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Section 4 – The following are examples of previous exam questions and model answers.
Approach: using the following examples students should try to write something similar for own area and/or any destinations studied.
Why is Cardigan a popular tourist destination?
Cardigan is situated on the west Wales coast on the river Teifi estuary. It is an ideal base to visit many beaches, such as Poppit, Mwnt and Tresaith which form part of Cardigan Bay. There are many other natural features that attract tourists – the Preseli Mountains, the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and the Teifi valley. As well as natural attractions there are also many man-made historical attractions such as Cilgerran Castle, Mwnt church and St. Dogmaels Abbey.
Cardigan and the ers the visitor many special events such Barley Saturday, Gwyl Fawr, St. Dogmaels Regatta, Victorian Night and Food and Drink Festival.
There are also plenty of places to stay ranging from caravan parks to coastal hotels like The Cliff and The Gwbert. The caravan parks are particularly popular as they are quite cheap and good value for money.
Finally Cardigan is within 2-3 hours of big cities like Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and Bristol. The M4 stretches most of the way which makes road transport easy. From the north visitors can use the scenic A487 to reach Cardigan.
Describe how the provision of leisure facilities, in the Cardigan area, has changed in the last 20 years.
Over the last 20 years a number of new facilities have been built such as: the Cardigan Leisure Centre, Theatr Mwldan, a skateboard park, new football playing fields, Penparc Playground, Cenarth Paintball and an all-weather pitch in the school grounds. Also a small number of private health clubs have started. E.g ‘Coracles’ as part of Cenarth Caravan Park.
(a)Explain why the changes have been made.
The facilities were built for a number of reasons. First of all, they provided jobs which in turn has helped to improve the livelihoods of a number of families and the general wealth of the area. Secondly, the facilities were built to try and attract more tourists which would mean more money and jobs for the area. Thirdly, the new facilities would also improve the choice for local people to try in their leisure time. Fourthly, local authorities have a responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle within their area. Finally, the changes are intended to make Cardigan a more attractive tourism destination.
(b)Explain the impact of such changes.
As a result of investment by the Welsh Assembly, European Union, the Sports Council, the Arts Council and Ceredigion County Council the new facilities have created new jobs (1) and brought more wealth (1) in to the community. The majority of jobs have been provide by the leisure and tourism industry (1) but other industries have been attracted as a result of inward investment (1) . e.g. Eaton Holdings Ltd who have opened a DVD/video shop and plan to create a new multi-million pound shopping and leisure complex. The people of Cardigan have been pleased by the changes in provision as it has helped to raise the moral of the community and improve their quality of life (1). A county council objective has been achieved in that the image of Cardigan has been enhanced in the ‘eyes’ of locals and visitors.
Explain the impact of tourism on Cardigan and the surrounding area.
Tourism has a positive economic impact on Cardigan in a number of ways. For example, it helps to create many jobs in facilities like shops and restaurants. As more tourists spend more money this helps to create more wealth for both workers and businesses.
Tourism has helped to attract investment in excess of £15m with £6m being spent on the renovation of Cardigan Castle, £6m being spent on the new Theatr Mwldan complex and over £3m being spent on projects such as the regeneration of the main shopping street.
A positive social impact is that the local people are able to mix with people from south Wales, England and abroad. This can help communities understand each others way of life and lead to social harmony on a larger scale.
Attractions such as the local wildlife park try to educate tourists so that they can appreciate the environment without spoiling it for future generations. They provide leaflets, videos and guided walks in the area to encourage sustainable tourism. This is an example of a positive environmental response to tourism.
Tourism can have a negative impact on Cardigan in a number of ways. Economically anumber of jobs created are seasonal and low paid and therefore have a limited benefit.
The social impact can also be negative as large number of tourists (the 5,000 population of the area is swelled by over 50,000 tourists) can cause problems such anti-social behaviour due to alcohol or drugs. Violence can be a problem in the town centre, especially at weekends. Locals might also object when tourists seem to outnumber the locals in the pubs and restaurants – the feeling of being taken over. Fortunately this only happens at peak times such as the summer holidays. A further problem occurs when tourists decide to buy a second home in an area like Llangrannog. This can lead to such a rise in house prices that young, local people are unable to afford a house in the area which they live.
The negative environmental impact of tourism includes air and noise pollution caused by cars especially during the peak times. Litter on the beaches and streets is an unpleasant sight. Large numbers can also result in the erosion of popular walk areas.. E.g. the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Finally, 50, 000 tourists can create a great burden on the areas sewage systems. In the past this has resulted in Cardigan Bay being polluted but measures have now been taken to prevent this unpleasant experience (!) and many beaches have now been awarded the Blue Flag for clean and clear water. The cleanliness of Cardigan Bay is important as dolphins are a major attraction and it would be a blow to the tourist trade if they were driven away.
Sustainable tourism in the Cardigan area.
Explain the meaning of sustainable tourism and how it could be introduced in a destination you have studied.
The economic, social and environmental impacts can managed through sustainable tourism. This means that tourist attractions, facilities and destinations need to be developed in such a way that the existing area, buildings and scenery are not damaged for future generations.
There are 4 main principles which sustainable tourism is based upon.
- Any tourism development must not damage the environment.
- Any tourism development must be acceptable to the local community.
- Any tourism development must be profitable for businesses.
- Any tourism development must meet the needs of visitors.
Cardigan has started to renovate its castle so that it will be presentable and of interest to potential visitors. This project has had the full support of the local people as it has been an eyesore for too many years. They also see it as a way of creating new jobs and attracting more tourists. At the same time the high street has been subject to much regeneration as it’s older buildings and shops have been renovated. These projects have helped improve the built environment of Cardigan.
Before these projects started numerous meetings were held between local people, businesses and council members. All their views were considered before the plans were put into action.
Further development is being considered such as a ten-pin bowling facility, river walkway, catering facilities and multi-million pound shopping area. Before any of these ideas are put into practice some research will need to be carried out in order to identify visitor needs. It is pointless developing an area for tourists if they don’t want it! If the development was not to meet visitor needs it would not be profitable. The council would not want to see businesses being boarded-up as this would give a poor image of Cardigan, exactly the opposite to what they would like.
Any new developments would need to avoid damaging the local environment. In other words there would height restrictions on buildings so as not to spoil any views of the river valley or Cardigan Bay, local stone would be used to blend in with the present buildings, local builders would be employed to keep the jobs and income within the locality and any building would not destroy the local plant life and wildlife.
Transport / Impact – It has been suggested that a new road and rail link be built between Carmarthen and Cardigan. Explain the advantages and disadvantages for: [10 marks]
- Tourists. Locals. Business people.
Locals: advantages - the new road and rail link would help to attract more tourists to the area which would help to create more jobs and hence more wealth. More tourists would also mean that new businesses might invest in new attractions and facilities such as ten-pin bowling, fast-food outlets, hotels etc. the locals would also benefit from the improved road and rail link as it would be easier and quicker to travel to Carmarthen and places further afield such as Swansea and Cardiff. Another benefit would be the reduction of traffic in the small villages between Cardigan and Carmarthen.
Disadvantages – more tourists would mean more cars leading to traffic problems such as congestion, noise and air pollution and more accidents. More litter and sewage pollution could be further problems which could spoil the local beaches and Cardigan Bay. More tourists could also result in more social problems. E.g. violence, drugs, alcohol related crime and graffiti. In addition the new road and rail link could be detrimental to the environment as valuable farmland may used and plant life and animal habitats disturbed.
Businesses – advantages - the speedier journey between the 2 towns would save time and money for businesses. This would help to attract inward investmentas businesses would see the link as an opportunity to increase income and profits.
Disadvantages – localbusinesses might object to the plan as it would mean more competition and they could lose their traditional customers to new ventures. Also local taxi and coach firms could see trade decline as a result of the new link.
Tourists – advantages – the new links would improve the final stage of their journey which can be time consuming because of numerous bends and narrow roads. They would also benefit if businesses invested in new facilities such as hotels and attractions. The Cardigan might then become more attractive when compared with busier destinations such as Tenby.
Disadvantages – more tourists could result in overcrowding if the area became too popular. This would deter many tourists from the area. The new road and rail link and any other tourism development could destroy parts of the environment which help to attract them in the first place – unspoilt scenery, coastlines without large hotels, peaceful walking areas, varied plant and animal life. This could result in the whole idea backfiring unless it was developed in a sustainable tourism way.
Links:
There are lots of links between the leisure and tourism industries. In fact both industries rely on each other for customers. Examples of links include:
(T) = tourism. (L) = leisure.
- A family travel by car (T) to a visitor attraction, such as Oakwood Theme Park, (L) involves travel and tourism.
- A couple going to the cinema (L), having a meal afterwards (L) and staying in a hotel overnight (T) includes leisure and tourism.
In an exam it could be a good idea for students to use the (L) and (T) notification as it will clearly show that the students understand the link between leisure and tourism and can also differentiate between the two industries.
Task: write three examples similar to the two above.
Another approach is to design a short vocational scenario , similar to the one below, using the student’s local destination to demonstrate understanding. The students would complete the brackets with an (L) or a (T)
Scenario:
Tourists often visit Cardigan and the surrounding area for their main summer holiday. The Harries family, from Tredegar have been visiting for over 10 years. When they visit they make many links between the leisure and tourism industry. First of all they stay in a local caravan park ( ) as the accommodation is cheaper than the local hotels ( ). Having travelled ( ) a long distance the family usually order a take-away ( ) from the local Indian restaurant.
On a nice summer’s day the family visit the local beach as the teenage children like to windsurf ( ). The parents sometimes prefer to walk the coastal path ( ) and have picnic along the way.
On a rainy day the family travel by car ( ) into Cardigan and visit the local tourist information centre ( ) for leaflets and assistance in choosing an indoor activity. The main indoor facility in Cardigan is the Theatr Mwldan ( ) arts complex which offers films, live performances and exhibitions. It also includes a café, restaurant and bar ( ) for people to relax in before or after a performance.
Links in the Cardigan area
Tourists usually travel by car (T) from places like south Wales and London to visit the area. Because of the long journey they may stop for a drink or snack at a service station (L). When they reach their destination they might book into a hotel or some other form of accommodation (T). Whilst on holiday they are likely to visit the local attractions such as Oakwood(T or L) and eat and drink in the local pubs and restaurants (L). if they want to know more about the area they could visit the local TIC (T) to collect some information or advice. If the weather was poor they might decide to go the local cinema (L). Finally, children may want to do something more active such paintballing in Cenarth (L) or mountain biking in the Preselis (L).
Tony Proctor. Principal Examiner. February 2005. NGFL supported project.