Tourism

Tourism is a leisure time activity that involves at least one overnight stay away from home.

Different types of tourism:

Main Categories of Tourism ExamplesLeisure Holiday

Sporting eventFestivalPilgrimage

Visiting friends and relatives Stay with friendsStay with relatives

Business trips Business meetingConference or exhibitionEducational tripMedical treatment

International tourism is when the tourist travels to another country. National or domestic tourism is when the tourist remains within their country of residence.

Why is tourism growing?

Tourism has grown drastically since the twentieth century, although some areas experienced faster growth than others. There are three main reasons for this growth. They are:

Social o More days given for holidayo Earlier retirement means more leisure timeo Package holidays offer good dealso Travel is becoming cheapero Media provides greater awareness

Economico Increased disposable incomeo Journey times reducedo Minimum wage increasedo Fewer children

Politicalo More relaxed border controlso Governments invest in infrastructure for tourism

Economic One of the benefits of economic development is that people will have more disposable income. Much of this disposable income from HICs is being spent in LICs on exotic holidays. As a result tourism is resulting in economic development in LICs.

Social Most workers in HICs now work less than 40 hours a week and enjoy up to six weeks of annual paid leave. This combination of more leisure time and paid holidays has given a powerful boost to tourism.

Transport Developments in transport have revolutionised travel, both between and within countries. Journey times have reduced, journeys have become more comfortable and the relative costs have become lower.

Communication The mass media have increased people’s awareness of faraway places and potential tourist destinations. The media has also opened people’s eyes to a wide range of leisure activities.

Political More and more countries are realising the benefits of being a tourist destination, and as a result are relaxing their border controls. Governments stand to make money from tourist visas and departures taxes.

Tourist environments:

These are the factors that attract tourists to some destinations:

Physical HumanMountains MonumentsBeaches CultureAnimals Buildings

Climate Theme parksProtected areas AccommodationScenery Access

SecurityRecreationCuisine

People are attracted to city by the culture (e.g. museums and art galleries), entertainment (bars, restaurants and theatres) and shopping. Popular destinations include London, New York, Paris and Rome.

People are attracted to coastal areas by the beaches and activities like swimming, snorkelling, fishing and water skiing. Popular destinations include Spain, the Caribbean and Thailand.

People are attracted to mountain areas by the beautiful scenery and activities like waking, climbing, skiing and snowboarding. Popular destinations include the Alps, the Dolomites and the Rockies.

Different types of leisure break:

There are many types leisure break. Some of the types are:

Beach holidays:

This is one of the most popular types of leisure break. This is frequently made available as a package holiday. A package holiday consists of transport and accommodation. Other services may also be provided; this could include a rental car, special activities or excursions. A popular beach holiday destination is the French Riviera. Benefits of package holidays are:

They are relatively cheap Everything is organised They go to popular destinations

The package holiday is part of what is known as mass tourism. Mass tourism is a form of tourism in which large multinationals shape developments according to demand. It is large scale and highly commercial as a result it does not pay much regard to local communities.

Short city breaks:

These tend to be weekend breaks involving a short journey. Coastal resorts are a popular choice, but so too are cities or areas that have much to offer in terms of entertainment.

Activity holidays:

Activities that usually take place in this type of tourism include:

Adventure breaks o Bungee jumpingo Backpacking o Walking

Wildlife breakso Bird watching o Whale watchingo Safariso Educational breaks

Learning to cook o Wine tastingo Pottery

Health or medical tourism:

Health tourism has a long history. In the past, more wealthy people visited spa’s believing that the chemical properties of a spa’s water were good for curing a number of different medical conditions. Today health or medical tourism describes the practice of travelling for some form of healthcare. This can range from specialised surgery to alternative treatments for conditions such as cancer or allergies.

Heritage or cultural tourism:

Heritage or cultural tourism exploits the resources of fine scenery, human landscapes and historic cities with their cultural facilities. It can also contain in rural areas which showcase the traditions, values and festivals of indigenous cultural communities.

Resort Development:

Resorts are most often towns that provide for he needs of visiting holidaymakers, Hotels and guest houses restaurants and bars are the most common elements in all resorts, followed by facilities such as souvenir shops, parks, theatres and cinemas.

The Butler model suggests that all resorts or tourist areas follow the same broad sequence of changes. According to Butler, resorts all follow a sort of pathway, which he called a life cycle.

There are some important points to remember about the butler model:

It is a generalisation which means there will be exceptions Individual resorts will move along the model at different speeds Some resorts may stay at a particular stage for a long time

Stage 1: Exploration

Small numbers of visitors are attracted to the area and there are very few facilities for them. Those who come are attracted by the quiet and undeveloped nature of the location, they are usually very wealthy. There is a lot of interaction with the local people.

Tourism type: Discovery or adventure

Stage 3: Development

Tourist arrivals rise rapidly. New facilities are provided but are no longer run by the local people. Tensions begin to build between the locals and the outsiders who have now taken control of the resorts development.

Tourism type: Early package holiday

Stage 2: Involvement

Tourist number start increasing steadily and local people start to provide facilities to tourists. There is pressure on the government to improve access and to be involved in the promotion of tourism.

Tourism type: Independent travellers

Stage 4: Consolidation

Maximum tourist numbers with peak number of facilities. The pace of change starts to slow. However tourism is still a large part of the economy.

Tourism type: Package holidays

Stage 6: Decline, Stabilisation or Rejuvenation

At this point the resort is faced with three options. It may go into complete decline, because it cannot provide new attractions, although it may be used by weekenders or day trippers. Property is up for sale and prices fall. The resort will drift away from tourism and it will have a rundown appearance. The second option is stabilisation, this is when the resort continues but in a downgraded form. The third option is to invest money into rebranding the resort by building new attractions and facilities. The resort might move into business or medical tourism.

Stage 5: Stagnation

The resort begins to lose its popularity due to changing fashions and ageing tourist facilities. The resort is working below its capacity. Tourists have had a negative impact on the local environment which increases tension.

Tourism type: Cheap package holiday

Time

Tourist Arrivals

Time

Tourist Arrivals

Blackpool – Case study of a resort in the UK

Early 19th Century – Sea bathing was thought to be a cure for illness as a result wealthy people were attracted to the area.

Stage: Exploration

1846 – The railway reaches Blackpool, this provides middle class cheap travel for the weekend

Stage: Involvement

1820 – Blackpool’s 11KM beach starts to become a wonder for the wealthy

Stage: Exploration

1870 – Pier opens providing another method of transport

Stage: Involvement

1875 – Changes in the law grants workers annual holidays. This meant that factories closed down as workers went on leave

Stage: Development

1894 - 1896 – Blackpool tower and Blackpool pleasure beach opens and serve as a tourist attractions.

Stage: Development

1918 - 1939 – Workers are given paid holidays, this means that disposable income is increased and there are more tourists. Blackpool is currently known as Europe’s leading coastal resort.

Stage: Consolidation

1960 – Package holidays and cheap air transport becomes available. This encouraged people to travel overseas and explore new destinations. This meant that there was a drop in domestic UK tourism.

Stage: Decline

1970 – Prices are lowered and a lower class of people are attracted, the attractions start to become run down.

Stage: Stagnation

1990 – Blackpool starts to gain a reputation for drunkenness, this means that many families are not attracted to Blackpool; instead it is a lower class of tourist.

Stage: Stagnation

2003 – 300 million pounds is invested in the development of casinos and conference centres and the renovation of hotels.

Stage: Rejuvenation

Benidorm – Case study of a resort in the EU

Tourist Arrivals

1954 – Benidorm’s main industry was fishing, however during this time it was in decline. As a result the mayor wanted to revive the town. The main attractions were sea, sun and sand.

Stage: Exploration

1960s –New hotels, bars and restaurants built. Package holidays helped the boom.

Stage: Development

1980s – Cheap accommodation due to competition fuelled tourism. Benidorm also offered nightlife as well as the beach.

Stage: Consolidation

Late 1980s – Other tourist destinations are starting to open up, this has had a negative impact on tourist numbers in Benidorm. Benidorm is also running out of space and starting to struggle to cope with such rapid development.

Stage: Stagnation

Impacts of Tourism:

The five players in tourism will have different attitudes towards tourism:

Tourist – They will be for tourism as they get a break from life at home, they get to tell their friends about their holiday and they get to explore different parts of the world

Local resident – They may be against tourism because of noise, congestion etc. However they could also be for tourism because of the job opportunities

Hotel owner – They are for tourism as it means that they are able to earn more money

Travel agent – They will be for tourism as they are aiming to maximise sales and profits

Government – They are for tourism as they want tourism to generate foreign currency and create jobs

Social impacts:

The degree to which tourism impacts the people and their traditional ways of life depends on the type and volume of tourism. The social impacts of tourism are mostly negative. The greater the number of people converging on a location, the more likely there is to be tension with local people. Tourists can easily offend the traditional values of local people and their codes of behaviour in a number of ways:

Drinking too much alcohol and becoming loud and offensive Ignoring local dress codes and revealing too much flesh Encouraging prostitution and unintentionally crime Failing to behave appropriately in religious areas

Other negative social outcomes include:

Seasonality – This is when locals who have jobs in the tourism industry experience a drop in demand due to a fall in tourist arrivals during the non-peak tourist season

Second home ownership – This is when tourists buy houses for low prices in villages and deny locals of the opportunity to buy a house in their own village creating tension

Overwhelmed services – During the peak season the population will increase, this causes congestion on the roads and causes services such as the police will not be able to cope.

However there are some positive outcomes:

Foreign currency is brought into the local economy this can be spent on improving infrastructure

International tourism provides the opportunity for people of different cultures to mic and lean about each other

Economic impacts:

Tourism has positive impacts on the economy. The most important are its multiplier effects, the direct and indirect consequences it has, Tourism creates many jobs not just in the tertiary sector but in the primary and secondary as well. The tourists will need food and they will buy souvenirs, both of these things create jobs in the other sectors.

However there are some negative impacts. Much of today’s international tourism is in the hands of big companies. This means that the profits made in a particular country leak out to the country where the tour operator has its headquarters.

Other serious negatives include high rates of unemployment when tourism is down. When an economy is booming there is plenty of disposable income to be spent on holidays, but when times are hard the tourism industry can shrink considerably.

Environmental impacts:

There are almost no positive impacts of tourism to the environment, apart from the fact that it might be used to protect natural areas. The negative impacts include:

The clearance of important habitats such as mangroves The overuse of water resources The pollution of sea, lakes and rivers The destruction of coral reefs The disturbance of wildlife Traffic congestion, air and noise pollution The burning of fossil fuels by aircraft and motor vehicles

Khumbu Region, Nepal – Case study on the impacts of tourism

For many mountaineers and trekkers the dream location would be the Himalayas. Each year well over 100,000 people visit this part of Nepal. Traditionally the people of Khumbu are subsistence farmers, growing crops and rearing livestock, but now they provide most of the Sherpa’s who carry the packs and hide the trekking and mountaineering expeditions.

Positive NegativeSocial Impacts Tourists bring in western

foods, so diets are more varied and health has improved.Schools have been rebuilt using some of the money made from trekking.Electricity is now supplied to homes by a mini-hydro scheme financed by money made from tourism.

Families are breaking up, with men living away from home for long periods.Many porters and guides suffer serious injuries from carrying heavy loads.Traditional garments are no longer made, and western style clothes are now common.Many teenagers drop out of education early to take up jobs in tourism.

Economic Impacts Young men have left their villages to become porters or guides.Sherpa wages are good and young men earn enough money to rebuild and improve their homes.Some of the more enterprising men have set up their own expedition businesses, camps and lodges.

There is not enough male labour left to work the small farms. Women have had to take over.Basic food prices are being pushed up by the tourists.

Environmental Impacts The presence of tourists helps to ensure there is minimal damage to scenic areas.

Fuel wood is used by the tourists for cooking and heating, so forested areas are being cleared.Tourists leave litter, and rivers are being polluted by human waste.

Eco Tourism:

Eco tourism is distinguished from other types of leisure break by four characteristics:

Involves areas that are in some way special because of their scenery, wildlife, remoteness or culture

Aims to educate people and increase their understanding and appreciation Minimises the impact on and damage to the environment and local community Maximises local involvement, local control and local benefits.

Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad – Case study of Eco Tourism

Location – North Trinidad, West Indies

The Asa Wright nature centre was built in 1967. It was started by a non-profit making trust and was built on a former mixed plantation of 78 hectares. The main aims of the nature centre were to:

Allow the cleared areas of the plantation to revert to mountain rainforest Conserve this part of the valley for the protection of wildlife and for the enjoyment

of local people Promote public awareness of the value of the rainforest Provide accommodation for visitors.

The idea was that the profit made from providing guests with accommodation would be used to finance the conservation and education work of the trust, as well as to purchase adjacent areas of primary rainforest. The nature centre offers twenty four chalets which allows for about 2000 visitors to stay at the centre each year.

The centre fulfils almost all of the criteria of ecotourism and sustainable tourism, for example:

Most of the 50 employees are from the local area Staff members are helped in a variety of ways, from training to interest free loans for

building or renovating their homes These is on site recycling of refuse and waste water Much of the food served to guests is either grown on the estate or purchased from

local producers Only 10% of the estate is accessible to visitors via designated trails. The remainder of

the estate is left undisturbed.

The centre is a small scale venture, it is feared that it were made to be larger it would become more commercial and less green and environmentally friendly.