But what if we all had this attitude?
Is tourism and leisure a right? Should it be limited due to its carbon and ecological footprint? Is tourism a positive or negative influence upon societies? How can we measure the full environmental impact of tourism, from billions of flights a year to the extraction, production and consumption of a bottle of Coke? |
TASK
In small groups, discuss the most exotic holiday or trip that you have taken.
Mind map the full range of resources and impacts that your trips needed and created: transport, fuel, water, food, concrete, energy, materials, vegetation, etc.
In small groups, discuss the most exotic holiday or trip that you have taken.
Mind map the full range of resources and impacts that your trips needed and created: transport, fuel, water, food, concrete, energy, materials, vegetation, etc.
TASK
Read the paragraph below explaining the rise of the tourist industry and answer the questions that follow.
Read the paragraph below explaining the rise of the tourist industry and answer the questions that follow.
Tourism has been around for thousands of years. It began with the ancient Greeks travelled to festivals and sites, such as Delphi and the olympics, and when wealthy citizens of ancient Rome, deciding they would rather spend their summers away from the city, took trips to the countryside and the coast.
A tourist industry soon sprang up to cater for the Romans’ travel and accommodation needs, and for a while it thrived. But Roman tourism ended with its empire, and for hundreds of years the turbulent economic, social and military situation in Europe made frequent, safe travel out of the question.
During the medieval era, however, tourism again appeared thanks to a growing interest in pilgrimages. The organisers arranged the tourism basics of itineraries and places to eat and sleep. And from records such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, it’s evident that many pilgrims were keen to relax and enjoy themselves as well as visit a holy shrine. In fact it’s from the Old English word hāligdæg (holy day) that “holiday” derives.
Straightforward leisure tourism took hold when industrialisation across Europe gave rise to an affluent middle class with an increasing amount of free time. Entrepreneurs started to build tourist hotels with an infrastructure of roads, carriages and ferries. Tourism began to take shape as an international industry.
The industry was popular and steadily successful from the early nineteenth century. But for the most part, it was expensive and limited to a small number of locations. Then everything suddenly changed. In the 1960s, a growing number of people had disposable incomes, and with this extra money came a desire for a different lifestyle. At the same time, reasonably-priced commercial aircraft were able to carry passengers to and from any airport in the world.
The industry was popular and steadily successful from the early nineteenth century. But for the most part, it was expensive and limited to a small number of locations. Then everything suddenly changed. In the 1960s, a growing number of people had disposable incomes, and with this extra money came a desire for a different lifestyle. At the same time, reasonably-priced commercial aircraft were able to carry passengers to and from any airport in the world.
Mass tourism had arrived, and with it there came an extraordinary growth in facilities. Fishing villages on the southern coast of Spain, for instance, became resorts that were household names. Elsewhere, business people capitalised on the demand for tourist attractions and constructed leisure and theme parks.
|
|
The driving force behind these rapid developments was cash. In 2006, the international tourism receipts for the three most popular destinations – France, Spain and the United States – totalled $179.7 billion. The number of visitors who contributed this sum was 188.7 million. Tourism has become the largest industry on the planet and every country wants a piece of the action, from the mass beach tourism of Spain, to the niche eco-tourism of Costa Rica.
With figures such as these, many countries around the globe work hard to encourage travellers to visit them. The result in recent years is the boom in long haul flights to destinations that can supply tourists with sun almost every week of the year.
With figures such as these, many countries around the globe work hard to encourage travellers to visit them. The result in recent years is the boom in long haul flights to destinations that can supply tourists with sun almost every week of the year.
Unfortunately, it’s this scramble to grab a share of the tourist industry that is sometimes damaging environments unable to sustain large numbers of visitors. There are also concerns about the pollution generated by the ever-rising volume of tourist flights, cruise ships and road traffic. And on top of these problems are increasing fuel costs; the demise of established resorts that have over-expanded; fluctuating exchange rates for currencies; and the credit crunch.
TASK
1. Why wasn't tourism an environmental and social problem before the industrial age?
2. Research and state a definition for "mass tourism". Name, locate and describe one example of mass tourism.
3. Suggest one political, one economic, one technological and one social reason for the dramatic rise of tourism in the last 50 years.
4. Explain the main problems linked to increasing tourist numbers.
5. Using the photographs of Benidorm and Marbella above, describe the changing environmental impacts upon the areas shown.
1. Why wasn't tourism an environmental and social problem before the industrial age?
2. Research and state a definition for "mass tourism". Name, locate and describe one example of mass tourism.
3. Suggest one political, one economic, one technological and one social reason for the dramatic rise of tourism in the last 50 years.
4. Explain the main problems linked to increasing tourist numbers.
5. Using the photographs of Benidorm and Marbella above, describe the changing environmental impacts upon the areas shown.
What are the key problems with modern tourism?
Basically, it's the numbers. Too many people taking too many trips to too many places. But is that the full picture? Clearly not. We must try and break the issue down into its distinct parts; CO2 emissions, air, water and land pollution, water use (including virtual water), land use, loss of habitat, transportation infrastructure, waste and sewage, noise and light pollution, among many more.
For example, an average golf course in a tropical country uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers. It also uses 1500 kilos of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides per year.
For example, an average golf course in a tropical country uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers. It also uses 1500 kilos of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides per year.
TASK
5. Describe the trends in global tourist arrivals shown in the graph. Use data in your answer.
6. Explain why tourism has increased so significantly since 1950.
7. Estimate the percentage numbers of tourists visiting Europe and the Americas compared to the rest of the world.
8. Suggest why the popularity of Asia and the Pacific has increased in recent years.
9. Using the graphical trends, estimate a valid scenario for our tourism futures in the 21st Century.
5. Describe the trends in global tourist arrivals shown in the graph. Use data in your answer.
6. Explain why tourism has increased so significantly since 1950.
7. Estimate the percentage numbers of tourists visiting Europe and the Americas compared to the rest of the world.
8. Suggest why the popularity of Asia and the Pacific has increased in recent years.
9. Using the graphical trends, estimate a valid scenario for our tourism futures in the 21st Century.
TASK
Watch the video on overtourism above. Make notes upon the key ideas presented.
Select a location that is experiencing high levels of tourist stress and create a brief class presentation that shows understanding of the causes and impacts of the locations popularity. Concentrate upon some of the specific environmental and social stresses being experienced. Here are some examples below.
Watch the video on overtourism above. Make notes upon the key ideas presented.
Select a location that is experiencing high levels of tourist stress and create a brief class presentation that shows understanding of the causes and impacts of the locations popularity. Concentrate upon some of the specific environmental and social stresses being experienced. Here are some examples below.
Link to full article and access to further links and detail here. |
|
|
|
TASK - Formative assessment
Use the content from the 2 articles above, and some of the previous information and sources in the unit, to create an infographic about the causes and consequences of the increasing damage and problems created by the tourist industry.
This is a large topic, so narrow your focus to a specific area or location. Alternatively, you could focus on selected causes and consequences that you believe are the most significant.
Include:
Follow the guidance and instructions below to create your infographic.
Use the content from the 2 articles above, and some of the previous information and sources in the unit, to create an infographic about the causes and consequences of the increasing damage and problems created by the tourist industry.
This is a large topic, so narrow your focus to a specific area or location. Alternatively, you could focus on selected causes and consequences that you believe are the most significant.
Include:
- Data
- Maps
- Locations
- Political
- Economic
- Social
- Environmental
Follow the guidance and instructions below to create your infographic.
Below you will find links to templates and data.
|
|
|