Global growth in tourism

Tourism is the world’s largest industry, worth $500 billion dollars in 2007!

Leisure accounts for 75% of all

international travel. There were nearly

900 million tourist travellers in 2007

and this is expected to rise to 1.6 billion

by 2020. Domestic tourism is 4-5 times

greater than international tourism. The

tourism industry is therefore one of the

greatest providers of jobs and income in

countries at different stages of

development. For 83% of countries,

tourism is one of the top five sources of

foreign exchange. The Caribbean gets

half their GDP from tourism.

Tourism

Key terms

Mass tourism - tourism on a large scale to one country or region.

Tourist receipts - national income from tourists.

Tourist - a person who stays somewhere other than their home for over twenty-

four (24) hours.

Tourist arrivals - number of tourists per year.

Factors affecting tourism’s growth

Economic importance of tourism

France has had more tourists than any other country for many years. 76 million

people visited in 2005. French tourism includes every type of holiday such as city

breaks, holiday cottages, camping, beach holidays and skiing.

The USA earns more money than any other country from tourism. For Europeans a

trip to the USA is more special so they stay longer and spend more. In 2005 the

USA earnt $66,547 million.

Places such as the Caribbean heavily rely on tourism to provide the national income

and employment. Around 80% of Barbados’s national income comes from tourism.

Social and Economic factors

Since the 1950s people have become

wealthier. Incomes are larger and so is

disposable income.

Most families have two working parents

whereas in the past it was usually one.

People have fewer children as larger

families are more expensive.

Car ownership has also grown rapidly.

People have more leisure time.

Holiday leave has increased from two

weeks per year in the 1950s to between

4-6 weeks today.

Life expectancy has increased so there

are more retired people.

The retired have good pensions so they

can afford holidays abroad. They can also

afford more than one holiday a year and

have more time to travel.

Choice of holiday

During the 1950s and 1960s coastal resorts were popular in the UK and National Parks

opened up the countryside which offered new opportunities.

Cheap package holidays in the 1970s allowed access to foreign holidays for more

people.

Destinations around the world are now available and cater for a wide variety of needs.

City breaks have become popular e.g. Paris

Ecotourism and unusual destinations such as Alaska are becoming more popular.

Improvements in technology

Travel today is quick and easy –

motorways, airport expansion and

faster jet aircraft.

Flying has become cheaper with

budget airlines.

Booking online allows people to find

cheap deals.

Increases in oil prices and the

economic recession has led to more

domestic holidays being taken.

UK tourism

Almost all UK tourism used to be domestic, only the rich went abroad.

Domestic holidays can be cheap or expensive e.g. camping and hotels.

Domestic tourism grew in the 50's and 60's as the economy grew and people

could afford to take time off, so the annual holiday became common place.

UK seaside resorts peaked in the 70's with 40 million visitors a year. After

this package holidays grew in number and affordability. Summer sun is

unreliable in the UK so places like Benidorm became very popular in the 80's.

Since the world recession, domestic holidays have become more popular as the

British pound became weaker. This meant that going abroad became more

expensive. People have less job security so expensive holidays abroad are not

an option for many, or are put off until the situation improves. People also have

less disposable income.

The Butler model

The Butler model says that any tourist resort starts on a small scale, develops into

something more significant, then either goes into decline or makes changes to

maintain its attractions. There are six stages.

Stage one: Exploration

Small numbers of people are attracted by

something particular: good beaches,

attractive landscape, or cultural features.

Local people have not yet developed many

tourist services.

Stage two: Involvement

The locals see an opportunity and start to

provide accommodation, food, transport,

guides and other services for visitors.

Stage three: Development

Large companies build hotels and leisure complexes and advertise package holidays.

Numbers of visitors rise dramatically. Job opportunities for local people grow

rapidly, but this brings both advantages and disadvantages.

How does tourism contribute to the UK economy?

The UK economy earns over £80 billion a year from tourism. Almost 26 million people

arrive here every year. Restaurants earn £20 billion, hotels earn £16 billion. The London

eye is the most visited paying attraction in the UK with over 3.7 million visitors a year.

Stage four: Consolidation

Tourism is now a major part of the local economy. Numbers of visitors are steady

making employment more secure. However, some hotels and other facilities are

becoming older and unattractive, so the type of customer attracted goes down

market. Rowdiness becomes a problem.

Stage five: Stagnation

The resort becomes unfashionable and numbers of visitors start to decline.

Businesses change hands and often fail.

Stage six: Decline or Rejuvenation

Decline: visitors prefer other resorts. Day trippers and weekenders become the main

source of income.

Rejuvenation: attempts are made to modernise the resort and attract different

people to enjoy new activities.

Blackpool

Blackpool is in the county of Lancashire on the

Northwest coast of England.

Growth

During the 19th Century Blackpool became very popular with the people of the

northern industrial towns. Factory workers could afford a holiday and could travel by

train to reach the coast. Blackpool boomed between 1900-1950.

Decline

As people got wealthier they started to try somewhere different and soon package

holidays created huge competition for Britain's seaside resorts. Blackpool summers

can be unreliable and people wanted guaranteed sunshine. Eventually Blackpool lost

most of its family holiday business and came to rely on day tripper and stag/hen

parties. This isn't popular with residents and the town's image.

Problems caused

From 1990-1999 visitor numbers per year dropped from 17 million to 11 million. 1000

hotels closed down, 300 holiday-flat premises closed and the average hotel occupancy

rate fell as low as 25%. By 2000 some B&B's were charging £10 per night which

leads to no money available for improvements and investment = Spiral of Decline!

Solutions

From 2001 serious efforts were made to smarten up areas:

Old buildings were pulled down

Landscaping of car parks

Beaches cleaned up

Beach facilities improved - by 2006 three of them were Blue-flag beaches.

Sand extraction had been reduced further down the coast.

The 'Blackpool's illuminations' (a light show stretching along the golden mile)

were transformed by £10 million being spent on them. This enables the season to

carry on into the Autumn.

Conferences and festivals are attracting people to Blackpool in the off-peak

season.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach opened

Water world opened in 2006

Covered walkways between visitor attractions and around the shops.

Local Authority grants were given to upgrade hotels and turn outdoor pools into

indoor leisure centres.

More car parks were created.

Smaller failing hotels were converted into self-catering holidays flats.

Zoo and Sealife Centre were built.

New department store opened in 2008

A Supercasino was bid for but in the end it went to Manchester.

Factors affecting tourism in the 21st century

Terrorism and tourism

The destruction of the World Trade centre in New York on the 11th September 2001

had a huge impact on travel. The USA stepped up its security overnight, as did the

UK and the EU. Airport security checks have multiplied and check-in times increased.

London is a terrorist target: the Underground bombing of 7th July 2005 is an

example. In the aftermath of such events numbers of tourists declined sharply.

Foot and Mouth

The Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 caused a crisis in the agriculture and tourism

industry. There were 2,000 farms affected by the disease and this had a huge

impact on access to the countryside. Cumbria was one of the worst affected areas of

the UK; public rights of access were closed by order of the government. This is one

of the most popular holiday destinations in the UK and it devastated businesses and

the local economy. By the time the disease was halted in October 2011 the crisis was

estimated to have cost the UK £8 billion.

National Parks in the UK

Why were National Parks set up?

National Parks in England and Wales were set up in 1951 by an Act of Parliament; the

first was the Peak District. After the Second World War, there were many efforts

to improve people’s quality of life. National Parks were set up to conserve the natural

and cultural landscapes whilst allowing access for visitors to enjoy them. The first

National Park in Scotland was designated in 2002. The most recent National Park is

the South Downs – set up in 2010. There are over 6000 worldwide as well.

Who owns them?

81% - Private Ownership (mainly farmers)

6% - Forestry Commission

5% - National Trust

3% - Water Authorities

3% - Ministry of Defence

1% - County Councils

1% - National Park Authority

A National Park (1949) is:

"Areas of great natural beauty giving opportunities for open air recreation, established so

that the natural beauty can be preserved and enhanced, and so that enjoyment of the

scenery by the public can be promoted."

‘Honeypot sites’ are locations attracting a large number of visitors

who, due to their numbers, place pressure on the environment and

people.

The Lake District

The Lake District is in Cumbria in North-East England. Each year

it has 12 million visitors. The local population is only 42,000. It

was designated a National Park in 1951.

Attractions

Physical:

Lake Windermere

Scarfell Pike

101 SSSIs

Limestone pavement

Human:

Keswick

Ambleside

Neolithic sites dating back

12,000 years

Roman remains

Beatrix Potter’s home

Wordsworth cottage

Traffic

Nearly 90% of visitors come by car, often just for the day. Many roads, including A-

roads, are narrow and winding. Buses and large delivery vehicles have to use these to

service both the locals and tourists. Queues are a common problem especially at

weekends and in the summer. Towns like Ambleside were not built to cope with the sheer

volume of traffic. Congestion, noise/air pollution and parking are a serious problem.

People also park in desperation on grass verges causing serious damage.

Solutions:

Dual carriageways built on the edge of the Lake District

Traffic calming measures

Cattle grids and speed limits on open common land.

Improve public transport

Restrict on-road car parking

Fence off roadsides so people cannot damage the verges

New car parks screened with trees

Make roads ‘access only’

Heavy lorries should be kept off scenic routes

Bus lane to Windermere ferry

Park and Ride schemes

Honeypot sites

Beauty spots, small shopping centres and

historic houses all attract hundreds of

visitors daily. Cat Bells is quite an easy climb,

so many people walk up this smaller mountain.

It therefore suffers from serious footpath

erosion. Several areas have scarred

landscapes. Bowness is an extremely busy

shopping centre in the summer. Honeypots

need to provide access and facilities while

remaining as unspoilt as possible. Other

examples include: Beatrix Potter’s house,

Wordsworth cottage, Scarfell Pike, Aira

Force waterfall.

Kenya

Kenya is in central-east Africa with a coastline

on the Indian Ocean.

Attractions

Mountains e.g. Mount Kenya

Sandy beaches e.g. Mosbasa

Coral reefs e.g. at Mosbasa Marine Park

50 National Parks e.g. Maasai Mara

Game Reserves e.g. Amboseli

Savanna grasslands

Cities e.g. Mombasa and Nairobi

Second homes and holiday homes

Almost 1 in 6 properties in the Lake District are

either second homes or holiday cottages. Some

local people make a good income from owning and

letting such properties, however there are many

problems due to these including:

Holiday cottages, flats and second homes being

empty part of the year

Holiday makers do not always support local

businesses, often doing a supermarket shop at

home before their trip.

Demand for property from outsiders increases

property prices causing problems for local

people who are forced out of the area to find

affordable homes on the edge of the region in

Kendall or Penrith.

Solutions:

Local authorities could build more homes for

rent and developers could erect more low-cost

homes for sale.

Footpath erosion

Across the Lake District, 4 million people walk at least 6km every year. This has resulted

in the most popular routes becoming severely eroded and ugly scars being created on the

hillsides. A constant stream of new guidebooks are attracting more people to previously

remote areas.

Solutions:

Repairing eroded footpaths and damaged dry stone walls

Reinforcing path surfaces reduces future damage

Signposting routes limits the number of paths used

Environmental Issues

Water sports are not allowed on

some lakes, but Windermere, the

largest lake, has ferries and

allows power boating, windsurfing

and other faster and more

damaging activities. The main

issue is the wash from faster

vehicles erodes the shore. Fuel

spills are not uncommon, causing

pollution

Solutions:

Speed limits for boats on

Lake Windermere is 18kph

Bins provided at key points

and emptied regularly

Designated picnic areas

means litter has be dealt with

in fewer places

Benefits

Money brought into the country can be used to pay for improving services, building

more houses and roads, and creating new jobs.

Problems of tourism: Safari

Minibuses are meant to keep to well defined tracks in the National Parks and

Game Reserves. However, drivers often form new routes, either to enable

their passengers to get as close as possible to the wildlife, or to avoid wet

season marshy areas.

Minibuses can get stuck in the mud, ruining vegetation or widening existing

tracks.

Minibuses crowd around animals in large numbers and this can affect mating

and hunting. They are not supposed to go within 25 metres of animals but

drivers ignore this as they want to get good tips.

Soil erosion can lead to dust storms which in turn increases soil erosion.

Balloon safaris cause noise pollution and scare the herds of animals with their

intermittent release of hot air and their shadows.

Problems of tourism: National Parks

Nobody is allowed to live in National Parks apart from employees at the lodges.

Game Reserves only permit a limited number of herders and their cattle.

The setting up of National Parks meant that nomadic tribes, such as the Maasai

had to be moved away from their traditional grazing grounds.

Many now have to live a more permanent life, earning money from selling

souvenirs and performing traditional dances for tourists.

They have had to fence off their land so that migrating animlas do not eat

their grass. This has affected migrating patterns of these herds.

Problems of tourism: Coral reefs

In the marine reserves, glass bottom boats visit the coral reefs, however they drop

their anchors on the coral damaging it. People stand on the coral and take starfish

and shells from the reef as souvenirs. Coral is very fragile and touching it damages it

forever. Boats do not use the buoys they are supposed to and will drop anchor where

they want. There can be up to 30 boats in one area at a time which is destroying the

reefs with the large numbers of visitors they bring every day.

Lamu: Successful tourism

Lamu is on the coast of Kenya. It is a traditional town and is now encouraging tourism

but in a more sustainable way. Visitors have to pay a tax which is used to help the

infrastructure of the town. Visitors must adhere to a strict dress code. Hotels and

new buildings are not allowed to be built above the tree height and are built in the

same architecture as the town. There are limited places selling alcohol as the main

religion in the town is Islam.

Mass tourism

Mass tourism is when a large number of tourists visit a certain location at the same

time. There is usually a particular purpose and a particular type of location, such as

skiing in a mountain resort or sunbathing at a beach location.

Advantages Disadvantages

Tourism brings jobs. People go from working in

agriculture and day labour to a regular job with a

reliable wage.

The activity may be seasonal e.g. skiing only

happens in winter. Local people may be unable to

find work for the rest of the year.

New infrastructure must be built for tourists

for example airports, hotels, power supplies,

roads and telecommunications. This benefits the

local population.

Investing companies are usually based in

countries at further stages of development. This

means most of the profit goes outside the

country.

Construction jobs are often given to local people.

They are normally temporary though.

Industry dominated by large travel companies.

Hotels can be owned by TNCs so the profit goes

to the company not the country.

Many tourists have to pay a visitor tax which can

help pay for extra services they use e.g. water

supply, drainage, electricity and roads.

Few local employees are well paid. The higher

level jobs are often taken by people within the

tourist resorts.

Small businesses are started to serve the

tourists e.g. taxis, bars, restaurants, builders,

maintenance workers.

Building resorts and hotels damages the

ecosystems and destroys the wildlife. Hotels

also produce a lot of waste.

Extra jobs are created via hotels buying produce

from local suppliers to feed the visitors.

Countries heavily rely on tourism and if there is

a natural disaster countries will lose their main

source of income e.g. Thailand after the

Tsunami.

Tourists spend their money in the country. Tourists use a lot of water and energy costing a

large amount of money.

New leisure facilities may be open to local

people.

Tourists often don’t care about local culture or

traditions.

Increases the value of local property. Tourists often enjoy familiar foods so have it

imported from aboard.

Provide jobs such as waiters, souvenir shop

assistants, tour guides

Local people may not be able to afford the new

facilities created for tourists.

Tourists spend most of their money and time in

hotels.

Machu Pichu

Machu Picchu, the 'Lost City of the Incas' is the best-known and

most spectacular site in Peru, South America.

Attractions: physical

The Andes mountain range is 6000m high, with snow peaks and deep valleys.

This is very picturesque.

The Inca trail has ten different types of vegetation ranging from deserts to

tropical rainforest.

The Inca trail is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. This includes

over 400 types of orchids, begonias, trees and well as the condor, puma and

miniature deer.

Attractions: human

Rafting trips can be taken down the Urubamba River.

Machu Pichu, the ‘lost city of the Incas’ is the best known site in South

America.

The nearby town of Aguas Calientes has thermal baths.

Pisac is the main craftwork centre on the high plains. The main square is small

with a colourful market on Sunday mornings.

Hiking the Inca Trail – this was the Royal Highway that led pilgrims and

officials of the Empire to the Sacred City of the Incas. The trek is 32

kilometres long ending at the Holy City.

Type Benefits Costs

Soc

ial

It encourages the learning of

new languages and skills.

Desecration of burial sites and the removal and display of

human remains from Machu Picchu to further stimulate

tourism has contributed to the destruction of the Indian

spiritual heritage.

It encourages the

preservation and celebration

of local festivals and

cultural events.

Overloading of porters leads to health problems.

It has led to an increase in crime in the area.

Tourists compete with residents for available services and

facilities. Backpackers use the local train rather than the

much more luxurious and expensive tourist train.

Eco

nom

ic

Creates local jobs and business opportunities. These include

those jobs directly related to tourism (hotel and tour

services) and those that indirectly support tourism (such as

food production and housing construction).

The jobs provided are

usually poorly paid.

It provides governments with extra tax revenues each year

through accommodation and restaurant taxes, airport taxes,

sales taxes, Inca Trail and Machu Picchu entrance fees which

can be used for education and health care.

It inflates property values

and prices of goods and

services for local people. It provides money to support the community facilities and

services that otherwise might not be developed.

It attracts tourists who spend lots of money in the local

towns.

Employment also tends to

be seasonal so workers are

unemployed in the low

season. Facilities and infrastructure provided by tourism (e.g. the

railway) can also benefit residents.

Env

iron

men

tal

It does not contribute to

global warming, so it is

relatively environmentally

friendly.

The number of people hiking along the Inca Trail rose from

6,000 in 1984 to 82,000 in 2000. The trail is being eroded

and tea bags and water bottles litter the route, where

campsites are scarce.

Tourism encourages the

conservation and

preservation of the

environment and historic site

of Machu Pichu.

Helicopters have been allowed to fly in tourists and operate

low-flying tours, thereby disturbing not only the peaceful

quality of the ruins, but potentially damaging them.

Up to 2,000 people visit the Machu Picchu citadel every

day. The site is being slowly eroded by tourists' feet.

Plans to build a road from Cuzco and a cable car running

from the valley to the top of Machu Picchu could lead to

irreparable harm being done.

Extreme Tourism

Extreme tourism involves visiting dangerous landscapes often with a difficult climate,

are places that are sparsely populated and access is normally difficult. It appeals to

a niche market, those seeking an element of risk and danger. This type of holiday

appeals to people around 30 years old, unmarried and without children, have high

powered jobs and a good income as these trips are expensive. Groups are small and

distances are great.

Little investment is needed to set up such trips. The usual costly expense of building

hotels and roads are irrelevant. Part of the experience is to sleep ‘rough’ and travel

over untouched landscapes. Examples include: Rock climbing, paragliding, white-

water rafting, ice-walking, micro-lighting, deserts treks, cliff-diving in Jamaica, ice-

diving in the White Sea (Russia).

Antarctica

Antarctica is one and a half times the size of the US

(5 million square miles). No one has lived there until

1897, and hardly anyone lives there now apart from

scientists in the 50 or so research stations dotted

around. In summer McMurdo is home to about 1000 people.

Temperatures can get down to -60°C inland and -30°C on the coast but it warms up in

summer but then not above freezing.

In 1992, 6700 tourists visited Antarctica; by 2009 numbers had jumped to 45,000.

Antarctica has become popular as people want to visit the wild environment and see

unique wildlife whilst causing as little impact as possible. There is a growing market

of younger single people with a high income plus a grey market of older people

(recently retired) who can afford to pay for the tours. There are now more tour

operators running more trips to satisfy the growing demand. Nowadays tourists to

Antarctica don't have to be super fit and intrepid like the explorers of the past.

They can marvel at the scenery and wildlife from cruise ships and small boats.

It costs approximately £2,500 per person to visit the continent for a 7 day cruise.

Tourists usually fly to New Zealand or Argentina and then take a cruise ship onwards

for one to two weeks. Smaller boats then take them ashore at key locations for

short visits, mainly to the peninsula or nearby islands.

Activities

Fly over the ice in helicopters

Climb rock and ice faces

Cruise inlets in small boats

Visit scientific research stations

Hike

Scuba dive under the ice

Kayak

Explore the shallow sea bed in underwater vehicles

Problems

Landing sites quickly become honeypot sites.

Tourists want to visit the most picturesque and wildlife-rich areas.

Animals, especially penguins and seals are disturbed by more than a few people.

They are not used to humans and may leave as a result. This means they may

abandon eggs or young.

There have been accidents when ships have struck uncharted rocks or ice

floes.

Oil spills are becoming an increasing hazard for wildlife.

Tourist ships must discharge all waste materials well away from the shore of

Antarctica.

Coping with tourism

All tour operators are members of IATTO which direct tourism to be safe and

environmentally friendly.

The Antarctic treaty was signed in 1961 by 50 countries. It protects

Antarctica from mining, drilling for oil, pollution and war up to 2048. The

treaty accepts tourism as an acceptable activity but the scale has to be

controlled.

Visitors are not allowed to visit SSSIs in order to conserve precious wildlife

and landscapes. Bird Island on South Georgia is one example.

A permit must be gained for any activity on the continent.

In 2011 ships won’t be allowed to use heavy fuel oil

2013 – The New polar code will limit the number and size of ships. For example

no ship carrying over 500 passengers can land in Antarctica. Only 100 people

are allowed onshore at one time.

Ecotourism

Aims of ecotourism

Ecotourism is environmentally friendly tourism.

It caters for a small but growing niche market of environmentally aware

tourists.

These types of holidays are expensive.

Eco-tourists want to experience the natural environment directly, undertaking

activities such as trekking and bird watching.

They want their holiday to have as little impact on the environment as possible.

Energy use should be sustainable and no waste should be generated that cannot

be dealt with efficiently.

Small-scale accommodation in lodges that may not have electricity.

Tourists eat local food.

Local people are their guides as their knowledge and experience is seen as more

valuable.

Examples

Heron Island, Australia

Clayoquat sound, Vancover Island

The Galapagos Islands

The 50 Volcanic islands lie 1000 km off the west

coast of South America in the Pacific Ocean.

They belong to Ecuador.

They are most famous for being the place that

Charles Darwin came up with his theory of

evolution.

90% of the islands have become a National Park

or marine reserve since the 1930's. They were

designated at UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

Key terms

Conservation - the careful and planned use of resources in order to manage and

maintain the natural environment for future generations.

Ecotourism - tourism that focuses on protecting the environment and the local way of

life.

Stewardship - the personal responsibility for looking after things, in this case the

environment. No one should damage the present or future environment.

How does visiting the Galapagos Islands fit the eco-tourism principles?

There are strict rules for tourists visiting the islands as they are among the most

precious and fragile ecosystems in the world.

Tourists arrive in small ships that tour the islands.

Only a limited number of people can go onshore at specific locations.

The holiday is expensive so this limits numbers - £800 for an eight day cruise

each without flights!

The Galapagos Conservation Trust gets £25 from every visitor. This goes to

support the conservation work on the islands.

The boat tours are run by local people and take 10-16 tourists each. They are

accompanied by professional guides so that the tourists don't disturb the

wildlife.

Visitors are educated so that they do not cause damage.