Tourism industry

The Key Elements of Tourism - Products and Services

Direct elements of the Tourism Industry - Those areas of the tourism industry which come into direct contact with tourists

• Sales
• Accommodation
• Transport
• Activities
• Attractions
• Ancillary Services

Indirect elements of the Tourism Industry - Often called support sectors. Those parts of the tourism industry which may not come into direct contact with tourists, but without the rest of the industry could not function.

• Infrastructure
• Roads
• Airports
• Communications
• Public Toilets
• Signs
• Manufacturing
• Building Industry
• Electricity
• Water supply
• Sewerage and waste disposal

Brief History of Travel & Tourism Through The Ages

Travel tourist - Originating from the French word “travail’ meaning to labour or toil. Tourist is today defined as a person travelling for pleasure

The Earliest Travel & Tourism

• Business travel (3000BC)
• Trading
• Matters of state
• Military purposes
• Leisure
• Egyptians visiting pyramids (1500BC)
• Religion - Pilgrimage (4th C AD) and other sacred ceremonies
• Pleasure
• Curiosity
• Sport - Olympic Games (776BC), Polo & jousting (Persia), Swimming (Egypt), Winter sports holiday (1901)

Spa (Bath)

File:Wallyg-300681098.jpg

A photo of the Great Bath, taken by Wallyg while visiting the Roman Baths Museum in Somerset, United Kingdom

• First used by the Romans
• Later developed 1897 to The Terrace (at left)
• Fashionable venue for social and rehabilitating needs
• The Grand Tour
• Renaissance – rebirth
• Travel for educational experience
• Early 17th century

19th Century

• Technological developments
• Railways
• Steamships
• Capital investment
• Hotel chains and corporations
• Casinos – escape from middle class morality of Victorian England
• Outdoor Activities
• Beach bathing
• Sun tan status symbol of health and wealth
• Mobile holidays
• Bicycle
• Motoring
• Walking

Early 20th Century

• Airline Industry
• Shipping lines
• Private Motor Cars

1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s

• Changing social patterns
• Annual holiday taking
• Special interest holidays
• Increasing prosperity and declining inflation
• Domestic and international travel

1990’s

• Failing economy
• Decline in airline travel
• Unrest
• Wars (Gulf War 1991)
• Civil unrest (Fiji)
• Terrorism

New Millennium

• Promise of golden era for tourism
• Terrorism
• September 11, 2001
• War
• Invasion of Iraq (2003)

2007 onwards - Issues - Negatives

• Global warming
• World resources - Oil
• War\coups
• Terrorism

2007 onwards - Issues positive

• Increased prosperity
• Emerging Industrial Nations – China
• Developments in Transportation
• Hypersonic jet
• Cruise Ships\Communities
• Development in Technology
• Virtual tourism

Impacts of Tourism

Economic

• International tourism receipts regarded as exports
• Expenditure by nationals abroad as imports
• Tourism leading source of foreign exchange for 38% of countries worldwide
• Contributes approximately 4.2% to the world’s Gross Domestic Product
• 78 million jobs within the industry-3.1% of total world employment
• Tourism can increase government revenue through payment of taxes by tourists eg departure tax, GST, visa fees
• Multiplier effect – more tourist dollar is spent and respent within the economy less the amount leaving in form of leakage

Economic - summary

• Major economic impact on developing countries/underdeveloped regions within country
• Foreign exchange earnings critically important to developing nations-require high level imports
• Increase standard of living creating employment and provision of facilities

Positive Environmental Impacts

• Formation parks and reserves to protect environmental sites
• Educate local community – plaques,leaflets
• Increased environmental awareness-physical improvement to landscape
• Protection of wildlife funded through tourism ventures

Negative Environmental Impacts

• Noise pollution
• Water pollution
• Air pollution
• Visual pollution
• Erosion
• Overcrowding
• Damaging wildlife

Positive Social Impacts Tourism is often regarded by the host community as an economic necessity but a social evil (Parkinson 1970)

• Employment
• Wealth creation
• Foreign investment
• Competition
• Improvement in lifestyles

Negative Social Impacts

• Inflation
• Overdependence on tourism
• Competition
• Undesirable activities
• Consumptive behaviour

Support Sectors

Public Sector - Those areas of the tourism industry which are directly controlled or organised by central or local government

Private Sector - Those areas of the tourism industry which are directly controlled or organised by individuals or privately owned companies.

Sectorial Organisations Based on the interests of a particular sector of the industry

• IATA – International Air Transport Association
• ABTA – Association of British Travel Agents
• TAANZ – Travel Agents Association of NZ
• HANZ – Hospitality Association of NZ
• BHA – British Hospitality Association

Destination Organisations - Concerned with developing and/or marketing a specific destination

• PATA – Pacific Asia Travel Association
• ETC – European Travel Commission
• Dunedin Host
• Tourism Dunedin
• British Tourist Authority
• Tourism New Zealand

Tourism Organisations - Concerned with Tourism Activity as a whole, by collecting statistics and research into the tourism phenomenon

• UN WTO – World Tourism Organisation
• WTTC – World Travel and Tourism Council
• British Industries Tourism Advisory Group

Attractions and Activities

Theme and Amusement Parks

• Bakken, Copenhagen opened in 1583 oldest amusement park
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach opened in 1896 most visited tourist site in England
• Walt Disney Corporation’s Disneyland in Anaheim and Disneyworld in Orlando attracts between 13-15 million visitors annually

Historical Buildings

• Stately homes in England number over 6000 and over 800 are open to visitors
• In Dunedin, Olveston offers tours and Larnach Castle can offer tours, accommodation, events, garden walks and restaurant facilities

Wildlife Attractions

• Establishment of zoos goes back to the 18th century – now 900 established zoos
• Safari parks increasingly popular – see animals in wild eg Kruger National Park
• Sealife centres attract crowds although dolphin shows are losing favour

Museums and Art Galleries

• Attracting new tourists through interactive displays and special events e.g. Te Papa holding Lord of the Rings exhibition
• Special exhibitions at Art Galleries

Natural Attractions

• New Zealand’s world renowned e.g. Milford Sound, geothermal activity Rotorua
• National parks world wide – related activities e.g. Yellowstone

Shopping

• Important part of tourism
• Tourist cities London, Paris, Rome, New York popular for quality
• Large malls being developed to attract visitors
• Souvenir shopping

Water Transport

Main categories

• Ocean line voyage shipping
• cruise shipping
• ferries
• inland waterway transportation

Ocean liners

• Port to port basis
• Decline because of reduced cost air transportation and oil increase
• Scheduled sailings limited

Cruising

• 250 cruise ships operate worldwide carrying 10 million passengers
• More than half cruises operate out of US ports and Americans represent 4 out of 5 cruise passengers
• Niche markets for vessels carrying 100-200 passengers
• Fly-cruises – combination of flights to and from port of departure
• Stereotypical cruise passenger – conservative and elderly sitting in deck chairs or hyper-active extrovert middle- aged looking for non-stop entertainment
• Security
• All inclusive
• Social interaction

Ferries

• Short distance – water-borne transport
• Within cities or between countries
• One of the busiest waterways in the world – English Channel

Inland waterways

• Excursion boats such as paddle steamers operate on the Murray River in Australia
• Barge holidays on canals are very popular
• Venice and Bangkok are examples of cities where water transport is both an attraction, and a means of sightseeing