The Tourism Geography of North America

Learning Objectives

1      Describe the major physical features and climates of North America and understand their importance for tourism

2      Appreciate the scale and characteristics of domestic tourism in the USA and Canada

3      Understand the importance of the USA and Canada as tourist-generating countries

4    Appreciate the significance of the conservation movement in North America and the importance of the national park system in particular

to tourism5      Be aware of the cultural diversity of the USA and Canada6      Recognise the importance of transport in the development of the

tourism industry7. Demonstrate a knowledge of the tourist regions, resorts, business

centres and tourist attractions of North America.

North America: Introduction

• Physical setting

• Natural resources

• Demand

• Climate

• Natural and man-made attractions

USA

• Leading destination• Devolved tourism administration

• Demand– Inbound– Outbound and domestic

• Supply– Public sector– Private sector– Transport– Accommodation

USA: North East

• New England– Cape Cod

– Newport

– Salem

– Boston

• Middle Atlantic– New York

– Philadelphia

– Baltimore

– Washington

• Northern Appalachians– Upstate New York

– Pennsylvania

• Coastal Resorts

USA: The South• Character• A climate characterised by long sultry summers, short mild winters and

abundant rainfall

• The importance given by Southerners to the American Civil War (1861-1865), in which the Confederacy, made up of eleven slave-holding states was defeated in its attempts to secede from the USA

• The presence of a large Black minority, who for a century after the Civil War continued to suffer from many forms of discrimination

• A lifestyle which is more traditional, family-orientated, and religion-based than other regions of the USA. The strength of fundamentalist Christianity explains the use of the term ‘Bible Belt’ for much of the region

• An economy in which areas of dynamic growth and prosperity – the so-called ‘New South’ – contrast with pockets of rural poverty.

USA: The South

• Character:• Large areas of forest, particularly in the Southern Appalachians• The wetlands of the coastal plains, such as the Okefonokee Swamp in southern

Georgia, and the bayous of the Mississippi Delta, that provide a unique refuge for wildlife

• A number of large man-made lakes providing facilities for water sports. These are a legacy of the hydro-electric power projects carried out by the federal government to boost the region’s economy, following President Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s

• The abundance of golf courses, particularly in the hilly, well-wooded Piedmont zone between the Appalachians and the coastal plains. Pinehurst in North Carolina and Augusta in Georgia are the most popular golfing resorts

• The barrier islands of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts provide many fine beaches. Some have been developed as resorts – Hilton Head Island is one example - while others such as Cape Hatteras and Cumberland Island are preserved from development by federal and state governments

USA: The South

• Virginia• South East

– Atlanta

– Savannah/Charleston

• Southern Appalachians – Nashville

– Memphis

• Deep South– New Orleans

– The Ozarks

USA: Resources

• Texas– Dallas

• California– Los Angeles– San Francisco– San Diego– Santa Barbara– Theme Parks

• North West – Oregon– Washington

• Alaska• Hawaii

Canada

• Demand– Inbound– Outbound and domestic

• Supply– transport

Canada: Resources

• Ontario– Toronto

– Ottawa

– Niagara

• Quebec– Montreal

– Quebec City

• Atlantic Provinces– Newfoundland

– St. Pierre and Miquelon

– Prince Edward Island

– Nova Scotia

– New Brunswick

Canada: Resources

• Prairies– The West

• Banff National Park

• Jasper National Park

• Calgary

• Edmonton

• British Colombia– Vancouver

– Victoria

• The North– Yukon

– North West territories

– Nunavut

• Greenland

USA: Florida

• Character:– The scale of its tourism

industry, with a constant flow of visitors all year round

– Retired people from the northern states make up a high percentage of its population

– The influx of Cuban immigrants to southern Florida since 1960, who have largely made Miami a Spanish-speaking city and effectively the financial centre of Latin America

• Resources:– Miami

– Fort Lauderdale

– Miami Beach

– Florida Keys

– Theme Parks

USA: West and Mid West

• Mid West– Detroit

– Cleveland

– Chicago

– Indianapolis

• West– High Plains

– Rocky Mountains

– Grand Canyon

– Las Vegas

– Santa Fe

– Salt Lake City