Leisure Sports & Tourism 1.1-3.4

Leisure

Any freely chosen activity or experience that takes place in non-work time

Sport

A physical activity involving a set of rules or customs. The activity may be competetive

Tourism

Travel away from home for at least one night for the purpose of leisure (IB Definition). I would argue that tourism doesn't have to involve a night away from home. i think people going on day trips should also be included in a definition of tourism.

Recreation

A leisure time activity undertaken voluntarily and for enjoyment.

Domestic tourism

tourism within the country of residency

International tourism

Tourism outside the country of residency

Day trips (day tourism)

Visits to places of interest e.g. the beach or a ruin, but without staying overnight

Mass Tourism or package holiday

Large-scale tourism when flights, accommodation, tours and transfers are booked together and often part of a group.

Sustainable tourism

Tourism that preserves primary tourist resources and supports the livelihoods and culture of local people

Ecotourism

Like sustainable tourism, but with a focus on the natural environment

Heritage tourism

Tourism based on historic legacy as its main focus e.g. natural landscape, historical buildings

Honeypot

A location that attracts a large number of tourists. Antigua in Guatemala would be considered a honeypot location in Central America

(Economic) Leakage:

Money that is lost from a tourist destination. This money is often taken overseas by TNCs e.g. Intercontinental or Hilton

Medical tourism

When people travel to other countries to undergo medical procedures e.g. dentistry or plastic surgery. This is done either because medical standards are better in the destination, or because medical treatment is cheaper in the destination

Primary tourist/recreation resources

Pre-existing tourist attractions that often exist naturally e.g. the weather, wildlife, beaches, indigenous people ore mountains

Secondary tourist/recreational resources

Facilities that have been purposefully built for tourists e.g. hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and airports

Safari

Tourism that goes to view wildlife in its natural habitat. Safaris are very common in Africa, e.g. Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswanna

Resorts

A settlement where the primary function is tourism. Resorts are normally associated witht he coast. Large hotel complexes are considered to be resorts.

Sports tours

Trips that either go to play sport or view sport. Trips to the football World Cup or Olympics are becoming much more common

Health spas

Hotels or resorts that tourists visit for health treatments. This may include massages, detoxes or mud treatments

All-inclusive

When tourists pay a hotel complex one price which includes all meals, drinks, entertainment, activities, etc. All -inclusive holidays are very common in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean

Low-cost (Budget) airlines

Airlines that offer cheaper than normal flights, by removing add ons like airport check-in, in flight meals, checked baggage and pre-selected seats

Factor affecting growth of tourism: Economic Wealth

Even with the ongoing global economic downturn, the world economy is growing. This economic growth is being led by the so called emerging economies' e.g. China, Russia and India. With economic growth more individuals are removed from poverty and are able to afford to go on holiday. People can afford holidays when there disposable income increases. Disposable income is the amount of money left over after all bills are paid for.

Disposable income

amount of money left over after all bills are paid for

Factor affecting growth of tourism: Working week

In recent years the working week has been reduced for many people. In MEDCs, most people now only work 5 days, having both Saturday and Sunday off. In the EU the number of hours people can work in the week, has been set at 48 hours. Increasingly some companies allow their staff to work flex time. This means that they have a set number of hours they have to work, per week e.g. 48 hours, but they can choose when to work them. This might mean that they work 9.6 hours a day or 12 hours a day for four days and have the extra day off. These changes in the working week has meant that more people now have time to take short holidays at weekends

Factor affecting growth of tourism: (Paid) Holidays

Most countries now have laws stating that companies have to give their employees paid leave. In the EU the minimum amount of paid holiday is 28 days. If you add on weekends, this is nearly six weeks of paid holidays. Because of the extra paid holiday more people now have the time and money to be able to go on holiday.

Factor affecting growth of tourism:Transport

Over the past 50 years the relative cost of transport has fallen and the ease of moving between countries has increased. Car ownership has increased, new train networks have been built and new airports opened. In the last decade low-cost airlines have emerged and increased tourism. Low-cost airlines offer cheaper flights than normal airlines by removing added extras like airport check-in, in-flight meals, checked baggage and seat selection. The growth of transport has meant people can go on more holidays and also go on shorter holidays (weekend breaks)

Factor affecting growth of tourism: Advertising

We are now saturated with advertising on bill boards, in magazines, on TV and increasingly online. These adverts make us aware of new destinations and persuade us to visit new places. There has also been a growth of TV programs just about holiday destinations

Factor affecting growth of tourism: Credit cards

The emergence of credit cards has made it much easier to pay for holidays and it has made it easier for people to buy things once on holiday. Credit cards can be used to pay for hotels and flights online and can be used to pay for things on holiday or take local currency out of ATMs. Credit cards remove the worry of carrying large amount of money and the time of exchanging currencies.

Factor affecting growth of tourism: Accommodation

In recent decades the quality and quantity of accommodation has improved. Accommodation can vary from basic shared dormitories to luxury hotel suites. The increased variety and quality mean more people are now comfortable about traveling abroad.

Factor affecting growth of tourism: Booking

Booking flights and hotels is now much easier. You can use a travel agent, but increasingly more people are going online to book their own flights and hotels and flights either directly or through agents. It is also possible to look at customer reviews so you can assess the quality of hotels

Case Study: Qatar

Instead of being held in the traditional period of June and July, this tournament will be held starting from late November, and ending with the final on 18 December 2022, which is also Qatar National Day. The tournament will also be played in a reduced timeframe of about 28 days.[1] Accusations of corruption have been made relating to how Qatar won the right to host the event. FIFA completed a lengthy investigation into these allegations and a report cleared Qatar of any wrongdoing, but the chief investigatorMichael Garcia has since described FIFA's report on his inquiry as "materially incomplete and erroneous." (Wikipedia)

Barcelona

Sagrada Familia, big and nice af church

Case study: Maldives

Under threat from rising sea levels, so country went carbon neutral, education in environmental science, buying up land nearby, and making floating convention centers (golf course), threat of tsunamis.

Case Study: Vietnam

Changes: Changes:
Improved transportation (especially air travel, which is the main way most tourists arrive)
Deregulation. Vietnam still has a Communist system, but the ruling party has allowed greater private ownership.
Relaxed immigration. Visas are still required, but these are now a lot easy to obtain.
Better image. The war has been finished over 30 years and now tourists are saying much better things about Vietnam.
Better advertising at home and abroad.
Investment in hotels and restaurants
Exchange rate (once you are in Vietnam it is still a relatively cheap place to visit).
Excellent human and physical attractions (see below)
Saturation of neighboring countries like Thailand and Malaysia.

UNESCO: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was established on 16 November 1945. Its purpose is to promote peace and security by promoting international collaboration on science, education and culture. One thing that it does do is designate and places that have scientific or cultural significance. In 2010 there were 915 designated sites around the world.

Case Study: Tunisia

Health tourism as a developing strategy in Tunisia. Demand for health tourism grew, based on helping mind and body together, where body ailments are treated in a relaxing atmosphere that takes away the stress of daily life. Bathing in warm sea water.

Case Study: Rugby in South Africa

Rugby super important: Super 14, Currie Cup, and the Vodacom Cup

Case Study: Carrying Capacity in Venice

Carrying capacity, day trippers don't contribute much, locals alienated and leave.

The Aral Sea

The Aral Sea used to be the fourth largest inland lake in the world. Since the 1960's the sea has been shrinking because the two rivers have been diverted to irrigate the desert. The USSR decided to irrigate the desert because they wanted to increase their production of melons, rice, wheat and cotton. Because the irrigation canals were built quickly and poorly maintained, it has been estimated that up to 75% of water gets lost through evaporation or leakage

Importance of Wetlands

• Flood control: Wetland vegetation can reduce the velocity of rivers
  flowing into them or from them and act as natural stores of water.

• Groundwater recharge: Wetlands can collect large areas of precipitation
  and river discharge. As this water is held in storage it will infiltrate and
  percolate into the ground to recharge groundwater.

• Transport Network: Wetland provide many natural waterways that
  people can move around on easily.

• Tourism and recreation: Wetlands attract tourists for their biodiversity and natural beauty, providing opportunities for activities such as birdwatching, fishing, and kayaking.

Short Term Impacts of 2012 London Olympics

Positive:

• Direct and indirect creation of jobs

• Increase in tax revenue for economy

• Increase in visitors to the location (Stratford)

Negative:

• Increased traffic around Olympic areas due to road closures

• Area may be unable to support all visitors

• Increased cost of hotels/restaurants, facilities in area - locals can’t afford

• Less money directed towards other development, roads, schools, etc

Long term impacts of London 2012 Olympics

Positive:

• Venues available for future decades

• Increased land value due to urban regeneration

• Improved infrastructure, like buildings, roads and public transport
  
  Negative:

• Increased tax bill

• Increased prices of surrounding facilities, inflation

• Long term debt

Impacts of tourism in Venice

• Overcrowding

• Since there is only one connection between Venice and mainland, taxis cause severe traffic

• Inflation due to increased demand

• Local shops going out of business

• Tourist intrusion on places of worship

• Tourists feeding pigeons which have acidic waste that damages ancient statues and buildings