Travel Glossary – D

 

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D

 

Day Rate: A special rate offered by hotels for the use of a room during daytime hours, not including an overnight stay, often used by business travelers for short stays.

Day Tour: A guided trip or excursion that lasts for the duration of a single day, typically returning to the starting point on the same day.

Days in Advance: The number of days before a scheduled event, such as a flight or hotel check-in, by which a reservation must be made or a ticket must be purchased.

Deadheading: The practice of airline crew members flying as passengers at no cost, often to return to their home base or position themselves for a subsequent work assignment.

Debark: The act of exiting a ship, aircraft, or other forms of transportation upon reaching a destination, similar to disembarkation.

Deck: A level or platform on a ship or boat, often referring to the area where passengers can walk and enjoy leisure activities.

Deck Plan: A diagram or map showing the layout of each deck on a ship, including the location of cabins, amenities, and facilities, used by passengers to navigate the vessel.

Denied-Boarding Compensation: Compensation given to passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding on a flight due to overbooking, as regulated by airline policies and national laws.

Departure Point: The location, such as an airport or bus station, from which a journey or service begins.

Departure Tax: A fee collected from travelers by a country when they are leaving, usually included in the airfare or paid at the airport.

Deplane: The act of disembarking or exiting an aircraft after it has landed at the airport of arrival.

Deposit: A sum of money paid in advance to secure a reservation for services such as hotel accommodations or travel packages, typically non-refundable.

Destination: The place to which a person is going or being sent, often the focus of travel planning and itinerary creation.

Destination Alliance: A collaboration between different destinations to promote a larger region or experience, sharing marketing efforts and sometimes offering joint travel packages.

Destination Management Company (DMC): A firm that specializes in the organization and logistics of meetings and events, providing comprehensive local knowledge and resources for business and leisure travelers.

Destination Marketing Organization (DMO): An organization, typically a part of local government or a nonprofit entity, tasked with promoting a destination to increase the number of visitors.

Destination Weddings: Wedding events held in a vacation location away from the couple’s home town, often combined with a honeymoon and attended by a smaller group of guests.

Direct Flight: A flight with no scheduled stops between the departure and destination points, though it may make a technical stop for refueling or passenger transfers.

Disaster Tourism: Travel to destinations that have experienced natural or man-made disasters, often controversial due to ethical concerns regarding the impact on affected communities.

Disclaimer: A statement that denies responsibility, often presented to travelers to acknowledge the risks or limitations of a service, such as an adventure tour or travel product.

Dive Resort: A lodging facility specifically catering to scuba divers, offering easy access to dive sites along with services like equipment rental, dive tours, and certification courses.

Docent: A knowledgeable guide, often a volunteer, who provides information about a museum, art gallery, or historical site to visitors.

Documentation: The official papers required for travel, including passports, visas, vaccination certificates, and tickets, essential for proving identity and permission to enter or leave a country.

Domestic Fare: The price charged for travel within a traveler’s own country, often less expensive than international fares due to shorter distances and fewer taxes.

Domestic Tourism: Travel within a person’s own country, where the traveler does not cross an international border during their trip.

Domestic Tourism Consumption: The total spending by residents of a country on tourism-related services within their own country, including accommodations, food, and activities.

Domestic Tourism Expenditure: The amount of money spent by residents traveling within their own country, on services such as transportation, lodging, and entertainment.

Domestic Tourism Trip: A journey taken by residents within their own country for leisure, business, or other purposes, not involving travel abroad.

Domestic Visitor: An individual who travels within their own country to a destination different from their usual environment for a period not exceeding a specified amount of time.

Double Booking: The mistake of booking two reservations for the same guest over the same period, often leading to overbooking situations in hotels or flights.

Double Booking: A situation where two reservations are made for the same service, such as a hotel room or flight seat, for the same time period, often resulting in an overbooking issue.

Double-Double: A hotel room configuration that typically includes two double or queen-sized beds, often preferred for family or group travel.

Double Occupancy: Refers to accommodations or travel arrangements intended for two people sharing one room or space.

Double-Occupancy Rate: The price charged for a hotel room or accommodation when occupied by two people, which can provide a per-person cost savings compared to single occupancy.

Double Room: A hotel room intended for two people, usually equipped with a double bed or two single beds.

Double Room Rate: The rate charged for a double room, which may vary based on factors such as the hotel’s pricing policy, season, and included amenities.

Downgrade: A decrease in the quality or class of travel or accommodations, such as moving from a higher-priced room type to a lower-priced one, or from business class to economy class on a flight.

Driver-Guided Tours: Tours led by a driver who is also a knowledgeable guide, offering personal commentary and insights during the journey, often in a private vehicle.

Drive-Away Service: A service where individuals transport a vehicle from one location to another on behalf of its owner, often used by people moving to a new location or car rental agencies.

Drop Charge or Drop-off Charge: A fee charged by car rental companies for dropping off a rental vehicle at a different location from where it was picked up, reflecting the cost of returning the vehicle to its original location.

Duty Manager: A hotel or tourism facility employee responsible for the smooth operation of the establishment during their shift, handling guest inquiries, complaints, and any operational issues that arise.

Duty-Free Retailers: Shops located at airports, border crossings, or onboard ships that sell goods exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, typically to travelers who are taking them out of the country.

Duty-Free Returns: A policy that allows travelers to return items purchased at duty-free shops, which may involve tax or duty implications if the goods are brought back into the country of purchase.

Duty-Free Shopping: The act of buying products in duty-free shops at airports or international zones, where taxes and duties are not applied, often resulting in lower prices.

Duty-Free Stop: A designated area, often in an airport or at a border, where travelers can purchase goods without paying the usual national taxes and import duties.

Duty-Free Zone: A designated area, usually at an international airport, seaport, or border crossing, where goods may be purchased without the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, provided they are taken out of the country.

Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC): A financial service offered to international travelers by which credit card purchases are converted to the cardholder’s home currency at the point of sale, often accompanied by a conversion fee.

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