Tourism

February 5th, 2023

At the Edge of the Earth

Below the snowline is a treeless zone of alpine pastures that have for generations been used for the summer grazing of goats and cattle. Agriculture is confined to the valleys and foothills, with fruit growing and viticulture on some sunny slopes.

Further down the mountin normal plants still cannot grow only plants that are adapted to the cold are able to grow. Forests of the pine trees grow higher up the mountain where it is colder. Forest of broad-leaved trees and a wide range of other vegetation grow at the base of the mountain.

Typically in mountain ranges it is high on the mountaintop. It is so cold that plants cannot grow here. There is only snow and bare rock. Summit regions above 3000 m (about 9800 ft) are glaciated. Peaks and crests, however, rise above the ice, displaying jagged shapes (tooth like horns, needles, and knife-edged ridges). About 2 % of the total area of the Alps is covered in ice. The longest valley glacier, the aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps, is 18 km (11ml) long.

My great grandfather used to be a farmer but nowadays people in this area are no longer relaying on agriculture. Now people tend to work in the tourist industry and farmland has been give up to build ski slopes and lodges. Older people feel that the area has lost its natural beauty but most of their income comes from the tourist industry.

Oak, hornbeam, and pie trees dominate the warm foothill zones, and sheltered valleys opening onto the Upper Italian Lakes abound with subtropical vegetation. A region of beech forests encompasses the cooler zone and grades at higher elevations into the fir and spruce belt. Mountain maple, spruce, and larch extend to the timberline.

Living in mountainous regions can bring problems with individual isolated areas separated by mountains and rivers. In past times communications would have been a problem but since 1981 tunnels have been built linking areas. Higher areas in Fold Mountains like the Alps are not available to live because of the jagged ice and it is to cold. Traditionally the economy has relayed on farming and forestry. Alpine pastures have been used for grazing goats and cattle below the snow line.

Life has however changed in the Alps tourism has brought with it both benefits and problems.

50 million people visit the Alps every year. The attraction is mainly winter ski-ing. To cater for all these people forests have to be mown down to make room for the ski slopes and lodges for people o stay in.

Effects of tourism include erosion and acid rain from the many vehicles. Areas of this nature are prone to avalanches.

Benefits and problems can also be seen with the tunnels. There have been numerous accidents in the tunnels. Recently two trucks collided and exploded in the St. Gothard tunnel as a result a hundred people are missing. Long alpine tunnels are crucial in modern living but accidents have left officials questioning them.

A distinctive Alpine pastoral economy that evolved through the centuries has been modified since the 19th century by industry based on indigenous raw materials, such as the industries in the Mur and Murz valleys of the southern Austria that used iron ore from deposits near Eisenerz. Hydroelectric power development at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, often involving many different watersheds, led to the establishment in the lower valleys of electricity-dependent industries, manufacturing such products as aluminium, chemicals, and specialty steels.

Tourism, which began in the 19th century in a modest way, has become, since the end of World War II, a mass phenomenon. Thus, the Alps have become a summer and winter playground for millions of European urban dwellers and annually attract tourists from around the world. Because of this enormous human impact on a fragile and ecological environment, the Alps are the most threatened mountain system in the world.

The first of the great tunnels through the Alps, the Mount Cenis tunnel between France and Italy, was built between 1857 and 1870 and opened in 1871. The St Gotthard line, with its spiral tunnel approaches at Goschenen, was built between 1872 and 1882. The Arlberg tunnel in the southwest Austria, connecting Vorarlberg with the Tyrol, dates from 1884, and the Simplon rail tunnel, the longest in the world, was built between 1898 and 1906. Construction of a new St Gotthard rail link began in 1990 with a 20-year completion schedule.

Swift road travel between Italy and Germany became possible during World War II, when the totalitarian regimes of these countries linked their new motorway networks over the Fern and Brenner passes. The road tunnel under Mont Blanc was opened in 1965. Many truck roads now cross the Alps, such as the main motorway route from Switzerland to Italy, which runs from Zurich past the Walensee and the town of Chur.

Causes:

* Heavy snowfall compressing and adding weight to the earlier falls, especially on windward slopes.

* Steep slopes of over 25 degrees where stability is reduced and friction is more easily overcome.

* A sudden increase in temperature, especially on the south-facing slopes and, in the Alps, under fohn wind conditions.

* Heavy rain falling upon snow (more likely in Scotland than in the Alps)

* Deforestation, partly for new ski runs, which reduces slope stability.

* Vibrations triggered by off-piste skiers, any nearby traffic and more dangerously, earth movements.

* Very long, cold, dry winters followed by heavy snowfalls in spring. Under theses conditions, earlier falls of snow will turn into ice over which later falls will slide (some local people perceive this to pose the greatest avalanche risk).

Consequences:

Avalanches can block roads and railways, cut off power supplies and telecommunications and, under extreme conditions, destroy buildings and cause loss of life. Between 1980 and 1991 there were, in Alpine Europe alone 1210-recorded deaths.

February 5th, 2023

Is Eco-tourism the way forward for countries such as Ecuador?

The Republic of Ecuador is located on the Western Hemisphere, on the northeastern corner of South America. The neighbouring countries are: Colombia in the North and Peru in the South. Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in Latin America (roughly same size as Britain). Despite its size, Ecuador offers great variety of places to visit, many different cultures, and many activities to enjoy such as nature tours, mountain climbing above 6000 meters, paragliding, white water rafting, or scuba diving.

Ecuador overall has a population of 11 million people, with an annual population growth rate of 3%. Ecuador formerly is a developing nation, evidence that can be used to establish this is for starters the GNP level is depleted being $3,000 (2001), when compared to a country such as USA $36,300 (2001) or UK $24,700 (2001) it shows that Ecuador is a developing country. The diagram on the next page shows the GNP level through the years passed for Ecuador.

Other aspects that show that Ecuador is a developing are the birth rate and the infant mortality rate. The infant mortality rate of Ecuador reaches up to 30.69% in comparison to United Kingdom’s infant mortality rate, which is 5.78%. This already shows that there are much more babies dieing per 1000 live births in Ecuador than UK, which then leads to showing that there are more diseases and unhygienic living conditions. The life expectance of Ecuador initially is 69.54 for males and 74.90 for females, saying that, the life expectance in UK a developed country is 74.73 for males and 80.15 for females. There are over 50 % of Ecuadorians living in poor conditions. All these factors prove that Ecuador is still a developing country.

Being a LEDC, Ecuador has many concerns for convalescing living conditions and improving the economy. Therefore Ecuador’s main concern is money. The most comfortable way is TOURISM, there are however other ways for getting money such as labour work, but since Ecuador has beautiful sceneries and plenty of attractions tourism will be the fastest and the easiest way of bringing in money into the country. Earning more money would help the country improve the economy which then can improve and create jobs for the unemployed, it will also help build more schools and hospitals which would help the country on the whole and generally improve amenities.

Commercial Tourism

Many LEDC’s promote tourism for money. Tourism is a huge industry that can support many different types of jobs. This would be beneficial for the people who are unemployed, they can take up jobs such as shopkeepers in fairs in order for tourists to buy souvenirs, and other jobs can include cleaners. Tourism generates “easy money” as tourists will be coming to see your culture and your traditions and also enjoy the many facilities such as sight seeing or enjoying themselves on beaches. It basically does not include much hard work for the indigenous people. Since tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, more and more people are spending more money on tourism each year, travelling abroad etc. Many countries such as Jamaica, Kenya or India are all starting to invest and become familiar with tourism. Most of the LEDC’s are becoming increasingly popular with tourists coming to see different cultures or to relax and enjoy the wildlife, which are only to be found in LEDC’s.

Ecuador is the perfect place for tourists interested in the outdoors and nature activities. Fine colonial architecture, rain forest trips, Inca treasures and the Andes are among Ecuador’s top attractions. The main reason people will go to Ecuador for a holiday is that it is “a land of contrasts you will never forget, Ecuador is divided by nature, yet solidly held together by a common cultural heritage. It is a four-in-one deal offering an awesome wealth of cultural and natural diversity; trek through the Andes, swim along a tropical coast, and explore the mysteries of the jungle and the Galapagos Islands, all in one trip!”

Tourism not only provides many different jobs, but it also helps areas that are particularly spoilt to start to improve and develop. Money is invested into the local areas; services are improved such as hospitals and schools. From tourism the local transport system improves tremendously, which would benefit the local indigenous people and also tourists. As you can see, this (commercial) type of tourism can help a country economically and also help the indigenous people. While “Commercial tourism” looks to be perfect in all ways, it also has many disadvantages, some of which discourage LEDC’s to take on commercial tourism.

These disadvantages include social problems, for instance when western tourists offend local people or various religious groups within the society because of their style of dress or even when their behaviour seems different it discourages these local people to stop working with tourism.

There can also be environmental problems, when natural environments and landscapes are damaged; from tourists for example coastal areas and seaside resorts are completely altered from rubbish from the tourists. Rivers and seas are increasingly polluted from the tourists throwing things such as wrappers and rubbish, which again effects the environment negatively.

Mainly the government would be in favour for this type of tourism but only to an extent. Other wise the indigenous and the more environmental friendly people would be against this type of tourism. The main risks commercial tourism and also any other type of tourism is that a country may not be as “popular” as time passes, it will become less interesting to holiday makers and with the same leisure activities each year, it would start to become boring to people.

From all the disadvantages LEDC’s are being discouraged constantly from the fear of their natural environment being destroyed by tourists. Therefore more and more LEDC’s have started to familiarise them selves with another type of tourism, ECO-TOURISM.

Eco-Tourism

Eco-tourism comes from a concern about the natural ecosystems of places and from a concern that the local ways of life and the environment or wildlife can be damaged or destroyed by commercial tourism. As commercial tourism has extensive negative effects on the beaches, local cultures and the environment, the idea of developing eco-tourism is to encourage smaller scale developments with visitor coming and staying with the indigenous people and learning about the environment. This type of tourism also supports the idea that holidaymakers will spend time learning about the wildlife and the environment. It can also include bird watching and sight seeing. The main scheme of eco-tourism is to make tourism less damaging and more in tune with the environment.

The main obvious advantage of eco-tourism is that it helps the environment enormously and also the wildlife. The other advantage of eco-tourism is that the money made would go straight to the actual indigenous population by small groups performing in front of tourists or acting like guides. The Quicha people are able to use their expert knowledge of the plants and animals of the forest as the basis of tours, which again will bring money straight to the people them selves. It is also an advantage as it would make the indigenous people more self-dependent and this would mean they would work for themselves. In contrast to commercial tourism where the local people have to take up jobs such as cleaners in order to get money and sometimes they are not being paid fairly. The profits that are earned from the eco-tourism are invested to improve the community and public issues such as schools and hospitals or health centres. This type o tourism also makes the people feel they are in the community and they are working together, “it makes the community stronger”

There would also be less crime because most of the crime came from children stealing things of the tourists in commercial tourism, but since the indigenous people are more intact with the eco-tourists there would be less crime.

While being many advantages, there are also a few disadvantages. But none of which include environmental or social issues but instead include economical issues.

These economical issues would include the lack of tourists interested actually in eco-tourism. Again most people would rather spend their money to go abroad to places where they can relax on beaches, enjoy parades and basically leave their troubles behind, there would not be that many people interested in learning about the environment and the wildlife, and because of the lack of tourists going to the eco-tourism countries there would be a lack of jobs and more people unemployed since most of the indigenous people will be depending on the tourists so they could give tours. The other main disadvantage apart from the lack of tourists is that the country will just be depending on the tourism and when that starts to decrease, the country as a whole will start to be more and more less developed.

Views of the local people

Different people in the village would be thinking different things. The main thing on there minds will be to be in favour of eco-tourism as they will not be up for commercial tourism as that can damage the rainforest, some people even believe that commercial tourism could not bring enough jobs and if it does it would be jobs such as cutting down tree’s which is against the culture and traditions.

The village leader wants the village to stay together and prosper. However he is completely against commercial tourism. This is because the last time that tourist had come into the village they had paid the villagers little money and also they did not respect the villagers in a proper manner. The village leader is also not sure about the eco-tourism scheme, as he is worried it would have the same effect as commercial tourism, which was poor.

Local development worker in contrast to the village leader believes that eco-tourism is the right way forward. The local development worker has helped villages around the area and has seen it work; therefore she believes that eco-tourism will work in this village.

As you can see we can understand why different people will differ in their views for or against eco-tourism, for instance the village only wants the village to grow and develop through, he does not understand the facts of what eco-tourism can do because of the fear of what he had suffered when the tourist exploited their village and did not respect any of the villagers. On the other hand the local development worker believe that the village can develop very easily if they allow eco-tourism, her main argument against the village leader could be that she has seen other villages develop through eco-tourism and it can happen to this village as well.

Evaluation

After analysing both commercial and eco-tourism, I have found many advantages and disadvantages of both. Commercial tourism will destroy the land and the wildlife will get hurt and the indigenous people are sometimes not respected. On the other hand commercial tourism does bring more money into the country not necessarily straight to the local people and also more people are interested in commercial tourism.

However the eco-tourism protects the wildlife and keeps the land clean and unpolluted. It also helps the indigenous people feel they are dependent and part of a strong community, but eco-tourism having the environmental and social advantages, it has a flaw, there is an economical disadvantage which is, it brings in less money and in most cases most tourists would go to a commercial tourism country as it would be more pleasurable.

The final question really is “Is eco-tourism the way forward for countries such as Ecuador?”

After going through all the advantages and disadvantages and what the indigenous people think, my answer would be, yes eco-tourism is the way forward for countries such as Ecuador. I have decided this because, it helps the environment without destroying it, it does not hurt the wildlife in anyway, and it also brings in a reasonable amount of money straight to the indigenous people. However these all are very important factors on why I have chosen eco-tourism, but there is one more imperative factor which I think is vital, it is that the Quichua tribe are happy with it, they believe eco-tourism is the way forward, it does not destroy their environment and the wildlife are safe and the Quichua people are satisfied in occupying jobs such as tour guides.

The main argument I would believe which is against eco-tourism is the economical problem; people believe that eco-tourism will bring in less money than commercial tourism. However the way I see it, I believe that every industry when it starts of in the beginning has less people, in spite of this there are small groups going to countries that follow the eco-tourism scheme and slowly that group will be expanding as people will be telling others about their holiday and slowly the eco-tourism industry will begin to rise.

February 5th, 2023

The Bahamas and Global Leadership

The Bahamas aspired to global leadership and recognition as a “Center of Excellence” in the delivery of services. Excellence is not a skill it is an attitude. Explain what you think this means, providing examples.

The Bahamas has aspired to global leadership and recognition as a center of excellence in the delivery of services. Aspirations of global leadership cannot be accomplished without excellence. In order to be a leader globally you need dedication, commitment and you need to be excellent in every aspect of your job.

Since tourism is a major industry in the Bahamas, we have to be diverse and able to deliver the services we offer with class and pride. If we want a strong continuity of tourism we must provide the services that we have to the tourist with quality, distinction and superiority. For example, seeing as we provide beautiful beaches to our tourists, we cannot leave the beach unclean or polluted. We must keep the beaches clean so that more tourists would want to come back to our country.

We also have to keep in mind that even though out country is very unique from other places, we are still in competition with them, if we don’t provide exceptional services then our tourists will go to places that do provide exceptional services.

How our delivery of services is received by the tourist will determine whether the tourism industry will have a major effect on our economy.

Excellence can have a number of meanings, it can be defined as (1) the quality or state of being outstanding and superior or (2) a feature in which somebody or something is superior and outstanding or (3) something in which something or someone excels. In other words excellence can be said to be the state or quality of excelling. It is superiority, or the state of being good to a high degree. Excellence is considered to be a value by many organizations, in particular by schools and other institutions of education, and a goal to be pursued.

The pursuit of excellence is not to be a quest for superiority, and is not about competition, which is usually done for one’s own glory or significance or for the praise or applause of men. Excellence means being your best,being better tomorrow than you were yesterday and matching your practice with your potential.

It can be said that excellence is not a skill but an attitude bcause a skill is an ability, usually learned and acquired through training, to perform actions and an attitude is a personal view of something, an opinion or general feeling about something. Excellence cannot be learned or acquired through training. A parent or teacher cannot teach a child to be excellent; he or she can only teach that child to have an attitude of excellency or to have a positive mindset of being excellent.

If someone has a strong personal view of being excellent then that person has a greater chance of succeeding in that endeavor. There is a greater chance of experiencing Excellency because if you have a positive outlook on life and you believe that excellence is an attitude that starts on the inside you will never fail. Everything starts out as a seed that grows from the inside. Excellency is the attitude that starts on the inside of a person.

February 5th, 2023

Tourism has a great impact on environments, communities and economies

According to publicity, the holiday complex at Carlyon Bay will be “a dazzling jewel, likely to become one of Europe’s most glamorous seaside destinations”.

The proposed site at Carlyon Bay, Cornwall, near Fowey would bring new jobs, businesses and more people to the area, leading to the multiplier effect, yet would destroy a fragile environment and beautiful scenery.

The planned site would consist of 500 holiday homes, hotels, shops, bars and restaurants to the already popular holiday destination.

Local council people are concerned the development will put too much pressure on local roads, amenities and would prove a severe loss of a well-liked mile long beach.

Peter Browning, spokesman for the Carlyon Bay Watch, opposing the development said, ” The development is just wholly inappropriate for the area. Not only will it damage the environment it will double the size of the community and put huge stress on the infrastructure. One person’s dream house is another person’s nightmare.”

The planning permission for the 511 homes was granted in the late 1980s and the Ampersand Group bought the site, which stretches from the top of the cliffs high watermark, last year.

Ampersand claim the project will be “ecologically imaginative” and have a “flowing design”, it is also said to “blend in”.

Cornwall wildlife trust wants an environmental impact assessment to be carried out

as the site has rare plants – heath milkwort, bell heather and eye bright yet Anderson argues it bought the planning permission before this was necessary.

Although Ampersand claim the project would be beneficial to the area, creating 600 jobs, the area is already high in employment and the planned development could discourage some people from visiting as it would ruin the serenity of the area.

One local resident was reported to say “these types of development have more in common with third world countries where there are secure enclaves for the rich, with little or no benefit for the local population- there will come a time when we will only be able to walk along the coastal footpath and look down on the beach from afar”.

Carlyon Bay is also a 1995 Seaside Award Winner, winning points for its cleanliness on land and sea, and for its excellent facilities, coupled together with safe bathing, water sports, and trouble-free leisure, it is already a popular and amply developed site in many eyes.

Clive Kessel vice chairman of the Restormel regeneration partnership said the development could bring money into an area that has suffered economic hardship. He denied that the development would harm the environment and dismissed concerns about access, he conceded that it would have an impact on local infrastructures but said work would be done to improve local roads and people would be encouraged to use public transport to get there.

Other developments of tourism in the UK have been successful. In Bournemouth for example, where the tourism development have been very successful.

Bournemouth’s economy has been built upon tourism and with nearly two million staying visitors and over four and a half million day visitors every year, Bournemouth is a top international resort and the tourist industry is vital to the towns economy.

In 1995 tourism generated ï¿½479 million of expenditure directly and also indirectly therefore supporting 16400 jobs. Direct tourism spent in Bournemouth accounts for 11% of that for the entire southern region. Tourism has also had a multiplier effect in Bournemouth bringing in retail, leisure and entertainment industries.

Although this type of industry is appealing to Carlyon Bay, it is unrealistic. Carlyon Bay is not the same size as Bournemouth and does not have the same accessibility. It also has a very seasonal tourist industry.

Although many people in Cornwall are against the development, Malcolm Bell, Executive chair of the local tourist board, southwest tourism, said it would create jobs and hopefully bring in tourists all year although he didn’t want to see similar developments springing up on other Cornish beaches. The council are pushing for the development to go through as they have already sold 150 of the houses planned to be built, it is financially and in the long term economically a positive thing for the council.

In conclusion, Carlyon Bay has been successful and popular up to this day, if the area has managed to sustain itself until now, we must ask whether this development is really necessary. The stretch of coastline planned to be developed is extremely beautiful and a popular site with walkers, holidaymakers, families and local residents. The development of this area may discourage these people from returning.

I feel the development would not be a good idea as environmentalists and residents agree, the area has a fragile ecosystem and attracts many tourists anyway, the development would attract different people and the site could easily become “trashy and unpopular”. On the other hand the development of Carlyon Bay would bring in more jobs and the multiplier effect would bring a better economy and trade for smaller businesses, yet they have managed so far and the development would have other consequences too.

Roads, amenities and other services would become very busy, good for the businesses yet this would lead to worse quality of service for the local residents as more cafes and other amenities place their emphasis on the tourists.

Carlyon Bay won the 1995 Seaside Award and so is obviously already a gorgeous area, would the development of houses, entertainment facilities and restaurants really improve it? I think not.

February 5th, 2023

Assess the socio-economic impacts of tourism in East Africa

Kenya attracts about 780,000 tourists per annum because of its prolific wildlife, white sandy beaches and hot climate. Tourism in Kenya is worth an estimated $500 million a year, Kenya’s principal tourist resources are the wildlife rich savannah grasslands and its beautiful beaches and coral reefs. Tourism really started to grow in the 1980s with the development of mass transit such as the Boeing 707. Tourists also flock to sample a culture which is perceived as completely different from Western culture, however the socio-economic gains of tourism are not without their cost.

By the late 1980s tourism was Kenya’s main earner, worth 43% of its income in 1990. There are two sides to the coin regarding tourism, its detractors describe it as a form of economic colonialism, while its promoters claim that it raises the standard of living for people and puts money back into the communities. In Kenya its main primary resources are its huge number of national parks (there are more than 50) which are intended both to promote tourism and to manage and maintain the existing environment.

The parks help to protect the animals and fragile ecosystems from being totally over run by tourists and poachers, today no one is allowed to kill any of the animals in the park, however the welfare of the animals is still be affected indirectly by tourism. The creation of the parks caused the native people, such as the Maasai, to be forced from the parks as no one was allowed to live in them. Tourists stay either in tents in the park or in hotels or villages on the outskirts of the park.

Minibus safari trips take tourists round the park and let them view the animals. The creation of these parks has had a large impact on the people living in them, both socially and economically. The Maasai and other such tribes now have to live on the outskirts of the parks away from their traditional grazing lands and find it harder to live a nomadic lifestyle. The Kenyan government has a policy stating that one quarter of the income from tourism sites should go back into the local communities.

This policy is not being enforced sufficiently though and the actual amount that the indigenous tribes receive is estimated to be as low as 2%. The Maasai find themselves having to sell trinkets and knick-knacks to tourists in order to generate an income. An estimated 70% of the people employed in the safari parks are not Maasai. Increased tourism to traditional Maasai villages has led to traditional dances and rituals being turned into cabaret for tourists eager to sample another culture.

This can have the effect of making the Maasai feel like they are people living in a museum that is designed to entertain western tourists, however the upside is that traditional dances and rites that may have been lost through time have been preserved instead. Tourism in rural Kenya has had many positive effects. Some of the Maasai can now afford to send their children to boarding schools in the cities to improve their education and future, using money they have generated from tourists, both in the formal and informal sectors.

There have also been improvements in the infrastructure of the villages the Maasai now live in, with the government using some of the revenue of tourism to build wells, improve housing and establish small local schools. The benefits of tourism however are mainly in the cities as this is where the government will spend most of its GDP, choosing to further develop the core areas rather than the periphery, in which the Maasai lands lie. A large percentage of the income generated by tourism will also be taken out of the country as international companies make most of the money on tours, e. . tour operators, travel agents, air companies etc.

This means that often the people at the bottom of society do not see any benefits for a long time, it is only relatively recently in Kenya that the government has started to put money back into the very communities that generated it in the first place. Tourism needs to be carefully managed by governments otherwise they risk destroying their valuable resources that cannot be replaced. Tourism in Kenya is also popular in the beach resorts of Mombassa and other smaller towns or cities along the Indian Ocean coast.

Large numbers of western tourists have resulted in a huge growth in the numbers of hotels and resorts, benefiting the local economy more immediately and obviously than in rural areas. The local people find work in the new industries associated with tourism and the wealth of an area will increase. These jobs though are often only seasonal and often badly paid and exploitative. Local traditional shops may close or be affected by some tourists demands for western foods and goods, such as traditional restaurants starting to serve pizza instead of local food.

Many tourists do not want to see or experience the real Kenya, but instead merely want a hot climate, nice beach and things to be like they are at home. This is a mental attitude that is causing severe negative social affects on Kenya, both in rural park areas, and the more urbanised coastal resorts. By shifting the Maasai out of the National Parks, the Kenyan government has displaced a whole people from its natural home. They have no access to their traditional grounds where they could work as pastoral farmers in complete self sufficiency.

The Maasai argue that they parks are only rich in wildlife and resources due to their careful maintenance of them, and the large numbers of tourists will destroy them, despite the best efforts of the government. By designating some areas as parks the government has increased the intensity of tourists in these areas, thus helping in some places to drive the animals away, ruining the resources which they depend upon. There is also an increasing amount of rural-urban migration as the young economically active members of the communities move to the cities in search of work and jobs, seeing there is no future staying in the villages.

It can be argued that they will suffer from cultural dilution as their traditional way of life becomes infused with the western way of life. The locals will wear traditional outfits and garments in front of the tourists as they know it is what they want to see and will make them more likely to purchase trinkets and jewellery etc, though when they are at home they will often wear western style clothes. The situation is similar in the coastal resorts, where traditional cultures are being swamped by the western life style, imported by huge numbers of tourists.

A large amount of the local population are Muslim, and to them women walking round through the beaches and towns in western swimwear is offensive as it clashes with their beliefs and culture. The real problems arise though when the local girls start to copy the tourists, which threatens to destroy local traditions. There has also been an increase in crime, drug usage and prostitution, both male and female, though males are often more obvious due to the male dominated society that exists.

This is yet another example of tourist and government helping to destroy the areas natural resources. Fear of crime and a sleazy image will help to dissuade tourists from visiting Kenya and as such a large amount of economy is dependent upon tourism, will cause widespread economic problems, and probably social ones as well as unemployment rises. The large number of tourists at coastal resorts is also causing permanent damage to the coral reefs that surround the shores, with large numbers of tourists walking upon, and destroying the coral.

At one place there may be up to 20 boats a day, all dropping their anchors on the choral and all the tourists showing scant regard for the delicate ecosystems below their feet. If this carries on then eventually there will be no coral left. Tourism is a double edged sword to developing countries, it can provide enormous economic benefits to the government, however these are rarely distributed to the people at the bottom which the tourist industry is usually based on exploiting in some shape or form, eg the Maasai in Kenya.

Careful management is needed of natural resources and more care must be taken to preserve local traditions and cultures, without reducing them to the status of purely tourist exhibits. It is easy to say the “traditional” societies are being destroyed, however the local people may often prefer to have the material gains associated with the western lifestyle.

February 5th, 2023

Blackpool: the Las Vegas of Lancashire?

Table of contents

Blackpool is the original seaside destination and a model for other hotspots like Coney Island and Atlantic City (Jerde Partnership, 2003). Blackpool still remains the largest seaside resort in the UK but since the 1990s Blackpool has experienced a 30% drop in tourism (Jerde Partnership, 2003). Blackpool Borough Council commissioned EDAW together with experienced architects The Jerde Partnership to prepare a masterplan for central Blackpool. The need for the masterplan was clear, to transform the seaside resort from slow and steady decline to a future of achievable and sustained growth (EDAW, 2003).

This report looks at where Blackpool has come from, where it is now and where it hopes to be. It will evaluate the effectiveness of Blackpool’s strategy, examining the expectations and demands of the stakeholders. If will also examine the support of the proposed actions plans by the stakeholders and the local community.

History

Blackpool takes its name from ‘le pull’, a stream which drains Marton Mere and Marton Moss into the sea. The stream runs through peat lands which discolour the water hence the name Black Poole (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). In the late 1700s Blackpool was frequented by the landed gentry following a national craze for sea bathing and the drinking of seawater (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). The building of the Preston and Wyre railway in 1840 provided cheap excursion trains to Blackpool from industrial Lancashire, making Blackpool a destination for thousands of visitors from Lancashire and Yorkshire.

By the late 1800s Blackpool’s visitors were predominately the working classes from Lancashire and Yorkshire rather than the gentry. Blackpool was seen as ‘the Playground of the Industrial Revolution’: a town that grew rich on traditional Wakes Weeks (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). The development of the resort’s entertainment attractions began in the 1890s to provide facilities for the 35,000 resident population together with approximately 250,000 annual visitors (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). Illuminated trams were first seen in Blackpool in 1897 as part of the Jubilee celebrations but static illuminations did not appear until 1912 (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003).

Baseline Data

Blackpool has high levels of social and economic deprivation. Blackpool was ranked 32nd on the index of multiple deprivation out of 354 districts in England in 2000 (ODPM, 2003). Seven of Blackpool’s wards are in the 10% most deprived in England, this equates to 32% of Blackpool’s population (approximately 40,000 people). Tourism continues to be the major employer in the region, 88% of employment is in the service sector, linked to tourism and leisure. Blackpool has a lower gross domestic product (ï¿½7,383 per head) than Liverpool (ï¿½9,352 per head), which has European Objective 1 status. Blackpool’s small manufacturing sector, accounts for 10% of jobs, has suffered a decline in recent years.

Local specialisms are in vehicles, food and drink and plastics, with nationally known firms including TVR Sports Cars, Horizon Biscuits and Glasdon UK Ltd. Blackpool is also an important administrative centre, accommodating large national and regional office headquarters such as the National Savings (‘Ernie’) and the Department of Social Security (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). Despite this Blackpool has lacked major investment and is very run down with a large number of houses, hotels and guesthouses in multiple occupation (HMO), particularly for benefit claimants. It also has very poor sea water quality and polluted beaches.

Blackpool’s population has risen from 473 in 1801 to 3,707 in 1861, by 1901 it had reached 47,348 and 101,553 by 1931. The population of Blackpool has now steadied at around 150,000. With a population of 4,366 per kmï¿½, Blackpool is more densely populated than Liverpool or Manchester. Outside of London, only Portsmouth is more densely populated (Blackpool Challenge Partnership, 2002). Blackpool has a high proportion of economically inactive people with 27.8% of the population retired compared with 18.9% nationally and 5.3% unemployment compared to a UK average of 3.3% (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). There are also between 2,000 and 3,000 homeless people in Blackpool (Blackpool Challenge Partnership, 2002).

In 1989 a national survey found that 4,190,000 holidaymakers stayed in the resort and 12,590,000 people came on day or evening trips (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). Over the years there has been a significant shift in holiday patterns with more people using self-catering accommodation and many more people visiting the resort for day or evening trips or short breaks (Blackpool Borough Council, 2003). The bulk of visitors come from social groups C & D (manual skilled and non-skilled) with limited disposable income with the majority still coming from Lancashire, Yorkshire and Scotland.

The Way Forward: Blackpool’s Options

Do nothing (product continues to decline)
Upgrade existing facilities (prolong product life cycle but remain in same market area)
Radical change (move into new market area with new product)

Blackpool’s Vision and Masterplan

Blackpool will be recognised as a vibrant, inclusive, healthy, safe and prosperous town where visitors and residents share the common goal of Blackpool being the number one visitor destination in the UK (BCP, 2003)

‘If Blackpool is to survive and prosper, it must find ways in which it can once again become internationally competitive as a destination resort.’ (Marc W. Etches, Managing Director, Leisure Parcs Ltd)

Stakeholder Expectations

The key stakeholder groups for the renaissance of Blackpool are public bodies, private sector organisations and members of the public & community groups. The following identifies some of the principal members of the stakeholder groups:

Public Bodies

Blackpool Borough Council
The Blackpool Challenge Partnership (also the Borough L.S.P)
North-West Development Agency/Lancashire West Partnership
The European Union
The Government (SRB) and Government Office for the North-West
North-West Tourist Board & English Tourism Council
Blackpool & Fylde College
The Gaming Review Board
Lancashire Constabulary

Private Sector

Banking industry
Blackpool Airport
Blackpool Chamber of Trade
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Seasonal Traders Association
Blackpool Town Centre Forum
Casino Resort Operators
Conference organisers
Construction companies
Consultants (to develop & deliver proposals)
Entertainment industry
Holiday operators & travel agents
ICT industry
Leisure Parcs (owners of Blackpool Tower, the Sea Life Centre, the Three Piers and the Wintergardens)
Local & national press
Service industry (hotels, catering)
Transport industry

Community Groups/Members Of The Public

Blackpool Coalition against Gaming Expansion
Blackpool Diocese
Existing visitors to Blackpool
Future new visitors to Blackpool
Population of Blackpool

These groups will comprise mainly those with an interest in developing the new Blackpool ‘product’ (supply side) and those which will constitute the demand for the Blackpool product. However, market competitors will also be less direct stakeholders in Blackpool – these could include competitor resort casino operators (Las Vegas, Australia’s Gold Coast, Sun City) and other ‘mini-break’ destinations (Center Parcs, Euro Disney, Amsterdam, Dublin etc.) and UK weekend-break destinations (Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, London etc.)

Since achieving the new Blackpool product will require huge and comprehensive changes to the physical and economic make-up of the borough, the process will require both a clear vision and a robust business plan, supported by the many stakeholders. Moreover, it will require a credible leader with the necessary skills, experience drive and determination to realise the vision. There are likely to be significant obstacles to achieving the new Blackpool, therefore a strong leader will essential in order to retain the support and enthusiasm of all the projects varied stakeholders.

In order to gain extensive stakeholder support for the new Blackpool, their (probably) disparate expectations must be recognised and subsequently acted upon. Once stakeholders have been identified, a process of consultation should take place to discover what they want Blackpool to be. This will inform the visioning exercise and if stakeholder views are acted on, assist in building consensus. With a large range of stakeholders, it would be appropriate to adopt a flexible and multi-faceted approach to consultation; different methods (exhibitions, ‘listening’ events, newspaper articles, focus groups, public meetings, questionnaires) would be geared to the natures of the various stakeholders.

In reality, this is what Blackpool has done. The lead organisation for the project, The Blackpool Masterplan, is the Blackpool Challenge Partnership (since 2002 also the Local Strategic Partnership LSP for the Borough). As part of the bid process, the partnership undertook a significant amount of consultation via the Let’s Talk Campaign. This included:

A 2-page questionnaire prepared by the Blackpool Town Centre Forum and sent out to more than 500 shops, pubs, clubs, banks and building societies (results indicated that 91% of respondents supported the Masterplan);
Focus groups and telephone canvassing of a random sample of 600 local people, undertaken by a specialist market research consultancy;
Meetings with specific groups (e.g. churches, youth organisations).

Since securing the SRB6 funding, a comprehensive package of projects are being developed and delivered to bring broad social and economic benefits to Blackpool, as well as the development of the Vision Masterplan.

The Marketing Plan

The Vision statement is that ‘Blackpool will be a Vibrant, Inclusive Healthy, Safe and Prosperous Town.’ As with many municipal vision statements, this in my opinion, is both vague and all encompassing and therefore not particularly useful (no measurable targets, so how do you know how to get there?). However, it gives a positive message which few stakeholders are likely to disagree with. The vision aims to provide a better quality of life for people in Blackpool by revitalising the tourism industry.

The key strands for realising this vision are:

Building ‘state of the art’ conference facilities;
Radically improving the hotel offer (more quality 3 and 4 star hotels);
Revamping existing attractions and revitalising the entertainment offer;
Creating an internationally recognised centre for tourism and casino training;
Tackling crime, especially burglary and car crime;
Improving the health of people in Blackpool through a range of initiatives;
Improving education outcomes and community learning opportunities.

Building on existing physical and social regeneration funded through SRB2, the new Blackpool would be achieved through a series of projects and thematic activities. However, at the centre of the regeneration programme is the aim to improve the quality of life for local people by increasing local economic growth through enhanced tourism activity. And the hub of this plan is the proposal to create a purpose built conference centre and resort casino in the centre of Blackpool.

Marketing Objectives

The Masterplan sets out the marketing approach for Blackpool. Since this has been developed; through extensive consultation with stakeholders, it would seem fair to say it reflects the broad wishes of most stakeholders (even the Blackpool Diocese…). Obvious objectors would be the anti-gaming lobbyists. The Masterplan sets out how radical physical changes coupled with capital investment will transform the town, making it attractive to new market sectors (i.e. visitors who will spend more money.

So although Blackpool has undergone notable economic regeneration and diversification during the past decade by SRB2 funding, the economy is still largely dependent on tourism. However, with the current tourism offer in decline, the Blackpool ‘product’ will need to undergo change in order to prosper. Given that the town has so much existing experience and infrastructure based around tourism, the obvious theme for economic regeneration would be to deliver an improved tourism offer that meets current market demand, therefore bringing more money into the town.

This is exactly what Blackpool is doing – instigating a comprehensive, economic regeneration programme, led by tourism. This is complemented by two further themes of physical improvements and to benefit the socially excluded sector of Blackpool’s population. The latter would be principally around housing, health, education, training and entry to employment.

Set out in the Blackpool Masterplan, the hub of the vision for the new Blackpool product is the development of 3 (?) resort casino hotels with associated purpose built conference facilities as well as broad appeal leisure facilities. These would include shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas, theatres and a large leisure pool. Since poor weather is currently a visitor deterrent, these facilities would be covered to allow for all year round use. Moreover, covered links are proposed to key existing attractions, such as the Pleasure Beach funfair.

Access issues have already been partially addressed. In 1995 the new Blackpool Airport terminal building was opened and passenger number increased from 50,000 in 2002 to a projected 250,000 in 2003. This increase is principally due to the introduction of daily Ryanair flights to London Stansted and Dublin. Part of the forward programme of improvements are safer car parks and a modernised tram system.

What Happens if the Gaming Laws Don’t Change?

Blackpool Council leader Roy Fisher has stated that ‘ We believe the relaxation of the gaming laws will happen, which is why we’re trying to harness the positive potential of that development now. However, casinos are just one facet of the wide ranging draft masterplan that includes building a host of other new attractions and facilities. Rest assured, the council is absolutely committed to a major programme of regeneration for Blackpool. With or without casinos, we are determined that Blackpool will be transformed once again into a destination of truly national and international calibre.’ (Blackpool Today, 2003). In addition to this the Jerde Partnership (2003) acknowledge that the gaming reforms are an important ingredient in Blackpool’s strategy but they are not required for success

Competitors

U.K.

Seaside resorts (e.g. Southport, Lytham, Brighton, Scarborough)
City-break destinations (e.g. Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, London)
Mini-break destinations (e.g. Centre Parcs)
Conference centres (e.g. Harrogate, Brighton, Bournemouth)
Theme Parks (e.g. Alton Towers, Lightwater Valley, Legoland, Chessington)
‘Hen & Stag’ destinations (e.g. Nottingham, Chester, York, Newcastle)

Abroad

Casino resorts (e.g. Las Vegas, Sun City, Gold Coast)
Theme Parks (Euro Disney, Disneyworld Orlando, Disneyland Los Angeles)
Package holiday destinations (e.g. Spain, Greece, Tenerife, Florida)
Conference destinations in other European cities
‘Hen & Stag’ destinations (e.g. Dublin, Amsterdam, Prague, Barcelona)

Conclusions

Blackpool needs radical change since the present product , principally a tourism offer, is at the end of its lifecycle and in serious decline
New product / new market
Comprehensive marketing plan
Balance of realism and informed risk taking

February 5th, 2023

Geography GCSE Welsh board Coursework

My main intension of my coursework is to investigate the effects of tourism, the effects of honey pot settlement and to examine the advantages and disadvantage of tourism in Bowness for instance the effects of tourism in the geographical landscape of Bowness.

I am undertaking my coursework on the subject of Bowness in Windermere which is a sprawling tourist town on the showers of Windermere. This is about halfway along the 12 mile length of the lake between Waterhead of the North end, and the lakeside at the South end.

The Lake District is the largest and the most popular National park in Britain. Over 14 million people visit the park each year most are attracted by the fine scenery, pretty villages and interesting history. It’s has a pleasant specialist shop experience, with cobbled streets, ample tea rooms and pubs and with Beatrix Potter everywhere.

A road ferry service runs across the lake from a point south of Bowness on the eastern side of the lake to Far Sawrey on the western side of the lake. For many years, power-boating and water-skiing have been popular activities on the lake.

Windermere is the largest natural lake in England, and is entirely within in the Lake District National Park. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847, when the Kendal and Windermere Railway built a branch line to it. Since ‘mere’ means ‘lake’, referring to Windermere as ‘Lake Windermere’ is tautologous, though common.

Windermere railway station offers train and bus connections to the surrounding areas, Manchester, Manchester Airport, and the West Coast Main Line, and is about a fifteen-minute walk from the lakefront. Both Stagecoach and the local council provide frequent connecting buses from Bowness Pier; Stagecoach’s open-top double-decker buses travel through the centre of town and continue to Amble side and Grasmere, while the council’s wheelchair-accessible minibuses run around the edge of town.

The area has something to offer visitors at all times of the year, in all seasons. Even in the harsh winter months with its lightly snow-capped fells it offers spectacular scenery and numerous possibilities for the enthusiastic rambler. During the autumn the numerous changes of colour and the russet foliage add a note of romantic excitement in a season conventionally associated with death, decay and dreariness.

Almost a third of the land is now owned by the National Trust, whose role it is “to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Lake District and to ensure that people can continue to enjoy the Lake District”.

Geography Coursework

History of Bowness

St Martin church of Bowness was built in 1483. When the church was enlarged the area behind the church is the oldest part of Bowness a delightful web of narrow streets known as lowside. Which gives an idea of what the villages was like before the arrival of the railway.

There’s a little branch railway line, built in 1869 to serve the increasing number of tourists and connecting Ulverston to Lakeside on Windermere. This is the last remaining Furness Railway branch line. These days the line only runs from Haverthwaite, stopping at Newby Bridge and ending at Lakeside alongside Lake Windermere and most of the wide selection of diesel and steam trains connect with Windermere Lake Cruises.

Bowness-on-Windermere became a civil parish in 1894 at the same time an urban district council was formed for the town. The UDC merged with Windermere UDC in 1905 and the two civil parishes merged in 1974 under the name of Windermere. The civil parish is governed by a town council.

St. Martin’s Church the parish church of Windermere, stands on a site which has been a religious foundation for over 1,000 years. The original structure was burnt down and rebuilt in 1484, and restored in 1870. The east window contains 15th century stained glass, depicting red and white stripes and three stars, the arms of John Washington who was an ancestor of George Washington, the first president of America.

The geology and topography of the land defined the first use of the locality now known as Bowness. The valley’s first visitors found rich resources and sheltered wintering grounds for cattle. Because of this, the area was inhabited as a ranch in the mid 1890’s. Only the railroad track and twin bridges intruded upon the pastoral landscape until the real estate boom of 1911.

Bowness-on-Windermere has more history. It began as a small fishing village and the older character of Bowness-on-Windermere can be seen in the characteristic narrow streets around St Martin’s church. It was the rapid development of Windermere during the latter half of the 19th century that caused Bowness-on-Windermere and Windermere to become almost as one. Together they attract a disproportionate number of holiday makers.

The railway changed Bowness completely changed because of the railway people started to visit Bowness and before long it became a huge tourist attraction. People from all over the world come to Bowness. Now Bowness is Britain’s most popular tourist attraction.

Geography Coursework

Problems of tourism

William Wordsworth lamented coming of railway and predicted that the influx of tourists would spoil the natural appeal of the lake. He was right. The railway opened the area up to all and sundry and the centuries old seclusion of the area rapidly came to an end.

The 14 million annual visitors to Lake District’s national park are bound to cause problems both for the 42000 local residents and the environment. Some of the worst problems are in the honey pot areas. These are places that attract tourist in a large number and are usually very busy and congested.

Almost ï¿½500 million is spent by visitors to the Lake District every year. Over 42,000 local jobs depend on tourism, and it’s now vital to the local economy. But some people fear too much tourism will destroy the natural beauty people visit the Lake District to see.

A honey pot is a particularly popular attraction within a managed tourist area, such as a national park. Examples include Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District. Honey pot sites are often encouraged because they concentrate the damage caused by tourists on small sites, making conservation easier in other parts of the managed area.

Attempts to manage tourism in the Lake District have become a struggle to reach agreement between a number of different interest groups, including the National Park Authority, environmentalists, the tourism industry and the charitable organization, the National Trust.

Tourism is essential to the economy of the Lake District and therefore the standard of living and quality of life of the residents of the region. It is estimated that there are about 12 million visitors to the Lake District per year; of these 10 million are day visitors, whilst 2 million stay overnight or longer. It has been estimated that within Cumbria as a whole 42000 jobs (17% of the work force) are linked to tourism, whilst in the National Park up to 50% of the workforce is employed in tourist related activities.

As well as creating direct employment tourism also supports local services, such as the bus and rail network, village shops and public houses. Without tourism many of these services would not survive and the local population would suffer as a whole, as has happened in many rural areas throughout the UK.

Whilst tourism brings benefits to the Lake District and the people who live there it also creates problems. In Lake District one of the key problems is traffic congestion and the associated problems of pollution, noise, parking and so on. It is estimated that 89% of the visitors to the Lake District arrive by car and many of these pass through Lake District. The amount of traffic passing through Lake District has steadily increased as shown in Table 1.

Problems of tourism

Year

1981

1992

1997

1999

Average number of vehicles per day

9600

13500

14600

14700

Tourism brings other problems to the Lake District too;

* damage to the natural environments

* a lack of affordable housing for local people ( It is estimated that of the nearly 23000 dwellings in the Lake District 15% of the houses are either holiday homes or second homes and in a more recent survey thirty new developments it was found that 62% of the dwellings were occupied by retired people and 11% were holiday homes or second homes) which means many young people have to leave the region to find a place to live

* a lack of well paid permanent employment (many jobs in the tourist trade are seasonal and low paid)

* a lack of services and facilities for young people and families (schools, libraries and so on)

* pollution

Lake District has a permanent population of only 2838 people – but this more than doubles in the tourist season. Tourism appears to be essential to the economy and the lives of the people of Lake District – without tourism Lake District would be just another small rural town which was struggling to survive and meet the needs of its population Tourism is both a benefit to and a problem for the people of Lake District and this is what I am going to investigating.

But perhaps the biggest problem in the area is the traffic which often chokes the narrow country roads. In the lake-side community of Lake District there has been a long-standing campaign for a bypass to relieve congestion. But environmentalists have blocked the move because of the damage they say it would cause.

Tourism

At the Edge of the Earth

Is Eco-tourism the way forward for countries such as Ecuador?

The Bahamas and Global Leadership

Tourism has a great impact on environments, communities and economies

Assess the socio-economic impacts of tourism in East Africa

Blackpool: the Las Vegas of Lancashire?

History

Baseline Data

The Way Forward: Blackpool’s Options

Blackpool’s Vision and Masterplan

Stakeholder Expectations

The Marketing Plan

Marketing Objectives

What Happens if the Gaming Laws Don’t Change?

Competitors

U.K.

Abroad

Conclusions

Geography GCSE Welsh board Coursework

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own