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TOURISM

Tourists, tourism and tourist destinations

QUESTIONS

1. Who are the tourists and what is tourism?

2. What are the types of tourism?

TOURISTS AND TOURISM

Tourists:

• Tourists are people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for more than 24 hours but not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.

Tourism:

• Refers to the activities of tourists and can be categorized into international tourism or domestic tourism.

TYPES OF TOURISM

1. Honeypot tourism2. Meetings, Incentives Conventions, Exhibitions (MICE)3. Educational tourism4. Medical tourism5. Health tourism6. Heritage tourism7. Film-induced tourism8. Gourmet food and shopping tourism9. Pilgrimage tourism10. Dark tourism11. Space tourism

1. HONEYPOT TOURISM

• Honeypot tourism refers to tourism that attracts large numbers of people to a site’s scenic beauty.

• For example, the Grand Canyon in the USA and the Eiffel Tower in France received millions of vistors annually.

2. MICE

• MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events) tourism refers to a type of tourism in which large groups are brought together for a particular purpose.

• MICE tourism usually includes a well-planned agenda centered around a particular theme, such as professional trade, a special interest or an educational topic.

• For example, Singapore has been actively promoting itself as a MICE destination and rated the a top 5 MICE destination in the world.

3. EDUCATIONAL TOURISM

• Educational tourism is when people travel to a place for educational purposes or to learn something about the place, such as its language or heritage.

• For example, the United Kingdom (UK) attracts around 1 million people annually from overseas to study.

4. MEDICAL TOURISM

• Medical tourism refers to people travelling to a destination to undergo medical procedures that would enhance or restore health.

• For example, Seoul in South Korea has become a popular destination for plastic surgery and Singapore is a popular destination for complex surgical procedures.

http://www.moowon.com/artificial-seoul-korea/

5. HEALTH TOURISM

• Health tourism refers to people travelling to adestination to maintain, enhance or restoretheir minds and bodies.

• For example, Israel has been actively promoting visits to the Dead Sea for its high concentration of salts and minerals.

Dead Sea, Israel

6. HERITAGE TOURISM

• Heritage tourism refers to people travelling to locations to experience cultures and to understand the history of places better.

• For example, the Mayan ruins of Belize and the Angkor Wat of Cambodia receives millions of visitors a year.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

7. FILM-INDUCED TOURISM

• Film-induced tourism refers to people traveling to see locations featured in films.

• For example, New Zealand has become a populardestination for tourists who want to visit the sceniclandscapes in the Lord of the Rings.

http://www.destinationfilmlocation.com/destinations/new-zealand/

Mount Taranaki, New Zealand

8. GOURMET FOOD AND

SHOPPING TOURISM

• Gourmet food and shopping tourism refers to people travelling to places to enjoy certain cuisines or to shop

• For example gourmet-eating is a popular tourist activity in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

• Orchard Road in Singapore attracts millions of tourists every year and was voted the number 1 shopping street in 2012.

9. PILGRIMAGE TOURISM

• Pilgrimage tourism refers to people travelling to to certain identified sacred places to participate in a religious activity.

• For example, holy cities of the world such as Jerusalem, Mecca and the Vatican receives millions of pilgrims every year.

10. DARK TOURISM

• Dark tourism refers to people travelling to “dark” sites associated with death and tragedy, such as battlegrounds, concentration camps or scenes of horrific crimes or acts of genocide.

• For example, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Muesum and the ruins of Pompeii, Italy are popular sites for dark tourism.

11. SPACE TOURISM

• Space tourism refers people travelling into space for recreational, leisure or business purpose.

• For example, the Russian Space Agency organises trips to the International Space Station for those that can afford it.

QUIZ

• Describe three types of tourism. Support your answers with examples. [3]

TOURISM

Roles of different groups in promoting tourism

QUESTIONS

1. Who are the different groups of people promoting tourism?

2. What are their roles?

WHO ARE THE GROUPS?

1. Government

2. Media

3. International organizations

4. Travel writers

1. GOVERNMENT

• National governments and local government agencies may implement policies to promote tourism development such as organising massive sale events and marketing campaigns.

• For example, the Singapore Tourism Board works with local retailers annually to stage the “Great Singapore Sale” which attracts thousands of tourists.

• For example, Japan launched a massive marketing campaign titled “Discover the Spirit of Japan” in 2013 to boost the number of international tourists visiting Japan.

1. GOVERNMENT

• Local governments and national government agencies may implement policies that restrict or control tourist activities to allow the environment to recover.

• For example, the Bhutan Tourism Corporation regulates all tour operators operating in Bhutan to ensure that Bhutan’s unique culture, traditions and its environment do not degrade as a result of tourism.

2. MEDIA

• The media reports on tourist destinations and may choose to angle their reporting of a tourist destination positively or negatively.

• For example, the Mayan Ruins was given extra exposure in 2012, which resulted in an increased number of tourists to the ruins.

• For example, the “Scam City” documentary series by the National Geographic painted the featured cities in negative light, which resulted in negative sentiments against the featured cities among potential tourists.

3. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• International interest groups design and publish policies and guidelines to regulate tourism, which can impact tourism development on a regional or global scale.

• For example, World Tourism Organisation(UNWTO) Policies published a ‘Global Code of Ethics for Tourism’ that spells out guidelines on the ethical uses of tourist spaces and how to participate in tourism responsibly.

• The UNWTO may also publish travel advisories to discourage tourists from visiting certain countries which most certainly reduce the number of tourist arrivals to the affected countries.

4. TRAVEL WRITERS

• Travel writers report on their own tourist experiences, which are increasingly becoming reference materials for tourists when deciding their choice of destinations.

• Tourists may choose to visit or not visit a tourist destination based on their interpretation of the published information made available by the travel writers.

TOURISM

Trends in the tourism industry

QUESTION

1. In what ways is tourism changing?

TRENDS IN TOURISM

Terms1. International tourism2. Domestic tourism3. Change in tourist origins4. Change in tourist destinations5. Mass tourism6. Package holidays7. Niche tourism8. Ecotourism9. Short haul10. Long haul tourism

CHANGE IN TOURIST ORIGINS

528

674

799

883

940

983

334

417

455

475

499

523

193

256

344

408

441

460

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

1995

2000

2005

2009

2010

2011

International tourist origins by economies (millions)

Emerging Economies Advanced Economies World

IDENTIFYING TRENDS

• Identify the overall trend.

• Pick up specific or unique characteristics such as consistencies, sudden dip or spikes.

• Use appropriate verbs and adjectives

– Verbs: increase, rise, decline, fall, peak

– Adjectives: slight, sharp, steady, gradual

QUIZ

• Describe the trends in tourist origins by economies.

[3]

• Tourist origins from both advanced and emerging economies have increased gradually from 1995 – 2011, peaking at 523 million and 460 million in 2011 for advanced and emerging economies respectively.

• More tourists originate from the advanced economiesfor every reported year.

• Tourist origins from emerging economies increasedfaster than the advanced economies, at 138.3% and56.6% respectively.

CHANGE IN TOURIST ORIGINS

12

10

1.1 1

3.8 4.4

2.5

5.1

0.9 1.4

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

2000 2005

Europe’s tourist origins (millions)

USA Singapore Egypt China India

QUIZ

• Describe the trends in Europe’s tourist origins from 2000 to 2005. [3]

CHANGE IN TOURIST DESTINATIONS

Year 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Region Tourist arrival (millions)

Asia Pacific 8 23 45 115 215

Africa 5 12 14 31 48

Americas 31 42 46 138 154

Europe 115 178 262 392 485

Middle East 3 5 8 29 62

World 162 260 375 705 964

International tourist destinations


Year 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Abs. Rel.


Asia Pacific

8 23 45 115 215

Africa 5 12 14 31 48

Americas 31 42 46 138 154

Europe 115 178 262 392 485

Middle East

3 5 8 29 62

World 162 260 375 705 964



Year 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Abs. Rel.


Asia Pacific

8 23 45 115 215 207

Africa 5 12 14 31 48 43

Americas 31 42 46 138 154 123

Europe 115 178 262 392 485 370

Middle East

3 5 8 29 62 59

World 162 260 375 705 964 802



Year 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Abs. Rel.


Asia Pacific

8 23 45 115 215 207 2587.5

Africa 5 12 14 31 48 43 860.0

Americas 31 42 46 138 154 123 396.8

Europe 115 178 262 392 485 370 321.7

Middle East

3 5 8 29 62 59 1966.7

World 162 260 375 705 964 802 495.1



• Describe the change in tourist destinations. from 1970 – 2010. [4]


0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

International tourist destinations (millions)

Asia Pacific Africa Americas Europe Middle East World

SUGGESTED ANSWER

• The number of tourists has increased gradually over the years for every region of the world.

• Europe received the most tourists for every reported year.

• There is a sharp increase in tourists received from 1990 to 2000.

SUGGESTED ANSWER

• Europe increased the most absolutely, with 370 million.

• Africa increased the least absolutely, with 43 million.

• Asia Pacific increased the most relatively, with 2587.5 %.

• Europe increased the least relatively, with 321.7%..


217

50.2

156.6

504

55.4

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

2011

International tourist destinations (millions)

Middle East

Europe

Americas

Africa

Asia Pacific

CHANGE IN TOURIST DOLLARS

403475

679

853927

1030

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1995 2000 2005 2009 2010 2011

Change in tourist dollars (US$)

US$

CHANGE IN DOMESTIC TOURISM

8781102

1394

1712

2101

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

China’s domestic tourist arrivals (million)

CHANGE IN DOMESTIC TOURISM

38784710

6299

8749

12579

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

China’s domestic tourism expenditure(hundred million $US)

FORMS OF TOURISM

• Mass tourism refers to travel that involves large numbers of tourists visiting a particular place together and often takes the form of a package holiday.

http://worldcrunch.com/food-travel/how-mass-tourism-is-destroying-bali-and-its-culture/c6s5949/

FORMS OF TOURISM

• Package holidays involve a tour usually arranged by a travel agent, with transportation, accommodation and most meals included in the package.

http://tours.chanbrothers.com/

FORMS OF TOURISM

• Niche tourism refers to special-interesttourism based on a particular area, interest oractivity.

• For example,

– Climbing expeditions to Mount Everest

– Whale-watching in Hawaii.

http://www.rmiguides.com/himalaya/

FORMS OF TOURISM

• Ecotourism refers to responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.

• An example is ecotourism to the WaitomoCaves in New Zealand.

FORMS OF TOURISM

• Short-haul tourism refers to travelling todestinations that are a long distance awayfrom the tourist’s home country, usuallyreachable by a flight of 5 hours or less.

FORMS OF TOURISM

• Long-haul tourism refers to travelling todestinations that are a long distance awayfrom the tourist’s home country, usuallyreachable by a flight of 5 hours or more.

QUESTION

1. Explain why tourists are increasingly moving from package holidays to being independent travellers. [3]

TOURISM

Factors affecting trends in the tourism industry

QUESTION

1. What influences tourism trends?

REASONS FOR THE

GROWTH OF TOURISM

Reasons

Technology Demand Destination

DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY

1. Better and more affordable transport

2. More air routes and agreements

3. Ease of access to information

QUESTION

1. Explain how developments in technology influence tourism trends. [3]

1. TRANSPORT

• Developments in technology have led to better and more affordable transport, such that travelling is safer, shorter and cheaper.

• For example, a commercial flight from Singapore to London would take between two to four days in the 1950s, but only takes around 14 hours now.

• For example, the rise of budget airlines such as Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia, which uses smaller and more fuel-efficient aircraft have made air transport affordable.

2. AIR ROUTES AND AGREEMENTS

• The number of air routes have increased such that countries are now better connected and various parts of the world more accessible.

• Also, there are more open skies agreements between countries which remove restrictions on commercial flights between respective countries.

• For example, Singapore has an open skies agreement with the USA since 2001 which allows the two countries commercial airlines flexibility in making stopovers.

3. ACCESS TO INFORMATION

• Developments in information technology has made information more readily available and accessible such that tourists are able to access travel information from websites of official tourist information centres of countries and reliable sources contributed by travel writers such as Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor.

• Also tourists are able to arrange booking of air tickets and accommodation online through providers such as Zuji and Asiarooms.

DEMAND FACTORS

1. More disposable income

2. More leisure time

3. Changing lifestyle

QUESTION

1. Explain how demand factors influence tourism trends. [3]

1. DISPOSABLE INCOME

• Refers to the amount of income left to an individual to spend after taxes.

• Disposable income has been increasing globally as economic conditions improve, hence allowing people to spend more on goods and services and leisure activities such as travelling.

• For example, rising disposable incomes China and Southeast Asia has led to more people travelling for leisure.

2. LEISURE TIME

• Refers to time available outside of the demands of work or duty.

• Since the 1950s, the working weeks for people in all income groups in many DCs and LDCs have shortened, hence increasing the availability of leisure time for travel.

• For example, Australia and New Zealand have an average of four weeks of paid vacation, hence more time for travel.

3. CHANGING LIFESTYLE

• Refers to the change in the way people live throughout their lifetime.

• As the pace of life becomes faster, many people find themselves spending long hours at the workplace. Therefore travelling has become a popular way for people to relax and take a break from their fast-paced lifestyles.

• For example, more then 50% travel of all international tourists travel for leisure and recreation.

DESTINATION FACTORS

1. More attractions

2. More investment in infrastructure and services

3. Greater access to information

QUESTION

1. Explain how destination factors influence tourism trends. [3]

1. ATTRACTIONS

• Refers to features or qualities that can be man-made or natural which makes a place interesting or enjoyable.

• As tourism have the potential to bring about great economic benefits to countries, governments, tourism authorities and tourism businesses have invested heavily into building new or promoting existing attractions.

• For example, the Gardens by the Bay was built at a cost of around $1 billion to add on to the island’s existing range of attractions.

• For example, Japan has invested close to $300,000 in social media to promote the tourism industry.

2. INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

• Infrastructure refers to the transport and communication networks, accommodation, electrical frameworks and sanitation systems.

• Services refers to food and beverage outlets, entertainment and telecommunication links.

2. INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

• As the world experienced rapid growth in tourist arrivals, governments have invested heavily in improving infrastructure and the quality of services to attract more tourists.

• For example, Changi Airport’s Budget Terminal was closed down to make way for a new Terminal 4 to raise the airport’s carrying capacity.

• In addition, countries such as Malaysia and Taiwan have also invested in training for the service industry to improve the service quality.


• Refers to the ease with which information can be obtained.

• As tourists are more likely to visit destinations where travel-related information is easy to obtain, both outside and within a destination, governments and tourist authorities have made efforts to make attractions more tourist friendly by installing signs in different languages, and educating tour guides and agents with historical and cultural knowledge to enhance tourist’s experiences.


• For example, tourist information centres are set up in popular attractions such as Orchard Road and Clarke Quay in Singapore to cater to tourist needs.

• For example, tour guides of Angkor Wat, Cambodia are trained in at least one foreign language to communicate with tourists.

TOURISM

Fluctuations in the tourism industry

BY THE END OF THE LESSON…

We will be able to,

1. Explain why tourism is subject to regional fluctuations.

GUIDING QUESTION

1. Why is tourism subject to regional fluctuations?

REASONS FOR FLUCTUATIONS

1. Disasters

2. Regional and global recessions

3. Unfavourable political situations

4. Outbreaks of diseases

1. DISASTERS

• Refer to events that cause great damage to properties, injuries and loss of lives.

• Disasters can discourage tourists from visiting a destination as it poses greater risk to the safety of tourists and may disrupt infrastructure and service.

• For example, Japan’s tourist arrivals dipped significantly immediately after the tsunami in 2011 and contributed to a total of 28% decrease in tourist arrivals that year.

2. RECESSIONS

• Refer to a period of slowdown in economic activities.

• Many people may experience a loss of income or jobs in a recession and cut down on spending, therefore people are less likely to travel during a recession.

• For example, tourist activity dipped sharply during the Global Financial Crisis between 2007 and 20010.

3. POLITICAL SITUATIONS

• Refers to unfavorable political situations that discourages tourists from visiting a destination.

• Unfavorable political situations pose dangers to tourists and disrupts services and cause damage to infrastructure, hence tourists may postpone or cancel their travel plans.

• For example, tourist arrivals to Egypt declined sharply during the ‘Arab Spring’ uprising in 2011.

4. DISEASES AND EPIDEMICS

• Refers to the sudden and widespread occurrence of disease in an area.

• Diseases and epidemics can cause a huge drop in tourist arrivals as tourists do not want to risk getting infected with a contagious disease and government may advise travellers to avoid areas with disease outbreaks.

• For example, tourist activity dropped sharply across the world during the SARS outbreak in 2003.

TOURISM

Impact of tourism


We will be able to,

• Describe the impact of tourism.

GUIDING QUESTION

1. What is the impact of tourism?

IMPACT OF TOURISM

• Positive and negative economic impact

• Positive and negative socio-cultural impact

• Positive and negative environment impact

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

Positive

• Employment opportunities

• Growth in income

• Increase in foreign exchange

• Growth in government revenue

• Infrastructure development

Negative

• Leakage in revenue

• Seasonal unemployment

• Underuse of facilities

• Shortage of services

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Employment refers to work performed for a wage or salary.

• Tourism creates more employment opportunities as the tourism industry is a labor-intensive industry that offers many direct employment opportunities such as jobs in hotels and tour agencies. It also creates indirect jobs in other industries such as the food and beverage and transport industries.

• For example, the setting up of the Integrated Resorts in Singapore has resulted in the creation of up to 35,000 jobs directly or indirectly.

GROWTH IN INCOME

• Growth in tourism leads to growth in income as more tourists lead to greater demand for goods and services hence individuals and businesses in the tourism or related industries can expect additional income.

• For example, fishermen on the PamilacanIsland in the Philippines are enjoy more income as they are hired as boatmen by tourists to look for whale sharks ad dolphins.

INCREASED IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE

• Foreign exchange refers to money earned from other countries in exchange for goods and services, which can be used by the receiving country to purchase goods and services from other countries.

• Tourism leads to increase in foreign exchange as tourists exchange their home currencies for local currencies, which contributes to capital inflow for the receiving country.

• For example, tourism contributes to Fiji’s economy as the largest foreign exchange earner and make up 20 – 25% of Fiji’s economy.

GROWTH IN GOVERNMENT REVENUE

• Tourism contributes directly and indirectly to government revenues.

• Tourism leads to growth in government revenue as governments collect revenues directly from taxes on tourists and income taxes from employees of tourist-related business and their employers.

• For example, Cambodia taxes tourists in the form of tourist visas and airport tax, which contributes to government revenue.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

• Infrastructure development is the construction of transport and communication networks and electrical and sanitation systems.

• Tourism leads to the development of Infrastructure as countries invest resources to upgrade accessibility, amenities and attractions to to enable tourism to operate on a large scale.

• This benefits locals too as they can also enjoy the upgrades, more jobs, and increased spending in the local economy.

• For example, the road networks in the city centre of Singapore were improved over the years to facilitate easy accessibility to places of interest such as Chinatown and Little India, hence benefiting both tourists and Singaporeans.

LEAKAGE OF REVENUE

• Revenue generated from tourism may be lost as leakage as it is paid to other countries for the import of goods and services needed to meet the needs of tourists.

• For example, tourists may fly into Thailand on a foreign airline and stay in a foreign-owned hotel. The profits made by these merchants do not stay in Thailand but is lost to another country.

SEASONAL UNEMPLOYMENT

• Refers to low employment opportunities during low tourist season.

• Tourism may lead to seasonal unemployment as certain tourist activities are dependent on climatic conditions and countries hosting these activities may experience a rise in tourist numbers for several months followed by a drop in tourist numbers for the next few months.

• For example, the mountain ski resorts in the city of Sapporo, Japan employs more people during winter to cater to the increased in tourist arrivals during the winter, but have to release them when the high tourist season is over.

UNDERUSE OF FACILITIES

• Refers to the low usage of facilities built specifically for tourism.

• Tourism may lead to the underuse of facilities as some types of tourism are seasonal and facilities built specifically for them often end up being neglected and underuse during the low tourist season.

• For example, some of the venues being built specifically to cater to tourist demand for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing are falling in disuse, while still incurring maintenance costs.

SHORTAGE OF SERVICES

• Tourism may lead to shortage of services such as water supplies and power in non-tourist areas, as large amount of such resources are channeled to develop and support tourist areas.

• For example, the locals in the Gili Islands in Indonesia often have to make do with using seawater for their domestic use due to the overuse of freshwater by tourists.

WIDENING INCOME DIVIDE

• Tourism may aggravate the income division between locals and foreign professional.

• For example, locals in developing countries such as Madagascar are generally employed in lower paid or jobs such as masseurs and cleaners while the higher paid managerial and executive jobs are held by foreign skilled personnel from the DCs.

SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT OF TOURISM

Positive

• Preservation of culture and local customs

Negative

• Dilution of culture and local customs

• Increased crime

PRESERVATION OF CULTURE AND

LOCAL CUSTOMS

• Refers to the protection of the way people live, including their economic activities, traditional and religious beliefs.

• Tourism may lead to the preservation of culture and local customs as planning authorities invest resources to fund the preservation and restoration of historical and cultural sites to attract tourists interested in heritage tourism.

• For example, entry fees to sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Angkor Wat in Cambodia are used directly to fund conservation.

DILUTION OF CULTURE AND

LOCAL CUSTOMS

• Tourism can lead to the dilution of culture local customs of a place as local activities may be made to give way to tourist activities or cultural festivals and religious rituals are sometimes conducted as entertainment, thereby losing their authenticity and significance.

• For example, the ancient traditional Balinese dance which was formerly performed during religious events can now be seen almost everyday during the high tourist season.

INCREASED CRIME

• Tourism can lead to high crime rates at popular tourist sites as criminals are lured to the valuable items carried by tourists such as watches, cameras and cash.

• For example, Louvre in France, the most visited museum in the world, was forced to close its doors due to the increasing problem of pickpocketing in the museum.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM

Positive

• Conservation of natural environments

Negative

• Increased congestion

• Vandalism

• Pollution and littering

• Destruction of habitats

• Increased carbon footprint

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL

ENVIRONMENTS

• Tourism can contribute to the conservation of natural environments as revenue from tourist activities can be channeled to fund the conservation efforts of environments such as coral reefs and rainforests.

• For example, in Kenya, the country’s nature reserves and national parks relies on funding received from international visitors to continue its operations and preserve the animals and habitats.

INCREASED CONGESTION

• Tourism can lead to increased congestion as large number of tourists can cause overcrowding in areas with popular attractions.

• For example, in Rome, Italy, many older walkways and narrow streets are filled with tourists during the high tourist season, leading to congested vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

VANDALISM

• Tourism can lead to vandalism, which is the crime of deliberately damaging property belonging to others.

• For example, the thousands of stones and bricks of the Great Wall of China, which is visited by about 10 million tourists a year, are covered with graffiti.

POLLUTION AND LITTERING

• Tourism can lead to pollution and littering as authorities sometimes fail to implement measures that would properly manage waste left behind by tourists.

• For example, authorities of many Caribbean islands have resorted to dumping wastes into the Caribbean Sea due to limited space on land to treat waste.

DESTRUCTION OF HABITATS

• Tourism can lead to destruction of habitats when they received too many visitors during busy times of the year.

• For example, Egypt’s Red Sea Coast has developed into a major diving and snorkeling destination for around 1.2 million visitors annually at the cost of the habitats of coral reefs and marine life that have been damaged by tourists and tour operators.

INCREASED CARBON FOOTPRINT

• Tourism has led to increased carbon footprint, which refers to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced by activities that involve the use of fossil fuels.

• For example, the increased use of aeroplanesand ships produce large quantities of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which contributed to global warming.

TOURISM

Managing the impact of tourism


We will be able to,

• Explain how tourism can be made sustainable.

GUIDING QUESTION

1. How is the impact of tourism managed?

MANAGING IMPACT OF TOURISM

1. Conservation of fragile environments and sustainable tourism

2. Managing tensions between tourists, locals, and environments

3. Responsibilities of various groupsa. Local communities

b. Visitors

c. Tour operators

d. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

e. Planning authorities

1. CONSERVATION OF FRAGILE

ENVIRONMENTS

• Conservation is the careful management and use of resources such that these resources would not be depleted. This is important for fragile environments.

1. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

• A form of tourism organised to continue without causing damage to the environment without leaving negative impacts on the surrounding society and culture, and address the needs of visitors, the industry and host communities.

2. MANAGING TENSIONS

• Tensions between tourists and locals

– Arise when the needs of tourists conflict with the needs of locals.

– For example, the island of Bali, Indonesia has a population of 4.2 million but receives more than 2 million visitors every year. This has led to traffic congestion and clashes in cultural practices.


• Tensions between tourists and environment

– Arise when the needs of tourists conflict with the need to conserve the environment.

– For example, Machu Picchu, Peru was a city built by the Inca Civilisation on the Andes Mountains and receives around 3000 visitors every day. This has led to environmental degradation such as pollution and erosion of the mountain slopes.


• Measures for managing tensions

– Limit the number of visitors to minimisecongestion and degradation.

– Withhold permission to proceed with tourism-related projects that could harm the environment.

– Employing staff to maintain and repair tourist sites.

– Involve local community to address their needs

– Restricting tourists from some areas

GUIDING QUESTION

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the various groups of tourism in managing the impact of tourism?

a. Local communities

b. Visitors

c. Tour operators



3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF VARIOUS

GROUPS

a. Local communities

b. Visitors

c. Tour operators



SAMPLE QUESTION

1. How effective has __________ been in managing the impact of tourism. [8]

– Point (Describe your point)

– Explain (Explain the significance of your point)

– Examples [Explain how your point is

effective with the use of named example(s)]

– Limitations [Explain how your point is

ineffective with the use of named example(s)]

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

• Point:

– Local communities refers to the groups of people living in a same territory.

• Explain:

– By tapping on their intimate knowledge of the local environment, local communities can be engaged and partnered to design tourist activities that meet the needs of tourists as well as that of the environment.

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

• Example:– For example, in Java, Indonesia, a cooperative was

set up by the villagers of Candirejo to manage and implement the community's tourism-related programmes, which helped to minimize the negative impact of tourism and also created jobs for the locals.

• Limitation:– However, it is difficult to obtain external funding

and skilled labour to start and manage such community-run enterprise, and even more so to sustain, hence the efforts often end in miscarriage or failure.

VISITORS (TOURISTS)

• Point:

– Visitors have a responsibility to respect tourist sites and should practice responsible tourism.

• Explain:

– This is a form of tourism that emphasisestourist activities that do not cause damage or offence to the local environment, properties and people.

VISITORS (TOURISTS)

• Example:

–For example, visitors can choose to select tourist destinations that score high on conservation efforts by consulting the Tourism Sustainability Group, hence ensure that they will practice responsible tourism during their visit.

VISITORS (TOURISTS)

• Limitation:

– However, some tourists may not conform to the principles of responsible tourism as they may feel that the use or exploitation of environmental resources can be justified with payment. They may also feel self-important and show little respect for local cultures and traditions, hence creating tensions between locals and tourists.

TOUR OPERATORS

• Point:– Tour operators refer to businesses that provide

services such as guided tours, transport and accommodation services.

• Explain:– As tourists are less likely to visit places with

spoilt landscapes and deteriorating environments, more and more tour operators have formed associations to conserve and protect environments visited by tourists.

TOUR OPERATORS

• Example:

– For example, the Phuket Alternative Tours (PAT) was set up by a team of tour operators in Phuket in 2006. Members are required to commit their businesses to operating guidelines that ensure sustainable tourism practices and minimum damages to the environment.

• Limitation:

– However, as tour operators are driven by profits, many may ignore sustainable tourism guidelines when practicing those guidelines would reduce their profits, and end up degrading the environment.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANISATIONS

• Point:

– A number of NGOs are concerned with the impact of tourism on the natural and human environments and may conduct campaigns or protests to exert pressure on planning authorities.

• Explain:

– A number of NGOs are concerned with the impact of tourism on the natural and human environments and may conduct campaigns or protests to exert pressure on planning authorities.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANISATIONS

• Example:

– For example, since 1990, the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) has developed guidelines, conducted training courses and provided technical assistance to tour operators, travel associations and planning authorities in more than 124 countries.

• Limitation:

– However, as NGOs often rely on donations to fund their operations, their effectiveness may be hampered by the lack of financial resources.

PLANNING AUTHORITIES

• Point:

– Planning authorities refer to local governments and national government agencies that plan and implement tourism policies.

• Explain:

– These organisations can greatly influence the future quality of environments by determining how many visitors a site can cope with and allocating resources for infrastructure.


• Example:

– For example, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) ensures that while attracting tourists to Singapore, there are also programmes to conserve the ethnic districts of Singapore, such as enhancing the accessibility and cultural zones of Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India.


• Limitation:

– However, the effectiveness of planning authorities can be greatly limited when stakeholders do not agree with the planning authorities due to conflicting interests, which in the worst cases may result in the plans not

being carried out and hence yield no returns.

END