Gateway 2: Why has tourism become a global phenomenon?

Question 1

Trends in domestic tourism

Answer 1

Worldwide in 2010:

• 83% of all tourist arrivals were domestic tourism
• 69% of all overnight stay in hotels
• most popular form of tourism

Question 2

Trends in international tourism

Answer 2

• Asia Pacific Region growth in international tourist arrivals
• from 8.2% in 1980 to 21.7% in 2010

Question 3

Reasons for growth of tourism

Answer 3

1. Developments in technology
2. Demand factors
3. Destination factors

Question 4

Developments in technology

Answer 4

• technology advancement have changed scale, ease of global tourism
• better and affordable transport
• ease of information

Question 5

Developments in technology: Better and affordable transport

Answer 5

• improved safety, shorter travelling times, lower travelling costs, more affordable
• De Havilland Comet 1 (1949): commercial flight from sg to london, 2-4 days, many stopovers, max capacity 36
• Airbus A380 (2005): commercial flight from sg to london 14 hrs, max capacity 853 passengers

Question 6

Developments in technology: Better and affordable transport (Budget airlines)

Answer 6

• cheaper, smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft
• fly only short-haul destinations
• sell tickets online rather than thru travel agents, cheaper
• enable more ppl to travel internationally and more frequently
• opportunity to go on holidays further from home
• enable travellers to to go to destinations not covered by major airlines e.g. Bhutan

Question 7

Developments in technology: Ease of access to information

Answer 7

• made info more readily accessible and available
• info is updated, promotes air travel and global tourism
• e.g. Online booking and research: can buy tickets w/o going thru travel agent, more info abt destination e.g. social etiquette, view feedback and recommendations

Question 8

Demand factors: Disposable income

Answer 8

• refers to amt of money left aft paying taxes, can be saved or spent
• growth in income, spend more on goods, services or activities that improve quality of life e.g. travelling for leisure
• e.g. in China, India rapid economic growth, no. of people in middle and high income group increasing, more disposable income `

Question 9

Demand factors: Leisure time

Answer 9

• time when ppl are free from work and responsibilities
• middle and high income grps, leisure time in the form of paid leaves, more income and paid leave, more inclined to travel
• since 1950s, many LDCs and DCs all income grps shorter working weeks, more public hols, more paid leaves, more leisure time to travel
• In Australia, can exchange paid overtime work for leave, more likely to take longer weekend breaks

Question 10

Demand factors: Changing lifestyle

Answer 10

• change in way ppl live from generation to generation
• more fast-paced, work long hours beyond official working hours
• travel to relax, take a break
• ppl live longer due to advancement in medical tech, more heath conscious, lead healthier lifestyles, more physically fit to travel frequently , more healthy retirees
• retirees contribute greatly to growth of tourism who spend remaining healthy years productively
• e.g. Grey nomads in Australia, travel to rural areas of country in mobile homes

Question 11

Destination factors

Answer 11

• refer to infrastructure and services in tourists destinations, convenient and comfortable stays
  1. attractions
  2. investment in infrastructure and services
  3. access to info

Question 12

Destination factors: Attractions

Answer 12

• feature or quality that make a place interesting or enjoyable, often promoted by tourism industry
• can be natural or man-made, without them, less likely to have tourists visiting
• e.g. Dubai, city in Middle East, major stopover between Asia and Europe
• visited mainly for shopping, entertainment and business
• more than 9 mil travellers in 2011
• most well-known attractions: Burj Al Arab (7 star luxury hotel)

Question 13

Destination factors: Investment in infrastructure and services

Answer 13

• Infrastructure: transport and communication networks, electrical frameworks, systems for water and waste disposal
• service: particular type of work or help provided by a business to travellers
• e.g. transport infrastructure: expansion of airport due to rapid growth in international tourists arrivals in Southeast Asia
• Changi Airport budget terminal closed in 2012 to make way for new terminal 4 in 2017, increasing total capacity from 73 mil in 2013 to 85 mil in 2017 per year
• need trained personnel e.g. hotel managers, cleaners, porters etc and telecommunication links eg free wifi in hotels

Question 14

Destination factors: Access to info

Answer 14

• ease in which info can be obtained
• more likely to visit places where travel-related info is accessible both outside and within the location
• e.g transport routes, train timetables
• access to language they can understand e.g. thru signs at airports or malls, provide security and comfort, assures tourists as can communicate for help

Question 15

Why tourism is subjected to fluctuations

Answer 15

• disease outbreak
• recession
• disasters
• political situations

Question 16

Disasters

Answer 16

• events that cause great damage to properties , lead to injuries, cause great loss of lives
• deter tourists as pose a risk to safety, disrupts essential tourist infrastructure
• e.g. March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
• by end of 2011, Japan’s total tourist arrivals decreased by 28% to 6.2 mil arrivals (most decline in tourist arrivals mainly from South Korea and China)
• a year aft the disaster, tourist arrivals increased to almost back to noral due to international promotional efforts that aimed to show a safe and beautiful Japan

Question 17

Recessions

Answer 17

• period of general slow down in economic activities
• loss of income and jobs, decline in demand for goods and services
• e.g. Global Recession : Global Financial Crisis
• started when some of world’s largest financial firms went bankrupt in 2007 and 2008 after losing large amts of investments in crash of housing marker in USA
• collapse of housing market triggered panic and affected many countries in diff parts of world, causing economies to slow down or shrink, increase in unemployment
• visitors spend less, seek cheaper accommodation, many choose to go for hols in own country as more affordable (dont need to travel far)
• domestic tourism promoted as contributes to own country’s economy during recession

Question 18

Political situations

Answer 18

• refers to state of disagreement between diff grps of ppl, may start wars
• pose danger to locals and tourists, may disrupt essential services and damage infrastructure, tourists may cancel plans
• e.g. govs in most countries banned citizens from visiting Libya in 2011 due to civil war and armed groups posed danger to civilian lives
• commercial airlines reduced or stopped flights to Libya
• Between march and oct, no commercial flights to Libya airspace , no tourist arrivals
• need rebuild reputation thru promotions, new infrastructure, improved tourist conditions

Question 19

Diseases

Answer 19

• outbreak refers to sudden and widespread occurrence of a diseases in an area
• dont want to risk getting infected, gov issue travel notices
• businesses affected may need to cancel/postpone large scale MICE events
• COVID-19