Canon Slade School Geography Department Unit 2 Revision Case Studies Tourism

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1 Canon Slade School Geography Department Unit 2 Revision Case Studies Tourism 1

2 Case Study of a UK National Park: the Lake District The Lake District is a national park in Cumbria. Attractions are either physical or human Physical attractions: tourists come to enjoy the stunning glacial landscape e.g. ribbon lakes such as Windermere, and mountains such as Scafell Pike. There are many activities available e.g. bird watching, walking, pony- trekking, boat rides on Windermere and rock climbing. Cultural (human) attractions include visits to the house of William Wordsworth (Dove Cottage in Grasmere) and Beatrix Potter (Hilltop in Hawkshead). Many honey pot sites such as Ambleside or Keswick. Effects of tourism in the Lake District v Traffic problems (queues are common on narrow A roads, car parks fill up easily, people park on grass verges) v Issues in honey pot sites (communities are quiet in the off season, tourists can be noisy near popular areas e.g. Windermere, conflict occurs between different user groups) v Pressure on property (locals cannot afford property prices due to the number of second homes) v Environmental Issues (wash from boating activities cause lake shore erosion, footpath erosion occurs on popular walks e.g. Cat Bells, litter is a problem in popular areas) Strategies are needed to cope with the negative effects of tourism in the Lake District Ø There are signs to remind visitors to take their litter home and covered bins are provided at the most popular sites. Ø Give the driver a break campaign. This encourages people to use improved public transport. People can use bus/ train tickets to get discounts in cafes and on lake cruises too. Ø Timeshare developments e.g. Langdale estate in Ullswater (where people share the ownership of a property, but stay at different times) are to be increased. 2

3 Ø The Glenriding Hotel in Patterdale has a 1 gift donation added to the price of a room which is used to maintain footpaths in Patterdale. Ø Fence off roadsides so people cannot damage grass verges. Concrete slabs with soil- filled holes in them ( waffles ) are used to reinforce car park surfaces Ø Speed limits on lakes have been introduced to reduce conflict and to reduce wave erosion (the speed limit on Windermere is 18kph) Ø Use hard-wearing materials on footpaths or change the route of the path. At Tarn Hows, severely eroded footpaths have been covered in soil and reseeded, and the main route has been graveled to protect it. Ø Signposting routes limits the number of paths people walk on. Ø The Fix the Fells campaign has managed footpath erosion. They have repaired 70 sites at a cost of 3 million between 2007 and Plans are in place to make sure that the Lake District keeps attracting tourists. ü Tourism is encouraged in areas outside of the national park e.g. Furness and Carlisle and ports such as Whitehaven and Barrow have been regenerated. This reduces congestion in existing honey pot sites. ü Hotels use websites such as Late Rooms or the Lake District advertising site Stay in the Lakes ü Large companies such as Center Parcs in Whinfell Forest are encouraged to develop holiday resorts. ü There has been widespread advertising and marketing (e.g. on ITV1) and TV shows have been filmed to show off the Lake District e.g. ITV1 s The Lakes. ü Encourage diversification of farms. Rookin House Farm in Ullswater has an activity center which offers 23 outdoor activities. This encourages younger people to the Lakes. Q: Describe the reasons why tourists are attracted to a UK national park. Q: Using an example of a UK national park, describe the effects of tourism in that area. Q: With reference to an example in the UK, explain how the area is managed so that it can maintain tourist numbers. 3

4 Case Study of a UK coastal resort: Blackpool This is Butler s model. It is a diagram to show how the numbers of tourists in a location can change over time, and that resorts may have a finite life span. Exploration stage (1) Factory workers from Manchester and Liverpool visit for day trips (early 1800s) Visits to seaside become fashionable for Victorian wealthy people Involvement stage (2) Railway built to Blackpool (1840s) One-week factory holiday began due to growth in number of hotels (late 1800s) Development stage (3) Post war boom in tourism Consolidation stage (4) Personal wealth and paid holidays increased (1950s) A large amount of new piers, promenades, big hotels and the Tower were in place. Stagnation stage (5) Growth of the package holiday abroad. Negative image in the media e.g. Blackpool became famous for stag and hen do s. Many attractions become tired and out- dated Some B&Bs were offering rooms for as little as 10 a night. Average hotel occupancy fell as low as 25%. Rejuvenation stage (6) Blackpool searches for alternative ways to attract people How has Blackpool tried to maintain the tourist industry? ü Promenades have been regenerated and beaches have been cleaned up (in 2006, 3 met the EU s Blue Flag standard) ü 10 million has been spent improving the Illuminations after years of always being the same. ü Off season events such as conferences (in the new Hilton hotel) and festivals are promoted ü There are winter and summer attractions e.g. Pleasure Beach and Water World 4

5 ü Plans to make more covered walkways around the shops and shopping centres e.g. Houndshill ü Expansion of Blackpool International Airport. ü Refurbishment of the Winter gardens to increase seating capacity. It held the Royal Variety performance. ü Development of Nickelodeon Land at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (attracts families with young children). Q: Describe how a UK coastal resort may become less popular over time. Q: Describe how UK coastal resorts try to maintain the tourism industry. Case Study of an extreme environment that attracts tourists: Antarctica Attractions The number of tourists visiting Antarctica is rising e.g. there were 7,413 in the 1996/7 season, but 46,000 in the 2007/8 season. Tourists are attracted to the stunning scenery (e.g. icebergs) and the wildlife (e.g. penguins and whales). Some tourists want to walk to the South Pole (e.g. historical association of Captain Scott). Environmental impacts Antarctica is very cold and doesn t get much sunshine in winter so the land ecosystems are very fragile- it takes a long time for them to recover from damage. Tourists can trample plants, disturb wildlife and drop litter. There are fears that tourists would accidently introduce non- native species or diseases that could wipe out existing species. The sea ecosystem is also delicately balanced. This means that tourists can have a massive impact on the environment there. Spillage of fuel from ships is also a worry, especially after the sinking of the cruise ship MS Explorer in Fuel spills kill molluscs (e.g. mussels) and fish, as well as the birds that feed on them (e.g. penguins) There are measures in place to protect Antarctica 1 The Antarctic Treaty- an international agreement that came into force in 1961 and has been signed by 47 countries. Designed to protect and conserve the area and its animal and plant life. 5

Main Features: ü There are only 58 ships registered with the IATTO ü In April 2009, the parties involved with the Antarctic Treaty agreed to introduce new limits on tourism in Antarctica- only ships

6 Main Features: ü There are only 58 ships registered with the IATTO ü In April 2009, the parties involved with the Antarctic Treaty agreed to introduce new limits on tourism in Antarctica- only ships with fewer than 500 passengers are allowed to land there and a maximum of 100 passengers are allowed on shore at a time. ü Tourists can only land at a certain place and there must not be more than 20 people at one spot at a time. ü Tourists approach the shore using inflatable crafts or helicopters. Visits ashore last approximately 1-3 hours. 2 The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) Main Features: There is a Code of Conduct. The code is voluntary, but most operators in the area stick to it. The rules are: ü Specially protected areas are off limits to tourists (tourists are supervised by qualified guides so that people will not go in no- go areas) ü Wildlife must not be disturbed when being observed e.g. when whale watching boats should approach slowly and keep their distance. ü No litter can be left behind and there is no smoking during shore landings. ü Tourists must not walk on fragile plant life. ü Sewage must be treated biologically and other waste stored on board the ships. Q: Name an extreme environment that is becoming popular with tourists. Q: Describe the environmental impacts of tourism in the area. Q: Using a named example, describe how extreme environments are protected from the effects of tourism. Case Study of an established tropical area that attracts mass tourism: Kenya Mass tourism is organised tourism for large numbers of people. Attractions: Kenya is in East Africa. It gets over 700,000 visitors per year. The main reasons why people visit are: Tribal cultures e.g. Masai Safaris to see the Big Five (Rhino, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard) in game parks such as Masai Mara or Amboseli Warm climate (approx C all year round) 6

White sand beaches at Mombassa (where many tourists go to snorkel in the Indian Ocean to see the corals) Impacts Economic Impacts Positive Tourism contributes 15% of the country s gross national

7 White sand beaches at Mombassa (where many tourists go to snorkel in the Indian Ocean to see the corals) Impacts Economic Impacts Positive Tourism contributes 15% of the country s gross national product. In 2003, around 219, 000 people worked in the tourist industry. Social Impacts The culture and customs of the native Masai tribe are preserved because things like traditional dancing are often displayed for tourists. Environmental Impacts There are 23 national parks in Kenya e.g. Masai Mara national park. The money that tourists pay as entry fees can be used to help protect wildlife. Negative Only 15% of the money earned through tourism goes to locals. The rest goes to big companies. Some Masai tribespeople were forced off their land to create national parks for tourists. Safari vehicles have destroyed vegetation and caused soil erosion. Wild animals have been affected e.g. tourist buses driving too close. Coral reefs in the Indian Ocean have been damaged by tourist boast anchoring. Ways in which Kenya is trying to reduce the negative impacts of tourism Diversify the country s tourist product range e.g. encourage trekking near Mt Kenya. Walking or horseback tours are being promoted over vehicle safari Keep local control of the developments and use local services and supplies where possible. Floating buoys have been placed in popular diving spots for boats to hook on to Ways in which Kenya is trying to maintain tourism Kenya Wildlife Service is planning to spend 8 million improving roads, bridges and airstrips to make more places accessible to tourists e.g. Ruma National Park and Mount Elgon National Park. Visa fees for adults were cut by 50% and scrapped for under 16s 7

Kenya s tourist board and ministry of tourism have launched an advertising campaign in Russia called Magical Kenya Q: Name a tropical tourist area that has mass tourism.

8 Kenya s tourist board and ministry of tourism have launched an advertising campaign in Russia called Magical Kenya Q: Name a tropical tourist area that has mass tourism. Q: Describe what makes this area such a popular tourist destination. Q: Describe the negative impacts of mass tourism in an area that you have studied. Q: Using a named example, describe how the importance of mass tourism is being maintained in an area. Case study of the benefits of ecotourism in an area: Eselenkei Conservation Area, Kenya Ecotourism is tourism that doesn t damage the environment. It is usually small- scale with only small numbers of visitors going to an area at a time. Benefits for local people The Masai receive rent for the land from the tour operators Masai tribespeople are permanently employed as game keepers 10% of the conservation area has been designated as a private reserve for the Masai Economic benefits Porini ecotourism, who runs the area, is a Kenyan owned company The Masai can also make money by selling local crafts Environmental benefits Tourist numbers are limited at 8 per day Tourists stay in light coloured tents Mini-buses have to be at least 25 metres away from the animals Profits are used for animal husbandry 50km of game- viewing tracks have been built and 15 people are employed to maintain them Solar energy provides electricity for the camp. How does ecotourism contribute to sustainable development? 8

9 ü The development of ecotourism allows the local people to make use of their traditional skills to build accommodation so that they are earning money. ü The jobs that local people do, do not harm the environment e.g. the Masai employed as game keepers reducing poaching of animals. ü The sympathetic development of infrastructure such as roads is useful to the local community as well as the tourists. ü Money from ecotourism helps areas develop by increasing the quality of life for people- the profits from ecotourism can be used to build schools or healthcare facilities. Q: Define ecotourism. Q: Using a named example, describe how ecotourism benefits the environment of an area. Q: Using a named example, describe how ecotourism contributes to sustainable development in an area. 9

Internet= easy to book and cheaper. More disposable income. Reasons. More paid holidays than in the past

Internet= easy to book and cheaper More disposable income Reasons Cheaper travel (particularly air travel) More paid holidays than in the past The number of international tourist arrivals has risen from