Glossary of Tourism I-L

immigration: the process by which a government official verifies a person’s passport, visa or origin of citizenship
inbound tour: group of travelers whose trip originated in another city or country
independent tour: an unescorted tour sold through agents to individuals. For one price, the client is guaranteed air travel, hotel room, attraction admissions and (typically) a car rental.
Intermodal tour: tour using several forms of transportation such as airplanes, motorcoaches, cruise ships, and trains to create a diversified and efficient tour package
itinerary: the travel schedule provided by a travel agent or tour operator for the client. A proposed or preliminary itinerary may be rather vague or very specific. A final itinerary spells out all details, including flight numbers, departure times, and similar data, as well as describing planned activities.
land operator: a company that provides local services, also see ground/receptive operator
lead time: advance time between initiating a tour and its departure date
liability: the responsibility that rests on the operator (or supplier) when contracting with the passengers. Tour operators are liable for all aspects of tour components that are listed in the brochure and must be insured.
load factor: average number of seats occupied, eg. motorcoach or air
low season: the time of the year at any given destination when tourist traffic, and often rates, are at their lowest, Also referred to as off-peak or off-season