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Safari: A trip, often an expedition, to observe or hunt wildlife in their natural habitat, especially in Africa. It has evolved to focus more on observing and photographing wildlife rather than hunting.
Safari Park: A large outdoor setting where visitors can drive through to observe wildlife roaming freely, offering a closer look at animals in a more natural environment than a zoo.
Sailing Trip: A journey taken on a sailboat or yacht, exploring various coastal areas, islands, or open waters, often characterized by the opportunity to learn sailing techniques and enjoy marine environments.
Same-day Visitor (or Excursionist): A traveler who visits a destination and leaves on the same day, without spending the night. These visitors typically do not require overnight accommodation, participating in activities like sightseeing, business, or visiting friends and family.
Saturday Night Stay: A requirement by some airlines or travel packages where travelers must stay overnight on a Saturday to qualify for discounted fares or rates. This condition is often used to distinguish between business and leisure travelers, as the latter are more likely to stay through the weekend.
Scandals Tour: A guided tour focusing on locations associated with controversial, notorious, or sensational events, often involving celebrities, politicians, or historical figures. These tours cater to visitors’ interest in the more sensational aspects of a destination’s history or contemporary culture.
Scenic Route: A road or path designed to take travelers through beautiful, picturesque landscapes rather than the most direct route, often extending travel time but enhancing the visual experience.
Scheduled Flight: A regular, recurring flight operated by an airline according to a published schedule, available to the general public and often booked well in advance.
Scheduled Tour: A pre-arranged, fixed itinerary tour that operates on specific dates and includes a set of pre-planned activities, attractions, and accommodations. Scheduled tours are available to the general public and are often led by a professional tour guide, providing a consistent experience for all participants.
Scuba Diving: An underwater diving activity where divers use self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) to explore marine environments, including coral reefs, shipwrecks, and marine wildlife.
Seasonal Employment: Temporary jobs that are available during peak tourist seasons in various sectors of the travel and tourism industry, such as resorts, cruise ships, and tourist attractions.
Seasonal Tourism: Travel that occurs during specific seasons or times of the year, often driven by weather conditions, natural phenomena, or cultural events, impacting destinations differently across seasons.
Sectioning System (GPS): A technology used in navigation and mapping that divides areas into sections for easier location tracking and management, commonly employed in GPS devices to enhance accuracy in routing and location services for travelers.
Segment: In travel, a segment refers to a portion of a journey between two points, often used in the context of air travel to describe a single takeoff and landing. Multiple segments can make up a full itinerary, especially in multi-stop flights or travel plans.
Segway Tour: A guided tour in which participants travel on Segways, electric, two-wheeled, self-balancing personal transporters, often used in city tours and tourist spots to cover ground efficiently.
Self-drive: A travel option where the traveler rents a car and drives themselves, rather than using public transportation or hiring a driver. This offers more freedom and flexibility to explore destinations at one’s own pace.
Self-Guided Tour: A tour where travelers follow a set route or itinerary at their own pace, without a live guide, often using maps, apps, or guidebooks to explore attractions, landmarks, and cultural sites.
Service Charge: An additional fee added to a customer’s bill in restaurants, hotels, and other service industries, intended to cover service-related expenses, sometimes distributed as gratuities to staff.
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A formal agreement between a service provider and a client that outlines the expected level of service, performance standards, and responsibilities of both parties. In tourism, SLAs can apply to accommodations, transport services, and tour operators.
Shared Accommodation: Lodging options where travelers share living spaces, such as bathrooms and kitchens, with other guests. Examples include hostels, shared apartments, and certain Airbnb rentals.
Shore Excursions: Tours and activities offered to cruise ship passengers when the ship docks at a port of call. These excursions are designed to explore the local area, culture, and attractions and can be pre-booked or arranged onboard.
Shoulder Season: The period between peak and off-peak seasons at a travel destination, characterized by fewer tourists, lower prices, and generally good weather, making it an attractive time for some travelers.
Sightseeing: The activity of visiting and seeing places of interest in a particular location, often including landmarks, historical sites, and natural wonders, usually part of a vacation or tour.
Sightseer: A traveler who visits places of interest primarily for viewing historical sites, natural wonders, and other attractions, often aiming to learn about the culture and history of the destination.
Single Room: A hotel room designed to accommodate one person, typically equipped with a single bed and amenities for individual use. Single rooms are ideal for solo travelers seeking privacy and comfort.
Single Supplement: An additional charge imposed on single travelers by hotels or tour operators when they book a room or package meant for two people, reflecting the cost of under-occupancy.
Ski Resort: A resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports, typically located in mountainous areas, offering facilities such as ski lifts, slopes, and accommodations.
Skip-the-Line Tickets: Tickets that allow travelers to bypass the regular queue at popular attractions, museums, and landmarks, saving time and enhancing the visitor experience.
Sleeper: A type of accommodation found on trains or buses designed for overnight travel, providing beds or berths for passengers to sleep in. Sleepers offer a convenient way to travel long distances while resting.
Slow Tourism: Emphasizes taking time to explore destinations deeply rather than rushing from one attraction to another. It promotes local experiences, reducing travel’s environmental impact, and enhancing personal connections with the culture and people of the area.
Smart Tourism: The integration of technology into the travel experience, using smartphones, apps, and digital platforms to enhance access to information, navigation, accommodation, and services.
Snorkeling: A swimming activity equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins, allowing the individual to observe underwater attractions for extended periods with relatively little effort.
Social Tourism: A form of tourism that provides opportunities for all societal members, particularly those with lower incomes, to travel and enjoy vacations, aiming to reduce social inequalities in leisure travel.
Soft Adventure: Outdoor and adventure activities that are low risk and require minimal physical conditioning, such as hiking, kayaking, and bird-watching, appealing to a broad range of travelers.
Solo Travel: The practice of individuals traveling alone, seeking personal growth, adventure, and the freedom to explore destinations at their own pace without the influence of a travel companion.
Sommelier: A trained and knowledgeable wine professional, typically working in fine dining restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. Sommeliers enhance the dining experience by suggesting wines that complement the menu.
Souk: A traditional market in Arab and some African countries, offering a variety of goods such as textiles, spices, and jewelry, and providing a culturally rich shopping experience.
Souvenir: An item that is kept as a reminder of a place visited or an event attended, often purchased during trips or vacations to bring back home as a memento or to give as a gift.
Spa: A dedicated venue offering health and wellness treatments through services such as massages, facials, body treatments, and hydrotherapy. Spas are popular in luxury hotels, resorts, and standalone establishments focusing on relaxation and rejuvenation.
Spa Tourism: Travel focused on health and wellness through spa services, including massages, facials, hydrotherapy, and other therapeutic treatments in a destination known for its spa and wellness facilities.
Space Tourism: Involves travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere for leisure, adventure, or research purposes. This emerging sector of tourism is characterized by suborbital flights, orbital space trips, and plans for future lunar and Mars visits.
Special Fare: A discounted rate offered by airlines, rail companies, or other transport providers for certain conditions or to specific groups of travelers, such as seniors, students, or military personnel. Special fares may have restrictions or specific booking requirements.
Special Interest Tour: A tour designed around a particular interest or theme, such as culinary tours, history tours, wildlife safaris, or hiking adventures. These tours cater to travelers looking to deepen their knowledge or experience in a specific area.
Special Needs Tourism: Tailored travel experiences designed to accommodate tourists with disabilities or specific health conditions, ensuring accessibility, convenience, and enjoyment for all travelers.
Split Itinerary: A travel plan where a traveler’s journey is divided into separate parts, often involving stays in different locations or using different modes of transport. This can allow for a more diverse experience or accommodate complex travel arrangements.
Split Ticket: A strategy used in travel where a journey is divided into multiple bookings or tickets instead of a single ticket from origin to destination. This can sometimes result in cost savings or more flexible travel options but may require passengers to check in for each segment separately.
Spontaneous Travel: Trips taken without extensive planning or booking in advance, often decided impulsively or last minute, allowing for freedom and unexpected discoveries.
Sports Tourism: Travel undertaken to watch or participate in a sporting event, including international competitions like the Olympics, soccer tournaments, marathons, and more. This type of tourism can significantly impact the local economy of the host city or country.
Standby: A term used in air travel for passengers who do not have a confirmed booking but wait at the airport for an available seat on a flight. This is often used by airline employees, travelers with flexible plans, or those seeking to change flights last minute.
Starboard: A nautical term referring to the right side of a ship or boat when facing forward. This term is essential for orientation and navigation at sea.
Stateroom: A private cabin or room on a cruise ship or passenger liner, offering various amenities and accommodations. Staterooms range from basic to luxurious, with options including inside cabins, oceanview, balcony, and suites.
Staycation: A vacation spent at home or near home while taking day trips to local attractions. It avoids long-distance travel, often in response to economic conditions or to reduce environmental impact.
Stayover: An extended stay in a destination beyond the initial travel plan, often to enjoy more of the location or because of flexible travel arrangements.
Stopover: A break in a journey where the traveler stays in a location for more than 24 hours before continuing to their final destination. Stopovers can be used to explore additional cities or countries during a trip and may be included in airfares for long-haul flights.
Student Visa: A type of visa specifically for individuals who plan to study abroad in a foreign country for an extended period. Requirements and durations vary by country, and it typically allows the holder to reside and study within the issuing country.
Study Abroad: Programs that allow students to pursue educational opportunities in foreign countries, often enhancing cultural exchange and global understanding through immersive experiences.
Suite: A premium type of accommodation in hotels, cruise ships, or resorts, offering more space and amenities than standard rooms. Suites usually include separate living and sleeping areas and may offer additional luxuries such as multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and enhanced services.
Sun-and-Beach Tourism: A popular form of leisure travel that focuses on visiting coastal destinations for sunbathing, swimming, and other beach-related activities, often associated with resort vacations.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): A type of fuel designed to be more environmentally friendly than conventional jet fuel, made from sustainable resources such as waste oils, plants, and other renewable materials. SAF aims to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint and contribute to more sustainable travel practices.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Tourism: Refers to tourism practices that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to promote sustainability, reduce poverty, and protect the planet.
Sustainable Tourism: A travel approach that seeks to minimize tourism’s environmental impact, preserve natural and cultural resources, and support local communities. It involves responsible planning and management to create a balance between tourism’s economic benefits and the need for environmental conservation and cultural integrity.
Sustainable Travel: Travel conducted in a manner that minimizes negative environmental impacts, supports conservation efforts, and benefits local communities economically and socially.
Swim-Up Bar: A bar located within a swimming pool, allowing guests to enjoy drinks without leaving the water, commonly found in resort pools and luxury hotel amenities.
Synergy Tourism: A collaborative approach where various sectors of the tourism industry work together to create a more cohesive and enhanced travel experience, often leading to sustainable and community-based tourism development.