Tourism KQ1 Flashcards
Describe how places of scenic beauty offer different activities based on the environment
Places that attract tourist because of their awe-inspiring beauty. People come here because these places are very different from the urban environment where they live and provides opportunities for activities such as mountaineering, hiking, cycling and diving. Many of these tourists engage in honeypot tourism where a large number of tourists visit due to its beauty and tend to be overcrowded during peak seasons. For example, Many people travel to Nepal because of the beautiful scenery at the mountains. They also travel there for activities like hiking, climbing and white water rafting.
Describe how places with good facilities (Meetings Incentives Conventions Events) offer different activities based on the environment.
Places with good facilities can host large scale events, e.g. meetings, conventions and have supporting infrastructure such as hotels and retail shops. This attracts trade fairs and international conferences that bring in business travellers which provides advantages for cities associated with other attractions, e.g. resorts, entertainment and shopping. For example, Singapore is the leading convention city in Asia-Pacific. 25% of all visitors travel here for business as it has many MICE facilities such as Suntec Convention Centre and the Marina Bay sands which have many meeting rooms, restaurants, shops and hotels.
Describe how places with good medical facilities offer different activities based on the environment
When people travel to a destination to undergo medical procedures as some countries can offer better trained staff and facilities or more affordable prices. Also, they many provide specialised treatment not available in the tourist’s home country and may also have shorter waiting times for medical procedures. For example, South Korea is popular with people seeking cosmetic surgery because they are highly renowned for highly skilled doctors and advanced technology.
Describe how places with good theme parks offer different activities based on the environment
Places with amusement park settings are attractions that have a central subject or theme, such as movies, history, education and fantasy and cater to people of different ages and interest. For example, Disney Land in Florida, USA features rides and activities linked to many of the children’s movies produced by the company. Many people visit because they are familiar with many of the movies due to their popularity.
Describe how places with rich culture (Heritage) offer different activities based on the environment
When people travel to locations to experience different cultures and to understand the history of places better and may also travel there because of the shopping or food available, e.g. museums, traditional festivals and national and historical monuments. For example, Many tourists travel to the Songkran festival in Thailand to experience the Thai national holiday and participate in the water festival.
Describe how places with rich culture (Film Induced Tourism) offer different activities based on the environment
When people travel to see locations features in films. Films can influence people to travel to places they have not considered travelling which helps tourists understand how certain scenes were filmed and how the place inspired parts of the film. For example, the popular movie series ‘Lord of the Rings’ was filmed in various locations in New Zealand which has lead to many people travelling to those locations because they were attracted by the scenic beauty of the places when they watched the movie. Theme parks, such as the ‘Hobbit Village’ also attracted people interested by the movie.
Describe how places with rich culture (Religious Pilgrimages) offer different activities based on the environment
When people travel to take part in a religious activity which often involves a journey to a sacred place (e.g. shrine, mosque, temple, church) that’s important to a person’s beliefs and faith. Major religious holidays or events play a big role in drawing large crowds to these sites. For example, Annual Hajj to Mecca is the world’s largest pilgrimage and attracts 3 million pilgrims as pilgrimage to Mecca is a religious duty for every physically able Muslim.
Describe how places of conflicts (Dark Tourism) offer different activities based on the environment
This refers to places where wars, battles man-made tragedies and unfavorable political situations have occurred. Dark Tourism involves travelling to sites associated with death and tragedy and usually involves survivors, relatives and friends of those affected as well as people interested to find out about the event. For example, the concentration camp in Auschwitz in Poland. This was one of the camps developed by the Nazis in World War II for Jews where many Jews were killed.
Discuss the role played by governments in promoting tourism
Governments enact immigration laws that make it easier for people to visit the country and are involved in planning, funding and building of tourism infrastructure. The government allows the building of tourist facilities and attractions and sets up agencies that promote tourism to that country. For example, The Singapore Tourism Board promotes Singapore as a tourist destination by developing tourism as an industry, helping tourism-related business to invest in Singapore e.g. hotels, resorts. They also encourage the development of new attractions e.g. Integrated Resorts.
Discuss the role of the media in promoting tourism
Media refers to channels through which news and information are communicated to the public e.g. television, radio, newspapers, internet. Media reports about a country or region can influence the decisions of tourists to visit it. Positive reports can encourage tourists to visit while negative reports can deter visitors. For example, the Himalayas or Antarctica. Thus, tourism to those places increased. However, negative media reports of the political unrest going on in Thailand in December 2013 deterred people from visiting the city as it makes people more aware of potentially dangerous situations developing in a country.
Discuss the role of International Organisations
International Organisations are formed when a group of different countries work together for a common purpose. These organisations may work with governments to encourage the growth of the tourism industry in a country, thus attracting more tourists.
