Tourism notes

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3.4: Tourism

The rate of tourism in countries has increased greatly over the past few decades. This is due to several factors:

More affluence - people today have a greater disposable income and paid time off work for holidays.

Greater awareness - advertising/TV programs spread awareness of potential destinations.

More car ownership - more families own a car.

Improvements in technology - traveling today is much quicker.

More leisure time - people have paid holidays and those in retirement remain active for longer.

More choice - more people are looking at more unusual destinations, as opposed to just seaside/package holidays.

How can tourism be sustainable?

In the UK, the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed - legislation can be implemented to regulate the impact of tourism in an ecosystem.

As a compromise between tourists and locals, in the Lake District (UK), conservation groups have undertaken footpath maintenance, public transport has been improved and subsidized, restricted parking zones have been set up, a speed limit of 10mph was enacted, and awareness was raised of conservation issues.

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CASE STUDY: CAYMAN ISLANDS (GRAND CAYMAN)

Background

No. of tourists each year: 1,992,471 (2014)

Climate: Tropical, highs of 91 degrees F and lows of 72 degrees F

Physical attractions: Wreck of the Ten Sails, Seven Mile Beach, Hell

Human attractions: Camana Bay, Turtle Farm, Atlantis submarine

Is tourism good or bad for Cayman? [7]

Tourism is good for Grand Cayman as it is one of our main sources of revenue - it brought 223.1 million tourists in 2014, in part due to the multiplier effect. It provides jobs for people in industries such as the hotel industry (e.g. Mariott), and it can raise awareness of important issues such as the protection of Blue Iguanas. It allows growth and development as the revenue boosts the local economy and can go towards improving services, such as public schools. New facilities built for tourists can also be used by locals (e.g. Camana Bay), therefore more money circulates back into the economy. However, it may be a bad thing as tourists pollute the beaches with plastic straws and cigarettes, and continuous development to encourage tourism and meet demand may destroy ecosystems. Economic leakage is also a danger as big cruise companies may offer package holidays and Cayman may suffer. The environment can also be harmed by things like cruise ships damaging the coral near the port.