tourism gw1: how does the nature of tourism vary from place to place Flashcards
what are tourists?
people who travel and stay away from their normal place of residence for more than 24 hours
what are the different types of tourist destinations?
- places of scenic beauty
- places with good facilities
- places with rich culture
- places of conflict
places of scenic beauty
- natural environments like mountains, valleys, rivers, deserts, waterfalls coral reefs, and rainforests that are tourist destinations
- attract tourists due to awe-inspiring scenery
-provide opportunities for mountaineering, hiking, cycling, and swimming
-HONEYPOT TOURISM: tourism that attracts large numbers of people due to a site’s scenic beauty - overcrowded during peak season
- tourist facilities such as hotels, shopping centres and transport stations are developed at these sites = more tourists attracted
- e.g Grand Canyon USA (honeypot), Nara Park, Japan (not honeypot)
places with good facilities: MICE
- meetings, incentives, conventions and events
- mice locations have venues that can host large-scale events such as meetings and conventions
- supporting infrastructure and services such as hotels and retail shops–> attracts organisers who organise trade fairs and international conferences = brings in more business travellers
-cities located along international air routes or cities associated with other attractions are more successful in getting a share of the growing market for MICE. - e.g. Singapore has hosted impt meetings, conventions and events such as Youth Olympic Games 2010.
- SG has good mice facilities like Suntec Singapore Convention with a nearby mall.
places with good facilities: medical facilities
- may travel internationally for medical reasons to restore or enhance health through medical procedures
- people from ldcs may be seeking better medical treatment than what is available in their home countries
- may want to avoid long waiting periods, high costs in home country
- want to seek better quality procedures that may not be available in countries
- country with quality hc services and affordable prices may attract more medical tourists
- e.g. many ppl travel to SK for plastic/cosmetic surgery –> highly skilled doctors and advanced technolohy
places with good facilities: theme parks
- places with amusement park settings or are attractions that have a central subject or theme such as movies
- cater to a variety of people
- often a large-scale enterprise that is part of an international chain e.g. Walt Disney Company and Disneyland (Hong Kong, Japan, USA)
- can be based on other subjects
- water parks r theme parks
places w rich culture: heritage tourism
Travel to different locations to experience different cultures and to understand the history of places better.
Heritage sites and activities help reinforce national identities for domestic tourists
- promotes a country’s identity, culture and history to international tourists
Include museums, traditional festivals and historical monuments
E.g. machu picchu, peru
Some are so unique thaat they are declared world heritage sites because of their cultural and natural significance
places with rich culture: film-induced tourism
-When people travel to see location featured in films despite the names of location may not be used in films
-Films can influence the destination choices of tourists as ppl may want to travel to places that have been in films
-Can understand how scenes in film were filmed
-E.g. avatar, features scenery inspired by zhangjiajie national forest park in china
There are avatar-themed tours that tourists can join to encourage visitors
places with rich culture: pilgrimage tourism
-When people travel to take part in a religious activity
-Involves a journey to a sacred place such as a shrine, mosque, temple or church → important to a person’s beliefs and faith
-Major religious holidays or events also play a big role in drawing large crowds to these sites
-E.g. annual hajj to mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the worlds largest pilgrimage and is a religious duty for every physically able Muslim.
places of conflict: dark tourism
-involves travelling to sites associated with death and tragedy
-ppl who take part in dark tourism usually include survivors, relatives and friends of those affected, +people interested to know more about an event
-battlefields, fortification, museums and memorials at locations that are important in modern history
e.g. Ground Zero, nyc, usa –> former location of wtc which collapsed after 9/11
roles of different groups in tourism
- government
- media
- international organizations
government
-can influence the number of visitors and their length of stay, authorise air landings and allow the building of facilities such as hotels
-often directly involved in planning, funding and building infrastructure projects linked to tourism, such as airports, roads and ports
-ensure the safety and security of the sites that tourists frequently visit
- set up agencies that devise strategies to help promote tourism their country
E.G. Singapore Tourism Board STB –> promotes sg as a tourist destination by encouraging the development of new attractions like river safari
media
-media reports about a country or an area could influence the decisions of tourists to visit it
- includes television, radio, internet
-positive reports, such as the friendliness of the local population, an interesting culture, good shopping opportunities and attractive scenery, can encourage tourists to visit
- negative reports such as those of incidents of violence, diseases outbreaks and natural disasters, can deter visitors both immediately and for many years to come e.g shooting in Bangkok shopping mall
- media raises awareness on different destinations like Antartica with favourable media reports
-travel writers often offer their comments on various media platforms such as travel websites to offer opinions and reviews about destinations they travelled to
-evaluate destinations covering aspects including climate, accommodation, transport etc.
-reviews are easily accessible from various media platforms and may influence the decisions of travellers
international organizations
-a group of different countries that work together for a common purpose
- reports produced by international organisations can encourage or discourage tourists in visiting a place
E.G. WHO –> capable of influencing global behaviour by providing updates on diseases and where are at-risk countries
