Tourism & Hospitality Geography

The Geography of Resources for Tourism

Objectives Appreciate the nature of resources for tourism.

Distinguish the methods used to classify and evaluate resources for tourism.

Outline the main factors favoring the development of tourist resources.

Understand the way that destinations evolve.

Appreciate the need for tourism planning and sustainable development.

Resources for Tourism

3 characteristics of tourism resources; Tourist resources is normally taken to refer to

tangible objects. Tourist resources are not used solely by

tourists. Tourist resources are perishable.

Planning for Tourism Resources

Tourism brought economic benefits of employment, income and development.

Economic imperative overlooked the environmental social and cultural consequences.

Tourism planning evolved from an inflexible, physical planning approach to a flexible process which seeks to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of tourism.

Continued..

Tourism planning; Is based on sound research Involves local community in setting goals and priorities Is implemented by the public sector in partnership with

the private sector

Key concept to tourism planning is; Carrying Capacity.Carrying Capacity.

• Planner determine the level of use that can be sustained by a tourist resource and manage to that level.

Carrying Capacity

It refers to the ability of a destination to take tourism use without deteriorating in some way.

Mathieson and Wall (1982);“The maximum number of people who can use a site without unacceptable alteration in the physical environment and without an unacceptable decline in the quality of experience gained by visitors.”

Continued..

Different types of carrying capacity: From the point of view of the resource

• Physical carrying capacity• Refers to number of facilities

• Environmental or biological carrying capacity• Limits of use in the ecosystem

From the point of view of the visitor• Psychological or behavioral carrying capacity

• The point at which the visitor feels that additional tourist would spoil their experience

From the point of view of the host community• Social carrying capacity

• The ability of the host community to tolerate tourism

Tourism Resources at the World Scale

Physical features Mountains More gently slopping hill lands Elevated plateaus

(land above surface) Lowland plains

Cultural features Cultural differences across the world in terms of

language, art, festivals, folklore, handicrafts, food, music and the way of life of different peoples

Tourist Resources at the National Scale

Classification of resources for tourism Natural Human-made Human-made and purpose-built Special events

A broader view of the tourism resource base User-oriented areas of highly intensive development close to

population centers Resource-based areas where the type of resource

determines the use of the area An intermediate category, where access is the determining

factor

Continued..

Evaluation of resources for tourism Measurement of the suitability of the resource base to

support different forms of tourism. Problem- to include the varied requirements of different

users.

The tourism product Attractions, accessibility, amenities and ancillary

services, combined to provide tourism product.

Tourist Resources at the Local Scale

Private sector (banks) Public sector

Central government State-funded organization

Voluntary sector

-non profit making organizations (initiative) Local community

The Tourist Area Life Cycle

Exploration Small # of adventurous tourists, un-spoilt nature and cultural features

Involvement Local initiatives provide facilities and advertising ensues. Large # of visitors. Tourist season & public sector involvement.

Development Large # of visitors. Control passed to national & international companies. Change in image and overuse may begin.

Consolidation Destination is fully-fledged part of the tourist industry. The rate of increase of visitors is reducing. Recreational business emerged.

Stagnation Peak visitor number. The destination is unfashionable with environmental, social and economic problems. Promotional efforts needed.

Decline Visitors visit new places. Destination depends on a smaller geographical catchments and repeat visit.

Rejuvenation The authorities attempt to “re-launch” the destination by providing new facilities, attracting new markets and re-investing.

Conclusion

Developed tourist resources are cultural appraisals, considered by society to be of economic value.

Tourism planning for resources become vital as it could minimize the cost of tourism and to maintain integrity of the resource base.