Glossary

This Glossary is provided to help guests understand more about the rental of inns, resorts and vacation rentals. It is not comprehensive but serves as a primer for terms guests may encounter in renting specialty lodging. Not all terms apply to all properties or managers.

Tour Wholesaler

An individual or company that sells tour packages and tour product to travel agents. Tour wholesalers usually receive a 20% discount from accomodations, transportation companies and attractions and pass on a 10 to 15% discount to the retail agent.
Origin: Industry

Tourism

Where consumers undertake leisure travel. As opposed to travel for business purposes
See also: Traveler, Tourist, Visitor Origin: Industry

Tourist

Traveler how moves from place to place to enjoy and experience different locations. Differs from business travel who comes for business purposes.
See also: Traveler Origin: Industry

Transient

A Guest who arrives without an advance reservation or pre payment. Contrary to representations to those opposed to Lodging, guests with reservations are NOT transients.
Origin: Industry

Travel

Leisure and other travel including travel for business, medical care, education, etc. All tourism is travel, but not all travel is tourism.
Origin: Industry

Travel Agent

An individual who arranges travel for individuals or groups. Travel agents may be generalist or specialists (cruises, adventure travel, conventions, and meetings.) The agent receives a commission form accomodations, transportation companies and attractions for coordinating the booking of travel. They typically coordinate travel for their customers at the same of lower cost than if the customer booked the travel on his/her own.
Origin: Industry

Travel Insurance

Purchased from a carrier who agrees to reimburse guests for some expense if they are forced to cancel their plans due to certain reasons. Usually these include death in the family, personal injury or flight delays. Highly recommended.
Origin: Industry

Travel Product

Refers to any product or service that is bought by or sold to consumers of trade including accomodations, attractions, events, restaurants, transportation, etc.
Origin: Industry

Travel Seasons

Travel industry business cycles including:
Peak - Primary travel season
Low - Period when business is slowest
Shoulder - period between peak and low periods when business is stronger, but has room from growth.
Origin: Industry

Travel Trade

The collective term for tour operators, wholesalers, and travel agents.
Origin: Industry

Traveler

Any person who travels either for leisure or business purposes more than 100 miles (round-trip) in a day or who stays overnight away from his other primary domicile.
Origin: Industry

Trip Cancellation

Provides reimbursement for certain unused, non-refundable expenses due to cancellation of your trip caused by a covered reason.
Origin: CSA Travel Protection

Unit

May refer to a room, suite or living area (such as a condo, cabin or home) which is offered to Guests for lodging use and rent. The unit includes all amenities described and associated with the unit including the grounds upon which it rests.
Origin: Industry

Unwelcomes

When a guest or tenant misuses a property, misbehaves, fails to pay as agreed or violates other conditions of the owner or manager's terms they are referred to as unwelcome and not allowed to rent the property again.
See also: Industry Origin: Industry Link: Unwelcomes.org

Use Fee

A proper term for the cost of renting a lodging property. May include rent, housekeeping and other charges.
Origin: Industry

Usual and customary charge

Those charges for necessary treatment and services that are reasonable for the treatment of cases of comparable severity and nature. This will be derived from the mean charge based on the experience in a related area of the service delivered and the MDR (Medical Data Research) schedule of fees valued at the 100th percentile and the Anesthesia Relative Value Guide.
Origin: Vacation Rental Insurance

Vacation Rental

A house, condo or other living unit used for short-term rental, usually in a resort or recreational area and having sleeping quarters, bath and kitchen. Also known as a Holiday let., Holiday Home, Holiday Cottage, Holidy Villa, Guest house or (in France) a Gite.
See also: Holiday Let, Holiday Home, Holiday Cottage, Holiday Village, Guest House, Gite Origin: Industry

Vacation Rental Angels

Voluntary program from Vacation Rental Industry Association. Members who regularly donate vacation home use to charitable causes are listed on VacationRentalAngels.com website and display the VRIA Angel Icon.
Origin: VRIA Link: VacationRentalAngels.com

Vacation Rental Travel Insurance

A form of travel insurance, purchased from a carrier who agrees to reimburse guests for some expense if they are forced to cancel their travel plans including their rental of a vacation rental home. Covered events usually these include death in the family, personal injury or flight delays. Highly recommended.
Origin: Industry

Visitor

A traveler who goes to a place other than his home to experience life in a different location. Usually means a stay of a short destination.
See also: Traveler Origin: Industry