This assignment will look at the main tourists’ destinations and generators in the world using visitor numbers and how these affect both present and future trends for the destinations, with focus on London as a tourist destination.
It will also look at Whitechapel and examine how and why it appeals to tourists and the social, cultural and physical features come into play in attracting visitors. These features will then be compared with two leading tourist destinations in the world.
Finally, this assignment will also look at factors or issues that have increased popularity in the two leading tourist destinations of the world and how responsible tourism is being encouraged. If however, it is not being practiced, what are the potentials and avenue available for responsible tourism and what can be done. This is for the purpose of enhancing these destinations as tourist destinations.
Task 1 A
THREE MAIN TOURIST DESTINATIONS AND GENERATORS OF THE WORLD
What is a destination: A destination can be defined as a place one wants to visit either for business, for holiday or pleasure other than one’s own country or region. It is the end point of a journey.
Tourist destination: Bierman (2003, P.2) defines this as a country, state, region, city or town which is marketed or markets itself as a place for tourists to visit.
What is a generator: tourism generator is that country or place from which people leave to take part in a 24 hour or more activity away from their home, or usual place of residence.
What is therefore the difference between a destination and a generator? One refers to the place visitors go, while the other refers to the place visitors are coming from.
THREE LEADING TOURISM GENERATORS AND CONTRIBUTORS OF THE WORLD
1. UNITED STATES
2. SPAIN
3. FRANCE
United States: While tourism is not the only industry in the States that generates money for the economy, it contributes greatly to its economy. In 2011 for example, expenditures by international visitors generated sales of about $153 billion and also a trade surplus of nearly $43 million. The U.S leads in international travel and tourism exports.
There is a variety of things to see and do catering for all types of tourists, from the business tourists to the cultural tourists, to family holidays and so on.
Tourism has over 25 subsectors that make up its industry, providing revenue for the government and jobs for people. The highest contributors are the food services sector, air travel sector, accommodation sector and recreation and attractions. Together they contribute about 60 % of the total output from tourism.
Accommodation: Largest and makes up about 19% of the total sales in travel industry.
Air travel: second largest, accounts for 16% of the total sales in the travel industry.
Food services: This also for 16% of the total sales.
Recreation and attractions: only make up about 10% of total sales.
SPAIN
The Mediterranean is a leading tourist destination and tourism has drastically changed the Spanish coastline. Before, the coasts used to be lined by fishing villages but these days there high rise hotels dominating the place. The 1960’s, saw a tourism boom but it created pollution, loss o habitats and the surrounding sea water was contaminated.
Untreated sewage was pumped into the sea because the resorts had difficulty handling excess sewage in the summer months. This caused illnesses in humans and disruption to the marine environment. The European Union has introduced new guidelines to keep beaches healthy and improvements have been made to the beaches in Spain. The 'Blue Flag' is a guarantee of a clean beach and many have now reached this standard. (Learning Zone Broadband Class Clips, 2014)
Area: 504,750 sq. km; 194,884 sq. miles
Population: 46.157.822 (INE 2008)
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official language)
Catalonian, Galician, Valenciano, Vasco (are also official languages in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Galicia,