Tourism Gateway 2 Flashcards
Mass tourism
Travel that involves large numbers of tourists visiting a particular place together.
Takes the form of a package holiday
Package holiday
Have been a major form of tourism since the 1970s
Involve a tour usually arranged by a travel agent
Usually include the service of guides who speak the local language and the language of the tourists.
Niche Tourism
Special-interest tourism based on a particular area, interest or activity
E.g. Ecotourism - responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improbes the well-being of local people
Domestic tourism
Has grown along with international tourism
Continue to be the most popular form of tourism
Ecotourism Principles
- Minimise Impact
- Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
- Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
- Provide direct financial benefits for conservation
- Provide financial benefits and empowerment of local people
- Raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental and social climate.
Technological factors: Developments in technology
-Developments in aircraft technology have led to great improvements in safety, short travel times
-Lighter, more fuel efficient aircraft have also reduced the cost of flying
-The rise of budget airlines that are cheaper than major airline companies by flying to mainly short haul destinations and reducing the cost of tickets by selling them online
-Budget airlines also fly to locations that are not served by major airline companies
- This has helped increase the number of international travellers by enabling more people to travel internationally more frequently and to more locations, giving travellers opportunities to go on holidays further away from home
Technological factors: Ease of access to information
-The ability for people to book and research destinations online has made travelling cheaper and given tourist more information about their destinations
-Online bookings eliminate the need for a travel agent and thus save on agent’s fees
-Gives tourists better access to information at their destination e.g. places to see, accommodation, social etiquettes to observe and transport timetables
-The ability for people to book and research destinations online has made travelling cheaper and given tourist more information about their destinations
-This has helped to promote air travel and global tourism as tourist feel safer and more confident about travelling.
Demand factors: Increase in disposable income
-Disposable income is the amount of money people have after paying for taxes and necessities
-Disposable income in many countries has been increasing globally due to rapid economic growth
-Higher disposable income has allowed people to spend more on goods and activities that improve their quality of life, like travelling
-E.g. countries like India and China where the number of people in the middle and high-income groups have been increasing have also shown an increase in the number of tourists travelling domestically and internationally.
Demand factors: Increase in leisure time
-In many LDCs and DCs since the 1950s, more people have become involved working in the tertiary industry.
-These jobs usually entail higher income and paid leave
-Thus, people in all income groups have experienced more time off from work
-The greater amounts of leisure time have allowed more people to travel thus increasing the number of tourists
Demand factors: Changing lifestyle
-Due to today’s fast pace of life, many people find themselves working longer hours in a day
-Travelling is a way for people to take a break from their hectic life at work
-Due to advances in medical technology and knowledge, people live longer lives and are more physically fit as well
-Travelling has become a way for people to spend their retirement in a meaningful way
-Thus the changes in lifestyles due to a faster paced work life and better health in old age has led to increased in the number of tourists.
-E.g. In 2011, 78% of international tourists travelled for leisure or to visit friends and relatives as opposed to only 17% who travelled for business
Destination factors: Attractions
-Many countries around the world strive to make themselves more attractive to tourists by constructing or promoting tourists’ attractions
-The increase in the number of attractions in various countries make places more interesting and enjoyable.
-E.g. In Dubai, large investments were made in building world-class MICE facilities, luxury hotels and large-scale architectural and engineering projects like the ‘seven star’ Bur Al Arab Hotel and the Palm Islands for high-end residential, leisure and entertainment facilities.
Destination factors: Investments in infrastructure and services
-Increase in tourism related infrastructure and services have made it more attractive for people to travel, increasing global tourism.
-Many countries in Southeast Asia have expanded their airports to facilitate increased international tourist arrivals
-Many countries have also increased the number of hotels to provide accommodation to tourists as well as training for tourism related jobs to increase the quality of the services provided.
-E.g. The Cambodian government has contracted foreign companies to expand the airport at Siem Reap to cater for more international flights arriving to visit the Angkor Wat temple complex.
-E.g. There has been an increase in the number of new hotels built in Siem Reap, Cambodia to cater for in increasing number of people visiting the Angkor Wat. Guides must also be licensed to ensure that the standards of the guiding services provided are high.
Destination factors: Access to information
-Access to information refers to the ease with which information can be obtained.
-Tourists are more likely to visit a destination when travel related information such as transport, accommodation or attractions is easy to obtain
-Tourists are also more likely to visit a place if they can access the information in their own language
-As tourist information about countries becomes more readily available, mainly through the Internet, more people are willing to travel
-For example, many signs in tourist destinations, such as Phuket, Thailand, have signs for tourist written in English. There are also many tourists’ information booths and tourism officials (tourist police) present to help tourists with their queries
Why is tourism subjected to regional fluctuations: Disasters
-Disasters discourage tourists from visiting a destination because they:
*Pose a greater risk to the safety of the tourists
*Natural disasters can damage or disrupt tourist infrastructure and attractions and can discourage people from visiting a country or a region.
-In March 2011, a severe earthquake struck northern Japan, causing a tsunami and causing a nuclear meltdown at a power plant
-Japan’s tourist arrivals fell by 28% as tourists avoided the region.
-Also, the number of Japanese travelling overseas also declined, as they had to cope with the economic costs of the disaster.
Why is tourism subjected to regional fluctuations: Regional and global recessions
-During a recession many people experience a loss of income or jobs
-This will cause people to cut back on spending
-Thus, less people will travel during a recession
-The 2008-2010 global recession caused many people to lose their jobs or earn less income.
-This caused tourism numbers to drop by 41 million between 2008 and 2009
