Butlers model of tourism

The Butler Tourism Model• Based on MEDC tourism• Cycle of a resort development, tourism and

decline.• Tourism viewed as a resource• The model has 6 Stages:

– Exploration– Involvement– Development– Consolidation– Stagnation– Decline/Rejuvenation

The Butler Model

Exploration• Small number of tourist

attracted by culture/natural beauty.

• Limited numbers.• Few facilities exist.

EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…

Involvement• Some involvement by locals to

provide tourists with facilities.• Recognisable

tourist season.• Developing

tourism market.


Development• Large numbers of tourists.• Control of market moves from

locals to external bodies e.g. TNC’s.• Conflict between

residents and tourists.


Consolidation• Tourism constitutes major part of

the economy.• Tourist numbers plateau.• Older facilities seen as

“second rate”.


Stagnation • Peak tourist numbers reached.• Resort no longer fashionable.


Decline OR Rejuvenation• Attractiveness continues to decline.• Visitors lost to other resorts / destinations.• Resort becomes dependant on day / weekend visitors

from limited geographical area.• Unless efforts made to

modernise and rejuvenate resort will continue to decline.


Case StudySpain – Costa del Sol

EXPLORATION– 1960’s only 0.4 million tourists to the Costa del Sol,

visiting for the beach holidays.

INVOLVEMENT – 1970's numbers rose to 3 million. – Farmland built on, infrastructure improved. – Transition from resource based to demand based.

DEVELOPMENT & CONSOLIDATION– 1980’s numbers rocketed to 7 million (carrying

capacity reached).– Clubs, bars, restaurants and more hotels were built,

leading to environmental degradation.

STAGNATION– Late 1980’s area began to stagnate, and was no

longer fashionable. – Attractive mountainous area blocked by large

hotel developments.– Beaches dirty from litter left by tourists.– Polluted from excessive sewage. – Strain on resources e.g. water

• It takes 60 000 gallons to run a luxury hotel for a day.

DECLINE OR REJUVENATION??

– 1990s Costa del Sol began rejuvenation.– Beaches tidied and achieved EU Blue Flag. – VAT cut to 6% to encourage tourists and businesses. – Tourism began to diversify to ecotourism and heritage

tourism. • Development of Coto Donana national park to 'Costa

Donana’ abandoned• Wetland area popular with rare birds• Previous development had seen a drop in the water table

and the death of 30 000 wild birds form pesticide contamination

• Tourism spread more inland to Madrid and Barcelona.

• Historical & City based tourism gains popularity.

• Culturally diverse areas such as Almeria have also gained popularity.

• Spain has not seen a decline in tourism, but a spatial change moving inland.

Costa Del Sol

SPANISH TOURISM TODAY

• Make a copy of Butlers model. (use a whole page)

• Using the worksheet, decide which statements match each stage.

• Annotate your graph in your exercise books.

• In another colour, add detail using your Costa Del Sol case study.

Documents

Butlers model of tourism