Tourism in the UK

Tourism in the UK

Slide 2

• Tourists actually love the UK, and they make a big contribution to the economy - around 3% of the GDP. In 2008, there were 32 million visitors to the UK. It's popular for many reasons, but here are a few:
• Countryside (eg. national parks - Dartmoor, the Peak District etc)
• Historic landmarks (eg. Stonehenge)
• Churches and cathedrals (eg. Exeter Cathedral)
• Castles and palaces (eg. Buckingham Palace)

London and more

• London is particularly popular for its museums, theatres and shopping. It's the destination of half of all visitors to the UK. In 2007, tourism contributed £114 billion to the economy and employed 1.4 million people.

Things affecting visitor numbers

• Weather - bad weather doesn't just irritate locals. In 2007, a wet summer was blamed for the lack of tourists.
• World economy - in a time of recession, people tend to cut back on luxuries, so fewer overseas visitors come to the UK - but people in the UK still choose to have a holiday closer to the UK or inside it.
• Exchange rate - if it's low, the UK is cheaper to visit,, so there are more overseas visitors.
• Terrorism and conflict - wars and terrorist threats mean people are less likely to visit affected areas, Tourism fell in 2005 after the London bombings.
• Major events - attract huge numbers of people! For example, in 2008, Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture and as a result, 3.5 million people visited who hadn't been there before.

The Butler Model

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• This is the Butler Model. It shows the number of tourists as time goes on and the different stages that a resort goes through...
• Caption: Butler Model

Stage one - EXPLORATION

• A small number of visitors are attracted, but there are not many facilities for tourists.
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Stage 2 - INVOLVEMENT

• Local people start providing facilities, so more visitors are attracted
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Stage 3 - DEVELOPMENT

• More visitors come as more facilities are made. These facilities are made and owned by big companies, so control is out of control of the locals.
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Stage 4 - CONSOLIDATION

• Tourism is now a big part of the economy, but numbers are beginning to level off.
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Stage 5 - STAGNATION

• Visitor number have peaked, but the facilities aren't as good anymore and the environment has been significantly damaged.
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Stage 7 - REJUVENATION/DECLINE

• Rejuvenation is when the resort or area is completely renewed - new facilities and infrastructure attract a new generation of visitors.
• Decline is when the area is now a lot less attractive to visitors and in turn becomes a little bit derelict. Visitor numbers - you guessed it - decline.