Tourism has become a global phenomenon due to various developments and factors. Technological developments have made transportation more affordable and accessible, allowing people to travel further and more frequently. Rising incomes and leisure time also increased demand for tourism. Many destinations have invested in infrastructure and promoted their attractions to capitalize on the growing tourism industry. However, tourism is subject to regional fluctuations from disasters, economic or political issues, and disease outbreaks that can negatively impact tourist arrivals in affected areas.

1. ELECTIVE
GEOGRAPHY
OUR CHANGING
WORLD
GLOBAL TOURISM
IS TOURISM THE WAY TO GO?

2. GATEWAY 2
WHY HAS TOURISM BECOME A
GLOBAL PHENOMENON?
•
Describe the trends of international and
domestic tourism
•
Describe the changing nature of tourism
•
Explain the growth of global tourism
•
Explain why tourism is subject to regional
fluctuations

3. CHANGING TRENDS IN
TOURISM
• Travelling to further destinations
• Travelling to destinations once
considered unreachable
• Changing purposes and nature
• Example: emerging trends of
ecotourism and medical tourism

4. INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM (PG 28)
• World tourist arrivals has been
increasing
• From 1950 to 2010, world tourist
arrivals have increased by nearly
1 billion
• Before 1980s, Europe was
receiving most of the tourists

5. INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM (PG 28)
• In the 2000s, Asia Pacific
overtook North & South America
to be the second most visited
region
• All regions have been
experiencing growth in number of
tourist arrivals

6. INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM: ORIGINS AND
DESTINATIONS
• More than half of all international
tourists originate from developed
countries in Europe and North
America
• Increasingly more tourists from
rapidly developing countries
• Eg: China, India and Brazil

7. INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM: ORIGINS AND
DESTINATIONS
• Destinations of tourists are also
unevenly distributed
• In 2011, Europe received more
than half of all international
tourists arrivals at 504 million
• Asia Pacific is the second highest
at 217 million

8. DOMESTIC TOURISM
• Most popular form of tourism
despite growth of international
tourism
• In 2010, domestic tourism
account for:
• 83% of all tourist arrivals
• 69% of overnight hotel stays

9. DOMESTIC TOURISM (PG 32)
• Eg: China and Philippines
• Large percentage of domestic
tourism is due to:
• Holiday and sightseeing
• Visiting family and relatives

10. GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS
• Flow line & Desire line maps (pg 30)
• Calculating percentage change (pg
33)
• Identifying trends or patterns (pg 33)

11. PITSTOP 6
Pg 34
Questions
• 1(a), (b)
• 2
• 3(a), (b), (c), (d)

12. CHANGING NATURE
OF TOURISM
• Tourism has been evolving due to:
• Improvement in transportation
• Growth in income
• This has led to the evolution of:
• Mass tourism
• Package holidays
• Niche tourism

13. FORMS OF TOURISM
• Mass tourism
• Package holidays
• Niche tourism
• Ecotourism
• Short-haul / Long-haul
destinations

14. MASS TOURISM
• Involves a large number of tourists
visiting a place together
• Due to increased affluence and
leisure time
• One form of mass tourism is
package holidays

15. PACKAGE HOLIDAYS
• Holiday that involves a tour usually
arranged by a travel agent
• Includes accommodation, transport
and most meals
• Service of guides who speak local
language and is knowledgeable
about the sites, habits, culture and
history of the place

16. NICHE TOURISM
• Special-interest tourism based on
particular areas or activities
• Done by independent travellers or
with package tours
• Appeals to tourists who seek ‘new’
destinations, activities and
experiences

17. NICHE TOURISM
• Examples:
• Whale-watching in Hawaii
• Whitewater rafting in NZ
• WWII historical tour in Europe
• Ecotourism is a form of niche
tourism

18. ECOTOURISM
• TIES - The International Ecotourism
Society
• Ecotourism - responsible to travel to
natural areas that conserves the
environment and improves the wellbeing of local people
• Six principles of ecotourism

19. ECOTOURISM
1. Minimise impact
2. Build environmental and cultural
awareness and respect
3. Provide positive experience for
both visitors and hosts (local
people)

20. ECOTOURISM
4. Provide direct financial benefits for
conservations
5. Provide financial benefits and
empowerment for local people
6. Raise sensitivity to host countries’
political, environmental and social
climate

21. ECOTOURISM - EXAMPLE
•
Waitomo Caves in New Zealand
•
Glow worms that light up the cave
ceiling
•
Managed by government and the
Maori
•
Close monitoring of carbon dioxide
levels (<2,400 parts per million)

22. ECOTOURISM - EXAMPLE
•
Controls number of tourists
•
Benefits the Maoris who are
employed as part of staff and who
also receive part of the cave’s
entrance fees

23. SHORT & LONG-HAUL
DESTINATIONS
• Tourism can also be classified into
short and long-haul destinations
• Short – destination reachable by
car, bus, train, or flight less than 5
hours (S’pore to Hong Kong)
• Long – generally flights of 5 hours
or more (S’pore to Europe)

24. REASONS FOR GROWTH
OF GLOBAL TOURISM
• Developments in technology
• Demand factors
• Destination factors

25. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – BETTER &
AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT
• Technology developments
applied to transport:
• improved travel safety
• shortened travel time
• lowered travel costs

26. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – BETTER &
AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT
• Budget airlines
• Cheaper than major commercial
lines due to smaller and more
fuel-efficient aircraft
• Fly mainly short-haul
• Tickets sold online and not
through agents, lower costs

27. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – BETTER &
AFFORDABLE TRANSPORT
• Eg: Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways
• More people can travel, and more
frequently
• Opportunities to travel further
away from home
• Go to destinations not covered by
major airlines, eg Bhutan, Corsica

28. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – MORE AIR
ROUTES & AGREEMENTS
• Increased air routes have made
various parts of the world more
accessible
• Interconnectedness between
countries have also increased

29. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – MORE AIR
ROUTES & AGREEMENTS
•
Open skies agreement
•
•
Agreement between governments to
remove restrictions on commercial
flights between their countries
Deregulation or airline industry
•
Allow fares to rise and fall based on
market demand and competition
between airline companies

30. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – MORE AIR
ROUTES & AGREEMENTS
• Effect of agreement and
deregulation
• Growth of air routes and flights
• Increased number of
commercial airline companies
and budget airlines
• Reduced prices of flights for
passengers

31. DEVELOPMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY – EASY ACCESS TO
INFORMATION
• Online booking and research
•
•
•
•
Easier to obtain tickets
More options and control for tourists
Able to do more research on
destinations before travelling
Surveillance, electronic checks and
other safety controls research
•
Increased safety and confidence
about travelling

32. DEMAND FACTORS –
DISPOSABLE INCOME
• Disposable income – amount of
income after taxes
• Increasing disposable income
due to rapid economic growth
(eg China and India)
• More money to spend on leisure
activities, ie travelling

33. DEMAND FACTORS –
LEISURE TIME
• Leisure time – part of the day
with no work commitment
• Can be in the form of paid leave
• Having more public holidays
and shorter working weeks
increases availability of leisure
time

34. DEMAND FACTORS –
CHANGING LIFESTYLE
• Changing lifestyle – change in
the way people live throughout
their lifetime
• Faster pace of life today
• Travelling is a common way to
relax and take a break from
work

35. DEMAND FACTORS –
CHANGING LIFESTYLE
• Due to medical technology and
increase in health
consciousness, people live
longer and are physically fit to
travel
• More retirees travel as a way to
spend their time
• Eg: Grey nomads in Australia

36. DESTINATION FACTORS ATTRACTIONS
•
Tourists are more likely to visit places
with attractions
•
Attractions can be scenic, manmade, rich culture or purpose-built
facilities (recall previous topic)
•
Attractions can be promoted by the
government or tourist authorities in
hope that tourists will return
repeatedly

37. DESTINATION FACTORS –
INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES
• Investment in infrastructure and
services is to support expected
growth in tourist arrivals
• Good infrastructure and service
support also makes a place more
attractive to tourists

38. DESTINATION FACTORS –
INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES
• Infrastructure
•
•
•
•
Transport and communication
networks, systems for water and
waste disposal
Eg: S’pore Changi Airport
Closed down Budget Terminal to
build Terminal 4 by 2017
Increase capacity from 73 million
to 85 million

39. DESTINATION FACTORS –
INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES
• Infrastructure
•
•
•
Accommodation in the form of fivestar hotels to backpacker hostels
and homestays
Eg: Hong Kong will add 49 hotels
to its current 189 by 2016
Increase capacity from 42 million
to 70 million a year

40. DESTINATION FACTORS –
INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES
• Services
•
•
•
Help or work provided by
businesses to customers
Eg: free Wi-Fi in hotel rooms
Eg: trained guides, travel agents,
hotel managers

41. DESTINATION FACTORS –
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
• Tourists are more likely to visit a
destination where information is
easy to obtain
• Eg: Weather, travel routes,
accommodation availability
• Information should be in a
language tourists can
understand

42. DESTINATION FACTORS –
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
• Signs in languages that visitors
can understand provide security
and comfort to them
• Local guides and travel agents
with knowledge of
history, geography and culture of
location can enhance the
tourists’ experience

43. PITSTOP 8
Pg 45
Questions
• 3(a), (b)
• 4(a), (b)
• 8(a), (b)

44. TOURISM AFFECTED
REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS
•
Refers to rapid changes in a region’s
situation or condition
•
May directly lead to changes in
tourist numbers
•
•
•
•
Disasters
Regional / Global recessions
Unfavourable political situations
Outbreak of diseases

45. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS DISASTERS
•
Events that cause great damage to
properties, injuries and loss of lives
•
Poses risks to tourists’ safety
•
Disrupt essential infrastructure
•
Watch the video on Japan, Tohoku
Earthquake in 2011 and suggest the
impacts it could have on tourism in Japan.

46. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS DISASTERS
•
Earthquake, followed by tsunami
•
Disruption of services: govt buildings, air
terminal, ports, train services disrupted
•
Damage to infrastructure: roads damaged,
oil refinery & nuclear plant, airport
submerged
•
What is the effect of this news report on
tourism of Japan?

47. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
REGIONAL & GLOBAL RECESSIONS
•
A period of slowdown in economic
activities
•
People experience loss of income or
jobs
•
Will cut back on spending, less likely
to travel overseas
•
Fewer international tourists

48. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
REGIONAL & GLOBAL RECESSIONS
•
Recession may cause more tourists
to opt for domestic tourism
•
A more affordable option than
international tourism
•
Spend less on transportation
•
Domestic tourism helps to boost
country’s own economy during the
recession

49. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
REGIONAL & GLOBAL RECESSIONS
•
Eg: European Sovereign Debt Crisis (Regional
Recession)
•
2010 – Greece unable to repay government
debt
•
Followed by Ireland, Portugal and Spain
•
Affects other countries that use the Euro as
their currency
•
Collapse of financial institutions &
businesses, massive unemployment

50. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
REGIONAL & GLOBAL RECESSIONS
•
Eg: Global Financial Crisis (Global Recession)
•
2007, 2008 – World’s largest financial firms
went bankrupt
•
Due to loss of investments in the crash of USA
housing market
•
Triggered panic in financial institutions around
the world
•
Caused economies to slow down or shrink

51. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
UNFAVOURABLE POLITICAL SITUATIONS
•
Eg: War, civil war, political riots
•
Poses a danger to residents as well as
tourists
•
May cause disruptions to services and
damage to infrastructure
•
Discourages tourists from travelling
•
Governments may issue travel advisories
to discourage their citizens from travelling
•
Who else will issue travel advisories?

52. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
UNFAVOURABLE POLITICAL SITUATIONS
•
Examples – Little India, Egypt and
Bangkok
•
What effects will these activities have on
the surrounding environment?
•
What kind of impact does it have on the
tourism of the country?

53. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
OUTBREAKS OF DISEASES
•
A sudden and widespread occurrence of
disease in an area
•
Discourages tourists from travelling, do not
want to risk getting infected
•
May cause cancellation of large-scale MICE
activities
•
Governments may issue travel advisories to
discourage their citizens from travelling
•
Travel advisories may also be issued from
international organisations eg. WHO

54. REGIONAL FLUCTUATIONS –
OUTBREAKS OF DISEASES
•
Eg: SARS in HK, Singapore (2003)
•
Infected 8,000 in 25 countries and killed 775
•
Eg: H1N1 Influenza outbreak (USA, Mexico,
Spain)
•
Widespread cancellation of bookings by
tourists from USA, Canada and Europe

55. CHECKPOINT
Pg 53
Questions
• 2
• 6
• 10 (Open-ended question)
• 12 (Open-ended question)
• 13 (a), (b)
• 14 (a), (b)