amenities definition tourism

What is Amenity? Meaning, Origin, Popular Use, and Synonyms

What is Amenity?

An amenity refers to a feature or service that enhances comfort, convenience, and enjoyment for travelers during their stay at accommodations or while visiting public places. Amenities can vary widely, ranging from essential offerings such as Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and complimentary toiletries to luxurious perks like spa facilities, swimming pools, and fine dining restaurants. These add-ons are designed to elevate the overall guest experience and make the stay more pleasant and memorable.

Origins of the term Amenity

The term “ amenity ” traces its roots back to the Latin word “amoenus,” which means “pleasant” or “delightful.” Over time, the word evolved and found its way into the English language, where it came to signify anything that adds to the comfort and enjoyment of a particular place or environment. In the context of travel and hospitality, amenities have become a critical aspect of accommodations and public spaces, contributing to the overall satisfaction of travelers.

Where is the term Amenity commonly used?

The term “amenity” is widely used in the travel and hospitality industry . It is frequently mentioned in hotel descriptions, vacation rental listings, and travel websites to highlight the facilities and services available to guests. Additionally, public spaces such as airports, train stations, and tourist attractions often promote their amenities to attract and cater to travelers.

Synonyms of the term Amenity

While “amenity” is the standard term used, there are some synonymous expressions that convey a similar concept:

• Facility: Emphasizing the availability of various features and conveniences.
• Perk: Referring to additional benefits or advantages offered to guests.
• Feature: Highlighting specific attributes that enhance the guest experience.

Definition of amenity

Examples of amenity in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amenity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English amenite , from Latin amoenitat-, amoenitas , from amoenus pleasant

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Dictionary Entries Near amenity

Cite this entry.

“Amenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amenity. Accessed 30 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of amenity, more from merriam-webster on amenity.

Nglish: Translation of amenity for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of amenity for Arabic Speakers

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What Does Amenities Mean in Tourism?

By Anna Duncan

When planning a vacation, one of the key factors that travelers consider is the amenities offered by their chosen accommodation. Amenities are the extra features and services that hotels, resorts, and other tourism establishments provide to enhance their guests’ experience. These can range from basic facilities such as Wi-Fi and parking to luxurious perks like spas and private beaches.

Types of Amenities

There are various types of amenities that hotels and resorts can offer to cater to different preferences and needs of their guests. Some common examples include:

• Accommodation Amenities: These are the basic facilities provided in a guest room such as comfortable bedding, air conditioning, TV, and mini-fridge.
• Food and Beverage Amenities: This includes complimentary breakfast, room service, on-site restaurants or bars, coffee makers in rooms.
• Recreational Amenities: These amenities are provided for entertainment purposes such as swimming pools, gyms, sports courts or fields.
• Wellness Amenities: These include fitness centers or yoga studios, spas or massage services, saunas or steam rooms.
• Business Amenities: For business travelers these include conference rooms, printers/fax machines/scanners provided by the hotel.

The Importance of Offering Quality Amenities

Providing top-notch amenities has become a crucial aspect for tourism establishments to attract potential guests. With more competition in the market than ever before it’s essential for hotels to stand out from their competitors. By offering high-quality amenities at an affordable price point not only helps in attracting new customers but also creating loyal customers who may choose your establishment again over others.

The quality of amenities offered also plays a significant role in customer satisfaction. By providing a memorable experience, guests are more likely to leave positive reviews and recommend your establishment to others.

In conclusion, amenities have become an essential component of the tourism industry. They play a significant role in attracting new customers, creating loyal ones, and improving customer satisfaction.

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Know What to Expect From Hotel Amenities

When you’re staying at a hotel domestically or abroad, your guest stay often includes a few additional amenities. These extra services or products are given to hotel guests at no extra charge and can broadly include such items as shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soaps, specialty candies, and the like. Amenities can also refer to a service like a printing station in the hotel lobby, access to a hotel pool or spa, or even free parking for hotel guests.

Most hotels in the United States offer the basic amenities like soap and toothpaste, free coffee and perhaps a continental breakfast, and some discounts to local restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues for guests of the hotel. However, depending on how deluxe the hotel suite is, you may receive even more of these extra surprise and delight treats.

In a 2014 poll by the Huffington Post , the publication determined that the top 10 amenities offered by hotels, according to hotel guests, are complimentary breakfast, an on-site restaurant offering guest discounts, free internet and Wi-Fi, free parking, 24-hour front desk service, a smoke-free facility, a swimming pool, an on-site bar, air conditioning throughout the building, and coffee or tea in the lobby—in that order.

Amenities: From Common to Luxe

Most hotel rooms offer a standard level of service including a bed, a mini-fridge, a shower and bath , and air conditioning (if you’re in America), but anything in addition to these standard price points are considered amenities and used as selling points between differing hotel chains.

Hair dryers, ironing boards, televisions, in-room internet access, ice machines, and towels, though typically included in most hotel rooms in the United States, are in fact considered amenities. Ovens, stoves, kitchen sinks, refrigerators, microwaves, and other kitchenette items are rarer in modern hotel rooms, though most do at least come with some way to keep your leftovers cool.

In recent years, indoor pools, gyms, and other means of exercise on-site are become more and more popular, with long-established hotel chains renovating their locations to include these deluxe amenities to draw even more guests to use their accommodations. Other hotels now even offer recreational activities like tennis, golf, and beach volleyball to their guests.

What to Know Before You Go

Although amenities are obviously not necessary to a successful night’s rest, they can certainly help ease your stay. Most hotels list their amenities online, but you can always ask your booking agent before you rent a room for the night.

If you’re simply looking for a nice hotel to rest for the night and don’t plan to arrive early or stick around late the next morning, there’s not much you’ll need in the way of amenities, so you can often save a few dollars by booking a hotel with fewer extras—although these hotels say amenities are not included in the price, the more amenities a hotel has, the more they can justifiably charge guests to stay with them.

If instead you’re booking far in advance and plan to stay multiple nights or base your vacation on the amenities featured at a particular hotel, inn, lodge, or other accommodation, you will definitely want to know exactly what’s offered both in the room and at the hotel facility itself.

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Chapter 3. Accommodation

Rebecca Wilson-Mah

Learning Objectives

• Explain the contribution the accommodations sector makes to Canada’s economy
• Identify how a hotel category is determined, and describe different hotel categories in Canada
• Explain the meaning and structure of independent ownership, franchise agreements, and management contracts
• Summarize current accommodation trends
• Discuss the structure of hotel operations

In essence, hospitality is made up of two services: the provision of overnight accommodation for people travelling away from home, and options for people dining outside their home. We refer to the accommodation and food and beverage services sectors together as the hospitality industry. This chapter explores the accommodation sector, and the Chapter 4 details the food and beverage sector.

In Canada, approximately 25% to 35% of visitor spending is attributed to accommodation, making it a substantial portion of travel expenditures.

There were 8,090 hotel properties with a total of 440,123 rooms in Canada in 2014. Direct spending on overnight stays was $16.7 billion, and the year’s average occupancy rate was forecast at 64%. Across the country the sector employed 287,000 people (Hotel Association of Canada, 2014). According to go2HR, “with a projected rate of annual employment growth of 1.5 per cent, there will be 18,920 job openings between 2011 and 2020” (2015a).

In order to understand this large and significant sector, we will explore the history and importance of hotels in Canada, and review the hotel types along with various ownership structures and operational considerations. To complete the chapter, we will identify accommodation alternatives and specific trends that are affecting the accommodation sector today.

Spotlight On: The Hotel Association of Canada

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is the national trade organization advocating on behalf of over 8,500 hotels. Founded over 100 years ago, the association also provides professional development resources, discounts with vendors, and industry research including statistics monitoring and an extensive member database. For more information, visit the Hotel Association of Canada website : www.hotelassociation.ca

The History of Hotels in Canada

As we learned in Chapter 2, travel in Europe, North America, and Australia developed with the establishment of railway networks and train travel in the mid-1800s. The history of Canada’s grand hotels is also the story of Canada’s ocean liners and railways. Until the use of personal cars became widespread in the 1920s and 1930s, and taxpayer-funded all-weather highways were created, railways were the only long-distance land transportation available in Canada.

Both of Canada’s railway companies established hotel divisions: Canadian Pacific Hotels and Canadian National Hotels (Canada History, 2013). The first hotels were small and included Glacier House in Glacier National Park, BC, and Mount Stephen House in Field, BC. The hotel business was firmly established when both companies recognized the business opportunity in the growth of tourism, and they soon became rivals, building grand hotels in select locations close to railway stops.

Spotlight On: Canadian Pacific Hotels

Under the guidance of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) chief engineer and visionary William Cornelius Van Horne, a hotel empire was born (Canada History, 2013). Van Horne was a pioneer of tourism, and like Thomas Cook in the UK, he saw the potential for tourism that was made possible by the railway. Van Horne was famously quoted in 1886, “If we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists.” In 1999, many historic CPR properties joined the Fairmont brand. For more information, visit  the Fairmont website : www.fairmont.com/about-us/ourhistory/

Banff Springs Hotel opened in 1888, and other hotels soon followed, including the Château Frontenac in Quebec City (1893), the Royal York in Toronto (1929), and the Hotel Vancouver (1939). These hotels remain in operation today and are landmarks in their destinations, functioning as accommodations and as local attractions due to their historic significance and outstanding architecture.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, an increase in motor traffic saw the rise of the motel. The word motel, used less commonly today, comes from the term “motorist’s hotel,” used to denote a hotel that provides ample parking and rooms that are easily accessible from the parking lot. Traditionally, these structures were designed with all the rooms facing the parking lot, and relied heavily on motor traffic from nearby highways (Diffen, 2015).

Today, there are a number of hotel types, which can be classified in multiple ways. Let’s explore these classifications in more detail.

Hotel Types

Hotels are typically referred to by hotel type or category. The type of hotel is determined primarily by the size and location of the building structure, and then by the function, target market, service level, other amenities, and industry standards.

Take a Closer Look: Hotelier

The magazine Hotelier , available online and in eight annual print editions, is a resource relied on by many industry professionals across Canada. Featuring profiles of successful hoteliers, information about specific brands and properties, and hosting events including a speaker series, Hotelier is a good resource for students wanting more information about the sector in a dynamic format. Read press releases, find out about upcoming events, and subscribe at the Hotelier Magazine website : www.hoteliermagazine.com

Classifications

Competitive set is a marketing term used to identify a group of hotels that include the competitors that a hotel guest is likely to consider as an alternative. These can be grouped by any of the classifications listed in Table 3.1, such as size, location, or amenities offered. There must be a minimum of three hotels to qualify as a competitive set.

Business hotels, airport hotels, budget hotels, boutique hotels, convention hotels, and casino hotels are some examples of differentiated hotel concepts and services designed to meet a specific market segment. As companies continue to innovate and compete to capture defined niche markets within each set, we can expect to see the continued expansion of specific concepts. For example, hotels found close to, or even within, convention facilities are a great match for meetings and events, as well as the SMERF  market (social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal segment of the group travel market).

Spotlight On: BC Hotel Association

The BC Hotel Association (BCHA) represents over 600 members and 200 associate members — accounting for 80,000 rooms and more than 60,000 employees. The association produces an annual industry trade show and seminar series, and publishes InnFocus magazine for professionals in the trade. For more information, visit the BC Hotel Association website : www.bchotelassociation.com

Table 3.2 outlines the characteristics of specific hotel types that have evolved to match the needs of a particular traveller segment. As you can see, hotels adapt and diversify depending on the markets they want and need to attract to stay in business.

Let’s now take a closer look at three types of hotel that have emerged to meet specific market needs: budget hotels, boutique hotels, and resorts.

Budget Hotels

The term budget hotel is challenging to define, however most budget properties typically have a standardized appearance and offer basic services with limited food and beverage facilities. Budget hotels were first developed in the United States and built along the interstate highway system. The first Holiday Inn opened in the United States in 1952; the first Quality Motel followed in 1963.

In Europe, Accor operates the predominant European-branded budget rooms. Accor has four hotel brands that were recently redesigned: hotelF1, ibis budget, ibis Styles, and ibis. These budget brands offer comfort, modern design, and breakfast on site; ibis Styles is all inclusive, with one price for room night, breakfast, and internet access (Accor, 2015).

The budget brands owned by Accor are an example of a shift toward the budget boutique hotel style. A relatively new category of hotel, budget boutique is a no-frills boutique experience that still provides style, comfort, and a unique atmosphere. Starwood has entered this category with a scaled down version of W with the new Aloft brand that debuted in Montreal in 2008 (Starwood Hotels, 2011).

Boutique Hotels

Canada currently has no industry standards to define boutique hotels, but these hotels generally share some common features. These include having less than 100 rooms and featuring a distinctive design style and on-site food and beverage options (Boutique Hotel Association, n.d.). As a reflection of the size of the hotel, a boutique hotel is typically intimate and has an easily identifiable atmosphere, such as classic, luxurious, quirky, or funky.

According to Bill Lewis, general manager for the Magnolia Hotel and Spa in Victoria, “guests seek out boutique hotels for their small size, individual design style, … and personalized service.”  He feels that “maintaining this service level in a small hotel allows for a very personalized and intimate experience that cannot be matched in large branded hotels” (personal communication, 2014).

A resort is a full-service hotel that provides access to or offers a range of recreation facilities and amenities. A resort is typically the primary provider of the guest experience and will generally have one signature amenity or attraction (Brey, 2009).

Examples of signature amenities include skiing and mountains, golf, beach and ocean, lakeside, casino and gaming, all inclusiveness, spa and wellness, marina, tennis, and waterpark. In addition, resorts also offer secondary experiences and a leisure or retreat-style environment.

Take a Closer Look: Condé Nast Best Hotels and Resorts in Canada 2014

Condé Nast Traveler and the CN publishing family have many well-regarded “best of” lists, one of which is the Best Hotels and Resorts in Canada. In 2014, three of the top 10 were in BC, with the Wickaninnish Inn and Black Rock Oceanfront Resort earning first and second place. You can read the rest of the list at,  “The Best Hotels and Resorts in Canada: 2014” : www.cntraveler.com/gold-list/2014/americas/canada

Now that we understand the classifications of hotel types, let’s gain a deeper understanding of the various ownership structures in the industry.

Ownership Structures

There are several ownership models employed in the sector today, including independent, management contract, chains and franchise agreements, fractional ownership, and full ownership strata units. This section explains each of these in more detail and provides examples of each.

Independent

An independent hotel is financed by one individual or a small group and is directly managed by its owners or third-party operators. The term independent refers to a management system that is free from outside control.

There are a number of very well-established independently branded hotels. These hotel companies have developed their own standards, support systems, policies and procedures, and best practices in all areas of the business. Independent hotels have the flexibility to customize or adjust their systems to position their property for success, and the location, product, service, experience, sales and marketing, and brand are all necessary for that success (Cabañas, 2014). An example of an independent hotel is the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa in Vancouver, founded by Eleni Skalbania, and currently co-owned by her daughter Elpie (Wedgewood, 2015).

Management Contract

Another business model is a management contract. This is a service offered by a management company to manage a hotel or resort for its owners. Owners have two main options for the structure of a management contract. One is to enter into a separate franchise agreement to secure a brand and then engage an independent third-party hotel management company to manage the hotel. SilverBirch Hotels is an example of a hotel management company that manages independent hotels and hotels operating under different major franchise brands, such as Marriott, Hilton, and Radisson (SilverBirch Hotels, 2015).

A slightly different option is for owners to select a single company to provide the brand and the expertise to manage the property. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts are companies that provide this option to owners. In 2014, the iconic Fairmont Empress hotel was purchased by Vancouver developer Nat Bosa and his wife Flora, who continued to retain Fairmont as the management company after the purchase (Meiszner, 2014).

Selecting a brand affiliation is one of the most significant decisions hotel owners must make (Crandell, Dickinson, & Kante, 2004). The brand affiliation selected will largely determine the cost of hotel development or conversion of an existing property to meet new brand standards. The affiliation will also determine a number of things about the ongoing operation including the level of services and amenities offered, cost of operation, marketing opportunities or restrictions, and the competitive position in the marketplace. For these reasons, owners typically consider several branding options before choosing to operate independently or selecting a brand affiliation.

Chains and Franchise Agreements

Another managerial and ownership structure is franchising. A hotel franchise enables individuals or investment companies (the franchisee ) to build or purchase a hotel and then buy or lease a brand name to operate a business and become part of a chain of hotels using the franchisor ’s hotel brand, image, goodwill, procedures, controls, marketing, and reservations systems (Rushmore, 2005).

A well-known franchise in BC is Coast Hotels. A franchisee with Coast Hotels becomes part of a network of properties that use a central reservations system with access to electronic distribution channels, regional and national marketing programs, central purchasing, and brand operating standards (Coast Hotels, 2015). A franchisee also receives training, support, and advice from the franchisor and must adhere to regular inspections, audits, and reporting requirements.

Selecting a franchise structure may reduce investment risk by enabling the franchisee to associate with an established hotel company. Franchise fees can be substantial and a franchisee must be willing to adhere to the contractual obligations with the franchisor (Migdal, n.d.; and Rushmore, 2005).  Franchise fees typically include an initial fee paid with the franchise application, and then continuing fees paid during the term of the agreement. These fees are sometimes a percentage of revenue but can be set at a fixed fee. Franchise fees generally range from 4% to 7% of gross rooms revenue (Crandell et al., 2004).

Fractional Ownership

In a fractional ownership model, developers finance hotel builds by selling units in one-eighth to one-quarter shares. This financing model was very popular in BC from the late 1990s to 2008 (Western Investor, 2012). Examples of fractional ownership include the Sun Peaks Ski Resort in Kamloops and the Penticton Lakeside Resort.

In this model, owners can place their unit in a rental pool. The investment return for owners is based on the term

s of the contract they have for their unit, the strata fees, and the hotel’s occupancy. Managing fractional ownership can be very time consuming for hotel owners or management companies as each hotel unit can have up to eight owners. If occupancy rates are too low, an owner may not be able to cover the monthly strata fees. For the hotel management company, attaining occupancy rate targets is necessary to ensure that the balance of revenue is sufficient to cover the hotel’s operating expenses.

Developers now anticipate that fractional ownership will not be used to finance new hotel builds in the future due to poor performance. There have been some high-profile collapses for hotel developers in BC, and between 2002 and 2012 fractional hotel owners experienced asset depreciation (Western Investor, 2012). It is uncertain how the market will perform in the next several years.

Full Ownership Strata Units

In this financing model, hotel developers finance a new hotel build with the sale of full ownership strata units. The sale of the condominium units finances the hotel development. Examples include the Fairmont Pacific Rim and the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.

Spotlight On: The BC Hospitality Foundation

The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) was created to help support hospitality (accommodation and food and beverage) professionals in their time of need. It has expanded to become a provider of scholarships for students in hospitality management and culinary programs. To raise funds for these initiatives, the foundation hosts annual events including Dish and Dazzle and a golf tournament. For more information, visit the BC Hospitality Foundation website : bchospitalityfoundation.com

No matter what the ownership model, it’s critical for properties to offer a return on investment for owners. The next section looks at ways of measuring financial performance in the sector.

Financial Performance

According to hotel consultant Betsy McDonald from HVS International Hotel Consultancy, the “industry rule of thumb is that a hotel room must make $1 per night for every $1,000 it takes to build or buy. If the hotel costs $125,000 per [room], the room has to rent for $125 per night on average and you need 60% to 70% occupancy to break even” (McDonald, 2011).

Several terms and formulas are used to evaluate revenue management strategies and operational efficiency:

Occupancy is a term that refers to the  percentage of all guest rooms in the hotel that are occupied at a given time. 

Average daily rate (ADR) is a calculation that states the average guest room income per occupied room in a given time period. It is determined by dividing the total room revenue by the number of rooms sold.

Revenue per available room (RevPAR ) is   a calculation that combines both occupancy and ADR in one metric. It is calculated by multiplying a hotel’s ADR by its occupancy rate. It may also be calculated by dividing a hotel’s total room revenue by the total number of available rooms and the number of days in the period being measured.

Costs per occupied room (COPR) is a figure that states all the costs associated with making a room ready for a guest (linens, cleaning costs, guest amenities).

These terms and measurements allow hotel staff and management to track the success of the operation and to compare against competitors and regional averages.

Table 3.3 indicates the top five hotel companies in Canada based on revenue (Hotel Association of Canada, 2014). Note that the top two listings include units and revenues earned outside of Canada as these are international companies.

Across all ownership models, most properties have operational aspects in common. But before we take a closer look at the roles within a typical hotel, let’s review an important part of the accommodations sector in Canada and BC: camping and recreational vehicle (RV) stays.

Camping and RV Accommodation

A significant portion of travel accommodation is also provided in campgrounds and recreational vehicles (RVs). As the Canadian and BC tourism brands are closely tied to the outdoors, and these are two options that immerse travellers in the outdoor experience, it is no surprise that these two types of accommodation are popular options.

In 2011, 14% of Canadian households owned an RV, with over 1 million RVs on the road in the country that year. Economic activity associated with RVing generated approximately $14.5 billion. Across the country 3,000 independently owned and operated campgrounds welcomed guests for camping in RVs and in tents that year (CNW, 2014).

Spotlight On: Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition

The Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition (CRVBCC) represents campground managers and brings together additional stakeholders including the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of BC and the Freshwater Fisheries Society. Their aim is to increase the profile of camping and RV experiences throughout BC, achieving this through a website, a blog, and media outreach. For more information, visit the Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition website : www.campingrvbc.com

According to the Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition (CRVBCC, 2014), BC is home to 340 vehicle accessible campgrounds managed by the BC Society of Park Facility Operators, and Destination British Columbia inspects and approves over 500 campgrounds across the province. Seven national parks within the province contain an additional 14 campgrounds, and the BC Recreation Sites and Trails Branch manages more than 1,200 backcountry sites including campgrounds and other facilities. Another 300 private RV parks and campgrounds play host to a mixture of longer-stay residents and overnight guests.

Spotlight On: the BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association

The BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association (BCLCA) was founded in 1944 to represent the interests of independently owned campgrounds and lodges. It provides advocacy and collaborative marketing, and promotes best practice among members. For more information, visit the BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association website : www.travel-british-columbia.com

In 2014, national industry associations began to call on the government for taxation relief and marketing help to ensure this segment of the sector could continue to thrive. They also highlighted the need to increase the operating hours and seasons of publicly funded campgrounds to match the private sector and to ensure continuity of service for guests (CNW, 2014). Closer to home, the BCLCA (see Spotlight On above) continues to advocate for equitable property tax arrangements, support with employment issues, and other policies relating to land and water use for their members.

Chapter 5 provides more in-depth information about the importance of the recreation sector to BC. For now, let’s move our discussion forward by taking a closer look at the common organizational structure of many accommodation businesses.

The organizational structures of operations and the number of roles and levels of responsibility vary depending on the type and size of accommodation. They are also determined by ownership and the standards and procedures of the management company. In this section, we explore the organizational structure and roles that are typically in place in a full-service hotel with under 500 rooms. These can also apply to smaller properties and businesses such as campgrounds — although in these cases several roles might be fulfilled by the same person.

Guest Services

Before we turn to examples of specific operational roles, let’s take a brief look at the importance of guest services, which will be covered in full in Chapter 9.

The accommodation sector provides much more than tangible products such as guest rooms, beds and meals; service is also crucial. Regardless of their role in the operation, all employees must do their part to ensure that each guest’s needs, preferences, and expectations are met and satisfied.

In some cases, such as in a luxury hotel, resort hotel, or an all-inclusive property, the guest services may represent a person’s entire vacation experience. In other cases, the service might be less significant, for example, in a budget airport hotel where location is the key driver, or a campground where guests primarily expect to take care of themselves.

In all cases, operators and employees must recognize and understand guest expectations and also what drives their satisfaction and loyalty. When the key drivers of guest satisfaction are understood, the hotel can ensure that service standards and business practices and policies support employees to deliver on these needs and that guest expectations are satisfied or exceeded.

Spotlight On: 4Hoteliers

4Hoteliers compiles world news for hotel, travel, and hospitality professionals. It features recent news releases and articles and a free e-newsletter distributed three times per week. For more information, or to subscribe, visit the 4Hoteliers website : www.4hoteliers.com

General Manager and Director of Operations

In most properties, the general manager or hotel manager serves as the head executive. Division heads oversee various departments including managers, administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. The general manager’s role is to provide strategic leadership and planning to all departments so revenue is maximized, employee relations are strong, and guests are satisfied.

The director of operations is responsible for overseeing the food and beverage and rooms division. This role is also responsible for providing guidance to department heads to achieve their targets and for directing the day-to-day operations of their respective departments. The director of operations also assumes the responsibilities of the general manager when he or she is absent from the property.

The controller is responsible for overall accounting and finance-related activities including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, credit, systems management, cash management, food and beverage cost control, receiving, purchasing, food stores, yield management, capital planning, and budgeting.

Engineering and Maintenance

The chief engineer is the lead for the effective operation and maintenance of the property on a day-to-day basis, typically including general maintenance, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, kitchen maintenance, carpentry, and electrical and plumbing (Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, 2015). The chief engineer is also responsible for preventive maintenance and resource management programs.

Food and Beverage Division

The food and beverage director is responsible for catering and events, in-room dining, and stand-alone restaurants and bars. The executive chef, the director of banquets, and the assistant managers responsible for each restaurant report to the director of food and beverage. The director assists with promotions and sales, the annual food and beverage budget, and all other aspects of food and beverage operations to continually improve service and maximize profitability.

Human Resources

The human resources department provides guidance and advice on a wide range of management-related practices including recruitment and selection, training and development, employee relations, rewards and recognition, performance management, and health and safety.

Rooms Division

Front office.

Reporting to the director of rooms, the front office manager, sometimes called the reception manager, controls the availability of rooms and the day-to-day functions of the front office. The front desk agent reports to the front office manager and works in the lobby or reception area to welcome the guests to the property, process arrivals and departures, coordinate room assignments and pre-arrivals, and respond to guest requests.

Housekeeping

Reporting to the director of rooms, the executive housekeeper manages and oversees housekeeping operations and staff including the housekeeping manager, supervisor, house persons, and room attendants. An executive housekeeper is responsible for implementing the operating procedures and standards. He or she also plans, coordinates, and schedules the housekeeping staff. Room audits and inspections are completed regularly to ensure standards are met (go2HR, 2015b).

Reporting to the housekeeping supervisor, room attendants complete the day-to-day task of cleaning rooms based on standard operating procedures and respond to guest requests. Reporting to the housekeeping supervisor, house persons clean public areas including hallways, the lobby, and public restrooms, and deliver laundry and linens to guest rooms.

Reservations

Large full-service hotels typically have a reservations department, and the reservations manager reports directly to the front office manager. The guest’s experience starts with the first interaction a guest has with a property, often during the reservation process. Reservations agents convert calls to sales by offering the guest the opportunity to not only make a room reservation but also book other amenities and activities.

Today, with online and website reservations available to guests, there is still a role for the reservations agent, as some guests prefer the one-to-one connection with another person. The extent to which the reservations agent position is resourced will vary depending on the hotel’s target market and business strategy.

Sales and Marketing

The sales and marketing director is responsible for establishing sales and marketing activities that maximize the hotel’s revenues. This is typically accomplished by increasing occupancy and revenue opportunities for the hotel’s accommodation, conference and catering space, leisure facilities, and food and beverage outlets. The sales and marketing manager is responsible for coordinating marketing and promotional activities and works closely with other hotel departments to ensure customers are satisfied with all aspects of their experience (go2HR, 2015c).

Catering and Conference Services

In larger full-service hotels with conference space, a hotel will have a dedicated catering and conference services department. The director of this department typically reports to the director of sales and marketing. The catering and conference services department coordinates all events held in the hotel or catered off-site. Catering and conference events and services range from small business meetings to high-profile conferences and weddings.

Now that we have a sense of the building blocks of a typical hotel operation, let’s look at some trends affecting the sector.

Trends and Issues

The accommodation sector is sensitive to shifting local, regional, and global economic, social, and political conditions. Businesses must be flexible to meet the needs of their different markets and evolving trends. These trends affect all hotel types, regions, and destinations differently. However, overall, hoteliers must respond to these trends in a business landscape that is increasingly competitive, particularly in markets where the supply base is growing faster than demand ( Hotelier , 2014).

The Sharing Economy: Airbnb

The  sharing economy is a relatively new economic model in which people rent beds, cars, boats, and other underutilized assets directly from each other, all coordinated via the internet ( The Economist , 2013). Airbnb is the most prominent example of this model. It provides a platform for travellers and manages all aspects of the relationship without requiring any paperwork.

At Airbnb, the host who rents out the space controls the price, the description of the space, and the guest experience. The host also makes the house rules and has full control over who books the space. As well, both hosts and guests can rate each other and write reviews on the website (Cole, 2014).

Airbnb began in 2008 when the founders rented their air mattresses to three visitors in San Francisco (Fast Company, 2012). In fact, the name Airbnb is derived from “air mattress bed and breakfast.” However, Airbnb is not only for couch surfers or budget-conscious travellers; it includes a wide range of spaces in locations all over the world. When users create an account, they set the price and write the descriptions to advertise the space to guests (Airbnb, 2015). Since 2008, the Airbnb online marketplace has grown rapidly, with more than 1 million properties worldwide and 30 million guests who used the service by the end of 2014 (Melloy, 2015).

This and other innovations have changed the accommodation landscape as never before. Ten to 15 years ago online travel agents were a major innovation that changed the distribution and sale of rooms. But they still had to work with existing hotels, whereas Airbnb has enabled new entrants into the industry and thus increased supply.

On the supply side, Airbnb enables individuals to share their spare space for rent; on the demand side, consumers using Airbnb benefit from increased competition and more choice. An unanswered question is to what extent Airbnb has impacted the hospitality industry at large and how it will impact it in the future. A study completed in 2014 in Austin, Texas, indicates that lower-end hotels, and hotels not catering to business travellers, are more vulnerable to increased competition from rentals enabled by firms like Airbnb than are hotels without these characteristics (Zervas, Preserpio, & Byers, 2015).

Distribution and Online Travel Agents

Online travel agents (OTAs) are a valuable marketing and third-party distribution resource for hotels and play a significant role in online distribution (Inversini & Masiero, 2014). In the first quarter of 2014, 13.2% of hotel bookings for individual leisure and business travellers (TravelClick, 2014) were made through OTAs (for example, Expedia, Hotels.com, Kayak.com).

OTAs offer global distribution so that each hotel and chain can be available to anyone at the click of a button (Then Hospitality, 2014). Smaller independent hotels that do not have the global marketing and sales resources of a larger chain are able to gain exposure, sell rooms, and build their reputation through online guest ratings and reviews. OTAs also help hotels offer combined value and packaging options that are attractive to many consumers (for example, booking and search options for hotels, car rentals, air fare, attractions, and travel packages). Customized searches, travel guidance, and rewards points are also available when booking through an OTA. If a hotel or chain has an exceptional product and service, OTAs share guest ratings, which can increase the number of reservations and referrals.

Chris Anderson at the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University analyzed 1,720 reservations made on the websites of six InterContinental Hotels brands (2012). Anderson found that every booking made on Expedia attracted three to nine reservations to the hotel’s site, suggesting the commission a hotel pays an OTA is a cost-effective expense, as it generates additional revenues.

The general industry guidance for hotels using OTAs is to ensure that this distribution channel is part of a broader sales strategy, coupled with sound customer relationship management practices.

Table 3.4 provides an overview of some of the distribution channels that are available to hoteliers.

For more on marketing in the services sector, see Chapter 8.

Online Bookings and Mobile Devices

In 2014, 27% of online bookings in leading regions in the United States were made by consumers using their mobile devices and tablets (Travel Click, 2014). As the trend continues, hoteliers are adapting their e-commerce strategy to respond appropriately and to understand what consumers in their hotel segment need, want, and expect from the mobile booking experience. According to Travel Click (2014), same-day reservations are also on the rise. Bookings made with mobile devices can be incentivized by offers for deals such as mobile-specific rate plans or discounts to directly target last-minute shoppers.

Table 3.5 was generated by a review of press releases (Hotel Analyst, 2014), and it provides some examples of mobile technologies and customized apps used by hotel companies.

The accommodation sector, and the hotel sector in particular, encompasses multiple business models and employs hundreds of thousands of Canadians. A smaller, but important segment in BC is that of camping and RV accommodators.

As broader societal trends continue and morph, they will continue to impact the accommodations marketplace and consumer. Owners and operators must stay abreast of these trends, continually altering their business models and services to remain relevant and competitive.

Now that we have a better sense of the accommodation sector, let’s visit the other half of the hospitality industry: food and beverage services. Chapter 4 explores this in more detail.

• Average daily rate (ADR): average guest room income per occupied room in a given time period
• BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF): created to help support hospitality professionals in their time of need; now also a provider of scholarships for students in hospitality management and culinary programs
• BC Hotel Association (BCHA): the trade association for BC’s hotel industry, which hosts an annual industry trade show and seminar series, and publishes InnFocus magazine for professionals
• BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association (BCLCA): represents the interests of independently owned campgrounds and lodges in BC
• Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition (CRVBCC): represents campground managers and brings together additional stakeholders including the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of BC and the Freshwater Fisheries Society
• Competitive set: a marketing term used to identify a group of hotels that include all competitors that a hotel’s guests are likely to consider as an alternative (minimum of three)
• Costs per occupied room (CPOR): all the costs associated with making a room ready for a guest (linens, cleaning costs, guest amenities)
• Fractional ownership: a financing model that developers use to finance hotel builds by selling units in one-eighth to one-quarter shares
• Franchise:  enables individuals or investment companies to build or purchase a hotel and then buy or lease a brand name under which to operate; also can include reservation systems and marketing tools
• Franchisee: an individual or company buying or leasing a franchise
• Franchisor: a company that sells franchises
• Hotel Association of Canada (HAC): the national trade organization advocating on behalf of over 8,500 hotels
• Hotel type: a classification determined primarily by the size and location of the building structure, and then by the function, target markets, service level, other amenities, and industry standards
• Motel: a term popular in the last century, combining the words “motor hotel”; typically designed to provide ample parking and easy access to rooms from the parking lot
• Occupancy: the percentage of all guest rooms in the hotel that are occupied at a given time
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): a calculation that combines both occupancy and ADR in one metric
• Sharing economy: an internet-based economic system in which consumers share their resources, typically with people they don’t know, and typically in exchange for money
• SMERF: an acronym for the social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal segment of the group travel market
• On a piece of paper, list as many types of accommodation classifications (e.g., by size) as you can think of. Name at least five. Provide examples of each.
• When researching a franchisor, the cost of the franchise must be carefully considered. What other factors would you consider to determine the value of a franchise fee?
• How should lower-end hotels and hotels that do not cater to business travellers respond to increased competition from rentals enabled by firms like Airbnb?
• A hotel earns $3,000 on 112 rooms. What is its ADR?
• That same hotel has an occupancy of 75%. What is its RevPAR?
• How many independent campgrounds are there across Canada?
• How many vehicle-accessible campsites are there in BC?
• Airbnb enables hosts to rate their guests after a stay. Consider some other types of accommodation and list the pros and cons of rating guests.
• Draw an organizational chart for a 60-room boutique hotel, listing all the staff required to run the operation. Put the most influential people (e.g., the general manager) at the top and work your way down. How would you structure this differently from a larger full-service hotel? What would you keep the same?
• Read the Condé Nast list for Best Hotels and Resorts in Canada for 2014 (in the Take a Closer Look feature). Now find two other “best of” lists for BC, Canada, or global accommodations. What do the winners have in common? List at least three things. Now try to find at least two differences.

Case Study: Hotel for Dogs – Philanthropy and Media Coverage

In 2014, the media was taken by storm with a story about a hotel in North Carolina that combined philanthropy with their business model. The property expanded on the trend of allowing dogs in hotels by fostering rescues from a nearby shelter and allowing guests to adopt them. Guests appreciated the warm interactions with the animals and several dogs were adopted as a result (Manning, 2014).Not only did the property provide a valuable service and enhance the guest experience, but the story was repeated across multiple media outlets, creating publicity for the hotel.

This is an example of a current trend: allowing pets in hotels. Now choose from one of the following trends, and research it to answer the questions that follow:

• Carbon offset programs
• Customization
• Reputation management
• Digital concierge
• Themed sleep
• Lifestyle food choices
• Educational experiences
• Millennial traveller
• Sharing economy
• Green certified
• Extreme experiences
• Why do you think this trend has emerged? What market is it helping to serve?
• Find an example of a hotel that has responded to your chosen trend and explain how the trend has informed or changed the hotel’s business strategy or practice.
• Are there any trends that are not listed above that you think should be added? Try to name at least two. Why are these important accommodation trends today?

Accor. (2015). Brand portfolio, economy brands . Retrieved from www.accor.com/en/brands/brand-portfolio.html

Airbnb. (2015). How to host . Retrieved from www.airbnb.ca/help/getting-started/how-to-host

Anderson, C. (2012, November). The impact of social media on lodging performance . Retrieved from www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/abstract-16421.html

Boutique Hotel Association. (n.d.) Terminology and definitions for boutique and lifestyle hotels and properties. Retrieved from www.blla.org/lifestyle-hotels.htm

Brey, E. (2009). Resort definitions and classifications: A summary report to research participants. [PDF]  University of Memphis: Center for Resort and Hospitality Business. Retrieved from http://caribbeanhotelassociation.com/source/Members/DataCenter/Research-UofMemphis.pdf

Cabañas, A. (2014). “Chain” versus “independent” – A view from an operator of independent hotels. hospitalitynet . Retrieved from www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4064293.html

Canada History. (2013). The railroad. Retrieved from www.canadahistory.com/sections/eras/nation%20building/Railroad.html

CNW. (2014, May 1). Canadian RV and camping industry urges government to address critical infrastructure needs.  Retrieved from www.newswire.ca/en/story/1347701/canadian-rv-and-camping-industry-urges-government-to-address-critical-infrastructure-needs

Coast Hotels and Resorts. (2015) Management and franchises . Retrieved from www.maclabhotels.com/about_coast/management

Cole, S. (2014).  Fast company how a startup grows up: Lessons from AirBnB’s open air summit . Retrieved from www.fastcompany.com/3029758/how-a-startup-grows-up-lessons-from-airbnbs-openair-summit

Crandell, C., Dickinson, K., & Kanter, G. I. (2004). Negotiating the hotel management contract. In Hotel Asset Management: Principles & Practices. East Lansing, MI: University of Denver and American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.

CRVBCC. (2014). About us: The Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition . Retrieved from www.campingrvbc.com/about/

Diffen. (2015). Hotel vs motel. Retrieved from www.diffen.com/difference/Hotel_vs_Motel

Economist, The. (2013). Silverstein, B. The rise of the sharing economy. Retrieved from www.economist.com/news/leaders/21573104-internet-everything-hire-rise-sharing-economy

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. (2015). Chief engineer job description . Retrieved from www.linkedin.com/company/fairmont-hotels-and-resorts?trk=job_view_topcard_company_name

Fast Company. (2012). Airbnb – Most innovative companies 2012 . Retrieved from www.fastcompany.com/3017358/most-innovative-companies-2012/19airbnb

go2HR. (2015a). Accommodations . Retrieved from www.go2hr.ca/bc-tourism-industry/what-tourism/accommodation

go2HR. (2015b). Executive housekeeper profile . Retrieved from www.go2hr.ca/career-profiles/executive-housekeeper

go2HR. (2015c). Director of sales and marketing in hotel profile . Retrieved from www.go2hr.ca/career-profiles/director-sales-and-marketing-hotel

Hotel Analyst. (2014). The intelligence source for the hotel investment community . Retrieved from http://hotelanalyst.co.uk

Hotel Association of Canada. (2014). Hotel industry fact sheet . [PDF] Retrieved from www.hotelassociation.ca/forms/Hotel%20Industry%20Facts%20Sheet.pdf

Hotelier. (2014, September 12). The 2014 hospitality market Report. Retrieved from  www.hoteliermagazine.com/the-2014-hospitality-market-report/

Inversini, A., Masiero, L. (2014). Selling rooms online: the use of social media and online travel agents.  International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 26 (2), 272-292

McDonald, B. (2011). Canadian Monthly Lodging Outlook . Retrieved from www.hvs.com/Library/Articles/

Manning, S. (2014, December 31). This hotel is saving lives by matching guests with rescue pups.   Huffington Post . Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/31/hotel-rescue-dogs_n_6401418.html

Meiszner, P. (2014, June 27.) Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria purchased by Vancouver developer. Global News. Retrieved from http://globalnews.ca/news/1421407/fairmont-empress-hotel-in-victoria-purchased-by-vancouver-developer/

Melloy, J. (2015, February 2). Airbnb guests triple hurting Priceline, HomeAway. CNBC. Retrieved from www.cnbc.com/id/102389442

Migdal, N. (n.d.) Franchise agreements vs. management agreements: Which one do I choose? Hotel Business Review . Retrieved from hotelexecutive.com/business_review/2101/test-franchise-agreements-vs-management-agreements-which-one-do-i-choose

Rushmore, S. (2005).  What does a hotel franchise cost? Canadian Lodging Outlook . Retrieved from www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_4th/Oct05_FranchiseCost.html

SilverBirch Hotels. (2015). About us . Retrieved from www.silverbirchhotels.com/about/

Starwood Hotels. (2011, April 12). Starwood to reach 60th hotel milestone in Canada . Retrieved from www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/about/news/news_release_detail.html?Id=2011-04-12-SI&language=en_US

Then Hospitality. (2014, April 15). The benefits of using online travel agencies (OTAs) . Retrieved from www.thenhospitality.com/blog/the-benefits-of-using-online-travel-agencies-otas

Travel Click. (2014). Business and leisure travelers continue to book more hotel reservations online . Retrieved from www.travelclick.com/en/news-events/press-releases/business-and-leisure-travelers-continue-book-more-hotel-reservations-online

Wedgewood Hotel & Spa. (2014). Luxury boutique Vancouver Hotel – Wedgewood Hotel & Spa . Retrieved from www.wedgewoodhotel.com

Western Investor. (2012). Investors burnt in hotel condos, fractionals . Retrieved from westerninvestor.com/index.php/news/ab/692-investors-burnt-in-hotel-condos-fractionals

Zervas, G., Preserpio, D., & Byers, J.W., (2015). The rise of the sharing economy: Estimating the impact of Airbnb on the hotel industry . Boston U. School of Management Research Paper No. 2013-16. Available at SSRN: ssrn.com/abstract=2366898 or dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2366898

Attributions

Figure 3.1   Shot from balconey  by Alan Wolf  is used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

Figure 3.2   Banff Springs Hotel  by Evan Leeson  is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 3.3 JONETSUpanpac07  by Jonetsu.ca is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 3.4 The Magnolia Hotel (Victoria) 2013  by Raul Pacheco-Vega is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

Figure 3.5   Wedgewood Hotel  by Stewart Marshall  is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

Figure 3.6  The Empress by   3dpete  is used under a CC BY ND 2.0 license.

Figure 3.7   Coast Bastion Hotel (Nanaimo)  by  Raul Pacheco-Vega  is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

Figure 3.8  Delta Sun Peaks Hotel  by jhopkins  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 3.9   Hotel Georgia, Rosewood Hotel Vancouver  by Rishad Daroowala is used under a CC BY-ND 2.0  license.

Figure 3.10   Night Neighbours  by James Wheeler is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0  license.

Figure 3.11   Vicky Lee at Delta Burnaby Hotel  by LinkBC  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 3.12   Scott and Tina Visit the Pan Pacific Vancouver  by Pan Pacific Hotel  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 3.13   Cafe Pacifica Restaurant 2013 Winter Menus  by Pan Pacific  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 3.14   Airbnb  by Gustavo da Cunha Pimenta  is used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 3.15   Waiting at baggage claim  by hjl  is used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality in BC Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Wilson-Mah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Meaning of amenity in English

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• consumer society
• culturomics
• digital divide
• non-segregated
• non-segregation
• non-utility
• sociologist
• superstructure
• uncivilized

amenity | American Dictionary

Amenity | business english, examples of amenity, translations of amenity.

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injury to someone caused by severe cold, usually to their toes, fingers, ears, or nose, that causes permanent loss of tissue

Keeping up appearances (Talking about how things seem)

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Home » Language » English Language » Words and Meanings » Difference Between Amenities and Facilities

Difference Between Amenities and Facilities

The main difference between amenities and facilities is that the amenities refer to things that are designed to provide comfort and enjoyment to the guests while facilities basically refer to places or even equipment built to facilitate guests in their specific needs.

These two terms are common in the hotel and hospitality terminologies, and often, people tend to use them interchangeably. However, they have different meanings that pertain to their correct usage.

Key Areas Covered

1. What are Amenities      – Definition, Features, Examples 2. What are Facilities     – Definition, Features, Examples 3. What is the Difference Between Amenities and Facilities     – Comparison of Key Differences

What are Amenities

Amenities are not buildings or construction. They are the things or benefits that are made to offer convenience and comfort to people. In other words, they are things that conduce comfort, convenience or enjoyment of the people.

Amenities are additional features or comfort things inside a property or building, and they add extra value to it. Moreover, amenities are usually the benefits that come with the hotel services or with an apartment . They render the pleasure and comfort to the guests. Therefore, the more amenities a building has, the more likely it will gain a competitive edge in attracting prospective tenants and guests.

Figure 1: Amenities in a Hotel

Amenities in a hotel may include things or services such as high kitchen quality services, valet services, quality products, WIFI, elevators, air conditioning, TV and computers for use, balconies, laundry services, swimming pool, playground, etc.

What are Facilities

Facilities are places (as a hospital, machinery, plumbing) that are built, constructed, installed, or established to perform some particular function, and thus to facilitate people in that.

In brief, a facility can be a building designed for a particular purpose. But, this purpose may not always be enjoyment; it is often for other needs as well. They can range from providing healthcare, monitoring the security of the place, developing technological advancements, and providing relaxation and comfort to people too

With concern to hotel and tourism industry, facilities are also places that are constructed to answer the particular needs of the guests. Therefore, unlike amenities, their main aim is not to provide pleasure and entertainment but to render a specific service and facilitate the people in the process of it.

Figure 2: Spa in a Hotel

Some public facilities include medical facilities, telecommunication facilities, educational facilities, research facilities, and commercial or institutional buildings, such as a hotel, resort, school, office complex, sports arena, or convention center etc.

Some examples of hotel facilities are health clubs, spas, conference facilities, banquet halls, movie theatres, parking areas, etc.

Since the hotel industry mainly aims at providing the best services to the guests, the amenities they provide often get categorized under hotel facilities.

Amenities refer to things that are designed to provide comfort and enjoyment to the guests while the facilities mainly refer to places or even equipment built to facilitate guests in their specific needs.

The main aim of the amenities is to provide comfort, pleasure and enjoyment for people while the main aim of the facilities is to facilitate the people in their necessities. Therefore, they answer particular needs, but people staying there may or may not enjoy them.

The word, ‘amenity’ is thus used mostly in the hotel and other related industries while the word ‘facility’ can be used mostly in a general sense in addition to its use in the hotel and tourism industry.

Examples in Hotel Industry

Some examples of hotel amenities are swimming pools, games, high-quality products such as dishwasher units, microwave ovens, washer and dryers, minibars, shampoos, laundry services, internet and computer services, balconies, transport services, swimming pool, childcare centre, playground, etc

Some examples of hotel facilities are gyms, spas, community service centres, tourist aid centres, childcare centres, business service centres, etc. However, in the tourism industry, the main aim of the facilities is also to provide the best services to make the guest feel more at ease and comfortable.

The two terms amenities and facilities are commonly used to express benefits and places that provide facilities for people. Thus, these two words are common in the hotel and tourism terminology. The difference between amenities and facilities is that the amenities refer to things provided mainly for the enjoyment and comfort of the guests while facilities are the places that are constructed for a particular purpose thus, facilitating the guests in their needs.

1. “Hotel Amenity.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 June 2018, Available here . 2. “Facility.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 May 2018, Available here .

Image Courtesy:

1. “L’HOTEL PORTO BAY SÃO PAULO | amenities” by PortoBay Hotels & Resorts (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr 2. “Spa at Mandarin Oriental Harmony Suite Tokyo” By Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group – Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

About the Author: Upen

Upen, BA (Honours) in Languages and Linguistics, has academic experiences and knowledge on international relations and politics. Her academic interests are English language, European and Oriental Languages, Internal Affairs and International Politics, and Psychology.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2023), 1.3 billion people - about 16% of the global population - experience significant disability. Accessibility for all to tourism facilities, products, and services should be a central part of any responsible and sustainable tourism policy. Accessibility is not only about human rights. It is a business opportunity for destinations and companies to embrace all visitors and enhance their revenues.

Did you know..? 

• Almost 50% of people aged more than 60 have a disability (UNDESA, 2022) 
• Travellers with disabilities tend to travel accompanied by 2 to 3 travel companions (Bowtell, 2015)
•  2/3 of people with disabilities in developed economies are likely to have means to travel (based on Bowtell, 2015)

This portal provides an insight into UN Tourism resources on accessibility. All resources were developed with key inputs from Organizations with Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), civil society and tourism sector stakeholders. The publications generally follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (level AA).

International Accessible Tourism Forum - Asia & the Pacific 

Download here the Programme of the Forum .     

UN Tourism International Conference on Accessible Tourism 

The Conference discussed accessible tourism policies and product development, as well as international guidance tools applied to the tourism value chain. Good practices showcased innovative solutions in access to transportation, cultural heritage, nature areas, leisure, MICE and a wide range of tourism businesses. The UN Tourism & San Marino Action Agenda for the Future of Accessible Tourism 2030 outlines a series of public commitments to undertake specific accessibility improvements.  

Download here the Programme of the Conference . 

Download the San Marino Action Agenda  in English , Spanish , French and Arabic .  

Recommendations for managers of natural resources

A set of guidelines on accessibility targeting key players in the management of natural resources, was published by UN Tourism in October 2023. The document focuses on facilitating access to protected nature areas, beaches and parks. The WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) , acted as the expert reviewers. Their involvement was key in identifying the best actions geared towards a greater extent of accessibility and inclusiveness within nature areas, vis a vis tourism. 

The guidance tool, whose drafting was led by UN Tourism, the ONCE Foundation and UNE, is part of the promotion of ISO Standard 21902:2021 .

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Recommendations for cultural tourism key players   

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Recommendations for Accommodation, Food&Beverage and MICE companies 

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Recommendations for governments and destinations 

Download the user-guide (December 2022) produced in collaboration with Turismo de Portugal, Turismo Argentina and European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT):

Accessibility Standards guiding the Recovery

You can click and download below the takeaway thoughts & conclusions (accessible PDF file) : ➥ Conclusions (in accessible PDF format) - English: Webinar ➥ Conclusions (in accessible PDF format)   - Spanish: Webinar

UN Tourism Inclusive Recovery Guide - Persons with Disabilities 

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Reopening Tourism for Travellers with Disabilities

Accessible Tourism Destination

The ATD is an annual UN Tourism distinction based on an Expert Committee evaluation, which acknowledges destinations enabling a seamless experience to any tourist, regardless of their abilities . The first ATD was awarded in 2019 and has been temporarily put on hold.  

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• Accessible Tourism Destination award (First Edition)

Video "Change your destination"

The video “Change your destination” was issued by Fundación ONCE and UN Tourism by the occasion of the 2019 International Fair of Tourism (FITUR).

Facilitating travel for people with disabilities is an exceptional business opportunity. Yet, a change in mind-set and in the model of tourism services provision is needed in order to meet this major market demand. Accessible environments and services contribute to improve the quality of the tourism product and can create more job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Accessibility, therefore, must be an intrinsic part of any responsible and sustainable tourism policy and strategy.

World Tourism Day 2016: "Tourism for All - promoting universal accessibility"

While these examples provide a small sample of possible solutions regarding accessibility, they will hopefully inspire others to take steps towards broadening the availability of accessible offers in tourism destinations around the world. 

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UN Tourism Recommendations on Accessible Information in Tourism

Ensuring that the information is accessible,  is without any doubt a key to communicating successfully with visitors in all stages of their journey, particularly with regards to travelers with disabilities and special access requirements.

The  UNWTO Recommendations on Accessible Information in Tourism  have been developed with the support and collaboration of the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT). They were adopted by the Resolution A/RES/669(XXI) of the General Assembly of UNWTO as a follow-up to the ‘Recommendations on Accessible Tourism for All’ of 2013. 

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UN Tourism Recommendations on Accessible Tourism for All

The Recommendations incorporate the most relevant aspects of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities of 2006 and the principles of Universal Design.

In the context of a trilateral agreement between UNWTO, ONCE and ENAT, the recommendations were adopted by UNWTO General Assembly Resolution A/RES/637(XX) of August 2013, updating the 2005 UNWTO Recommendations. 

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San Marino Declaration on Accessible Tourism 

The Declaration which resulted from the 1st UNWTO Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe, held on 19-20 November 2014 in the Republic of San Marino, can be downloaded here:

  Download full text: Highlights of the 1st UNWTO Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe

Highlights of the 1st UN Tourism Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe  

In recognition of accessibility’s importance in the tourism sector, UNWTO and the Government of San Marino jointly organized the  1st UNWTO Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe  (19 - 20 November 2014).

Drawing together policy makers, tourism destinations, the private sector and civil society, this landmark event addressed challenges in advancing quality, sustainability and competitiveness within the tourism sector through universal accessibility.

This publication features 14 good practices presented at the Conference which focus on accessibility of cultural heritage sites, policy frameworks and strategic actions to make accessible tourism a reality. 

Manuals on Accessible Tourism for All

One of the most significant outcomes of a major collaboration framework between UN Tourism and Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs), particularly the Spanish  ONCE Foundation  for the Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities, the  European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) , and the Spanish  ACS Foundation , are the Manuals on Accessible Tourism for All.

The manuals are meant to assist tourism stakeholders in improving the accessibility of tourism destinations, facilities and services worldwide.

Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Public-Private Partnerships and Good Practices

Download full text: English | Spanish

Download Executive Summary: English | Français

Module I: Definition and Context 

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Module II: Accessibility Chain and Recommendations 

  Download full text: Module II: Accessibility Chain and Recommendations  (Español)

Module III: Principal Intervention Areas 

  Download full text: Module III: Principal Intervention Areas  (Español)

Module IV: Indicators for Assessing Accessibility in Tourism 

Module IV of the Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Principles, Tools and Best Practices , co-produced with the ONCE Foundation and ENAT, proposes a series of indicators developed for tourism destinations to assess, control, and manage their accessible tourism offer. Accompanied by a detailed methodology for their application, these indicators can serve as a practical tool not only to assess the current situation within destinations but also to consider further actions that may be required. Module IV is currently available in Spanish only, in a digital accessible version. 

  Download full text: Module IV: Indicators for Assessing Accessibility in Tourism (Español)

Module V:  Good Practices of Accessible Tourism for All 

Module V of the Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: principles, tools and best practices , co-produced with the ONCE Foundation and ENAT, provides an overview of case studies and good practices which have proven a successful implementation of universal accessibility in different spheres of tourism, such as promotion, market research, travel agencies, transportation, accommodation, training & capacity building and destination management. The examples featured therein analyze a wide spectrum of conditions which were decisive in making accessible tourism a reality and are meant to inspire the key stakeholders to engage in similar initiatives in their respective areas of influence. Module V is available in both English and Spanish, in digital accessible versions. 

  Download full text: Module V:  Good Practices of Accessible Tourism for All (English)   Download full text: Module V:  Good Practices of Accessible Tourism for All (Español)

Accessible Tourism for All: An Opportunity within Our Reach

The brochure "Accessible Tourism for All: An opportunity within Our Reach" features the major highlights of the Manual on Accessible Tourism for All produced with the ONCE Foundation and ENAT .

It is aimed at making tourism stakeholders familiar with the content of the five modules of the Manual in a reader-friendly and summarized form. 

  Download full text: Accessible Tourism for All: An Opportunity within Our Reach

The role of culture as a determinant of tourism demand: evidence from European cities

International Journal of Tourism Cities

ISSN : 2056-5607

Article publication date: 22 April 2022

Issue publication date: 16 March 2023

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of various cultural amenities on tourism demand in 168 European cities.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from the European Commission’s Culture and Creative Cities Monitor 2017, a series of regressions are estimated to examine the impact of various cultural amenities on tourism demand while also controlling for other factors that may impact on tourism demand. Diagnostic tests are also conducted to check the robustness of the results.

The results reveal that cultural amenities in the form of sights, landmarks, museums, concerts and shows have a positive impact on tourism demand. By pinpointing the cultural amenities that are important for increasing tourism demand, the findings aid stakeholders in the tourism industry as they develop post-pandemic recovery plans.

Originality/value

This paper identifies two key aspects of the cultural tourism literature that require deeper investigation and aims to address these aspects. Firstly, while many studies focus on a specific or narrow range of cultural amenities, this study includes a series of measures to capture a range of cultural amenities. Secondly, while many studies are narrow in geographical scope, this paper includes data on 168 European cities across 30 countries.

• European cities

Noonan, L. (2023), "The role of culture as a determinant of tourism demand: evidence from European cities", International Journal of Tourism Cities , Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 13-34. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-07-2021-0154

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Lisa Noonan

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of culture on tourism demand in 168 European cities. City tourism has been cited as one of the fastest growing travel segments globally ( Bock, 2015 ; Postma et al. , 2017 ). In many European countries, city tourism is a major contributor to the country’s overall tourism gross domestic product (GDP). In 2016, for example, 60.3% of direct tourism GDP in Czech Republic was generated in Prague; in Ireland, 59.1% was generated in Dublin, and Brussels accounted for 52.6% of direct tourism GDP in Belgium ( World Travel and Tourism Council, 2017 ).

Cities are attractive destinations for various segments of the tourist market ( Smolčić Jurdana and Sušilović, 2006 ). Young people are attracted to the nightlife and entertainment as well as sporting events held in the city. Older and more educated tourists are attracted to the cultural heritage of the city ( Smolčić Jurdana and Sušilović, 2006 ). The options available to travellers in a city surpass those of other destination types due to the density of cultural offerings available ( Bock, 2015 ).

The role of culture in attracting tourists to cities has not been overlooked by the tourism industry. Since the 1980s, many destinations have focussed on cultural tourism as a source of economic development ( OECD, 2009 ). This is particularly true in the case of European cities. European cities are increasingly targeting tourism as a key sector for local development and are investing in cultural attractions and infrastructure to secure a niche position in the tourist market ( Russo and van der Borg, 2002 ). In some cities that have experienced deindustrialisation, old manufacturing spaces have been designated for cultural or tourist activities ( Alvarez, 2010 ). In Bilbao, for example, the building of the Guggenheim Museum marked the beginning of the regeneration of the city and many old industrial sites were converted into parks and cultural spaces ( Alvarez, 2010 ). According to Richards (1996a ), the European cultural tourism market is becoming progressively more competitive with an increasing number of European Union cities and regions developing their tourism strategies around cultural heritage. The opening up of Central and Eastern Europe has also led to the development of “new” cultural tourism destinations ( Richards, 1996a , p. 4).

The contribution of culture to tourism has received extensive consideration in the academic literature. There are, however, two notable shortcomings in the literature. Firstly, the range of cultural amenities considered in the literature is limited. Many studies focus on a narrow range of cultural amenities with many of the cultural amenities listed by the UNWTO (2019) being overlooked. Secondly, studies are narrow in geographical scope, with many studies focusing on a specific location or multiple locations within a specific country. Location-specific case studies are useful as they allow for in-depth analyses on the contribution of culture to tourism demand. However, difficulties may arise when making generalisations from the findings of such site-specific analyses ( Chen and Rahman, 2018 ). Cross-sectional analyses, which incorporate a range of cultural amenities and geographic locations, would provide a more detailed insight into how culture impacts on tourism demand.

This paper contributes to the literature by examining the impact of different cultural amenities on tourism demand across 168 European cities. Using data from The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, published by the European Commission (2017) , a series of regressions is estimated. Using the various measures, it is possible to pinpoint the exact cultural amenities that affect tourism demand.

The concept of cultural tourism is explained and a review of the literature is presented in Section 2. The data are presented in Section 3. The method of analysis is outlined in Section 4. The results are presented in Section 5. Finally, discussion and conclusions are presented in Section 6.

2. Aspects of cultural tourism literature

This section begins by defining cultural tourism. Two notable features of existing literature in the field are identified and discussed in subsections 2.2 and 2.3.

2.1 Defining cultural tourism

The term “cultural tourism” is frequently used in conceptual models that include culture as a key determinant of tourism competitiveness, for example, Crouch and Ritchie’s (1999) model of destination competitiveness and the integrated model of destination competitiveness ( Dwyer et al. , 2004 ). However, how best to define cultural tourism has been the subject of much debate ( Richards 1996b ; Richards, 2018 ). Various definitions can be found in the literature; see for example, Silberberg (1995) , Richards (1996b ), Richards (2000) . One of the most comprehensive definitions is provided by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO):

Cultural tourism is a type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions/products in a tourism destination. These attractions/products relate to a set of distinctive material, intellectual, spiritual and emotional features of a society that encompasses arts and architecture, historical and cultural heritage, culinary heritage, literature, music, creative industries and the living cultures with their lifestyles, value systems, beliefs and traditions ( UNWTO, 2019 , p. 30)

In discussing an earlier publication of the definition above, Richards (2018 , p. 13) contends that it “confirms the much broader nature of contemporary cultural tourism, which relates not just to sites and monuments, but to ways of life, creativity and ‘everyday culture’”. A broad definition is important as opinions on what constitutes culture tend to vary among stakeholders. For example, in a survey of member states, The World Tourism Organisation (2018) asked countries what aspects they included in cultural tourism. Total, 97% of respondents included aspects of tangible heritage such as heritage sights and monuments. Total, 98% included intangible heritage such as traditional festivals, music and gastronomy. Total, 82% included other contemporary cultures and creative industries including film, performing arts and fashion ( World Tourism Organisation, 2018 ). As such, empirical analyses should consider a multitude of cultural offerings when assessing the impact of culture on tourism demand.

Many of the cultural amenities listed in the UNWTO (2019) definition have been overlooked in the literature. Specifically, many studies focus on one or a small number of cultural amenities in their analyses. They also tend to focus on a specific country or subdivisions of a country. These two features of the literature are discussed in the next sections.

2.2 Studies tend to focus on specific cultural amenities

Many studies on cultural tourism tend to focus on a specific cultural amenity or a narrow range of amenities. Museums receive much attention. The interest in museums is unsurprising given that they can offer an insight into a specific location and time and as such, may be unique to the destination ( Stylianou-Lambert, 2011 ). Many types of museums are considered including state ( Cellini and Cuccia, 2013 ) and capital-city museums ( Carey et al. , 2013 ) as well as museums operating in more niche areas, such as art museums ( Stylianou-Lambert, 2011 ), transport museums ( Xie, 2006 ; Akbulut and Artvinli, 2011 ) and Holocaust museums ( Miles, 2002 ; Cohen, 2011 ). Their impact on tourism is mixed. Some studies reveal that museums have a positive effect on tourism demand Plaza (2000) , Carey et al. (2013) . The presence of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao appears to be particularly important for tourism. Visitors to the museum accounted for 58% of tourism growth in the Basque Country between 1997 and 1999 ( Plaza, 2000 ). By contrast, Cellini and Cuccia (2013) find evidence of bi-directional causality between attendance at museums and monuments and tourism flows in Italy in the long run.

While museums receive considerable attention, Cellini and Cuccia (2013) contend that focussing solely on museums and monuments is too strict as a measure of culture. Various other cultural amenities are also considered from a tourism perspective. For example, Di Lascio et al. (2011) find that modern art exhibitions have a positive one-year lagged effect on tourism. Contemporary art exhibitions also have a positive impact on tourism flows when the organisation of such exhibitions is continuous over time ( Di Lascio et al. , 2011 ). The importance of culinary heritage as a cultural tourism product is also evident in the literature. Du Rand et al. (2003) find that food plays a role in tourism in South Africa. Likewise, local gastronomy is considered a tourist attraction in Quito ( Pérez Gálvez et al. , 2017 ). Visitors to Córdoba want to taste the local cuisine as well as enjoying the historic and cultural heritage ( Beltrán et al. , 2016 ).

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) also receive considerable attention, for example, Cuccia et al. , 2016 ; Yang et al. , 2019 ; Canale et al. , 2019 ; Castillo-Manzano et al. , 2021 . However, even within the same country, their impact on tourism appears to be mixed. In Spain, cultural WHS have a positive impact on tourism numbers in inland provinces while only natural WHS have a positive impact on tourism numbers in coastal regions ( Castillo-Manzano et al. , 2021 ). The presence of WHS is negatively correlated with the technical efficiency of tourism destinations in Italian regions ( Cuccia et al. , 2016 ). However, in Italian provinces, the number of WHS increases international tourist arrivals by 6.9% ( Canale et al. , 2019 ).

While detailed studies on specific cultural amenities offer interesting insights, Cellini and Cuccia (2013) believe that different types of cultural amenities may have different relationships with tourism flows and recommend research into the same ( Cellini and Cuccia, 2013 ). Guccio et al. (2017) contribute to the literature by including a range of measures of culture in their study which examines the effects of cultural participation on the performance of tourism destinations. The amenities considered include theatres, cinemas, museums, sports and music events, discotheques and archaeological sites. They find that cultural friendly environments positively affect the performance of tourism destinations ( Guccio et al. , 2017 ). Their paper focuses solely on Italian regions.

Cultural amenities have a positive and significant impact on tourism demand.

The next section discusses this paper’s second key observation.

2.3 Studies tend to be narrow in geographical scope

The narrow geographical scope of many studies is a notable feature of the literature. There are many examples of studies that focus on a specific cultural amenity and tend to be location specific. For example, Mi’kmaw culture in Nova Scotia ( Lynch et al. , 2010 ), language tourism in Valladolid ( Redondo-Carretero et al. , 2017 ), communist heritage tourism in Bucharest ( Sima, 2017 ) and the development of cultural heritage in Gozo ( Borg, 2017 ).

Detailed case studies on specific locations are useful as they allow for in-depth analyses on the contribution of culture to tourism demand. They also aid policymakers and the stakeholders in the tourism industry when tailoring policies and initiatives specific to the location in question. However, difficulties may arise when making generalisations from the findings of such sight-specific analyses ( Chen and Rahman, 2018 ). For example, Cellini and Cuccia (2013 , p. 3481) contend that their findings for Italy should be tested in other countries as the management of Italian cultural sights is “less flexible and less market-oriented” relative to other countries, and as such, the management style may influence the findings. As such, cross-sectional analyses, which incorporate a range of geographic locations, would provide a more detailed insight into how cultural amenities impact on tourism demand.

There are, of course, studies that consider a cross-section of locations. Many of these focus on regions or provinces within a specific country, for example, Di Lascio et al. (2011) , Cuccia et al. (2016) , Guccio et al. (2017) , Canale et al. (2019) , Castillo-Manzano et al. (2021) . However, there tends to be considerably less literature that focuses on regions or cities across countries. This study contributes to the literature by empirically estimating the impact of different cultural amenities on tourism demand in 168 European cities spanning 30 European countries. The data used are discussed in the next section.

3. Data to be analysed

Data are from The Culture and Creative Cities Monitor 2017, which was carried out by the European Commission. The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor is a tool to assess and monitor the performance of cultural and creative cities in Europe relative to their counterparts using quantitative and qualitative data ( European Union, 2017 ). The monitor moves away from the narrow economic perspective of culture by including a diverse range of indicators ( Montalto et al. , 2019 ). See Montalto et al. (2019) for a detailed discussion of data collection, treatment and the construction of the overall index.

In deciding what cities to include in the monitor, different criteria were considered, see Montalto et al. (2019) . In the final sample, data are available for 168 European cities covering 30 European countries. See Appendix 1 for list of cities included. To be included in the monitor, the cities had to meet one of the following three criteria. Firstly, they have been or will be a European Capital of Culture up until 2019 or have been shortlisted to become a European Capital of Culture up until the year 2021. Of the 168 cities included, 93 cities meet this criterion ( European Union, 2018a ). Secondly, the city is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Creative city. A further 22 cities meet this criterion ( European Union, 2018a ). Thirdly, the city hosts at least two regular international cultural festivals up until, at least, 2015. A further 53 cities meet this criterion ( European Union, 2018a ).

Initially, almost 200 indicators were considered for inclusion in The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor based on a literature review and expert consultation. After the data was screened and tested for statistical coherence, 29 indicators were selected ( European Union, 2018b ). Data are available for 29 indicators which are relevant to the cultural vibrancy, creative economy and enabling environment of the cities ( European Union, 2017 ). Most of the indicators are denominated in per capita terms to enable cross-city comparison ( European Union, 2018a ); see Table 1 . If the distribution of a variable deviated significantly from the normal distribution, winsorisation was used to trim the outliers ( European Union, 2018a ). Missing observations were imputed when constructing the monitor. See European Union (2018a ) for full details of data imputation techniques. Both the imputed and actual observations are included in the regression analysis as to remove the imputed observations would greatly reduce the degrees of freedom available. The data are scaled from 0 to 100. As such, for each of the variables, 0 represents the lowest performance in the data set and 100 represents the highest performance in the data set ( European Union, 2018a ). See Appendix 2 for an interpretation of the scale used. Table 1 presents the variables included in the analysis. The reference period is also included for each of the variables. While the reference periods vary for each of the variables, this should not be a problem as the variables have been used collectively as inputs in The Culture and Creative Cities Monitor 2017 to form the overall aggregate C3 index. European Union (2018b , p. 2) state that the variables included in the index “were selected with respect to statistical coherence, country coverage and timeliness”. In fact, it is not uncommon in econometric analysis to include variables from different reference periods; see, for example, Kim et al. (2000) , Alkay and Hewings (2012) , Noonan et al. (2021) .

The dependent variable is Tourist overnight stays ; see Table 1 . This is a measure of tourism demand. While measures of tourist expenditure and tourist arrivals are most commonly used to measure tourism demand ( Song et al. , 2010 ), measures based on overnight stays also exist in the literature, for example, Garín-Muñoz and Amaral (2000) , Falk (2010 , 2013 ), Falk and Lin (2018) . Tourist overnight stays is selected in this analysis for two reasons. Firstly, data on tourist expenditure are normally collected through visitor surveys and are often subject to biases due to the method of data collection ( Song et al. , 2010 ). Secondly, data on the number of overnight stays is useful as it captures the duration of the stay. This cannot be gauged by looking at the number of tourist arrivals. Garín-Muñoz (2009) uses data on the number of overnight stays rather than the number of visitors to measure tourism demand in Galicia for this particular reason. Furthermore, Song et al. (2010) claim that the volume of tourist arrivals does not account for the economic impact of the tourists.

The primary purpose of this analysis is to examine the impact of culture on tourism demand. Therefore, five measures of culture are included to capture various cultural amenities; see Table 1 . Following the World Tourism Organisation (2018) , tangible cultural amenities are captured in the variables sights and landmarks and museums . Intangible cultural amenities are captured by concerts and shows . Cinema seats and theatres capture aspects of other contemporary cultures and creative industries. While this is not an exhaustive list of all aspects of culture, it is the broadest range of measures available for all 168 cities in the year being studied. As the aforementioned measures are volume based, Satisfaction with cultural facilities is also included to account for the opinions of the population in relation to cultural facilities. This measures the percentage of the population that is very satisfied with the cultural facilities in the city.

Following Canale et al. (2019) , a series of control variables are also included. This is standard in regression analysis. These variables control for other factors that may also impact on tourism demand in European cities. While many interesting variables are included in the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, the number of controls variables that can be included is constrained by the low number of degrees of freedom in the model. As such, it is important that those included are carefully selected based on theoretical considerations and existing empirical studies.

Van den Berg et al. (1995) propose a model that focuses specifically on the attractiveness of urban locations for tourism. Accessibility features heavily in their model. Three measures of transport are included to capture air ( passenger flights ), rail ( direct trains to other cities ) and road (potential road accessibility) accessibility. Measures of air accessibility are common in the literature; for example, Cho (2010) , Di Lascio et al. (2011) , Canale et al. (2019) . As this is a city-level study, measures of rail and road accessibility are also included. It is possible that tourists to the city may be domestic tourists who travel via the road or rail network or international tourists who make a rail connection to the city after arriving in the country and/or use the road network to visit multiple destinations during their visit.

Image is also a feature of the Van den Berg et al. (1995) model. Van den Berg et al. (1995) claim that the city must have an appealing image to attract tourists. They do, however, acknowledge that it is difficult to assess the extent to which image impacts on tourist’s destination choice ( Van den Berg et al. , 1995 ). This may be linked to the difficulty in finding a quantitative proxy to capture image. To proxy for this, two variables are included in this analysis: Tolerance of foreigners and Quality of Governance . They were chosen on the premise that a tolerant city with an educated population, with good health care and a high standard of law enforcement may be viewed as a “safe” destination choice by tourists. This reflects Tang (2018) who contends that a high quality of governance may signal a high level of security thus increasing inbound tourism demand. Canale et al. (2019) also control for crime and health care.

As well as being centres of culture and entertainment, cities are also centres of economic and political power ( Ashworth and Page, 2011 ). As many visitors travel to cities for the latter, it is possible that cities with modest cultural capital can attract as many travellers as those cities with greater cultural capital ( Ashworth and Page, 2011 ). To control for this a capital city dummy variable is included as many European capital cities are the major economic and political powerhouses in their respective countries.

A series of dummy variables are also included to control for the level of GDP per capita and population in the city. GDP per capita is a proxy for income. Various GDP-based measures are used as proxies of income in the literature; see, for example Lim (1997) , Yang and Wong (2012) , Marrocu and Paci (2013) , Leitão (2010) , Dogru et al. (2017) .. The GDP per capita and population groups are taken directly from the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor. For GDP per capita, data are not available at the city level but at the metro-region and NUTS 3 regional levels. Metro-regional level data was used where available ( European Commission, 2017 ).

A series of population dummy variables are included to control for differences in city size. See Law (1992) for a detailed discussion on the attractiveness of large cities for tourism.

Descriptive statistics are presented in Table 2 . The highest and lowest observations are presented in Table 3 . There is a broad geographical distribution in terms of the top and bottom performing cities for Tourist Overnight Stays . The highest values for the variable are in Budapest (Hungary), Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic) and York (UK). With scores of 100, the three cities are performing strongly relative to the mean score of 20.05. Tourist overnight stays are lowest in Zaragoza (Spain), Baia Mare (Romania), Lublin (Poland) and Osijek (Croatia).

Italian and Irish cities are among the top performers in terms of culture. Venice (Italy) is the top-ranking city for both sights and landmarks and museums , receiving the maximum score of 100 for both measures. The values of 100 are substantially higher that the European city means of 23.45 and 23.51 for the variables. Limerick (Ireland) has the third highest score behind other Italian cites Matera ( sights and landmarks ) and Florence ( museums ) for both variables. For concerts and shows , the top performing three cities are all Irish. Italian and Irish cities, however, are not represented in the top three cities for cinema seats and theatres .

In terms of the weakest scores for culture, Lódź (Poland) is in the bottom three cities for both sights and landmarks and concerts and shows . Patras (Greece) is among the weakest performers for both sights and landmarks and museums . Two German cities, Mannheim and Essen feature in the bottom three cities for Theatres . The populations of Lyon and Vienna express the greatest satisfaction with cultural facilities ( satisfaction with cultural facilities) .

The mean score for passenger flights is 17.58 with a standard deviation of 20.43. Seven cities are tied on a score of zero. Amongst the poorest ranking cities are Baia Mare, Lublin and Osijek which are also amongst the lowest ranking cities in terms of tourist overnight stays . London is the top-ranking city with a score of 100. It is followed by two Dutch cities; Eindhoven (89.3) and 's-Hertogenbosch (87.3) in second are third place respectively. Dutch cities are also performing well in terms of rail accessibility; Leiden and 's-Hertogenbosch are in the top three cities for the variable direct trains to other cities . Twelve cities are tied at the lowest score of zero. The top three performers in terms of potential road accessibility are all German cities; Cologne, Essen and Bochum. Eight cities are tied at a score of zero.

Tolerance of foreigners has a mean score of 41.47 and a standard deviation of 24.29. Cluj-Napoca scores highest and as such, is deemed the most tolerant. The least tolerant are dominated by the Greek cities of Kalamata, Patras, Athens and Thessaloniki. Along with Turin, they all achieve a score of zero. The mean score for quality of governance is 64. The top-ranking cities are all Scandinavian cities. Each of the top four display scores greatly in excess of the mean. However, the poorest performing cities, Sofia (Bulgaria), Naples (Italy) and Bucharest (Romania) score very poorly relative to the mean with scores of 0, 8.2 and 8.5.

Of the sample, 17.86% comprises capital cities. There is a spread between each of the GDP per capita and population categories. The next section outlines the method of analysis.

4. Method of analysis

To conduct the analysis, equation (1) is estimated using an ordinary least squares (OLS) estimator. OLS is a commonly used regression technique that minimises the sum of the squared residuals in calculating the estimated regression coefficients ( Studenmund, 2001 ): (Equation 1) D i = β 0 + β 1 C i + β 2 Z i + ε i

D i measures tourism demand in city i as measured by tourist overnight stays . C i is a matrix of variables that measure culture in city i. Z i represents a series of control variables which include other factors that affect tourism demand in city i . Variables are discussed in Section 3. All continuous variables are in natural logs.

It is expected that the coefficients for β 1 and β 2 will be positive.

Prior to conducting the econometric analysis, a value of +1 is added to each of the continuous variables to allow natural logs of each variable to be taken. A series of diagnostic tests are also conducted. Firstly, the Shapiro–Wilk test is estimated to determine if the variables are normally distributed. The null hypothesis is the variables are normally distributed. The results of the test are presented in Appendix 3 . The results reveal that the dependent variable, tourist overnight stays and the independent variables sights and landmarks , museums and concerts and shows are normally distributed, while the other continuous variables are not. As the assumption of normality is not a requirement for OLS estimation ( Studenmund, 2001 ), this should not cause any serious issues.

Tests are also conducted post-estimation for heteroscedasticity. Heteroscedasticity violates the assumption of constant variance for observations of the error term ( Studenmund, 2001 , p. 345). Two tests are conducted to check for the presence of heteroscedasticity. Firstly, a Breusch–Pagan/Cook–Weisberg test is conducted post-OLS estimation. The null hypothesis is constant variance. If the null hypothesis is rejected heteroscedasticity is present within the model. Secondly, White’s test is conducted. The null hypothesis is homoscedasticity. If the null hypothesis is rejected heteroscedasticity is present within the model. Although, heteroscedasticity violates the assumption of constant variance, OLS estimators remain unbiased in its presence Studenmund (2001) , Gujarati and Porter (2009) . As such, it is not as serious a concern in this analysis as multicollinearity.

Multicollinearity describes the occurrence of a perfect linear relationship among some or all of the independent variables, as well as the situation whereby the independent variables are intercorrelated ( Gujarati and Porter, 2009 , p. 323). OLS estimators will have large variances and covariances in the presence of multicollinearity which can make precise estimation difficult. The confidence levels also tend to be wider in the presence of multicollinearity leading to a greater acceptance of the zero-null hypothesis ( Gujarati and Porter, 2009 , p. 327). Variance-inflating factor (VIF) tests are conducted post regression as a check for multicollinearity. The VIF displays the speed with which variances and covariance increase and shows how the variance of an estimator can be inflated by multicollinearity ( Gujarati and Porter, 2009 , p. 328). Generally, if the VIF of a variable is greater than 10 it said to be highly collinear ( Gujarati and Porter, 2009 ; Kennedy, 2008 ).

Given that there are six measures of culture, three measures of transport and two measures relating to the institutions of cities, it is expected that some of these variables will be correlated with each other. While the VIF tests provide the primary means of identifying multicollinearity in this analysis, a correlation matrix of the continuous independent variables is generated pre- regression as a pre-emptive measure to identify any highly correlated variables which may lead to multicollinearity in the models. Pearson’s correlation coefficient is used to estimate the correlation between the continuous variables. Kennedy (2008 , p. 19) describes a high correlation coefficient between two independent variables to be “0.8 or 0.9 in absolute value”.

Ramsey’s RESET test is also conducted post-OLS estimation to determine whether there are omitted variables in the analysis. Ramsey’s RESET runs an augmented regression that includes the original independent variables, powers of the predicted values from the original regression as well as powers of the original independent variables ( Baum, 2006 , p. 122). The null hypothesis is that the model has no omitted variables. If the null hypothesis is rejected the model may be misspecified. Omitted variable bias is a cause of endogeneity.

Endogeneity may also arise from simultaneity in the model. For example, it may be the case that airlines and train networks respond to increases in tourism demand in particular cities by providing more flights and trains to and from those cities. See Cho (2010) for a discussion on possible endogeneity of airline data. As such, an IV generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator will also be estimated to include instruments for potentially endogenous variables. The instruments are constructed using the three-group method commonly used in economic literature; see for example, Noonan, 2021 ; Noonan et al. , 2021 . This involves separating the endogenous variable into three groups of equal size and then creating an instrumental variable which take values of −1, 0 and +1 depending on whether the observation is in the lowest, middle or highest group of observations ( Kennedy, 2008 , p. 160). The Difference-in-Sargan test ( C statistic) is calculated after the IV GMM regression to test for endogeneity. If the null hypothesis of exogeneity is rejected, the model includes endogenous variables and the IV GMM estimator would be more appropriate than the OLS estimator ( Noonan, 2021 ). The results are presented in the next section.

Table 4 presents the correlation matrix of the independent variables used. The matrix reveals that correlations between most variables appear to be weak to moderate. The coefficient of 0.777 between the variables sights and landmarks and museums is the strongest correlation in the matrix. There are also moderate correlations (in excess of 0.5) between museums and concerts and shows and between passenger flights and direct trains . To avoid the problem of multicollinearity, the moderately and highly correlated variables will be entered into separate regressions.

Table 5 presents the result of eight estimations of Equation (1) . Estimations i to vi are OLS estimations. Estimations vii and viii are GMM estimations. All estimations are statistically significant. VIF tests are conducted post-OLS estimation. With mean VIF values ranging from 1.32 to 2.08, it can be concluded that multicollinearity is not a problem. Breusch-Pagan test statistics are estimated for the dependent and independent variables after estimations i to vi. The test statistics are statistically insignificant in all estimations indicating that heteroskedasticity is not a problem. Similarly, the null hypothesis of homoscedasticity cannot be rejected in White’s test for estimations i to vi. The Ramsey RESET test statistic is also statistically insignificant in all estimations. As such, the models are not affected by omitted variable bias.

The variable road accessibility is found to be endogenous. This is instrumented in estimations vii and viii. The C statistic is statistically significant. As such, the null hypothesis of exogeneity is rejected. This suggests the IV GMM estimates are more appropriate than the OLS estimates [ 1 ].

While the GMM estimations are the primary focus of the interpretation, there appears to be similarities across all eight estimations presented. The results provide some evidence to support Hypothesis 1; cultural amenities have as a positive and significant impact on tourism demand. Sights and landmarks , museums and concerts and shows , are positive and significant in both OLS and GMM estimations. They are significant at the 99% confidence level in all estimations. There is also some evidence to suggest that satisfaction with cultural facilities is also a determinant of tourist overnight stays. Satisfaction is positive and significant at the 95% confidence level in Estimation vii. The positive finding for cultural amenities is consistent with positive findings for culture in the empirical literature; for example, Plaza (2000) and Carey et al. (2013) . Greater endowments of sights, landmarks, museums and more concerts and shows as well as satisfaction with cultural facilities leads to increased tourism demand in European cities. The range of cultural amenities that affect tourism demand is interesting. While cities may be endowed with cultural amenities such as sights and landmarks that are centuries old, the significant finding for museums and concerts and shows suggests that culture can be created in cities that do not boast large-scale historical sights and landmarks.

The variable cinema seats is not statistically significant in the estimations. Unlike sights, landmarks and museums which are unique to specific cities and concerts and shows which may only be held in a limited number of locations, cinemas tend to be widely available across cities and cinema offerings are likely to be relatively homogenous across space. Therefore, cinema facilities are unlikely to be a key amenity in attracting tourists to the city. This may explain the insignificant finding.

The variable capturing the availability of theatres is also statistically insignificant in all estimations except for Estimation v where it is negative and significant at the 90% confidence level. It may be the case that the shows offered in the theatres and possibly in the cinemas, may not be produced with tourists in mind. For example, Ben-Dalia et al. (2013) find that theatres in Tel Aviv tend not to offer English or French language translations. If a language barrier exists, this makes cinema and theatre offerings unattractive to tourists.

In terms of the control variables, accessibility, in the form of passenger flights , is statistically insignificant in the GMM estimations. This is unexpected and is not consistent with Van den Berg et al. (1995) , Russo and Van der Borg (2002) and Cho (2010) . Road Accessibility is also statistically insignificant. The variable capturing direct trains to other cities is, however, statistically significant at the 90% level in estimation viii. It must be noted that this study does not distinguish between domestic and international tourists and as such, this may be reflected in the results. It may be the case that domestic tourists are more likely to use the rail network than air transport when visiting cities. In the case of Italy, for example, the car is the most common mode of transport for domestic tourists ( Marrocu and Paci, 2013 ).

Quality of governance and tolerance of foreigners are statistically insignificant in both GMM estimations. This suggests that the variables are not significant determinants of tourism demand in European cities. This contrasts with Tang (2018) who finds that institutional quality is positively related to tourism demand in Malaysia and Mushtaq et al. (2021) who find evidence of institutional quality having a positive impact on tourism arrivals in India.

The capital city dummy variable is also statistically insignificant in both GMM estimations. This suggests that tourism demand is not significantly different in capital cities than in other European cities. However, the GDP per capita and population of cities appear to play a role. Two of the GDP per capita variables are significant in the GMM estimations. Cities with GDP per capita of 20,000–25,000 and <20,000 experience significantly less tourist overnight stays than cities with GDP per capita >35,000. The significant finding for income is consistent with Yang and Wong (2012) who contend that cities with higher incomes can allocate more resources to tourism development. The significant finding is also consistent with Marrocu and Paci (2013) who describe higher income areas as being more likely to attract more business trips and provide better quality public services which are important components of the product provided to tourists ( Marrocu and Paci, 2013 ).

Relative to cities with populations in excess of one million, tourism demand is significantly lower for all cities with populations of less than one million. This finding is not unexpected. Law (1992) identifies that large cities are attractive for visitors due to business activities, retail facilities, sports and culture as well as visits to friends and family. Large cities have many advantages for hosting conferences such as accessibility, accommodation and urban amenities ( Law, 1992 ). Cities with larger populations are also bases for prestigious sports teams ( Law, 1992 ), which may lead to increased sports tourism.

6. Discussion and conclusions

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a range of cultural amenities on tourism demand in 168 European cities. In doing so, it addresses two notable shortcomings in the literature. Firstly, it addresses the narrow range of cultural amenities considered in much existing literature by including measures of five cultural amenities. Secondly, while studies tend to be narrow in geographical scope, this paper fills a gap by considering 168 European cities spanning 30 countries. The broad geographical scope of this study is important as it allows stakeholders in the tourism industry to gauge the importance of culture for tourism demand. The results should allow for more informed decision-making to take place as the findings are not specific to a particular location but are relevant across 168 European cities.

Using data from The Culture and Creative Cities Monitor 2017, a series of regressions are estimated. Due to the presence of endogeneity in the road accessibility variable, the GMM estimations are more robust than the OLS estimations and are the focus of the discussion. The results of the analysis reveal that culture, in the form of sights and landmarks, museums, concerts and shows, is a determinant tourism demand across 168 European cities. Satisfaction with cultural facilities in the city is also an important determinant. The insignificant findings for cinema seats and theatres in the GMM estimations are important as they reveal that not all cultural amenities are of equal relevance in stimulating tourism demand. The differing findings for the various cultural amenities support the opinion of Cellini and Cuccia (2013) who believe that different types of cultural amenities may have different relationships with tourism flows.

From a political perspective, important implications can be drawn from this analysis. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global tourism industry has been badly affected. Travel restrictions have led to a contraction in tourist numbers in many destinations. As countries enter the recovery stage of the pandemic, they will be eager to stimulate tourism demand and facilitate the recovery of the tourism industry. Some governments have already pledged financial support to aid recovery of the sector. For example, in Ireland, a record level of funding of €288.5m has been allocated to the tourism sector in Budget 2022 ( Government of Ireland, 2021 ). A certain amount of funding could be allocated to cities to promote and develop their cultural amenities. For example, governments could provide financial support to the tourism industry to develop marketing campaigns based on the cultural amenities of the cities. Funding could also be allocated to cities to support them in staging a music festival or series of concerts.

Hosting concerts and shows is an avenue that stakeholders in the tourism industry should seriously consider as an opportunity for increasing tourism demand in their cities. While there is obviously a lot of resources, including time, financial resources and manpower, required to host concerts, such events could provide a lucrative means of increasing tourism demand in cities. It is important that all stakeholders in the tourism industry work together to facilitate the recovery of the industry in their cities post-pandemic. This may involve, for example, national governments providing financial supports, local governments and councils issuing licences and permits for such concerts and shows where required as well as ensuring adequate public utilities and services are in place for tourists in their cities. Those working in the tourism industry could oversee the overall organisation and promotion of the event as well as engaging with proprietors and managers from the accommodation and food services sector in the city to arrange for various packages to be put in place for prospective visitors. Given that many concerts, internationally, are held in venues such sporting arenas and open-air sites, it is possible that many European cities would have access to locations to stage such events without having to make large-scale capital investments in terms of building concert halls or event centres. As such, hosting such events could be a viable option to facilitate recovery in many European cities.

The findings of this study also have managerial implications for business operating within the tourism industry. The different findings for the various cultural amenities are relevant from a European industry and policy perspective as it allows stakeholders to identify the cultural amenities that have the greatest impact on tourism in their cities. Therefore, they may put a greater emphasis on the sights, landmarks, museums concerts and shows on offer when promoting their cities to potential tourists. Similarly, tour operators within the cities may design tailored daytrips to the specific cultural amenities that are attractive to tourists.

While sights and landmarks may be associated with the history of a city, not all cultural amenities have to be inherited. Cultural amenities, in the form of hosting concerts and shows, can be actively created in the city. This is particularly positive for cities that are not endowed with numerous cultural sights and landmarks and for cities that do not house many museums. This suggests that culture does not have to be inherited but can be created. Russo and van der Borg (2002) acknowledge that not all cities have a “sufficient mass” of cultural assets and therefore, the assets they possess should be promoted in conjunction with other tourist attractions including events, gastronomy and quality infrastructure and regional networks ( Russo and van der Borg, 2002 , p. 631). Even if a city has a sufficient mass of sight and landmarks, developing alternative cultural amenities is important as Carey et al. (2013) contend that, in the long term, a single successful attraction is insufficient to sustain a destination. Rather, a combination of complementary formal and informal cultural attractions is required to maintain tourist arrivals.

The positive finding for culture is important as it is a product that can be offered throughout the entire year. As such, it provides a means of attracting tourists during the off-peak tourism season. Evidence suggests that there is less seasonality in tourism flows in cultural destinations relative to other destinations ( Cuccia and Rizzo, 2011 ). Greater promotion of the cultural amenities in their cities is something that the tourism industry should consider, as it may provide a lucrative means of increasing tourism demand. This will be particularly important in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as many businesses develop recovery strategies.

This study provides a first large-scale attempt of econometrically testing the impact of various cultural amenities on tourism demand across 168 different cities. As such, it is not without limitations. The limitations are primarily due to a lack of available data. While various aspects of culture are included in the study, this is not by any means an exhaustive list of cultural amenities. The UNWTO (2019) definition of cultural tourism includes aspects such as culinary heritage, literature and the beliefs and traditions associated with different cultures. It would be worthwhile to also include these aspects in the analysis, but lack of available data means that they cannot be included. It would also be worthwhile to include more qualitative measures of culture into the analysis to gauge the attitudes of tourists towards the various cultural amenities. Primary data collection may be necessary to study such aspects. This is an area for future research.

Furthermore, the dependent variable considers tourist overnight stays in accommodation but does not distinguish between domestic and international visitors to the city. It is possible that cultural amenities may have a different level of importance for the different categories of visitors. For example, Ryan (2002) finds that domestic non-Maori New Zealanders are not attracted to the Maori cultural tourism products to the same extent as Europeans and North Americans. Due to data limitations, it is not possible to make the distinction between domestic and international tourists in this study. Such a distinction would be worthy of further analysis.

Finally, the data used are from The Culture and Creative Cities Monitor 2017. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first year for which this monitor has been published. When future additions become available, it would be worth conducting an analysis over a 5- or 10-year period to identify if there are any changes in the effects of culture on tourism demand over time.

Variables included in the analysis

*** Denotes significant at 99% level, ** denotes significant at 95% level and * denotes significant at 90% level

Source: Calculations author’s own based on data from European Commission (2017)

Multiple IV estimations were run, and instruments were included for a range of potentially endogenous variables. As road accessibility was the only endogenous variable, the other estimations are not included here.

Appendix 1. List of cities included in analysis

Appendix 2. interpretation of 0–100 scale, appendix 3. shapiro–wilk test.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the editor and two referees for their helpful comments.

Corresponding author

About the author.

Lisa Noonan is based at the Department of Economics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

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