Geography: Tourism Systems and Sustainable Tourism Development

Flashcards covering key definitions, concepts, TALC stages, and sustainable tourism strategies based strictly on the provided lecture notes.

Tourist

An individual who takes a trip outside their usual environment for leisure and personal purposes.

Domestic Tourism

Travel undertaken by individuals within their own country.

International Tourism

Travel abroad by individuals to another country.

Tourist System

A system of interconnected components—consisting of the tourist generating region, transit route, and tourist destination region—that enables people to travel.

Tourist Generating Region

The region where tourists originate and where travel products, such as tour packages, are offered by businesses.

Transit Route

The path and transport link connecting the tourist generating region with the tourist destination region, often including stopover points.

Tourist Destination Region

The region that attracts tourists by offering attractions, facilities, and amenities to cater to tourist needs, while experiencing the consequences of tourism development.

Push Factors in Tourism

Unfavourable conditions at generating regions, such as stressful work environments and unpleasant living environments, that cause residents to leave.

Pull Factors in Tourism

Attractions at destination regions, such as places of scenic beauty, special events (concerts/festivals), and well-developed amenities, that draw tourists.

Motivation to Travel

The set of personal needs compelling an individual to travel, including the need for relaxation, personal growth and self-fulfilment, and discovering unique travel experiences.

Ability to Travel

The financial and temporal conditions that allow individuals to travel, including disposable income, leisure time, business innovations, and lower transport and accommodation costs.

Mobility to Travel

The ease and convenience of moving across land, air, and sea, boosted by public transport expansion, new modes of travel, and increased private car ownership.

Exploration Stage

The initial stage of tourism development involving a small, irregular number of visitors attracted to unspoilt natural or cultural attractions with minimal infrastructure.

Involvement Stage

The stage of tourism development where tourist arrivals rise as awareness grows, leading to seasonal peaks, local investment in basic amenities, and initial economic growth.

Development Stage

The stage marked by rapid growth in tourist arrivals, heavy advertising, and large businesses building elaborate facilities and infrastructure.

Consolidation Stage

The stage where annual tourist growth begins to slow down, total tourist arrivals outnumber the local population, and major multinational corporations dominate the local economy.

Stagnation Stage

The stage where tourist numbers peak and begin to decline because the destination exceeds its carrying capacity, leading to overcrowding and run-down facilities.

Declining Stage

The post-stagnation phase where tourist arrivals drop significantly, local businesses close, and infrastructure deteriorates due to a loss of competitiveness.

Rejuvenation Stage

The post-stagnation phase where new public or private investments, updated attractions, and targeted marketing revive a destination's appeal.

Dependables

Tourists who prefer predictable and structured routines, travel in groups to popular destinations with well-developed amenities, and are cautious spenders guided by authority.

Venturers

Tourists who prefer spontaneous and unique travel experiences, visit less-developed destinations, travel alone, spend money readily, and set trends for others.

Adventure Tourism

Travel to natural environments to participate in physically challenging activities, such as mountain climbing, to achieve personal growth.

Heritage Tourism

Travel aimed at experiencing the rich culture and history of a destination, often at UNESCO World Heritage sites, to satisfy educational curiosity.

Sports Tourism

Travel to observe or participate in major sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, to experience enjoyment and escape daily stress.

Health Tourism

Travel undertaken to seek medical care or enhance physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, often motivated by lower treatment costs or shorter wait times.

Formal Employment in Tourism

Jobs within the tourism sector characterized by fixed working hours, stable wages, and contributions to income tax.

Informal Employment in Tourism

Jobs within the tourism sector characterized by irregular working hours, fluctuating wages, and no income tax contributions.

Economic Leakage

The loss of tourism-generated revenue from a destination's local economy to foreign economies, often occurring when businesses pay for imported goods and services.

Commodification of Culture

The process by which cultural rituals, art forms, and traditions lose their authenticity and cultural value due to being mass-produced or exaggerated to suit tourist demands.

Cultural Ecosystem Services

Non-material benefits that local communities and tourists gain from natural environments, categorized into aesthetic, educational, recreational, and spiritual benefits.

Sustainable Tourism Development

Tourism development achieved when sustainability principles are balanced across economic, social, and environmental dimensions for long-term viability.

Ecotourism

Tourism that takes place in natural scenic areas aimed at conserving the environment, preserving biodiversity, and benefiting local communities.

Hard Ecotourism

A form of niche ecotourism involving strong commitment to conservation, small tourist numbers, specialized tour operators, and physically challenging experiences with minimal services.

Soft Ecotourism

Ecotourism characterized by moderate conservation commitment, larger tourist numbers, physically comfortable experiences, and services provided by mass market tour operators.

Community-Based Tourism (CBT)

Small-scale tourism managed directly by local communities to maximize local participation, preserve culture, and distribute economic benefits locally.

Pro-Poor Tourism

A tourism strategy focused on improving the livelihoods of poor communities through skill training and access to micro-finance for starting local businesses.

Sustainable Tourism Production

The management of tourism operations by stakeholders to ensure energy and resource demands do not exceed the natural supply of ecosystem services.

Sustainable Tourism Consumption

Responsible behaviors by tourists—such as staying in eco-certified hotels, minimizing resource waste, and purchasing local products—paired with destination demand management.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of people and tourists an environment can accommodate without experiencing environmental degradation or severe overcrowding.