Geography - Tourism

Tourism involves activities that require travel form home and staying away from home for at least one night. This not only includes people going on holiday but also people taking business trips and/or visiting friends or relatives. Most people would also include day visits from home to the coast and/or national parks.

Tourism is a growing industry and people are hoving more and longer holidays.

1) People have more disposible income (spare cash) than they used to, so they can afford to go on more holidays.

2) Companies give more paid holiday holiday time than they used too.

3) Travel has become cheaper (espicially air travel) so more people can afford to go on holiday.

4) Travel companies and hotels now use the internet to sell holidays to people directly which makes them cheaper so, again more people can aford ot go away.

Some areas are becoming more popular to tourism than they used to be.

1) Improvements in transport make it quicker and easier to get to places.

2) More unu

Cities -

People are atracted to cities by the culture (e.g. museums, art gallaries), entertainment (bars, restaurants, theathers) and shopping. Popoular destinations include London, New York, Paris and Rome

Coast -

People are atracted to costal areas by the beaches and activites like swimming, snorkeling, fishing and water skiing. Popular destinations include Spain, The Carribiean and Thiland

Mountains -

People are attracted to mountain areas by the beautiful scenary and activites like walking, climbing, skiing and snowboarding. Popular destinations include the Alps, the Rockies and the Dolomites.

Tourism is imporant to the economies of many countries.

1) Tourism creates jobs for local people (e.g. in bars and restaurants), which helps the ecomomy to grow.

2) It also increases the income of other buisnesses that supply to toursim industry, e.g. farms that supply food to hotels. Which also helps the economy to grow.

3) This means tourism is importants to the economy of countries in both rich and poor parts of the world.

4) Poorer countries tend to be more dependant on the income from tourism than richer ones.