Greenfieldgeography

IGCSE and GCSE Tourism

Specification:

3.3 Leisure activities and tourism

Candidates should be able to:

Describe and explain the growth of leisure facilities and tourism in relation to the main attractions of the

physical and human landscape in an area or areas selected for study.

Demonstrate an understanding that the effects of a growth in tourism are generally positive and that

careful management is needed if problems are to be avoided. Reference could be made to advantages

accruing from tourism such as growth in income, an increase in foreign exchange, employment

opportunities, the development of infrastructure and facilities which may be used by the local population,

the encouragement of other developments to take place in an area, cultural advantages, etc. Disadvantages

might include seasonal unemployment, under-use of facilities at certain times of the year, increased

congestion, pollution, a shortage of services e.g. water supplies, social/cultural problems, damage to the

physical landscape, etc. A selected sample study should be used to illustrate both the benefits and

disadvantages associated with the growth of tourism.

Leisure: Any freely chosen activity that takes place in non-work time (IB definition).

Tourism: The businessor industryof providing information, accommodations, transportation, and other

services to tourists.

Domestic Tourist: Someone who goes on holiday in the country that they are resident in (live in).

International Tourist: Someone who goes on holiday to a country they are not resident in e.g. they live

in El Salvador but go to the US for holiday.

Resort: A type of large hotel that offers extra facilities like swimming pools, spas, restaurants, bars,

activities, etc.

Package Holiday: This is when all aspects of a holiday e.g. flights, hotel, transfers, etc. are included in

one overall price.

All-inclusive: A hotel or resort that includes everything e.g. food, activities and drink in one overall

price.

Low-cost or Budget Airline: Airlines that provide cheap flights by removing all add-ons as standard and

charging people if they want then. For example if you want to check in at the airport or check a bag into

the hold, reserve a seat or even eat food on the flight, you have to pay extra.

Growth of Tourism

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry and is considered by many countries to be an important

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development strategy. Currently the majority of international tourists go to MEDCs, but many LEDCs are

also seeing rapid growth in tourism. I will mention the growth in LEDC destinations a little later.

Reasons for Growth in Tourism

Leisure Time: Most workers now enjoy a two day weekend and in addition are entitled to several

weeks holiday. This holiday time can be spent going on holiday.

Paid Holiday: Not only do an increasing amount of workers receive holiday, they are also paid

for it. This means that people do not lose their weekly income by going on holiday.UK workers

get least paid leave - BBC article

Income: More and more people are working in the secondary and tertiary sectors, where pay is

generally higher. Also many more females are now working. This means that more people now

have money to spend on holidays (higher disposable income).

Transport: Air travel has become relatively cheaper and there are now more airports open for

holiday flights. In addition road and rail networks have opened up new tourist destinations. Airbus

and AirAsia announce record deal for 200 planes - BBC article

Advertising: People are now bombarded by holiday adverts on the internet, television, radio,

mobile phones, billboards, etc. This makes people more aware of holiday destinations and

possibly more tempted to book them.

Travel Programs: There are a huge amount of travel programs on television so people are able to

view destinations that they have not heard of, tempting them to go.

Tourist facilities: Tourist facilities have generally improved and increased in number. There are

now many more hotels of all sizes and most have fairly standard services.

Freedom: More people, especially women and the elderly are free to travel and go on holidays. In

addition formerly closed countries like China now allow most of their citizens to travel.

Range of holidays: There is now a much greater variety of holidays that can attract potential

tourists e.g. golf holidays, diving holidays, walking holidays, cooking holidays.

Ease of Booking: The internet has now made booking holidays much more straightforward. Also

package holidays allow people to pay one price but have all aspects of their holiday paid for e.g.

flights, hotels, etc.

Credit Cards: More and more people now own credit cards which makes booking holidays and

paying for things in a foreign country much easier.

Passport Ownership and Visa Regulations: More people now own passports so are able to

travel and the process of obtaining visas is now much more straightforward.

Retirement and Life Expectancy: People are now living longer and remain healthier longer. An

increasing amount of people also retire with a pension. This means that more people are fit

enough and healthier enough to go on holiday.

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Reasons for Growth in LEDCs

New Destinations: People are getting increasingly bored of traditional locations and want to

experience new and exotic destinations.

Exchange Rates: LEDCs often have weaker currencies making going on holiday to them a lot

cheaper.

Advertising/Ease of Booking: LEDCs now advertise themselves much better and it is easier to

book these destinations online.

Transport: Many countries have upgraded their transport infrastructure making travel to them

easier.

Security: Many LEDCs are now much more stable with less security worries so more people are

prepared to go on holiday to them.

Although the graph above shows that international tourism is generally increasing (with maybe the

exception of 2007) regions can suffer temporary or even permanent declines. A region may experience a

decline because of:

Terrorism e.g. Bali bombing or Mumbai terror attacks

Crime e.g. Mexico or even El Salvador

Natural disasters e.g. tsunami in Indian Ocean or hurricanes in the Caribbean

Economic downturn e.g. recessions and debt crisis in Europe

War e.g. Afghanistan

Also some destinations may become run down or people simply get bored of going to the same location.

The table above shows that France is the number one destination for international tourists. France is

popular because:

It is surrounded by MEDCs e.g. Germany, Belgium, UK, Italy and Spain

It has an excellent transport network

It has developed tourists facilities e.g. hotels and tour agencies

It has many historical attractions e.g. Eiffel Tower and Carcassonne

It is famous for its food and wine

It has good weather in the south nearly all year

It attracts many different holiday makers e.g. skiers, beach lovers, surfers and rafters.

China is currently only 8th on the list, but it probably already has the most domestic tourists and in the

future will probably attract many more international tourists.

Although tourism is seen as a development strategy by many countries, it does not solely create

advantages, but can also create some disadvantages:

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Local people can perform An increase in tourists may

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SOCIAL/CULTURAL

traditional dance and music

to tourists therefore

protecting their local

culture.

Tourists may pay to visit

museums protecting local

artifacts.

Historical ruins may be

protected or rebuilt to

attract tourists.

May improve countries

reputation and create

cross-cultural links.

Encourages education in

order to work in tourist

sector and should improve

linguistic skills

cause greater congestion,

leading to longer periods

spent away from families.

Also increased transport

may increase problems of

asthma and traffic

accidents.

Tourism can increase

certain crimes, like

prostitution and theft

People may become more

materialistic and

homogenised with the

arrival of international

tourists.

May create racial tensions

between tourists and locals

ECONOMIC

Jobs are created for local

workers in hotels,

restaurants, etc.

Secondary jobs are also

created in shops,

maintenance firms, etc.

Workers and companies

pay taxes to the

government. This money

can then be invested.

People learn new skills that

can then be transferred to

other parts of the economy.

New equipment or

technology may be

introduced to the country

which again can be used in

other sectors of the

economy.

Local infrastructure like

roads and electricity may

be improved.

Many of managerial jobs

go to overseas workers.

Local workers often get

low paid jobs

There is economic leakage

(loss of money overseas)

because many of the tourist

companies are TNCs and

the profit is sent elsewhere

Many jobs are only

seasonal so workers are

only paid half of the year

e.g. the ski season is less

than 6 months long.

The increased demand for

products and services may

cause inflation

Countries or regions may

become dependent on just

one industry.

May place pressure on

infrastructure e.g.

electricity and water supply

ENVIRONMENTAL

National Parks may be

created protecting areas of

natural beauty

Animals obtain an

economic value if people

are willing to pay to see

Sometimes tourist

developments may cause

the destruction of forests,

sand dunes, etc.

Noise and light pollution

created by tourist

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them. If the value of the

animal is greater alive than

dead people will protect

them. One good example of

this is Mountain Gorillas

which tourists will pay

$500 to see.

developments may also

interfere with animals.

Butler's Product Cycle

The Butler's model attempts to show the cycle that

all products go through from them being launched to

them flourishing or being discontinued. People have

applied the Butler's model to tourist destinations.

The models shows that products or destinations go

through six stages. The six stages are:

Exploration: A newly discovered tourist location

that only receives a very small amount of tourists.

Involvement: An area that becomes better known.

Tourism is supported by the local population and

they start to build basic tourist infrastructure.

Development: Tourism becomes an important

sector of the economy. There is more investment

from foreign tour firms. Infrastructure becomes

developed.

Consolidation: Growth continues with resources

diverted to the tourism sector. Areas may change to

the exclusive use of tourists, possibly alienating

locals.

Stagnation: There is increased opposition to

tourism, tourist facilities may become tired and the

number of tourist arrival plateaus or even declines.

Rejuvenation: A tourist destination rebrands itself

or improves tourist facilities, offers promotions or

improves transportation.

Decline: No improvements are made to the tourist

destination and the number of tourists continues to

declines.

The document below shows how the Spanish resort

region of Costa del Sol has more or less followed

Butler's product cycle.

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Costa de Sol - Butler's Model.docx

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Primary Tourist Resource: Pre-existing attractions that were not specifically built for the tourism

industry e.g. churches, beaches, mountains, museums.

Secondary Tourist Resource: Facilities that are built specifically for the tourist industry e.g. hotels,

restaurants, museums.

Human Attraction: An attraction that has been built or made by humans e.g. castles, churches,

museums.

Physical Attraction: Natural attractions e.g. rivers, mountains, beaches or even the weather.

El Salvador Case Study

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central

America. Its capital city is San Salvador. It has a

population of just over 6 million and a GDP per

capita of about $7,500. El Salvador has a long

pacific coast, ideal for surfing. Inland there is a

chain of active volcanoes followed by mountainous

areas along the Honduran border.

El Salvador's tourism industry has grown

dynamically over recent years as the Salvadoran

government focuses on developing this sector. Last

year tourism accounted for 4.6% of GDP; only 10

years ago, it accounted for 0.4%. In this same year

tourism grew 4.5% worldwide. Comparatively, El

Salvador saw an increase of 8.97%, from 1.15

million to 1.27 million tourists. This has led to

revenue from tourism growing 35.9% from $634

million to $862 million. As a reference point, in

1996 tourism revenue was $44.2 million. Also, there

has been an even greater increase in the number of

excursionists (visits that do not include an overnight

stay). 222,000 excursionists visited El Salvador in

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2006, a 24% increase over the previous year.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Salvador)

HUMAN ATTRACTIONS PHYSICAL ATTRACTIONS

The Orange Route

San Salvador Cathedral

Suchitoto and Ataco (colonial towns)

The Flower Route

Mayan attractions e.g. Tuzamal, Casa Blanca

La Palma

Perquin and El Mozote (war memorials)

Joya de Ceren (the Pompeii of Central

America)

Lago de Ilopango

Lago de Coatepeque

El Impossible National Park

Volcanoes (Santa Ana, San Miguel, Izalco,

San Vicente, etc.)

Pacific coast

El Pital mountain

Montecristo Forest

ADVANTAGES OF TOURISM DISADVANTAGES OF TOURISM

Create jobs directly and indirectly e.g.

Decameron resort

Improves the image and reputation of the

country (important after the civil war)

Tourist companies and local pay taxes to the

government

Attracts foreign investment e.g.

Intercontinental and Hilton hotels

Improved road signage

Improved language skills, especially English

catering for US tourists

Diversification of the economy

Increased protection of national parks and

biodiversity

Crime - theft of tourists, but also extortion of

tourist companies.

Increased congestion on roads

Inflation in tourist areas

Privatisation of some beaches

Air and noise pollution from increased

amount of flights and tourist resorts

Money diverted into tourism from other

services.

National Park: An area of land and water that is protected by law. Areas are normally made national

parks because of their natural beauty and/or biodiversity.

Honeypot: A location that attracts a large amount of tourists.

Second homes: A house that is not a person's main residence. A person's second home is normally their

holiday home.

Rural depopulation: The movement of people out of the countryside.

Service decline: The reduction in the amount of services provided e.g. closure of bus routes, post offices,

etc.

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The Peak District National Park

The Peak District National Park is an upland area

located in Central England. It became the UK's first

National Park in 1951. The Peak District covers an

area of 1,440 km2. The Peak District is the world's

second most visited National Park after Mount Fuji

National Park in Japan. The Peak District is visited

so much because it is surrounded by many large

urban populations e.g. Sheffield, Derby, Stoke,

Manchester and Nottingham.

The Peak District has numerous human and physical

attractions. Attractions include:

Human Attractions

Chatsworth Hose

Peveril Castle

Castleton (beautiful rural village)

Bakewell (beautiful rural village and home

of a local delicacy - Bakewell tart)

Reservoirs (including Ladybower)

Physical Attractions

Natural moorland environment, including the

parks highest peak (Kinder scout)

Limestone feature e.g. Dovedale Valley

Rivers e.g Dove

Cave networks e.g. Blue John Cavern (some

networks have been enlarged by mining)

The Roaches (limestone cliff face that

attracts climbers)

Natural springs at Buxton

Problems caused by Tourism in Peak

District

Benefits of Tourism in Peak District

The Peak District's roads are small and have

become heavily congested.

Some tourists drop littering which is

unsightly and can harm animals

Many tourists do not stay on the footpaths

Job creation (it is estimated tourism creates

14,200 jobs in the Peak District

Income (it is estimated tourism generates

over $600 million in income)

Improved infrastructure (roads, electricity)

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causing erosion either side of the path and

damaging crops

Some tourists leave farm gates open allowing

animals to escape.

A lot of the employment is only seasonal

Many tourists have purchased second homes.

This means many houses are vacant for long

periods leading to rural depopulation and

service decline.

Tourists create air, noise and water pollution

The large demand from tourists has caused

local inflation (increase in prices)

Improved facilities e.g. restaurants, golf

courses, etc.

Protection of historical landmarks e.g.

Peveril Castle

Protection of natural beauty

Improved reputation and image

Because tourism bring advantages and disadvantages, many people disagree over how the land should be

used. You can look at these disagreements by completing a conflict matrix. If you think a group will

agree on how to use the land you can put a tick, if you think that they will disagree you can put a cross.

National Park Conflict Matrix.docx

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A number of solutions have been suggested in the Peak District to try and reduce the impacts of tourism.

The suggested solutions include:

A charge to be placed on people entering the national park (entrance fee)

A quota on the number of people visiting the national park e.g. 10,000 a day.

Improved footpaths and improved footpath signs

Increased fines for people littering and more bins.

Improved public transport, especially park and rides so people leave their cars outside the national

park

A redistribution of tourists. Advertise different sites with in the park better so people are spread

out more evenly.

However, a lot of these solutions are hard to implement because the Peak District National Park is a

working park. This means people live and work within the park so any restrictions on movement or

charges will be difficult to enforce.

Sustainable tourism: Tourist activities that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

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Ecotourism: Holidays that involve eco-related activities and are sustainable e.g. hiking, bird-watching,

horse riding, etc.

Ecological Footprint: This is a measure of your demand on the earth's resources.

Global Footprint Network

Tambopata Ecolodge

The Tambopata National Reserve (TNR) and the

Bahuaja Sonene National Park join to create an area

of sub-tropical rainforest covering 3,000,000 acres.

The original Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone

(TCRZ) was created by a ministerial resolution in

1990. Both reserves are located in the Amazon

rainforest in south east Peru.

Founded back in 1991, the Tambopata EcoLodge is one of the most establishedeco-tourism lodges on the banks of theTambopata River. With a capacity of only 59, itis one of the smallest lodges in the reserve.

The lodge employs about 20 local Peruvians.All buildings are made from local materials,wood and thatch. There is no mains electricity,all rooms are lit by candlelight. However, somebuildings are now powered by solar energy.Local Peruvian food is served in the diningroom using local products.

All transportation is by boat and the local guides aim

to educate all guests about the importance of

protecting the local flora and fauna.

Tambopata Ecolodge

Typical Ecotourism Activities How Ecotourist Resorts Can Be

Eco-friendly

Hiking

Kayaking

Bird watching

Safari (animal watching)

Cycling

Use renewable energy sources e.g. wind and

solar

Build using only local products

Serve only local food, using locally sourced

products

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Beach cleaning

Tree planting

Completing bird and animal surveys

Employ only local staff

Recycle all waste

Treat and clean all water

Educate guests about the importance of

protecting the environment

Promote local culture

Despite the aims of ecotourism caring for the environment and the local culture and environment, it still

has its critics. Critics argue that most tourists still travel long distances to reach ecotourist destinations,

thus releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases when they fly. Critics also argue that the building of

any lodges will cause the destruction of the natural habitat and disturb local flora and fauna. Also guests,

however careful will create waste that needs to be disposed of.

Tourism tick sheet.doc

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Tourism defintions.doc

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IGCSE and GCSE Tourism