TOURISM

The Global Growth of Tourism:

Reasons for the global increase in tourism
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Wages have increased since the 1950s > greater disposable income for leisure.

Two working parents instead of one > the family unit has a higher income.

Fewer children in the average family > lower cost of living.

Holiday leave has increased from 2 weeks p.a. in the 1950s to an average of 6 weeks today.

Increase in life expectancy and pension funds.

Cheap airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet.

Rise in popularity of package holidays > quicker, easier and more affordable.

The internet - booking flights is quick and simple.

Investment in tourism (e.g. Dubai department of tourism and commerce marketing)

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New reasons to travel - ecotourism, sex tourism & adventure tourism.

Potential of cities, mountains and coastal areas for tourism

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Cities can boast historic and cultural monuments and well developed tourist facilities. High level
of infrastructure makes travel quick and reliable. Urbanised MEDCs invest huge sums in
advertising and facilities. (e.g. Dubai)

Coastal areas are popular for the beach and sea, especially in countries with warmer climates.
The natural features mean that little investment is required to attract tourists. (e.g. Malaga)

Mountains are popular with adventure tourists - climbers & hikers. Natural features (scenery and
wildlife) mean little investment is required. (e.g. Malaga)

Economic importance of tourism to contrasting parts of the world

MEDCs

Developed countries possess balanced economies, and although they profit from tourism it does
not form an essential part of GDP.

LEDCs

In many tropical countries tourism is an indispensable component of the economy. In most

Caribbean islands, tourism accounts for over half of GDP. Some less developed countries such
as Sierra Leone and Ethiopia struggle to attract tourists due to internal instability.

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Management of Tourism in the UK:

Contribution of tourism to the UK economy
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The worlds 8th most visited tourist destination.

National income from tourism reached 113 billion in 2013.

VisitBritain - an agency in charge of promoting tourism to Britain

Cities most popular for facilities and cultural/historical relevance - London the most visited
destination.
Impact of external factors on visitor numbers to the UK

Volcanic eruptions.

Global economic crises.

Threat of terrorism or high profile plane crashes.

The Butler model

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Exploration - visitors are attracted by a unique, pre-existing feature like the climate, landscape or
cultural heritage.

Involvement - the local population begins to supply accommodation, food, transport and other
services.

Development - foreign investors build hotels, leisure facilities and advertise package holidays.
Number of visitors increases dramatically.

Consolidation - tourism has become a major part of the local economy. Facilities become
outdated and the type of visitors becomes downmarket.

Stagnation - resort becomes unfashionable, amount of visitors begins to fall.

Decline or Rejuvenation - either visitors prefer other resorts and source of income changes to
day trippers. Alternatively, attempts are made to modernise and diversify the resort.
Blackpool: reasons for growth, management of mass tourism & rejuvenation

Became popular in mid 19th century as the North industrialised and new railways made domestic
travel affordable to the working class. North-west coast very accessible to cities of Preston,
Blackburn, Burnley and Leeds.

Investment poured in throughout the late 1900s with the Winter Gardens (1978) and Blackpool
Tower (1891). Workers rights improved under Liberal governments and holiday leave became
standard.

Domestic holiday-making began to decline in the 1950s. Cheap airlines and package holidays to
the Mediterranean drew Blackpools market away to destinations like Malaga and Costa del Sol.
Wages and holiday leave steadily increased, giving workers more disposable income and time for
leisure.

In 2003 a rejuvenation scheme was blueprinted to save Blackpool from decline. This led to 75
million of government investment into remodelling the sea front in 2007. In 2010, 40 million from
the council was used to purchase and restore Blackpool tower and the Winter Gardens with 10
million of additional investment from Merlin Entertainments Group. The town diversified to attract
stag/hen nights and conferences, and converted many hotels into office space.

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Mass Tourism:
Definition

Tourism on a large scale to one country or region (development & consolidation in Butler model)

Tourism in Kenya
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Third largest foreign exchange earner after tea and coffee - generated $4.7 billion in 2011.

National parks, Massai Mara and Nakuru, offer Savannah landscapes and safari wildlife. Only
politically stable country that can offer this apart from SA > monopoly on safari.

Hot climate and long, sandy beaches. Resorts like Mombassa mimic Mediterranean beach
holiday tradition.

Colonial ties with Britain - Kenya is not culturally uncomfortable for Westerners since many
traditions were adopted long ago (language, sport, culture).

High levels of foreign investment - in 2011, $404 million was invested according to the WB (more
than any other sub-saharan country).
Positive effects of mass tourism

Generates foreign exchange in LEDCs, helping governments to pay off debt.

Creates employment, both directly and through the multiplier effect.

Provides funds to maintain cultural and natural heritage.

Generates cultural awareness.

Infrastructure installed for tourists (roads, broadband and airports) can be used by local
population and businesses.
Negative effects of mass tourism

Cultural customs are disrupted and undermined.

Tourists pollute and damage the natural ecology (e.g. coral reefs).

Cheaply built facilities damage the landscape and are quickly outdated.

Local people are exploited, either as sex workers or manual labourers.

Economy looses its diversity and because vulnerable to changes in the tourism industry.

Flights a major source of carbon emissions & a direct contributor to global warming.
Managing mass tourism

Preventing leakage of profits to international firms (Hilton or Holiday Inn) through protectionist
measures.

Imposing tariffs on visitors to ease the flow and pay for the damage to ecology.

Ensuring that facilities are run in a sustainable, environmentally conscious way.

Discouraging holidays abroad - increasing the price of air travel.

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Environmental damage of tourism in extreme environments:
Attraction of extreme environments
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Media attention to wildernesses (rainforests/ice caps).

Rare/delicate wildlife and unaltered landscapes.

Extreme climates - adrenaline and adventure.

Increased demand for adventure holidays

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Adventure holidays have become cheaper.

Extreme locations are more accessible.

Beach holidays have become a working class clich.

Media coverage of extreme environments - visit before its destroyed.

Impact of tourism on an extreme environment

Tourists disrupt the hunting and breeding patterns of natural wildlife.

Non-native species are accidentally transferred from animals in transport or seeds in food or
clothing.

Pollution and vandalism as people wish to leave their mark.

Fragile geological/biological material is taken away as souvenirs.

Tourists can interfere with scientific research.

Tourism in Antarctica
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Tourists are concentrated in the short Antarctic summer (December to February)

The terrestrial ecosystem is very simple and easily disturbed. Over-fishing of krill is a threat to the
entire food chain. A short growing system means that plants dont recover quickly from damage.

Tourists have brought various diseases and foreign organisms. Fossils have been stolen from a
number of sites.

Penguins and seals abandon their eggs or young if overwhelmed or touched by tourists, who
funnel into honeypot sites for wildlife. Oil spills threaten the sea ecology.

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) enforces measures to protect
Antarctica along the lines of the legal standards set out by the 1961 Antarctic treaty:
- The visitor guidelines ensure that tourists dont disturb wildlife, pollute or transport non-native
species.
- The Dont pack a pest initiative reminds visitors to check velcro and shoe soles for seeds.
- Landings are restricted to no more than 3 each day. No more than 100 people are allowed on
shore at a time and each trip has a duration of about three hours. Tourists kept off the ice for
safety.
- Climbing, camping, kayaking and scuba diving from tourist vessels are also permitted on a
small scale.

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Sustainability and Ecotourism:
The necessity of stewardship and conservation
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Mass tourism is often damaging to the environment. Stewardship is required to minimise the
impact of tourism on the ecology, especially in honeypot sites.

In the Galapagos, Ecuadorians have migrated to serve the tourist industry bringing with them
domestic animals such as dogs, cats, poultry and goats with rats inevitably following.The rats
now eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds and wild goats decimate the same shrubs that the giant
tortoise feeds on.

Hotels owned by foreign chains (Hilton/Holiday Inn) mean that locals receive a fraction of the
profits and there are no funds to protect the natural or cultural features.

It is now obligatory to pay 25 into the Conservation Trust upon arriving at the Galapagos. This
money has been used to police the conduct of visitors in national parks and to instrument a mass
goat cull, which to date has killed over 10,000 animals.

Massai Mara basecamp, Kenya

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A tourist lodge launched in 1998 in the Massai Mara national park with the aim of creating a
sustainable alternative to mass tourism in Kenya.

It employs 43 staff members, 95% of which are local, ten of whom are women.

Facilities are styled after the traditions of the Massai tribes using local materials to encourage
education about the local culture.

Solar panels are used to generate all electricity.

A large percentage of profits has been funnelled into two projects: Restoring the vegetation
around the river by planting 25000 trees and supporting girls education in the region.

Ecotourism and sustainable development

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Ecotourism plays an important role in preventing the stagnation and decline phases of the Butler
model.

It ensures that tourists are educated about the cultures they visit and that they play a role in
sustaining historical heritage.

Ecotourist facilities (e.g. dry toilets) have a minimal impact on the environment and ensure the
preservation of the region for future generations.

Sustainable models seek to involve the locals and ensure that they are not exploited by
distributing profits fairly and sponsoring local projects for sustainable development.