Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only", as people "travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure and not less than 24 hours, business and other purposes". Tourism can be domestic or international, and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a country's balance of payments.
A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms. Private rooms may also be available. Hostels are popular forms of lodging for backpackers, however very few impose age limits, so hostels are an option for travellers of all ages and styles. The benefits of hostels include lower costs and opportunities to meet people from different places, find travel partners, and share travel experiences. Some hostels, such as in India or Hostelling International, cater to a niche market of travelers. Different hostels can be known for offering different experiences. For example, one hostel might feature in-house social gatherings such as movie nights or communal dinners, another might feature local tours, one might be known for its parties, and another might have a quieter place to relax in serenity, or be located on the beach. Newer hostels focus on a more trendy design, some of which are on par with boutique hotels. Some may cater to older digital nomads, global nomads, and perpetual travelers who prefer slightly more upmarket private rooms or a quieter atmosphere. Hostels may also differentiate themselves by being environmentally friendly ecohostels. In countries where wages are lower, the cost of staying at a hostel may be similar to staying in a budget hotel.
Founded in 1982, Rough Guides Ltd is a British publisher of print and digital guide book, phrasebooks and inspirational travel reference books, and a provider of personalised trips. Since November 2017, Rough Guides has been owned by APA Publications UK Ltd, the parent company of Insight Guides.
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is an institutional investor that manages several public and parapublic pension plans and insurance programs in Quebec. It was established in 1965 by an act of the National Assembly, under the government of Jean Lesage, as part of the Quiet Revolution, a period of social and political change in Quebec. It is the second-largest pension fund in Canada, after the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. It was created to manage the funds of the newly created Quebec Pension Plan, a public pension plan that aimed to provide financial security for Quebecers in retirement. The CDPQ’s mandate was to invest the funds prudently and profitably, while also contributing to Quebec’s economic development. As of December 31, 2023, CDPQ managed assets of C$434 billion, invested in Canada and elsewhere. CDPQ is headquartered in Quebec City at the Price building and has its main business office in Montreal at Édifice Jacques-Parizeau.
Amadeus IT Group, S.A. is a major Spanish multinational technology company that provides software solutions for the global travel and tourism industry. It is the world's leading provider of travel technology that focus on developing software for airlines, hotels, travel agencies, and other travel-related businesses to enhance their operations and customer experiences.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is a department of the state of Georgia, United States. The GDEcD is responsible for managing resources to attract new business investments to Georgia, expand Georgia's existing industries and businesses, locate new markets for Georgian products, and promote and fund entertainment projects produced in the state.
Intrepid Travel is a small group adventure travel company. The company offers more than 1,100 escorted tours worldwide with an average of 10 travellers per tour. Intrepid is a B Corporation, certified to meet the standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Intrepid Foundation has raised more than A$12 million to support communities where it travels.
Wego is the number 1 travel app for flight search and booking in the MENA region with a year-over-year growth of over 157.7% and 143,002 downloads in February 2023, according to data.ai.
Chegg, Inc., is an American education technology company based in Santa Clara, California. It provides homework help, digital and physical textbook rentals, textbooks, online tutoring, and other student services.
Cycling in Canada is experienced in various ways across a geographically huge, economically and socially diverse country. Among the reasons for cycling in Canada are for practical reasons such as commuting to work or school, for sports such as road racing, BMX, mountain bike racing, freestyle BMX, as well as for pure recreation. The amount and quality of bicycle infrastructure varies widely across the country as do the laws pertaining to cyclists such as bicycle helmet laws which can differ by province.
TELUS International is a Canadian technology company which provides IT services and multilingual customer service to global clients. Clients include corporations in technology, games, communications and media, eCommerce, financial services, banking, credit cards, fintech, travel & hospitality, healthcare, and automotive industries.
Brandwatch is a social media suite company owned by Cision. Brandwatch sells two different products: Consumer Intelligence and Social Media Management.
Gousto, a trading name of SCA Investments Limited, is a British meal kit retailer, headquartered in Shepherd's Bush, London, founded by Timo Boldt and James Carter. Gousto supplies subscribers with recipe kit boxes which include ready-measured, fresh ingredients and easily followed recipes.
Goodwall is an app that aims to provide young people with opportunities to develop their skills and access educational and work-related opportunities. The platform is designed primarily for the Gen Z demographic and allows members to create a digital profile to showcase their skills and achievements using photos and videos. Users are encouraged to engage in skills-based challenges and online programs focusing on transferable skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and communication. The Goodwall app is available on both iOS and Android.
Vacasa is an international vacation rental management company based in Portland, Oregon. It provides property management services for over 35,000 vacation rentals in North America, Belize, and Costa Rica. Vacasa manages properties in 34 U.S. states.
Xiaohongshu is a social media and e-commerce platform. It has been described as "China's answer to Instagram", and as such, is sometimes referred to as "Chinese Instagram".
Phandeeyar was a technology seed accelerator based in Yangon, Myanmar. Formally beginning in 2015, Phandeeyar provides funding and training for emerging startups. Phandeeyar also conducts trainings, hosts workshops, and holds competitions for startups within the digital sector.
Withlocals is an experiential travel company that connects travellers to local hosts who offer private, personalised tours. Describing itself as trying to achieve "mass personalisation" rather than offering group or package tours, Withlocals is cited as an example of the role and impact of the sharing economy on tourism – particularly culinary tourism – and the consumer trends for "authenticity" and "experiences".
Viavii is an online community marketplace that allows people to explore, book and host in-person and online experiences from all around the world. The experiential travel platform offers experiences and itineraries that are adjustable on-the-move, while connecting users with residents of their destination at any time. Based in Amman, Jordan, Viavii also has offices in Qatar.
Unibuddy is an EdTech company that provides a student engagement platform for higher education institutions. The platform allows prospective and current students to connect with student ambassadors and alumni from the same or similar courses, providing a peer-to-peer support network enabling prospective students to learn about life at a particular university, including course information, accommodation, and student life. Unibuddy was founded in 2015 by Kimeshan Naidoo and Diego Fanara and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
