tourism

• What is tourism?

  • Tourism is defined as travel away from the home environment.
  • For leisure, recreation and holidays.
  • Tourism is usually measured by the number of international arrivals into a country each year.
• Reasons for growth of tourism:

  • People have more disposible income.
  • Travel has become cheaper, low cost airlines.
  • Improvement in transport.
  • Globalisation.
  • Companies give paid holidays.
  • Increased media coverage.
• Types of tourism:

  • International tourism.
  • Internal tourism.
  • Adventure tourism.
  • Cultural tourism.
  • Religious tourism.
• Economic impacts (positives):

  • Reduces unemployment, adds to tax base, helps economy grow.
  • Increases the income of other businesses that supply the tourist industry (e.g. farms that supply food to hotels).
  • It attracts more tourists, but the local people benefit from better services and infrastructure, and there is greater opportunity for local businesses to flourish.
  • Tourism contributes 15% of Kenya's GDP.
• Economic impacts (negatives):

  • A lot of the profit made is kept by the travel companies, rather than benefitting the local economies. "Economic leakage".
  • Increased unemployment during the "low" season and there is little career progression for local people, meaning that they cannot earn higher wages and improve their quality of life. Also, using overseas labour contributes to economic leakage.
  • Deprives local people of resources such as water, for growing crops, and so their yields decrease. It may also lower the water table and result in drought.
  • Low number of tourists means declined economy.
• Informal sector:

  • Lack of skills.
  • Large potential market.
  • Doesn't cost much to set up.
  • Immediate earnings.
  • No need to pay tax.
  • Flexibility - no office hours.
  • Can't get any other jobs.
• Social and cultural impacts (positives):

  • Healthier people are more productive and, if they earn money, their standard of living will improve. Also, education is the key to a better future.
  • Younger people are likely to stay in the area rather than migrating elsewhere for work and a more interesting social life. Maintains a balanced population structure.
  • Improves peoples understanding of different cultures, which can help to reduce tensions.
  • The joining of a multitude of nations, such as the olympics.
• Social and cultural impacts (negatives):

  • Tourist companies buy up large tracts of land in the most scenic ond accessible locations.
  • Large tourist companies abuse the human rights of local people to maximise profits.
  • Traffic congestion.
  • Drinks and drugs become more widely available to satisfy the needs of foreign tourists.
  • It prices local people out of the morket, meaning they hove to move away.
• Environmental impacts (positives):

  • It helps to protect the land for future generations i.e it is environmentally sustainable.
  • Tourism can help to raise awareness to protect some parts of the country, or particular plant or animal species.
• Environmental impacts (negatives):

  • Transporting lots of people long distances releases greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
  • Tourism can increase litter and cause pollution.
  • Tourism can lead to the destruction of natural habitats e.g. sightseeing boats can damage coral reefs.
  • Land being cleared for buildings which results in deforestation.
• CS: Growth of Tourist Industry, KSA:

  Human:

  • Religious importance- Islam's holiest site in Makkah. Nearly 3 mil at hajj time, 1 mil in Ramadan.
  • Islamic history; graves, houses.
  • King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah allows easy flights in and out.
  • Historical UNESCO Sites such as Balad with old houses etc.
  • New tourist visas, F1, Jeddan Season, Al Ula.

  Natural:

  • Long hours of sunshine, June to September.
  • Average temperatures of over 50 °C during summer months.
  • Clean blue seas such as Red sea for snorkeling etc.
  • Golden sandy beaches such as Silversands Beach.
  • Mountains like Uhud.
• Indirect benefits of tourism:

  • Increased economic growth/money brought into area.
  • Enabling spending on education/hospitals.
  • Development of transport roads, airports.
  • Cultural exchange
  • Increased market for local farmers.
• Why is it easier to develop tourism than manufacturing industry in a LEDC?

  • Lack of raw materials for investment in industry.
  • Large demand for tourism.
  • Skill base is poor for manufacturing.
  • Climate/landscape favours development of tourism/beautiful scenery already there.
  • Tourism is seen as less damaging to the environment.
  • Lack of technology.
  • Lack of infrastructure e.g. roads, ports to transport goods in and out.
• Management of tourism:

  • Ecotourism - where people get to see relatively untouched natural environments such as coral reefs and rainforests.
  • Sustainable tourism
• CS: Where tourism is important, Jamaica:

  Adv:

  • $1.3bil to economy, 8.4%.
  • Indirect economic benefits $4.1bil, 27.4%.
  • Tourism largest source of foreign exchange for the country.
  • Direct employment 90,000 people/indirect employment 270,000.
  • Tourism taxes have helped soft infrastructure - schools, hospitals etc.
  • Also developed hard infrastructure - roads, airports etc.
• CS: Jamaica:

  Disadv:

  • May - Nov is off season, 25% of workers are laid off during this time.
  • Impacts the living standards of many families.
  • Also means expensive infrastructure is unused for part of the year.
  • Some tourists act in a manner which clashes with the island's traditional morals.
  • Heavy use of water by hotels for pools - tourist uses 10x more water and produces 3x more solid waste than a resident.
  • The existence of 20 - 40% of plants, 11% of all birds and 25% of all known mammal species in Jamaica have been threatened.
  • Sewage dumped into the ocean, decline in biodiversity.
• Ecotourism: Protecting Jamaica:

  • Jamaica has set up National Parks and Marine Porks.
  • Entry fees to the parks pay for conservation.
  • Marine parks attempt to conserve coral reefs off coast of Jamaica.
  • Tourists are taken down in very small groups.
  • The rafts rely on manpower to move them.
  • Community tourism - more money goes to local people.
  • Visitors educated so less damage to the environment.