Hints for In-Chapter Discussion Points

Chapter 1 An Introduction to the Geography of Travel and Tourism

  1. Defining tourism experiences- Traditional definitions of tourism fail to incorporate the idea of tourism as an ‘experience’ where in fact, the tourist is as much a creator of the experience as the tourism industry itself. This is known as co-creation of the tourism experience and has been enabled in part by technology whereby tourists construct their own product. Can you devise a new definition of tourism that takes this idea into account?

Hints

  • Think of a way that combines the different elements of the experience into one definition
  • You may want to think also of different types of experiences
  • Remember too, that your definition will need to be measurable
  1. Forms of tourism and the tourism system - Each form of tourism might be expected to have distinctive components in each part of Leiper’s tourism system. Thinking of ecotourism for example, in the destination area nature will be the main attraction and the ancillary services (accommodation, transport etc.) will be well managed, employ local people, and be ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’. ‘Dark tourism’ – a type of heritage tourism based on recent history – is growing in popularity. Describe its components, giving specific examples from the areas generating the demand, transit routes and destinations.

Hints

  • For dark tourism, it is likely that the market will be quite distinctive
  • The destination and the products will be the distinguishing feature here
  • It is unlikely the transit region will be distinctive in most cases

Chapter 2The Geography of Demand for Tourism

  1. Tourism demand and climate changeTo what extent do you think that increasing awareness of climate change will impact upon people’s demand for travel and tourism and their behaviour as tourists? For example, will long-haul destinations such as Australia and New Zealand be adversely affected by the realisation that long-haul air travel is potentially a cause of climate change? Things to think about are: will this lead to greater demand for ecotourism and eco-friendly destinations?Will there be greater demand for domestic tourism?Will demand for certain types of tourism decline?What role will carbon-offset schemes play in air travel?

Hints

  • Here you need to consider the role of awareness and education in the market
  • Think too about the difference between peoples’ intentions and their actions
  • How influential and reliable are carbon offset schemes
  1. China’s outbound travelChina is set to become one of the world’s leading generators of international tourism. To what extent do you think the host countries for these tourists are prepared for them? For example, should hotels be re-designed in accordance with the principles of fengshui, and do we understand the needs and preferences of the Chinese tourist when it comes to attractions and activities at the destination? Indeed, should we as hosts modify our way of life to suit our Chinese guests, or any other tourists for that matter?

And, if China’s economy move into recession, will this impact upon the forecasts? Things to think about are how important is it to experience other cultures part of tourism?

Hints

  • Examine new forecasts for outbound tourism that take into account the major economic recession of 2009
  • Look for report on the type of products that China’s tourists aspire to
  • Consider how wise it is for major destinations to mix their markets
  1. Tourism and domestic age To what extent does the idea of domestic age fit the holiday preferences and tourism patterns of your family members? Also, when thinking about the travel patterns of your family, is there an identifiable ‘travel career’demonstrated by anyone in your family or any of your friends? And in your family, at what age was each member’s trip abroad?

Hints

  • Talk to various members of your family and construct travel diaries
  • In local travel agents, how many brochures and products are targeted at different domestic ages?

Chapter 3The geographyof resources for tourism

  1. Valuing tourism resources The value of a resource cannot always be expressed in terms of money. For example, how can we compare the value of a work of art with a natural attraction such as a waterfall or area of rainforest threatened by the development of a hydroelectric power plant?

Hints

  • You will find a lot of assistance here by looking at cost benefit analysis
  • You may also find the environmental economics literature useful
  1. Cultural behaviour and tourism resourcesThe ways in which people use the beach for recreation, and the type of amenities on offer, vary considerably from country to country. This raises the following points for discussion - Should some beaches be privately owned, or should access be freely available to everybody? How can we maintain or improve the quality of our beaches? When you have been on holiday in a foreign country, how does the use of the beach differ from your experience at home – is this due to cultural differences, different weather patterns, or other reasons?

Hints

  • Use the Internet to look at photographs of resorts and different beach use
  • Thinking of you own experience if you have been overseas, how did beach use differ?
  1. Responsible tourist behaviourAs tourists we should respect the differences between our lifestyle and those of the countries we visit. This means being aware of the host community’s social conventions, dress codes and taboos to avoid causing offence, and also to minimize the social and cultural impact of tourism. Pressure groups such as Tourism Concern are concerned with such things as a backpacker’s code of conduct and ‘guilt-free’ holidays (see Box 3.1). The attitude of many holidaymakers is that they can dress and behave as they please - they have paid good money for a well-earned break. In class, debate these issues, and investigate some ‘taboos’.

Hints

  • The best sources for this point are:

1. Organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund, who produce codes of conduct

2. Responsible tourism organisations such as Tourism Concern

  1. Whose heritage?In heritage tourism we also need to consider the art treasures and artefacts that form part of national collections like the British Museum and the Louvre. Many of these were acquired from indigenous cultures in for example, Africa during the period of colonial expansion, or as the spoils of victory in war. Should these museums and art galleries comply with demands that the artefacts should be returned to their countries of origin? To what extent should the need to preserve the integrity of collections for future generations take precedence over the principle of restitution to the ‘rightful owners’, whoever these might be? The Elgin Marble are a classic case here. Also, do these countries have the resources to preserve and look after these artefacts?And will they be available to be visited by the same amount of people?

Hints

  • Look online at the debate over the Elgin Marbles
  • Consider also how tourism treats Indigenous peoples and their cultures

Chapter 4Climate and Tourism

  1. The pros and cons of sunbathing Attitudes to sunbathing have changed dramatically since the early twentieth century. Following the Industrial Revolution there was an emphasis on sunshine as a source of vitamin D in the fight against rickets and tuberculosis; in the 1970s a deep tan became a status symbol; whilst more recently there has been an awareness of the disadvantages of sunbathing. On a global scale the discovery of an ‘ozone hole’ in the stratosphere, increasing the risk of cataracts and skin cancer, led to international action to ban CFCs. Since the 1980s health authorities in the USA, South Africa, and particularly in Australia have promoted media campaigns aimed at both residents and tourists to raise awareness of the dangers of over-exposure to the sun. With climate change, do you think that sunbathing will once again become unfashionable?

Hints

  • Using the Internet, look at Australia’s campaigns against sunbathing promoted by the Government and cancer charities
  • Consider how the answer to this question may differ according to the region of the world
  1. Mega-fires: symptom of climate change or man-made disaster? A lethal combination of high temperatures (over 30˚c), high winds (exceeding 30 kilometres per hour) and low humidity (under 30 per cent) breeds devastating wildfires that have grown in ferocity and frequency in recent years. Some claim the fires that occurred in Portugal in the summer of 2006 and in Greece in August 2007 are symptomatic of global warming. Similar fires on a much larger scale are a big problem in the western USA. Here imported grasses have replaced much of the natural scrub vegetation which easily regenerated itself after fire. In the Mediterranean region, tourism and the building of second homes for city-dwellers must share part of the blame. It is even alleged that many of the fires have been set deliberately, to clear land designated as forest for development. In the USA and Australia environmentalists could share some of the responsibility. Conservation practices now discourage the controlled burning of forests, allowing a vast quantity of tinder-dry vegetation to accumulate. What impact do you think these fires have on the demand for tourism to destinations such as Greece, Portugal and California?

Hints

  • The best way to look at this question is to use an Internet search engine to see the impact of the fires
  • Examine particularly the February 2009 in southern Australia

Chapter 5 The Geography Of Transport For Travel And Tourism

  1. Environmental considerations and choice of transport modeCarbon emissions are a recognised source of global warming, and transport for tourism - particularly cars and aircraft - are known polluters. The question for the future will be whether some forms of transport that are not as polluting - trains for example will be favoured by tourists over aircraft or the car. The choice is complicated by the fact that companies now offer ‘carbon offsetting’ services where tourists can purchase say tree planting or low energy light bulbs for the developing world, to ‘offset’ the carbon they have used during their flight. At the same time, governments may also influence the decision by applying green taxes to cars and aircraft, effectively increasing the cost of their use. In other words, transport choice is both a victim and a vector of climate change.

Hints

  • The best way to approach this question is to draw up a table of the different transport modes and their environmental impacts
  1. The impact of low cost carriers on transport routes and choicesLow cost carriers (LCCs) sometimes known as budget, or no frills carriers have changed the pattern of air transport. By significantly lowering fares they have opened up air travel as an option to markets that otherwise would have used surface transport. In Australia for example, the advent of LCCs has significantly reduced the long haul overland bus services beloved of backpackers. In deregulated skies, the LCCs are able to fly point-to-point to regional airports, so opening up new destinations for tourism. Of course, whilst this may sound to be an advantage for tourist and destination alike, we must remember that more aircraft in the sky has environmental implications.

Hints

  • In thinking of this question examine the corporate websites of leading LCCs in different regions of the world

Chapter 6The Future Geographies of Travel and Tourism

  1. Destination response to climate changeAs the evidence for climate change grows, many destinations are considering how to respond – traditional beach destinations are adding other products such as theme parks, and winter sports resorts are developing summer products to compensate for poor snow cover and a shortened season. Looking at a destination of your choice, how might it be affected by climate change, and how should it respond?

Hints

  • Here you need to think of three elements, the physical impact and the need to change the product, how demand will be impacted and education of both the tourist and the industry
  1. Global, local or ‘glocal’ tourism?There is a danger that globalisation creates uniform landscapes, cultures and brands of tourism; for example Hilton, Coca Cola, Starbucks, Avis rental cars and carriers such as British Airways can become ubiquitous with the spread of tourism around the world. But is this a good thing? Whilst the global brands and companies certainly provide quality assurance and service, they may erode the special ‘sense of place’ and cultural identity of a destination. And this is the challenge: how can we deliver a quality-assured, top-class tourism experience to international standards at the local level? Here we encounter the hybrid word ‘glocal’, combining global standards of expertise with the best in local products and skills. How might this be achieved at the destination of your choice?

Hints

  • For this question consider the major companies in your destination and compare them to the home-grown enterprises

Chapter 7 An Introduction to the Tourism Geography of Europe

  1. Climate change means that tourists can no longer rely on winter snow in the Alps and that beach resorts are less attractive to the market with the risk of cataracts and skin cancer from exposure to the sun. Both winter sports resorts and beach resorts will therefore need to diversify their offerings or face receiving fewer visitors – how should they do this?

Hints

  • Here you need to think of three elements, the physical impact and the need to change the product, how demand will be impacted and education of both the tourist and the industry
  1. Despite a wide array of attractions, for visitors from Asia it is the heritage and culture of Europe that is the attraction. Yet, for many Asian visitors Europe is perceived as ‘an expensive museum’. How can this perception be changed so that Asian visitors can take part in the wider opportunities that European tourism offers?

Hints

  • For this point do an Internet search of prices to major European museums and galleries, once you have done this, consider the cost of a visit of two adults and two children
  1. Some travel commentators have asserted that low cost carriers, and the wide choice of city breaks that are available as a result, have done more to increase a cultural awareness of Europe in countries such as Britain than any number of directives from the European Union. Discuss whether there is any truth in this assertion.

Hints

  • Examine the route-maps of two leading LCCs and draw up a table of the different languages and cultures in each destination

Chapter 8 An Introduction to the Tourism Geography of Britain

  1. Since 1990 the growth of the internet has transformed both the demand for, and supply of tourism in the UK. In addition it has provided destinations and companies with a cheap and effective promotional and information tool. It is interesting that technology experts feel that the technology is running ahead of the tourism sector’s ability to design and create content for web sites. Looking at web sites for destinations that you are familiar with, do you agree with this statement?

Hints

  • The things to look for here are the richness of the images and media used, the layout of the websites and their interactivity.
  1. A succession of warm summers, escalating fuel costs and concerns over the impact of travel on the world’s climate, allied to fears over terrorism, could mean a renaissance for the UK’s tourism destinations. In class debate whether they are prepared for this and whether they can deliver.

Hints

  • Using the Internet examine the websites of one or two leading UK destinations
  • Tabulate the products and make a judgement of their quality

Chapter 9The Tourism Geography of England and the Channel Islands

  1. Some of Britain’s iconic attractions, such as Stonehenge, are suffering from excessive tourist pressure. In class discuss how this pressure might be relieved by promoting and developing alternative attractions.

Hints

  • Effectively this involves constructing fake heritage attractions to deflect demand from the real thing, do you tourists will be satisfied with these alternatives?
  1. The designation of national parks in the UK began in the 1950s, and then stalled for many years until the New Forest was granted this status in 2005. Nevertheless, national park designation is not universally welcomed by local residents. Devise a list of the key stakeholders in a selection of national parks and identify their main concerns. Where might the main areas of conflict be?

Hints

  • The way to approach this question is to draw a ‘stake order map’, on the map plot the relationship between stakeholders and where conflicts could arise

Chapter 10The Tourism Geography of Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man