Concepts, definitions and strategic relevance

The attached paper presents a research assignment carried out between April and December 1999, by the GDR Tourisme: Lieux et Réseaux under the joint scientific supervision of Josette Mesplier‐Pinet and Sophie Elias The basic aim was the realisation of a Dictionary of Tourism Concepts, Information Sources and Methods for the Observatoire National du Tourisme to define a set of tourism concepts, point out the principal statistical tools and their accompanying methodology used to secure information on supply and demand. The principle underlying this research was to provide end users of the dictionary, namely national public authorities and private practioners as well as tourism researchers, with a guideline to better understanding as well as a more accurate means of interpretation and use of this information. The purpose of this paper is to present the research carried out and to analyse thereby the role and function of the two‐way process of information building and redistribution. Consequently, the research carried out follows up the work on monitoring change and strategic decision‐making presented at last year's TRC Conference in Vienna.