Options LST Urban Environments Key Terms

Primary Tourism Resources

Natural or cultural attractions that exist before tourism (e.g., climate, scenery, heritage sites).

Secondary Tourism Resources

Facilities built for to support tourism (e.g., hotels, restaurants).

Disposable Income

Money available after essentials, influencing leisure participation.

Tourism Hotspot/Honeypot

A destination attracting unusually high tourist numbers.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of visitors a site can handle without environmental/social damage.

Threshold Population

The minimum number of people needed to support a facility.

Intra-Urban Spatial Patterns

Distribution of leisure facilities within a city.

Niche Tourism

Specialized tourism focusing on specific interests (e.g., adventure, film locations).

TNCs (Transnational Corporations)

Large companies operating globally in tourism (e.g., airlines, hotel chains).

Vertical Integration

When a TNC controls multiple stages of the tourism supply chain.

Horizontal Integration

When a TNC controls multiple companies at the same stage (e.g., several hotel brands).

National Tourism Strategy

Government policy to develop tourism for economic benefit.

Butler Model/Tourism Life Cycle

R.W. Butler in 1980, describes the evolution of tourist resorts through six stages

Sustainable Tourism

Tourism that balances environmental, economic, and socio-cultural needs.

Ecotourism

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and benefits local people.

Site Resilience

The ability of a tourism site to recover from negative impacts.

Diaspora Tourism

Travel by people to their ancestral homeland.

Soft Power

Using cultural or sporting influence to enhance a country’s international image.

Sportswashing

Using sport to improve a country’s reputation despite poor human rights/environmental records.

Site

The physical characteristics of the location of a settlement (e.g. water supply, relief, resources).

Situation

The location of a settlement in relation to surrounding features such as transport routes, other settlements, and physical geography.

Settlement

A place where people live, ranging from small villages to large cities.

Hierarchy of settlement

The ranking of settlements according to size, population, and services provided.

Function

The main economic or social purpose of a place (e.g. industrial, commercial, residential).

Megacity

A city with a population of over 10 million people.

Land use

The way land is utilized in urban areas (e.g. residential, industrial, commercial, recreational).

Urban renewal

The process of redeveloping and improving urban areas.

Gentrification

The process where wealthier people move into poorer areas, improving housing but often displacing existing residents.

Vertical zoning

Different land uses occurring within the same building (e.g. shops below, offices above).

Range

The maximum distance consumers are willing to travel for a good or service.

Sphere of influence

The area from which a settlement attracts people for services.

Low-order goods

Frequently purchased, inexpensive goods (e.g. bread, milk).

High-order goods

Expensive, infrequently purchased goods (e.g. cars, electronics).

Conurbation

A large urban area formed when cities and towns merge.

Planned urban growth

Urban expansion that is organized and managed through planning.

Spontaneous urban growth

Unplanned expansion, often resulting in informal settlements or slums.

Central Place Theory

A model explaining how settlements are distributed based on services and accessibility.

Bid rent theory

The idea that land value decreases with distance from the city centre.

Central Business District (CBD)

The commercial and economic core of a city.

Peak Land Value Intersection (PLVI)

The point in a city where land value is highest.

Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE)

The phenomenon where urban areas are warmer than surrounding rural areas.

Albedo

The amount of solar radiation reflected by a surface.

Anthropogenic heat

Heat produced by human activities.

Urban Boundary Layer (UBL)

The layer of atmosphere influenced by the city’s built environment.

Urban Canopy Layer

The layer of air between buildings in a city.

Urban canyoning

Increased wind speed caused by airflow restriction between buildings.

Venturi effect

Increased wind speed due to reduced air pressure in narrow spaces.

Isotherms

Lines on a map connecting points of equal temperature.

Photochemical smog

Air pollution formed when sunlight reacts with pollutants like nitrogen oxides.

Temperature inversion

A condition where warm air traps cooler air (and pollutants) near the surface.

Microclimate

The climate of a small, specific area that differs from the surrounding region.

Sport

A physical activity with rules, often competitive.

Leisure

Free time not spent working or doing essential activities.

Recreation

Activities done for enjoyment during leisure time.

Tourism

Travel away from home for at least one night for leisure purposes.

Mass tourism

Large-scale tourism involving many people visiting the same destination.

Adventure tourism

Tourism involving physical activity and risk.

Heritage tourism

Tourism focused on historical and cultural attractions.

Seasonal hotspot

A destination that experiences high tourist numbers at certain times of year.

Diurnal hotspot

A destination that experiences high visitor numbers at certain times of day.

Overtourism

Excessive tourist numbers causing environmental, social, or economic problems.

Affluence

Wealth that allows greater participation in leisure and tourism.

Tourism classification

The grouping of tourism types based on factors like purpose, cost, or duration.

Tourism duration

The length of time spent at a destination.

Tourism destination

The place visited by tourists.

Participation

Involvement in leisure, sport, or tourism activities.

Lifecycle stage

A person’s age and life stage influencing activity choices.

Place of residence

Where a person lives, influencing access to leisure opportunities.

Tourism demand

The desire and ability of people to travel.

Tourism supply

The availability of services and attractions for tourists.