Tourism

1. Effective management strategies are the key to the continuing prosperity of tourist areas in the UK Mass tourism has advantages for an area but strategies need to be in place to reduce the likelihood of long-term damage The global growth of tourism has seen the exploitation of a range of different environments for holiday makers Tourism Impact of tourism in highland/glaciated areas, old quarries, rubbish at Mount Everest base camp, deforestation at Macchu Picchu. Extreme environments are susceptible to environmental damage from the development of tourism Sustainability requires the development of ecotourism

2. The growth of global tourism • Urban tourism (visiting cities) has grown because of • attractive, interesting urban landscapes • plenty of activities for visitors e.g. shopping, sight seeing • many built attractions e.g. museums, art galleries, monuments • many places to stay and to eat/drink • Top cities: Paris, Rome, New York, London • Global tourism has increased because • 1. People want to • see great buildings • see works of art • learn new languages • experience new cultures • taste different cuisines • 2. Increase in disposable incomes • 3. Increase in leisure time • 4. Better transport technology e.g. jumbo jets, low cost airlines, more airports • 5. More older people with the time and money to travel (lifestyle changes) • 6. Easy of booking holidays due to the internet • Mountains are good for tourism because they have: • Spectacular scenery • A range of outdoor activities e.g. walking, skiing • Plenty of wild life • Wide open spaces • Top mountains: The Alps, The Andes, The Rockies Some LEDCs rely on tourism a great deal and are dependent on tourism for a major part of their economy e.g. Jamaica, Egypt. • Coastal areas are good for tourism because they have: • Beautiful beaches and scenery • The sea for swimming • Plenty of places to stay and to eat & drink • Good range of activities e.g. sailing • Top coastal areas: Devon & Cornwall, South Coast, Costa del Sol, French Riviera. Top resorts: Blackpool, Brighton, Marbella Some MEDCs do not rely very much on tourism as a major part of their economy e.g. Germany and Canada. Countries with attractive environments for tourism e.g. beaches rely on tourism a great deal e.g. Greece, Spain.

3. UK tourist industry • The number of tourist coming to the UK is affected by different external factors: • health, safety and security within the UK (epidemics of disease, terrorism) • Accessibility (airports, motorways, railways) • marketing campaigns (www.visitbritain.com) • availability of products and services • quality of goods and services • economic recession in UK and/or tourist generating countries • exchange rates • travel restrictions • emergence of new markets, • competition from other destinations • Weather (good or bad) • Effects: eg changes in visitor numbers, length of stay, volume and value of inbound and domestic tourism, frequency of visits, generating countries and regions • In the UK, tourism makes a huge contribution to the economy: • 6th largest industry • worth £115.4bn in 2009 (9% of GDP) • bigger than the advertising, car manufacturing or film industries. • UK’s third highest export earner behind Chemicals and Financial Services • inbound visitors spend £16bn annually and contributing over £3bn to the Exchequer. • The UK heritage tourism industry contributes £20.6 billion to the economy.

4. Tourist area/resort life cycle model Stage 1 – Exploration– a few people discover it and stay a short time Stage 2 - Involvement – the place starts to cater for tourists Stage 3 - Development – the tourist industry grows with more building and more visitors staying for longer Stage 4 - Stagnation – the resort has grown as big as it can get and cannot be deveoped further Stage 5 - Rejuvenation or Decline – a crucial stage. If a resort is invested in it can be renewed but it can also go down and start to lose visitors

5. Effective management strategies Case Study of a UK coastal resort – Brighton Location: South Coast Tourist industry since 1750 (sea bathing & Prince of Wales) 1840s – railway meant ¼ million visitors pa 2010 - 6000 full time jobs in tourism Tourist attractions: Royal Pavilion, Aquarium, Pier, beach, shops, South Downs Human factors: restaurants, cafes, concert hall, theatres, cinemas, hotels, shops, good transport links to London Physical factors: good climate, beach, downland • Tourism has to be managed properly if it is to be sustainable. Management strategies include: • controlling traffic by having an efficient road network with main road taking the most cars; small access roads; traffic calming measures (road humps, cattle grids); banning heavy lorries. • Controlling parking (park & ride schemes) • Honey pots – encouraging visitors to go to one place which keeps other places quieter • Keeping place clean & tidy • Management strategies that Brighton uses: • zero tolerance principle applied to unsociable behaviour. • Improving environment • Ensuring excellent customer service • Ensuring the city is clean and safe at all times • Promoting sustainable transport options • Ensuring parking provision and operating policies reflect the needs of the visitors • Developing new facilities such as the Brighton Centre

6. Mass Tourism • Mass tourism is traditional, large scale tourism to one country or region commonly, but loosely used to refer to popular forms of leisure tourism pioneered in southern Europe, the Caribbean, and North America in the 1960s and 1970s. • Case Study of an established tropical tourist area which attracts a large number of visitors: Thailand • with nearly 10 million overseas visitors in 1999 & 14 million in 2005 • Its attractions include the natural beauty of rainforests, islands and beaches as well as the cultural heritage and way of life of the Thai people. • Bangkok • Idyllic islands e.g. Phuket • 65% of tourists come from the Asia e.g. Japan and Malaysia • Other tourists come from Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, the USA and the Middle East. Approximately 55% of tourists are return visitors. • Thailand prides itself on having something for everyone from backpackers to families; from culture and wildlife lovers; from adventure travellers to those who just fly and flop on one its many beaches.

7. Positive & Negative effects of mass tourism

8. Strategies for minimising negative impacts and maximizing positive impacts

9. Extreme Environments • Impact of tourism on an extreme environment: • Damage e.g. rubbish at Mount Everest base camp • Deforestation e.g. at Macchu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes • Impact on wildlife e.g. extinction of species • Pollution e.g. oil spills • Extreme environments are attractive to tourists because they are • Places with challenging climates or relief which are very different to where we live • Places where you can do a range of extreme sports • Places which appeal to a minority • Increased demand for adventure holidays: • Rock climbing • Paragliding • White water rafting • Ice-walking • Micro-lighting • Waterfall climbing • Cliff-diving South Downs, Sussex – paragliding Himalayas – rock climbing Antarctica – ice-walking Sahara Desert – exploration & adventure Amazon Rainforest – exploration & adventure

10. Antarctica Case Study Cast Study: Antarctica Tourism is growing Most tourists arrive on a cruise ship Activities include experiences of the ice and watching wildlife 99% of the land is an ice sheet It is uninhabited There are several science research bases There are many mountains and volcanoes The sea ice changes in size and distribution throughout the year It is very cold - at Vostok, Antarctica -89.2 °C 1950s science research stations set up 1969 – the first specially designed cruise ship arrived 9,000 tourists in 1992-93 46,000 in 2007-8 with over 100 tour companies Visitors are mainly from rich nations (39% American, 15% British) They fly to New Zealand or Chile or Argentina and set sail from there Management Strategies International treaties – Antarctic Treaty 1961 (countries agreed to keep it as clean and unspoilt as possible) International scientific cooperation Visitor permits Visitor numbers are restricted - boats are limited to 500 passengers The IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) regulates the boat companies Limit to number of boats Waste disposal is strictly controlled – waste is composted Recycling Wildlife protected(Sites of Special Scientific Interest) which often contain vulnerable wildlife

11. Sustainability Conservation - The careful and planned use of resources in order to manage and maintain the natural environment for future generations. • Sustainable Development Tourism development which is well planned and managed and so brings many benefits both to the present population but also to future generations. Stewardship - The personal responsibility for looking after things, in this case the environment. No one should damage the present or future environment. Ecotourism - Tourism that focuses on protecting the environment and the local way of life. Also known as green tourism

12. Ecotourism Case Study • Management Strategies • tourists have strict rules • Only small ships allowed • Only allowed in specific places • Tourist levy pays for conservation work • Professional guides • Tourists are given accurate information Galapagos Islands • 50 volcanic islands • 1000km of west coast of South America • National Park • Darwin’s Theory of Evolution • Very fragile environment • A precious ecosystem • World Heritage Site • Belong to Ecuador • Positive impacts of tourism: • money to spend on protecting islands • jobs created • Negative impacts: • Some sites over-used • Oil pollution from boats • Economic Benefits of ecotourism: • Local people can make a living from showing special place to visitors • Creation of a range of new jobs e.g. boat trips, hotels, guides • Locals have higher incomes due to jobs & tips • Environmental Benefits of ecotourism • Wild life protected • Landscape protected