Importance of Passport and Visa

A Passport is a document which is issued by a country to its citizens as a proof of

citizenship and thus facilitating international travel. In simpler terms, having a passport means
that your country has allowed you to travel around the world.

A Passport basically has your details ranging from your name, date of birth, a photo and
address. Doing the issue of the passport, your details are fed to the passport database. This makes
it almost impossible for you to get another passport while having one. As per Indian Passport act
of 1967, only Indian citizens are allowed to have an Indian passport. This allows you to use
Passport as a primary proof of Citizenship. There are also countries like the USA which allows its
citizens to have two passports. If you have dual citizenship then also, you are entitled to have two
different passports. Sadly, India doesn’t allow dual citizenship or neither allows you to have two
passports.

Coming to its significance, it is indeed a powerful piece. Again the power of passport
varies from one country to another. The Passport allows the country you visit to recognize your
citizenship and give facilities/recognitions/favors to you according to that. Your Passport will
have the stamps of countries that you have visited or checked in or made the transit.

Despite the developments in technology and embedded chip technology on passports,

there has been no change to the Traditional Stamping. Just by checking one's passport, you can
track down his/her international travel history. A lot of international crimes are tracked and solved
by using this puzzle. There is no particular order in which your passport is stamped. The stamp
can be anywhere between first and the last page. The Immigration/Emigration officials in their
busy schedule may not care much about this. Another important role of passport is that your
country needs to clear your request for obtaining a passport. Criminals or repeat offenders are
often denied their request to obtain a passport. Whenever there is a criminal investigation against
a convict, the first action taken is suspending/cancelling their passport. The primary reason is that,
in an International crime, or an offence is committed by a citizen of country A in country B, the
primary responsibility of trial and conviction is taken up by country B, which may often be a
burden. In the long run, it may also prove harsh to citizens of country A, that they may even be
barred from visiting country B. Similar travel was put on by the USA on citizens of 6 Muslim
major nations.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS NEEDED IN TRAVELLING

 Driver’s License
 Passport
 Travel Visa

It should go without saying if you are traveling within your home country or outside of it,
you’ll need identification.

 Copies of All Identification Documents

We touched upon this above, but we don’t just mean copies of documents where your
originals are home. You want a copy of all your identification – one for each checked bag. Keep
a hard copy of your documents in your carry-on and each checked bag of luggage with which
you are traveling, in case any of them go missing during the trip. These copies can help you in
multiple situations.

 Travel Itinerary Details

Whether you have only one reservation or several, you’ll want to keep copies of your
itinerary in your travel luggage. This can help a myriad of ways. We particularly recommending
having digital and hard copy proof that you already paid for a flight or a hotel, to avoid any
questions if you arrive and they are questioning your reservation.

 Tickets for Events When Traveling

lkhcWhile some travelers prefer to have the tickets in their hand before they depart on their
trip, others wait to grab the tickets from will call. Either way, you’ll want some documentation
showing that you have already paid for the event. It could be the actual ticket, but you can also
bring proof of purchase with you.

 COVID-19 Travel Documents

 The coronavirus pandemic has changed domestic and international travel alike. While we
may not yet know exactly what travel will be like when the pandemic winds down, we are
already seeing some common trends.

One common requirement for entry into a new destination is proof of a negative COVID-19
test within a certain timeframe. Many are also requiring travel insurance, with coverage
requirements varying by destination. We recommend confirming this information before
purchasing your policy. When traveling, be sure to keep your proof of insurance and COVID-19
test results in an easily accessible location as they may be required at different times.

THINGS THAT ARE ALLOWED AND NOT ALLOWED TO BRING WHEN

TRAVELLING

Before you head to the airport, you should take the time to get familiar with common
security rules such as what kinds of identification you may need, and basic baggage rules such as
what valuable or critical personal items should always be in your carry-on bag and not in your
checked luggage. Going through airport security without any extra delays will be a lot easier if
you avoid taking banned or restricted items through the security checkpoint. While the following
descriptions of banned or restricted items are based on TSA rules and guidelines, most countries
have similar restrictions.

The following items are completely banned from aircraft, and should not be brought when
you are travelling:

 Explosive and incendiary materials

 Flammable items

 Gasses and pressure containers

 Matches

 Oxidizers and organic peroxides

 Poisons
  Infectious materials

 Corrosives

 Organics

 Radioactive materials

 Magnetic materials

Items allowed in your carry-on bags

There are a number of items that could be considered hazardous or dangerous that are actually
allowed in the passenger cabin, including your carry-on baggage:

 Non-rechargeable batteries

 Spare rechargeable batteries (there are additional restrictions based on the capacity of the
battery)

 Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices (unpowered)

 Small hand tools (less than seven inches or 18 cm in length) that don't have sharp cutting
edges

 Matches (other than strike anywhere matches) and common cigarette lighters

 Scissors with a cutting edge less than four inches (10 cm)
Things that are allowed to bring:

 Collapsible Water Bottle with a Filtering System

 Daily Medications
 Phone Charger
 Any Documents You’ll Need Throughout the Trip
 Any Valuables
 Entertainment
 Location-Appropriate Clothes
 A Satisfying Snack

Restrictions on Travel, Legal Rules and Regulations

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 1ST

Almost all global destinations have imposed restrictions on travel since January 2020, including
complete bans on all travel as they work to contain the pandemic.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 2ND

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all destinations worldwide to introduce restrictions on
travel, research by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has found.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 3RD

UNWTO has found that 83% of destinations in Europe have introduced complete closure of
borders for international tourism. In the Americas, this proportion stands at 80%, in Asia and the
Pacific it is 70%, in the Middle East it is 62% and in Africa it is 57%.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 4TH

The report notes that 100% of all destinations worldwide continue to have some form of
COVID-19-related travel restrictions in place. Furthermore, as of 18 May 75% continued to have
their borders completely closed for international tourism.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 5TH

According to UNWTO, as of 15 June, 22% of all destinations (48 destinations) have now eased
restrictions on travel, up from just 3% (7 destinations) on 18 May.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 6TH

87 destinations that have now eased travel restrictions, just four have completely lifted all
restrictions, while 83 have eased them while keeping some measures such as the partial closure
of borders in place.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 7TH

Though many remain cautious in view of the development of the pandemic, the seventh edition
of the UNWTO “COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions: A Global Review for Tourism”
confirms the ongoing trend towards the gradual restart of tourism.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 8TH

According to the eighth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, 70% of all global
destinations have eased restrictions on travel introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REPORT: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS 9TH

The emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus has prompted many governments to
reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia
and the Pacific and Europe.
Components of Tourism Industry

There are several integral components of tourism. Without these components, the tourism
industry would struggle to function. This was demonstrated, for example, during the Coronavirus
pandemic, which halted air travel around the world. Travel services are a vital component of
tourism and without these services being operational, the tourism industry struggled to survive.

There are six major components of tourism, each with their own sub-components. These
are: tourist boards, travel services, accommodation services, conferences and events, attractions
and tourism services.

TOURIST BOARD

A tourist board is an essential component of tourism and an integral part of the structure
of the tourism industry. A tourism board is responsible for the promotion of tourism in a
particular area. This could be a city, a region, a country or a group of countries.

 National tourist boards

A national tourist board is a national organization whose aim is to promote tourism across
the country. There are usually several management bodies that are involved with a national
tourist board. They are essential stakeholders who determine many aspects of tourism in the
country, such as budgets, taxation and regulations.

 Regional tourist boards

A regional tourist board is a tourist board that focusses on a particular region of a

country. They are often a sub-division of a country’s national tourist board. Regional tourism
boards are often funded and operated in the same way as national tourist boards.

TRAVEL SERVICES

Transport is an integral component of tourism. Without transport, people cannot reach

their intended destination. There are a range of different transport types. The most common and
popular methods of transport that make up the structure of the tourism industry, however, are:
air, road, train and water.

 Travel by air
Travel by air has grown exponentially in the past few decades. With the introduction of low
cost airlines and deregulation, the competitive market has been a tourist’s paradise. Travel by air
is an essential component of tourism and this was demonstrated during the Coronavirus
epidemic. During this time most air traffic was halted, which had a devastating impact of the
tourism industry world-wide.
 Travel by road
Travel by road is also a core component of tourism, particularly for domestic tourism Travel
by road is more popular in some countries than others. This largely depends on accessibility
options (i.e. what is accessible by road), distances required and road conditions. In destinations
where travel by road is popular, there are often many cars hire or rental companies.
 Travel by water
Travel by water is also an important component of tourism. The structure of the tourism
industry includes cruises, ferries and leisure boats, among other types of travel by water.

ACCOMMODATION SERVICES
Accommodation services make up an important part of the structure of the tourism
industry. Whilst accommodation services were traditionally focused mainly around the hotel
industry, nowadays accommodation options for tourists are much more varied. This adds an
additional layer of complexity to the structure of the tourism industry.

 Hotels chains
There are many hotel chains that operate throughout the tourism industry and that are a key
component of tourism. Multinational corporations have expanded throughout the tourism
industry with key players being hotel chains such as Marriott, Radisson, Hilton, Travel Lodge
and Holiday Inn.
 Hostels and budget accommodation
Hostels and budget accommodation options are popular with budget travellers and
backpackers. There are a range of hostels found throughout the world. These are particularly
popular in destinations where accommodation is expensive, such as London, New York and
Singapore.
 Homestays
Homestays have become an increasingly prominent component of tourism. Whilst bed and
breakfast accommodation has been around for a very long time, nowadays there are many more
options that are grounded on the concept of a homestay.

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

Conferences and events make up a significant part of the structure of the tourism
industry.
Conferences, which often come under business tourism, come in all shapes and sizes around the
world. From a small academic gathering to a large-scale summit involving national leaders from
around the world, conferences are an important component of tourism. Likewise, the event sector
is also a significant part of the tourism industry. There are millions of events that take place
around the world each year that vary in size and function. Many of these form an integral part of
the tourism industry.

ATTRACTIONS
An essential component of the tourism industry are the tourist attractions. There are a
multitude of different tourist attractions around the world. Some are built, some are
natural. Some are paid, some are free. Some are famous, others are not. Some are large and some
are small.

 Natural attractions
Natural attractions are just as it says on the tin – natural. In other words, they are attractions
that have not been made by man.

 Built attractions
Built attractions also make up an important part of the structure of the tourism industry.
There are many built attractions throughout the world. Some attractions are built for the purpose
of tourism, such as theme parks or museums. Other attractions are built for other purposes but
then become tourist attractions, such as the Empire State Building or the Sydney Opera House.
TOURISM SERVICES
Tourism services are an essential component of tourism. Without many tourism services,
the tourism industry would fail to adequately function.
 Tour operators
A tour operator is the individual or organization who puts together a trip. Typically, a tour
operator would package together essential elements including accommodation, transport and
transfer. They would then sell this package to the tourists.
 Travel agents
Traditionally, a travel agent would sell the product that the tour operator has produced i.e. the
package holiday. While travel agents have and continue to sell individual holiday components,
they have historically been most commonly used by tourists who wish to book a package
holiday.
 Ancillary services
Ancillary services are another core component of tourism. Ancillary basically means ‘extra’
or ‘additional’. An ancillary service in the context of tourism, therefore, is any product or service
that is additional to the core elements of accommodation, transport and transfer.

References:

Why do you need a Passport and Visa to Travel Abroad? — A guide to International Travel, Medium

https://blog.usejournal.com/why-do-you-need-a-passport-and-visa-to-travel-abroad-a-guide-to-
international-travel-cd9b8ab5c1b8

Travel Restrictions | UNWTO, Unwto.org,

https://www.unwto.org/covid-19-travel-restrictions

Components of tourism: Structure of the tourism industry - Tourism Teacher

https://tourismteacher.com/components-of-tourism/#:~:text=There%20are%20six%20major
%20components,events%2C%20attractions%20and%20tourism%20services.