BOTM_C01.

QXD 26/9/05 4:12 pm Page 12

12 CHAPTER 1 · INTRODUCTION – THE UNIQUE EVOLUTION OF TOURISM AS ‘BUSINES S’

Evolutionary theories have an obvious attraction – in many case they seem to work well,
explaining how tourism to, for example, Torremolinos has changed in the last 50 years
(see BBC, 1996). But difficulties with this kind of approach have emerged:

■ They only make sense with respect to the destination from the perspective of the
tourism-generating country – in the case of Torremolinos, or the Spanish Costas by
extension, with respect to visitors from the UK and other Northern European coun-
tries. Do they really explain the growth in Spanish domestic tourism?
■ The logical extension of these theories is that all destinations would ultimately be
full of working-class psychocentric tourists only.
■ Ultimately where do the rich allocentric tourists end up? They’re going to run out
of possible destinations to discover.

Some of these problems can be countered by recognising that any particular resort is not
restricted to one lifecycle – they can reinvent themselves and attract a further round of
visitation by upper-class allocentrics.

Case 1.3 Atlantic City – a case of reinvention

While first impressions would suggest Atlantic City is little more than a poor man’s Vegas, this now chintzy
gambling haven hides a complex and original history. Its current reputation began in the latter half of the
twentieth century. However, tourism has played a part in Atlantic City’s history for much longer, since the
early 1800s in fact.
Absecon Island, home to Atlantic City, was also home to a prominent pioneering family, the Leeds. The
Leeds set Atlantic City on a tourism lifecycle that is quite unlike that of most other tourism destinations.
The first ever industry on Absecon Island was tourism, which began with a boarding house opened by
Jeremiah Leeds’ second wife. The original idea was to turn the island into a seaside health resort, but the
isolated location and the lack of transport links were to be a problem. To solve this, in 1852 the
Camden–Atlantic City railroad was born, and it was to set Atlantic City on a path of rapid change and devel-
opment. Over the next three decades, following the initial influx of tourists by train, Atlantic City developed
various alternative routes for its potential visitors to use: a busy seaport, a road from the mainland and an
additional railway line.
With the rapid increase in the number of guests, the need for accommodation also grew. A vast number
of then luxurious hotels were opened to cater for the influx of tourists, as were amusement parks to enter-
tain them. In 1870, Atlantic City’s most famous landmark was built – the Boardwalk. The first in the world,
it began a trend and the boardwalk has become a symbol of seaside holiday resorts worldwide. At six miles
long, the Boardwalk is still today at the very centre of Atlantic City’s tourism industry.
The late 1800s and early 1900s were a great time for Atlantic City; industry, population and tourist
numbers were growing. Its variety of amenities and amusements meant that it had something to interest
everyone, and for a long while Atlantic City was the place to be. Like many other destinations, however, it
suffered from seasonality, and while the summer months were buzzing, it struggled out of season. One
solution to this came in 1921, with the first annual Miss America pageant. Along with the Boardwalk, the
pageant has become synonymous with Atlantic City, and has brought followers from all over the world.
However, this was all to change. Before long, plenty of other destinations had taken their lead from
Atlantic City’s early success, and the once popular seaside resort looked dated in comparison. Combined
with the increase in air travel after the Second World War, Atlantic City was soon losing out to more modern
and glamorous international competitors.
By 1960, Atlantic City was definitely not ‘the place to be’. Something was needed to restore the city’s
former glory. That something was thought to be gambling. In 1976, Atlantic City was given a second
chance, with the passing of the Casino Gambling Referendum. Suddenly the amusement arcades, tacky
souvenir shops and worn-out boarding-houses were replaced with top-class restaurants, big-name hotels
and glamorous casinos. This revamp did wonders for Atlantic City, and, along with providing over 45,000
jobs, succeeded in bringing in new and different types of visitors and, more importantly, restoring the city’s
reputation as a credible holiday destination.
Albeit with deteriorating credibility, this reputation continues today. Unfortunately, Atlantic City still expe-
riences the problems common to similar seaside resorts. Having a city so dependent on a gambling culture