Essential English Vocabulary for Travel & Tourism

Master key terms and phrases for your next trip or career in the tourism industry. This comprehensive resource covers everything from basic travel logistics to advanced business concepts and cultural nuances.

Tourism & Travel Core Concepts

• Boom: A period of rapid economic growth.
• Demand: The desire of consumers for a good or service.
• Launch: To start or introduce something new.
• Market: The area of commercial dealing or a group of potential customers.
• Package: A set of related items or services sold together.
• Tour: A journey for pleasure in which several different places are visited.
• Supply: The amount of a good or service available (oferta).
• Supplier: A person or entity that provides goods or services (proveedor).
• Resort: A place where people go for holidays.
• Comfort: A state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.
• Price: The amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something.
• Safety: The condition of being protected from danger, risk, or injury.

Destinations & Amenities

• Beach: A sandy or pebbly shore by the sea or a lake.
• Mountain: A large natural elevation of the earth's surface.
• Island: A piece of land surrounded by water.
• Water: A clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid.
• Suntan: A brownish discoloration of the skin caused by exposure to the sun (bronceado/a).
• Village: A group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town.
• Accommodation: A room, building, or lodging.
• Volcano: A mountain or hill having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas are or have been erupted from the earth's crust.

Transportation & Travel Logistics

• Air travel: Travel by airplane.
• Rail travel: Travel by train.
• Coach: A long-distance bus.
• Car hire: The service of renting a car.
• Traffic congestion: Overcrowding of vehicles on roads.
• Delay: A period of time by which something is postponed.
• Luggage: Suitcases or other bags for a traveler's belongings (equipaje).
• Baggage claim: The area where passengers collect their luggage (recogida de equipaje).
• Carriage: Transport or a part of a train.
• Deck: A floor of a ship.
• Departure lounge: A waiting area for passengers before boarding (sala de espera).
• Harbor: A place on the coast where ships may find shelter (puerto).
• Jet lag: Extreme tiredness and other physical effects felt by a person after a long flight across different time zones.
• Petrol/Fuel station: A place where fuel for vehicles is sold (gasolinera).
• Toll bridge: A bridge where a fee is charged to cross (puente de peaje).
• Traffic circle/Roundabout: A circular intersection (rotonda).
• Highway/Motorway: A main road, especially one connecting major towns or cities (autopista).
• Sidewalk: A paved path for pedestrians at the side of a road (acera).

Accommodation Services & Amenities

• Air conditioning: A system that controls the temperature and humidity of the air.
• Airport shuttle: A transport service to and from the airport.
• Baby-sitting service: Care for children while parents are away.
• Currency exchange: The service of converting one currency into another.
• Direct line telephone: A phone with a direct connection.
• Fitness center: A gym or health club.
• Hairdryer: An electrical device for drying hair.
• High-speed Wi-Fi access: Fast wireless internet connection.
• In-room minibar: A small refrigerator in a hotel room with drinks and snacks.
• Laundry and ironing: Services for washing and pressing clothes.
• Pets admitted: Allowing animals to stay.
• Safe-deposit box: A secure box for valuables.
• Sauna: A small room used as a hot-air or steam bath.
• Wheelchair access: Facilities designed for wheelchair users.
• Complaint: A statement that something is unsatisfactory or unacceptable (queja).

Weather & Climate Vocabulary

• Breeze: A gentle wind (brisa).
• Drizzle: Light rain falling in very fine drops (llovizna).
• Fog: A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface that obscures or restricts visibility (niebla).
• Freezing: At or below the temperature at which water turns to ice (congelación).
• Gale: A very strong wind (tormenta).
• Mist: A cloud of tiny water droplets in the atmosphere, obscuring visibility to a lesser extent than fog (niebla).
• Showers: Brief periods of rain (lluvias).
• Forecast: A prediction or estimate of future events, especially weather (predicción).

Activities, Leisure & Value Assessment

• Eating out: Dining at a restaurant.
• Taking boat trips: Going on excursions by boat.
• Watching sports: Attending or viewing sporting events.
• Listening to music: Enjoying musical performances or recordings.
• Learning to dance: Acquiring dancing skills.
• Shopping for handicraft: Buying handmade goods.
• Enjoying the culture: Experiencing local traditions, arts, and customs.
• Seeing paintings and architecture: Visiting art galleries and admiring buildings.
• Remembering a person: Commemorating someone.
• Affordable: Inexpensive; reasonably priced (asequible).
• Overrated: Not as good as people say.
• Value for money: Good quality or service for the price paid (valioso para el dinero que es).
• Worth visiting: Deserving of a visit (vale la pena visitar).
• Angling: Fishing with a rod and line.
• Bird-watching: Observing birds in their natural habitat.
• Climbing: Ascending mountains or rocks.
• Horse-riding: The sport or activity of riding a horse.
• Hang-gliding: Flying using a hang glider (ala delta).
• Quad biking: Riding an all-terrain vehicle.
• Rafting: Traveling on a raft.
• Skiing: Traveling over snow on skis.
• Trekking: Going on a long arduous journey, typically on foot.
• Whale-watching: Observing whales in their natural habitat.

Tourism Business & Niche Markets

• Cheap package tour: An inexpensive holiday deal including travel and accommodation.
• Economies of scale: Cost advantages due to increased production.
• High spenders: Customers who spend a lot of money.
• International hotel chain: A global network of hotels under one brand.
• Large tourist resorts: Extensive holiday complexes.
• Potential high profit margins: The possibility of significant earnings.
• Small businesses: Independently owned and operated companies.
• Small-scale operations: Business activities conducted on a limited level.
• Culinary tourism: Travel focused on food and drink.
• Extreme tourism: Travel involving dangerous activities or destinations.
• Genealogy tourism: Travel to research family history.
• Slum tourism: Visiting impoverished areas (barrio bajo).
• Space tourism: Travel into space for recreational purposes.
• Wildlife tourism: Travel to observe animals in their natural habitats.

Culture, Events & Heritage

• Audioguide: A device providing spoken information, typically in a museum.
• Belief: An acceptance that something exists or is true.
• Coin: A flat, typically round piece of metal used as money.
• Cultural event: An organized occasion showcasing aspects of a culture.
• Cultural heritage: The legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society.
• Custom: A traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something.
• Display: An exhibition or a screen (monitor).
• Entry fee: The amount of money required to enter a place (cuota de entrada).
• Fringe festival: An arts festival that is typically unjuried and uncensored (festival marginal).
• Impact: The effect or influence of one person, thing, or action, on another.
• Script: The written text of a play, film, or broadcast (guion).

Business Qualities & Operations

• Excellent business sense: Strong understanding of how to run a successful business.
• Motivating: Inspiring enthusiasm or interest.
• Outgoing: Friendly and socially confident (extroverted).
• Quick-thinking: Able to think and react quickly.
• Theatrical: Relating to acting or the theater.
• Tired: Feeling a need to rest or sleep (-ed describes feelings).
• Tiring: Causing one to feel tired (-ing describes the reason for feelings).
• Bored: Feeling weary and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest (-ed describes feelings).
• Boring: Not interesting or exciting (-ing describes the reason for feelings).
• Irritated: Feeling annoyed, impatient, or angry (irritado).
• Irritating: Causing annoyance, impatience, or anger (irritante).
• Run out of: To use up or finish a supply of something (quedarse sin).
• Cost-cutting: Reducing expenses (reducción de costes).
• Evaluate: To assess the value or quality of something.
• Incentive: A thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something.
• Occupancy rate: The percentage of available rooms or units that are rented or used.

Service Quality & Professional Conduct

• Appropriate: Suitable or proper in the circumstances.
• Competent: Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully.
• Loyal: Giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance.
• Reliable: Consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted.
• Welcoming: Friendly and hospitable.
• Inappropriate: Not suitable or proper in the circumstances.
• Dishonest: Behaving in an untrustworthy or deceitful way.
• Impolite: Not having or showing good manners; rude.
• Incompetent: Not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully.
• Disloyal: Failing to show loyalty.
• Unreliable: Not able to be relied upon.
• Inefficient: Not achieving maximum productivity; wasting time or energy.
• Impatient: Having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.
• Disrespectful: Showing a lack of respect.
• Unfriendly: Not friendly or sociable.
• Impersonal: Lacking human warmth and personality.
• Turn away: To refuse entry or service to someone (despedir).
• Code of conduct: A set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual or organization.

Business & Financial Idioms

• Foot the bill: To pay for something (pagar la cuenta).
• Cut to the bone: To reduce something to the lowest possible level (corte hasta el hueso/reduciendo).
• On a shoestring: With a very small amount of money (con poco dinero).
• On the horizon: Imminent or likely to happen soon.
• Going through the roof: Increasing rapidly, especially prices (subida de precios).
• Put the brakes on: To slow down or stop something.

Descriptive Adjectives for Travel

• Sandy: Covered with or consisting of sand.
• Deserted: (Of a place) empty of people.
• Golden: Bright yellow in color, like gold.
• Spectacular: Beautiful in a dramatic and eye-catching way.
• Surrounding: All around a particular place or thing (que te rodea).
• Majestic: Having or showing impressive beauty or scale.
• Active: Currently in operation or use.
• Dormant: (Of a volcano) temporarily inactive (inactivo).
• Extinct: (Of a volcano) no longer active.
• Remote: Far away from the main centers of population.
• Pretty: Attractive in a delicate or graceful way.
• Quiet: Making little or no noise (tranquilo).
• Luxurious: Extremely comfortable, elegant, or enjoyable, especially in a way that involves great expense.
• Comfortable: Providing physical ease and relaxation.
• Spacious: Having ample space.
• Steep: (Of a slope or angle) rising or falling sharply (empinado).
• Scenic: Providing or relating to views of impressive or beautiful natural scenery (pintoresco).
• Winding: Following a twisting or spiral course (sinuoso).
• Cascading: (Of water) falling or flowing in a cascade.
• Exotic: Originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country.
• Lush: (Of vegetation) growing luxuriantly (lujoso).
• Luxury: The state of great comfort and extravagant living.
• Second to none: Unsurpassed; the best (insuperable).
• Sparkling: Shining brightly with flashes of light (espumosa).
• White sandy: Referring to beaches with white sand.

Essential Phrasal Verbs for Travel

• Set off: To begin a journey (leave/salir).
• Broke down: (Past tense of break down) To stop functioning (romper).
• Turned up: (Past tense of turn up) To arrive (arrived).
• Hung around/Hang about: To wait or spend time idly (esperar).
• Drop off: To take someone or something to a place and leave them there (dejar algo o a alguien).
• Look for: To search for (buscar).
• Get on... with: To have a good relationship with someone (tengo... buen rollo... con).
• Find out: To discover information (descubrir).
• Get on: To board a bus, train, etc. (embarcar).
• Get through: To pass or make one's way through (atravesar).
• Hold up: To support or delay (sostener).
• Pick up: To collect someone or something (recoger).
• Put up: To provide accommodation for someone (hospedarse).
• Take off: (Of an aircraft) to become airborne; to remove clothing (quitarse).

Key Modal Verbs

• Obligation:
  • Have to: Expresses external obligation or necessity.
  • Must: Expresses strong obligation or necessity.
  • Don't have to: Expresses lack of obligation.
  • Must not: Expresses prohibition.
• Possibility:
  • Can: Expresses ability or possibility.
  • May: Expresses permission or possibility.