Tourism

Question 1

What are the reasons for the growth and changing trends in tourism?

Answer 1

1. The internet
2. Economic development
3. Transport and infrastructure
4. Political factors

Question 2

How has the internet affected the growth and changing trends in tourism?

Answer 2

• Allows for online global reach to more destinations
• Online booking makes for easier travel arrangements, growth of platforms with fully packaged holiday making booking cheaper and faster.
• Increase in social media- seeing tourist areas through other e.g. Iceland and other viral areas. Link to niche tourism e.g. New Zealand 47,000 visitors a year for LOTR
• Marketing + advertising- consumers want to experience the destination before they’ve even been

Question 3

How has global economic development affected the growth and changing trends in tourism?

Answer 3

• Globalisation led to increased global interconnectedness and the expansion of global middle class who have the income to travel to travel internationally.
• HICs have seen a growth in their tourism numbers thank to their ageing populations and growth in retirees- have time and money to go abroad.
• Expansion of tourist resorts and tourist-focused economies using natural beauty and young working pop. e.g. Thailand
• Investment from TNCs into huge resorts

Question 4

How have transport and infrastructure improvements affected the growth and changing trends in tourism?

Answer 4

• Development of air travel, carrier jumbo jets allowed billions to travel internationally
• Budget airlines- air travel more accessible, competition keeping prices low facilitating more tourism
• Expansion of airport and surrounding infrastructure e.g. Heathrow 3rd airport
• Expansion of other transport systems- high speed cross border trains e.g. in Europe

Question 5

How have political factors affected the growth and changing trends in tourism?

Answer 5

1. Tourist boards which work alongside the gov. to subsidise and encourage tourism in the country. Also help advertise the country to a global audience e.g. Visit Rwanda.
2. Some countries aim to make their visas more flexible for people to arrive and stay in countries for extending periods, spending more and contributing to the country’s GDP. e.g. Thailand basic visa a month+ and flexible when allowing tourists to stay for longer
3. Some countries also host international events to attract visitors in hope that they may return at a later date. e.g. Qatar 2022 World Cup attracted millions and made an effort to bring countries back in the future. Other events include the Olympics and other political events in efforts to improve international relations.

Question 6

What are some recent developments in different types of tourism?

Answer 6

• Dark tourism: Auschwitz 2m visitors annually
• Sport tourism: Qatar 2022, 1.18m in 2022 and 2.23 in 2023 thanks to international awareness/ advertisement. Despite the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics attracted about 19.54 million international tourists in 2023, marking a record high.
• Movie tourism: New Zealand 47k per year to visit LOTR movie sets. Maya Bay very famous thanks to ‘The Beach’ 1m+ visitors annually.

Question 7

What are some social factors negatively affecting global tourism?

Answer 7

Crime, pandemics, international image e.g. Thailand sex tourism

Question 8

What are the economic factors negatively affecting global tourism?

Answer 8

Domestic tourism, recessions, FX fluctuations leading to changes in spending power between currencies, increased foreign competition between tourist resorts.

Question 9

What are the political factors negatively affecting tourism?

Answer 9

Political instability, war and conflict, terrorism, potentially impact flight routes changing patterns of tourism

Question 10

How has tourism in Thailand developed over time?

Answer 10

1. Early development
   Tourism in Thailand began to grow as the government promoted the country internationally and invested in airports, roads, and hotels. Visitors were mainly from the USA and Europe.
2. Rapid growth
   Improved transport, political stability, and marketing led to rapid growth. Popular destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya expanded, and Thailand became known for beach tourism and cultural attractions.
3. Mass tourism
   Tourism expanded further with the rise of budget airlines and package holidays. Visitor numbers increased sharply, making tourism a major source of income and employment.
4. Diversification of tourism
   Thailand developed eco-tourism, medical tourism, adventure tourism, and cultural tourism to reduce reliance on beach resorts and attract higher-spending visitors.
5. Recent challenges and recovery
   Tourism declined sharply during COVID-19 due to travel restrictions, but has since recovered as borders reopened, with a greater focus on sustainable and responsible tourism

Question 11

What are the environmental factors negatively affecting tourism?

Answer 11

Natural disasters e.g. 2004 Tsunami, climate change- sea levels e.g. Maldives underwater by 2029

Question 12

What are the negative social impacts of tourism in Thailand?

Answer 12

1. Sex tourism which discourages many and has fuelled human trafficking causing obvious ethical issues.- harms global image.
2. HIV/AIDS issues. 800k cases in 1997 but the country has seen a 65% fall in AIDS related deaths since 2010 thanks to government action

Question 13

What are the positive social impacts of tourism in Thailand?

Answer 13

1. Development- HDI 1990 0.577 to 0.777 2019, this means that living standards, healthcare and education have improved thank to rising incomes
2. Cultural preservation, reducing cultural erosion through promoting traditional practices

Question 14

What are the negative economic impacts of tourism in Thailand?

Answer 14

1. Economic leakage- up to 75% of tourism spending leaks to foreign business channelling funds away from local people
2. Over-reliance on tourism: 2019 40m visitors, 2021 430k due to Covid. GDP fell by 6.1%.
3. Uneven distribution of wealth in large cities like Phuket and Bangkok
4. Inflation and gentrification- rising rent and CPI inflation

Question 15

What are the positive economic impacts of tourism in Thailand?

Answer 15

1. Jobs- GDP and supporting more than 4.4 million jobs accounting for around 11% of workforce.
2. GDP- Contributes around 18% of Thailand’s GDP
3. Improvements in infrastructure to facilitate tourists also benefits locals e.g. the Eastern Economic Corridor initiative aimed to help improve connectivity fo tourists includes a railway known as High Speed Rail which connects 3 major airports being 220km long and at least $6 billion, expected to open in 2029

Question 16

What are the negative environmental impacts of tourism in Thailand?

Answer 16

1. Degradation- coral reefs damaged, 77% of all reefs in Thailand show signs of degradation e.g. in Maya Bay 80% destroyed
2. Deforestation for construction of tourist zones affecting local biodiversity and habitats
3. Waste management- densely populated zones such as Phuket, 300 tonnes of waste per day leading to pollution and health risks if not properly disposed of.

Question 17

What are the positive environmental impacts of tourism in Thailand?

Answer 17

1. Funding for conservation, 2022 Dep. of National Parks (DNP) earned $65m from entry fees alone which enabled restoration projects e.g. Maya Bay
2. Maya Bay restoration- 1m annual visitors, 80% of reefs destroyed, marine pop decreased, closed in 2018 as a result. 15,000 coral fragments planted, black tip reef shark and other fish populations increased, 300 visitors per hour limit put in place.
3. Sustainable tourism: Over 100 resorts have eco-certification, stopped single use plastics in national parks reducing environmental impact of tourism.

Question 18

What is an example of one tourist area, its growth, development, impacts and management?

Answer 18

The Lake District

Question 19

How has the Lake District attracted millions and developed over time?

Answer 19

• Natural beauty, romanticism movement
• Growth of hiking and cycling
• Development of railways late 19th century
• Tourism is a key source of employment and income, albeit with mostly low-paid seasonal jobs

Question 20

How has pathway damage been an issue in the Lake District?

Answer 20

10m walkers a year leads to muddy widened paths

Question 21

How has pathway damage been managed in the Lake District?

Answer 21

• ‘Fix the Fells’: stone pitching £100/m sq, soil inversion £20/m sq- repairs paths and reduces erosion
• Protects walking tourism and is ran by local volunteers.
  BUT
• High initial and maintenance costs
• Tourists have to obey closures for repairs to be effective

Question 22

How has second home ownership been an issue in the Lake District?

Answer 22

• 17% of homes of the Lake District are second homes e.g. 51% in Coniston
• Excess demand for housing has pushed up house prices, due to the nature of local work, most workers cannot afford to live in the local area leading to the seasonal outmigration of workers/ depopulation, hurting social cohesion

Question 23

How has second home ownership been managed in the Lake District?

Answer 23

• Local occupancy clauses: require buyers to live and work locally
• Attempts to increase social housing to increase accessibility of housing to locals
  BUT
• Limited land for building due to topography and already developed setting
• Clauses may restrict tourism accommodation supply which the local people rely on for income

Question 24

How has congestion been an issue in the Lake District?

Answer 24

89% of visitors arrive to the area by car leading to increase noise and air pollution as well as environmental damage from pollutants

Question 25

How has congestion been managed in the Lake District?

Answer 25

- **'Go Lakes' Travel Programme**: £6.9m investment has resulted in 50 miles of cycleway, 5 new bus routes, 9 locations for electric vehicle hire, Park and Ride schemes - Reduces car dependency (**reduced car use by 14.5%**) and has **reduced CO2 emissions by 7.8%.** - 2014 20,000 extra bus passengers BUT - Cars still the most popular way to travel around the Lake District due to convenience meaning congestion will persist - May be a necessary evil due to the nature of the roads + travel routes and the need for tourism

Question 26

What is an example of ecotourism?

Answer 26

Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park)

Question 27

How has Rwanda developed its ecotourism?

Answer 27

- Made use of diverse country, 700+ bird species - Used strict ecotourism policies to ensure sustainability e.g. max 64 gorilla visitors per day (Volcanoes NP) - Particular focus on gorilla tourism has seen their local pop. rise, $19m, 90% of national park revenue has been generated by Gorilla trekking permits

Question 28

What are the positive impacts of ecotourism in Rwanda?

Answer 28

- **$2m** is taken from national park revenue to fund local projects: **700+ community projects funded**, **10 schools** have been built - Tourism is Rwanda's largest foreign income source, **$647m per year** - Creates **jobs** (nearly 386,000) and tourism supports farmers by using local produce

Question 29

What are the challenges with ecotourism in Rwanda?

Answer 29

- Global image still hurt by 1994 genocide, some still skeptical to choose Rwanda as holiday destination - recent conflicts with DRC also reinforce this image - Poor roads and infrastrucutre - $500 gorilla trekking permits deter mass tourism, restricting potential revenue but ensure sustainability

Question 30

What does the future hold for ecotourism in Rwanda?

Answer 30

- Promoting other parks such as Akagera to reduce reliance on Volcanoes National Park and their gorillas - Expanding global reach and reducing stigma around visiting the country - Advertising e.g. football shirts

Question 31

What are the problems with sustainable international tourism?

Answer 31

- **Transport emissions**- impossible for resort to be truly sustainable as often relies on foreign visitors - **Greenwashing**: falsely claiming to be environmentally friendly - **Waste** pollution - **High energy and water use** puts strain on local resources

Question 32

What are some of the potential solutions to deal with the problems of international sustainable tourism?

Answer 32

- **LED lights and water-efficient toilets** to reduce energy and water use - **Sustainable packaging** and improved recycling facilities to reduce waste - Increased **regulation** on 'sustainable' hotels, eco-certification schemes to reduce greenwashing.

Question 33

How has Blackpool demonstrated the discovery, development and success stages of the Life Cycle model of tourism?

Answer 33

1.1930s Sea bathing fashionable for upper classes 2. 1940s Main annual holiday destination for industrial workers from nearby textile mills and coal mines- workers granted 12 days of annual leave in 1938 3. Visitor number increased from 4m, in 1900 to a peak of 17m in 1950.

Question 34

How has Blackpool demonstrated the stagnation/ decline stage of the Life Cycle model of tourism?

Answer 34

4. By 1960, many rundown areas, derelict buildings and social issues like unemployment, crime, social deprivation 5. Visitor numbers slumped to 11m in 2000, with visitors staying for shorter periods. Beaches often empty thanks to cheap warm-weather package holidays abroad.

Question 35

How has Blackpool attemped to rejuvenate?

Answer 35

- It has invested in social events e.g. Illuminations + festivals and conferences, new leisure and entertainment facilities, public transportation improvements, and the renovation of historic buildings to create a more attractive environment for both residents and visitors. - Overall, Blackpool is not going to return to its previous visitor numbers due to cheap package holidays but large scale events keep the tourism industry alive.