GCSE Geography| Topic 4| Tourism

What are the Key Ideas for this Topic?

Why there has been an increase in tourism
Tourism in a UK National Park (Lake District)
Mass Tourism (Costa de sol)
Tourism in Extreme Environments (Antarctica)
Eco- Tourism

Growth in Tourism
Tourism- a stay away from home for over 24 hours for a recreational activity
Reasons for increase in Tourism:
Better/Quicker Air Travel- Making Previously Remote areas accessible.
More Paid Holidays- People tend to take many small holidays rather than one big one.
Increase in amount of Disposable income- People can afford to treat them.
Awareness of attractions- People are becoming more aware of travel from travel shows and advertising.

Main Types Of Tourism:
Cultural Tourism- Sightseeing, Exploring different Ethnic groups.
Business Tourism- as air travel develops more people travel to offices and factories around the world.
Geographical Tourism- Visiting great Geographical Spots e.g. Yellow Stone National Park, USA
Visiting Family and Friends

TOURISM PROVIDES A LARGE MAJORITY OF LEDCS INCOME e.g. EYGPT- 10% OF ITS INCOME IS DEPENDANT ON TOURISM. TOURISM HELPS
COUNTRIES TO DEVELOP AND BECOME MORE ECONOMICALLY STABLE.

Tourism in a UK National Park
Case Study: The Lake District,UK
Reasons For Growth
Offers magnificent and unique landscapes- Rivers and Mountains.
Vast Range of things to do- From Climbing to Sailing.
Becoming more accessible.
Wide Range of ecosystems and Nature Reserves.
Releases the pressures from Urban Living.

How do people solve and reduce impacts of Tourism in the Lake District?
Traffic: Traffic is a big problem in the Lake District and is reduced by setting speed limits to 40 mph as well as restricting on-street
parking and introduces new trunk roads to space the traffic out.
Landscape: People maintain the natural beauty of the Lake District by Planting trees and Repairing Eroded Footpaths.
Noise Pollution: In order to maintain a sense of peace and tranquillity for both residents and tourists, there has been a water skiing ban
on Lake Windermere and a permanent speed limit of 10 mph was set in 2005.
Shortage of Housing: allot of tourists buy second homes and this leads to increase in price for the locals. This has been solved by
affordable houses being built just available to local people, allowing both local people and tourists to enjoy the National Park.

Mass Tourism
Mass Tourism- Tourism involving large numbers of tourists

Case Study: Costa De Sol, Spain
Attractions:
A Mediterranean Climate
Long Sandy Beaches
English Speaking Resort
Positive Impacts:
Environmental:
The Conservation of Natural areas
Economical:
Provides Jobs for Local people at hotels and other services
Boosts the Economy of the area
Social:
Locals can afford to have a better lifestyle (More Services)




Negative Impacts and Solutions:
Environmental:
The Area is littered and natural beauty begins to fade.
Damages Habitats and causes Wildlife to flee
Solution: Nature Reserves are built and Locals attempt to pick up rubbish on beaches
Economical:
Great demand of water for hotels and golf courses causes Inflation.
Jobs are Seasonal and dependant on the weather
Solution: More people quit jobs at tourist spots and worked the land or supplied the area with fish.
Social:
Overcrowding on beaches and on roads
Some of services are not suitable for locals like beach shops e.c.t.
Tourists begin to push tourists out.
Solution: High Rise hotels are built to accommodate more people and Separate services for Local People are Supplied.






Tourism in Extreme Environments
Why do people go on extreme holidays?
To do something adventurous e.g. Ice Climbing
To enjoy a holiday with an element of Risk involved e.g. Rafting
To see scenery that cant be seen anywhere else e.g. Ice bergs
To see wildlife that cant be seen anywhere else e.g. Polar bears
Why has the the demand for extreme environments increased?
Improvements in travel have made it easier and quicker to get to them.
People are keen to see these places while they can e.g. before the polar caps
melt
TV Travel Programmes are making adventure holidays more appealing.
Case Study: Antarctica
Impacts of Tourism
Deforestation is caused by cutting down fuel for the tourists to get there.
Footpath/ice erosion is caused by large numbers of tourists exploring at once.
Litter and Rubbish is being left on the ground.
People are getting too close to polar bears and they are fleeing.
Some Tourists interfere with Scientists Research.
Strategies used to reduce the impacts of Tourism
Only ships of 500 people or less can land in Antarctica and only 100 people are allowed on land at one time.
Smoking is banned on Antarctica
Wildlife is to be observed not to be approached
On tours, people are told not to wonder off and disturb scientific studies.
Visitors are advised to wear Suitable Antarctic footwear to preserve the Ice.
Eco-Tourism
Eco-Tourism- Tourism that doesnt harm the environment and benefits the local community.
Economic benefits of eco-tourism:
It creates jobs for local people e.g. working as a guide which helps the local economy grow.
Local people not directly evolved with tourism also make money by selling traditional arts and
crafts to visitors.
Environmental benefits of eco-tourism
It encourages people to conserve the environment, rather than using it for activities that
could be damaging.
It helps protect endangered species so tourists can see them, but no one can hunt or kill them.
It uses Renewable energy, like Solar panels which is better for the environment than burning Fossil Fuels.
Case Study: The Galapagos Islands
Background Information:
A small chain of Islands found 1,000 km away from the west coast of South America.
The islands are famous as they are home to animal and plant species that cant be found anywhere else on earth.
90 % of the Islands as designated as National Parks
Environmental Benefits:
Buildings use local materials and are constructed by locals
There is limited transport available which reduces burning of fossil fuels
Mostly nature-based activities, rather than recreational activities that can be damaging.

Social and Economic Benefits:
Local guides are used which improves their quality of living
Tourists only visit in small number which reduces overcrowding and the over-use of Resources
Each Visitor has to pay a fee of 25 to conserve Islands, this helps develops the country

Key Words
Tourism- a stay away from home for over 24 hours
for a recreational activity

Mass Tourism- Tourism involving large numbers of
tourists

Eco-Tourism- Tourism that doesnt harm the environment and
benefits the local community.

Extreme Environment- an environment with harsh conditions to beings
who were accustomed to living in lush and bountiful areas. These are
areas with little or no water / food supply and extreme temperatures.

Summary Questions
1. Define Tourism. (1 Mark)
2. Describe the attractions of the Lake District. (3 Marks)
3. Describe the management strategies that are used to cope with the impact of tourists in a Named UK
National Park. (8 Marks)
4. Explain why Tourism is constantly increasing. (4 Marks)
5. What is meant by the term Mass tourism? (1 Mark)
6. Describe the impacts of mass tourism on a named tropical area and how they are being reduced
(8 Marks)
7. Why do people go on extreme holidays and why has the demand for them increased? (6 Marks)
8. Explain the strategies used in a named extreme environment to help reduce the impacts of tourism.
(8 Marks)
9. What is meant by the term eco-tourism? (1 Mark)
10. Using a case study, describe the ways in which eco-tourism has benefitted this destination. (8 Marks)