Teacher: David Romero Moreno Subject: Tourist Destinations. Training course: Travel agency and event management.
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BILINGUAL UNIT 2. PROFESSIONAL SUBJECT: TOURIST DESTINATIONS.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAIN SPANISH TOURIST DESTINATIONS.
INDEX.-
1. INTRODUCTION:
1.1 Historic precedents.
1.2 Definitions of tourist offer and tourist demand.
1.3 Definitions of tourist destination and tourist product.
2. ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN SPANISH TOURIST DESTINATIONS BY TOURIST PRODUCTS.
2.1 The sun, sea and sand tourism or the three “s” tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2 Cultural tourism; features, types and examples.
2.2.1 Historical heritage tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2.2 Ethnographic tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2.3 Gastronomic tourism: features and examples.
2.2.4 Enology tourism: features and examples.
2.2.5 Religious tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2 6 Spiritual or monastery tourism: features and examples.
2.2.7 Industrial tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2.8 Shopping tourism: features and examples.
2.2.9 Historic and literary tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2.10 Training and education tourism: features, types and examples.
2.2.11 Cultural tourism: tourist offer.
2.3 Urban destinations. Business tourism. Features and types.
2.4 Natural, environment or eco-tourism.
2.5 Rural tourism.
2.6 Sports tourism: nautical, golf, snow, adventure and equestrian.
2.7 Health and beauty tourism.
2.8 Leisure and fun tourism.
2.9 Big events.
2.10 Other types of tourist products that are not related to any tourist activity in the destination: touring, residential, social , responsible, LGTB and accessible tourism.
2.11 New tourist products in the Spanish destinations: medical tourism and necro-tourism.
1. INTRODUCTION.
1.1 Historic precedents.-
Tourism is considered as a phenomenon that has developed recently.
In the Antiquity, the Greeks and the Romans travelled for culture, fun (spectacles), relaxation (thermal springs) or to practice sports (the Olympics).
It´s in the nineteenth (19th) century that Tourism gained popularity, which was around the time of the First Industrial Revolution.
Now it´s time to go over the definition of “tourism”, which was stated by UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) during the International Conference on Travel and Tourism statistics that took place in Ottawa (Canada) in 1.991:
“Activities that people carry out during their trips to and stays in places different from their usual surroundings, for a period of consecutive time that is less than one year, with the aim of leisure, business or other motives”.
The two main elements of the tourist industry are included in the definition above: the people that travel for different motives and a number of different tourist destinations that are offered to these people in order to satisfy their reasons for travel and all the other needs related to tourism.
1.2 The definition of tourist offer and tourist demand.
The tourist industry, the same as any other market, is made up of supply and demand.
- “Tourist supply” (= oferta turística).- two meanings:
· The range of tourist destinations offered to tourists as an option for their holiday, business or other motives.
· The range of tourist products that a tourist destination offers to tourists.
- “Tourist demand” (= demanda turística).- all tourists that choose the offer (tourist destination and its tourist products) that best satisfy their needs of travel and stay.
Many people travel for leisure, but other people do it for other motives such as business, health, … and they are considered tourists as well.
However, not all the people that travel to a place different from their usual surroundings are considered tourists. For instance, migrations and military invasions are excluded from the tourist trips.
Strictly speaking, all the people that travel to a place for tourist motives are considered visitors. Depending on the duration of their stay at a specific destination, they are classified into two groups:
· Tourists: visitors that at least stay overnight at the destination.
· Excursionists: visitors that stay at the destination just for the day.
Take into account that visitors who stay at the destination for a period of a year or more, are not considered tourists. They fall into the residents category.
Finally, pay attention to the following classification of tourist flows regarding a given country, for instance, Spain.
· Internal or domestic tourism (=Turismo interno o doméstico).- residents of a country travelling within their own country. E.g. People from Madrid that travel to the Valencian coast.
· Outbound tourism (=Turismo emisor).- the residents of one country travelling to another. E.g. Spanish people that travel abroad (France, Portugal, Italy...)
· Inbound Tourism (=Turismo receptor).- non-residents travelling within a given country. E.g. French tourists travelling to Spain.
1.1 The definition of tourist destination and tourist product.
We can define “tourist destination” as an inbound tourism venue, that is to say, a location, zone, region or country capable of attracting and lodging a tourist flow from abroad. E.g. Cordoba both the capital and the province, Andalusia, Spain, Italy, Argentina, etc.
How important is Tourism for Spain? According to the OMT barometer related to 2009, that year, Spain received more than 50 million foreign tourists. which made Spain the world´s third most visited country after France and the United States.
Each tourist destination, for its part, is composed of one or more “tourist products” to satisfy tourists´ needs and motivations. For instance, the province of Cordoba offers a range of tourist products, such as: “the cultural tourist product” or “the business tourist product”, both in the capital; “the natural tourist product” (Nature park of Cardeña-Montoro) and the rural tourist product (villages in the region of Subbética and Sierra Morena).
Regarding the concept of “tourist product”, we can define it as the mixture of material and immaterial elements that are offered to the tourists to satisfy their needs. It includes a combination of “visitor / tourist attractions”, “infrastructures and facilities”, “goods and services” that have been duly ordered and structured by a tourist destination to attract tourists. See them below:
a) Visitor attractions.- all the elements that a tourist destination provides, which can generate an interest, and over time are capable of attracting and maintaining a constant flow of tourists.
VISITOR ATTRACTIONS.Natural Geographic attractions. / Mountains: Mountain ranges, mountains, volcanos, valley , meadows, plateau, snow-covered landscape, canyon, glacier and cave.
Plain: desert, plain.
Coast: beach, cove, cliff, island, channel, peninsula, bay, cape and gulf.
Hydrography: river, lake, lagoon, waterfall.
Fauna and flora.
Game / fishing preserve.
Protected natural environments: national parks.
Historical heritage. / Museums.
Work of art: architecture, sculpture, decorative arts, public works and engineering works.
Historic sites.
Archaeological sites.
Tourist routes.
Folklore. / Religious expressions and popular beliefs.
Fairs and street markets.
Folk music and dance.
Local arts & crafts (=handicrafts). / Pieces of pottery.
Fabric.
Metals: wrought iron, etc.
,
etc.
Leather / glass goods.
wood carvings.
Others: making of …
Gastronomy and enology (= wine) or other local drinks (cava, cider).
Popular architecture.
Ethnic minorities.
Contemporary technical, scientific, artistic and sports facilities. / Working mines.
Farming of land (agriculture) / of animals (stockbreeding) = farm.
Factories, industrial centres, craft centres and workshops.
Sports facilities.
Scientific centres. / Zoo.
Aquarium.
Botanical garden.
Parks and gardens.
Scheduled events. / Artistic events. / Music / theatre / film / circus festivals; concerts; theatre / opera plays; exhibitons.
Sports events. / Olympics.
Sports championships.
Business events. / Confences.
Trade Fairs.
Others. / Bullfights, parades, carnivals, religious festivals, contests, pilgrimages, night life,theme parks, funfairs, etc.
b) “Infrastructures”.- these are physical components or general services, publicly-owned or private, that are essential to the operation and development of tourist activities at a tourist destination. There are two main groups of infrastructures:
- Communications to arrive to the destination: road links (divided highways), railroads / railways (railway station), air links (airports), seaways (seaports, marinas).
- Components and general services that are offered to tourists within the tourist destination to make their stay safer and more comfortable:
* Health (public or private): hospitals, clinics, etc.
* Security corps: private or public protection systems for population.
* Embassies and consulates.
* Electricity, water and communications (internet, etc.) supply.
* Shops, markets and supermarkets that provide food and drinks.
* Cashpoints, bureau de change, etc.
c) “The tourist services”.- They can be public or private and consist of all the services available to tourists. These services cover the basic needs of the tourists and/or add value to the tourist´ enjoyment during the course of their stay at a tourist destination. The services are divided into:
- “Basic services”: travel agencies (inbound and outbound travel shops), types of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, youth hostel, campsites, etc.), the catering industry (restaurants, cafes, bars, taverns,…); transport companies (sea, air and road transport companies) and public transport system within the venue (bus, taxi, underground, tram); tourist information (tourist offices, tourist signposts), etc.
- “Complementary services”: everything that adds value to the tourists´enjoyment at a destination (big shopping centres, sports facilities, worship service, etc…).
Para concluir este apartado, conviene saber que en el mercado turístico podemos encontrar dos tipos de destinos:
- “One-product destination”, que ofrecen un solo producto turístico al mercado, caso de numerosas pequeñas locuralidades costeras de España que ofrecen el turismo de sol y playa, como Zahara de los Atunes (Cádiz).
- “Multiproduct destination”, en los que encontramos una combinación de diferentes productos turísticos como sol y playa, cultural o negocios. Esta es la tipología a la que aspiran hoy día la mayoría de destinos turísticos para ser más competitivos. Como ejemplo, encontramos ciudades como Barcelona, Madrid o Valencia, cuya oferta combina productos como el turismo cultural (en sus múltiples versiones) y el de negocios.
1.3.1 Types of tourist products.
La dinámica del turismo, como fenómeno continuamente cambiante con una incesante creación de nuevos productos turísticos y, en consecuencia, con formas de desarrollo turístico también nuevas, dificulta la creación de una clasificación consolidada de los distintos tipos de productos turísticos territoriales. Es por ello que existen varias clasificaciones según se tengan en consideración un criterio u otro:
- Según segmentos de mercado a los que se dirigen encontramos: el turismo estudiantil, turismo juvenil, turismo familiar, turismo social, turismo residencial, turismo de masas, turismo responsable, turismo LGTB y turismo accesible.
- Según el número de participantes: individual o de grupo.
- Según el tiempo de viaje y estancia: grandes viajes, escapadas de fin de semana o city breaks, residencial...
- Según la distancia geográfica recorrida: corta, media o larga distancia.
- Según el tipo de desplazamiento: turismo itinerante (touring tourism) con varias modalidades según tipo de transporte utilizado en el viaje: en tren, en carretera (road trips, caravaning), fluvial y marítimo (cruises), etc.; y turismo residencial (destination or residential tourism).
- Según las actividades realizadas en el destino: sol y playa, cultural o de salud, entre otros.
De todas las clasificaciones vistas, es la última de ellas, la basada en las actividades realizadas por el turista en el destino la que vamos a utilizar de base para identificar los principales destinos turísticos españoles. Si bien, veremos productos turísticos de las otras clasificaciones, como el residencial, el homosexual o el itinerante.
Para concluir este apartado introductorio, echa un vistazo a todas las tipologías de productos turísticos que vamos a utilizar en esta unidad, para analizar los principales destinos españoles:
- Turismo de sol y playa (“the three S tourism” or “the sun, sea and sand tourism”).
- Turismo cultural (“cultural tourism”): histórico-patrimonial, etnográfico, gastronómico, enológico, religioso y espiritual, industrial, compras, histórico-literari y formación.
- Turismo de negocios (“business tourism”).
- Turismo de naturaleza (natural, environment or eco-tourism).
- Turismo rural (“rural tourism”).
- Turismo deportivo (“sports tourism”): náutico, golf, nieve, ecustre y aventura (“nautical, golf, skiing, equestrian and adventure tourism”).
- Turismo de salud y belleza (“Health and beauty tourism”): balnearios, spa (thermal springs, spa), etc.
- Turismo de espacios lúdicos y de ocio (“leisure and fun tourism”: parques de atracciones, parques de ocio, parques temáticos o casinos (“funfairs, theme parks, casinos”).
- Grandes eventos (“big events”) en los destinos españoles.
- Otros productos turísticos no vinculados a una actividad turística específica a realizar en el destino y ya citados anteriormente: itinerante, residencial, social, responsable, LGTB y accesible (“touring, residential, social, responsible, LGTB and accesible tourism”).
- Nuevos productos turísticos en los destinos españoles: tusrismo médico y necrológico (“medical and necrotourism).
2. ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN SPANISH TOURIST DESTINATIONS BY TOURIST PRODUCTS.
2.1 “The sun, sea and sand tourism” or “the three `s´ tourism”: features and examples. -Practice question 1-.
“The 3s tourism” se desarrolla en localidades de costa donde el visitante, gracias a unas condiciones climáticas favorables, con días soleados y temperaturas agradables de unos 25 grados centígrados como mínimo e incluso más cálidas, bien de forma estacional o permanente, puede disfrutar de las playas bañándose en el mar y tomando el sol.
Estos destinos acogen generalmente a un turista calificado como pasivo que, venga de forma individual, en pareja, con amigos o familia, demanda la prestación de servicios turísticos de esparcimiento y descanso, teniendo como motivo de atracción principal los recursos turísticos geográfico-naturales del litoral y el buen clima.
Durante el día este turista suele acudir a las playas donde se toma el sol, aprovechando la lectura, el baño o practicando algún tipo de actividad acuática, y por la noche realiza diferentes actividades en el propio establecimiento de alojamiento o en zonas de ocio.
¿Recuerdas la longitud del litoral español? Nada menos que cercana a los 8000 km, incluidos los archipiélagos, Ceuta y Melilla, lo que unido a unas temperaturas muy agradables en la mayor parte del territorio costero, especialmente en verano, fruto de las condiciones geográficas que tiene el país de latitud y masas de agua que la rodean, las cuales ya estudiaste en la primera unidad, convierten a España en un destino de sol y playa ideal.
En nuestro país se cataloga como turismo de masas, debido a que la mayor parte de destinos litorales nacionales que ofrecen este producto, reciben de forma masiva el flujo de turistas en períodos muy concentrados del año, generalmente en verano. A su vez se le añade el adjetivo "tradicional" debido a su fuerte consolidación y reconocido prestigo tanto dentro como fuera de nuestras fronteras, siendo el mayor número de turistas con motivación ocio-vacacional atrae, tanto nacionales como internacionales. Sin olvidar que fue el causante del famoso "boom turístico" español de los años 60. Esto convierte al resto de productos que se desarrollan en España, especialmente los más novedosos, en productos “alternativos”.