of hotels are usually indicative of the range and type of services available. Due to the enormous increase in tourism worldwide during the last decades of the 20th century, standards, especially those of smaller establishments, have improved considerably. For the sake of greater comparability, rating systems have been introduced, with the one to five stars classification being most common. For instance, most people recognise that a 5 star hotel will have excellent service, be exceptionally clean and tidy with housekeeping staff on call 24 hours, have up to date luxurious dĂŠcor and have a wide range of facilities on offer. A 3 star hotel on the other hand will have fewer facilities, less luxurious dĂŠcor and more limited services, such as a limited 24 hour room service menu instead of the entire restaurant menu.
The role of catering outlets Catering facilities are very important for the creation of suitable conditions for tourism and for satisfying tourists’ basic needs in any specific destination or resort. However, such food and beverage facilities should not only be regarded as being a basic tourist need; they are also important to the development and promotion of all types of tourist
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