India, June 29 -- Just as in other businesses, tourism and travel professionals need to manage budgets, justify lost opportunities, and overcome the issue of spoilage. The loss of revenue from an unsold airline seat or hotel room can never be recaptured. Travel and tourism executives face unique challenges that CEOs or leaders in other industries do not encounter.

Because travel & tourism are composite industries, the head of a Convention and Visitor Bureau (as they are known in the USA) or Office of Tourism, as they are known in many other countries, cannot simply set policy. S/he is dependent on other executives' goodwill and willingness to cooperate. Poor customer service in one part of the tourism system reflects not only on that c...