Gateway 1 of Global Tourism

Question 1

Elaborate + name an example of a place of scenic beauty

Answer 1

• attract tourists for their awe-inspiring scenery
• include mountains, valleys, rivers, rainforests, coral reefs
• provides an opportunity for activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, cycling, jogging
• IS HONEYPOT TOURISM (aka attracts large number of tourists due to the scenic beauty of the site, tend to be overcrowded during peak seasons)
• tourist facilities are developed here
  e. g Victoria Falls, located on Zambezi River on the boundary of Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa. It attracts 300 000 visitors annually. The roar of the water gushing down and beauty of the rising mist is a sight to behold.

Question 2

Places with good facilities (name 3 of them with examples)

Answer 2

1. MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, events)
   Locations must be able to hold large scale events with supporting infrastructure and services e.g hotels.
   -more successful if the city is found along international air routes + city is associated with other attractions e.g. entertainment and shopping
   -attracts organisers who organise trade fairs, thus bringing in more business travellers
   -e.g. Singapore Suntec Convention Centre, hosted impt events such as YOG 2010, Top MICE destination
2. Medical facilities (medical tourism)
   - People may travel overseas to receive medical treatment due to lower costs, reduced waiting time. It may be due to better medical treatment overseas as well.
   - e.g. South Korea, popular destination for those seeking cosmetic surgery, renowned for its highly skilled doctors and advanced technlogy.
3. Theme parks
   - catered to a variety of people, provides a form of entertainment, revolving around a central theme
   e. g. Tokyo Disneyland 16 million visitors in 2016

Question 3

Places with rich culture (name 3 of them with examples)

Answer 3

1. Heritage tourism
   - allows tourists to understand different cultures better, as well as their history
   - domestic tourists would have a stronger national identity
   - e.g. Peru, Machu Picchu, last stronghold of the Inca Civilisation, 500 year old stone architecture
2. Film-induced tourism
   - People would want to visit places where their favourite films were filmed to understand how they were filmed.
   e. g. Movie Braveheart filmed in Scotland generated huge interest in Scotland and in its history, generated a tourism revenue 7-15 million pounds.
3. Pilgrimage tourism
   - People may travel to a sacred place such as a temple, especially during major religious festivals or events.
   - e.g. Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Hajj attracts 3 million pilgrims annually.

Question 4

Elaborate + name an example of a place of conflict

Answer 4

• dark tourism
• people may want to travel to places associated with death or tragedy as they want to know more about the tragic events that took place. They could also be survivors or relatives of those affected.
  e. g. Auschwitz, Poland, one of several concentration camps built by the Nazis in World War II for Jews and POW.

Question 5

What are the roles of different groups in promoting tourism?

Answer 5

1. Government
   -can influence tourist numbers as they authorise air landings, control the length of stay of tourists and are involved in funding and building infrastructure linked to tourism such as airports.
   -set up agencies that devise strategies to promote tourism in their country
   -e.g. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) encourages development of new attractions such as River Safari and Night Safari attractions. It also encourages tourism-related businesses to invest in SG.
   +ve: has ultimate legal power to restrict/relax tourism policies
2. Media
   - positive articles written such as the friendliness of the people in the country can encourage people to visit the place. People would start to consider places they have not heard of about before.
   - negative articles such as a disease outbreak in the country, natural disasters or political unrest may deter tourists from visiting.
   - travel writers may offer opinions on places such as features to look out for, easily accessible.
   - ve: sites like TripAdvisor can be vulnerable to false reviews that mislead tourists and thus this diminishes trust in the media. No power over building infrastructure or implementing policies which ultimately makes up a tourist experience.
   e. g. 2011 earthquake in Tohuku, Japan which triggered a tsunami, eventually resulting in a nuclear meltdown. Widely reported in global news, caused a 28% drop in tourist arrivals.
3. International organisations
   - such as UNWTO (united nations world tourism organisation) and WHO (world health organisation)
   - WHO issues health advisories and situation updates on diseases.
   - UNWTO promotes the development of sustainable tourism and tourism as a tool for poverty reduction.
   - ve: less effective than the media and government, has no official legal power, w/o publicisation from media, it is largely ineffective on public