Human & Physical Factors Affecting the Growth of Tourism (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Briley Habib
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Growth of Urban Tourism Hotspots
A tourist hotspot is an area that attracts a large number of tourists. It may also be called a honeypot
Various factors determine whether an area is a hotspot:
Climate - hot and sunny weather in summer can lead to seasonality of tourism
The culture of an area, such as clothing and food, may encourage more people to visit
Natural landscapes such as mountains, rainforests and coasts
Government investment and planning may lead to the creation of new sporting arenas
Sporting events such as the Olympics
To be a successful hotspot, it is most likely that the location would have a range of the following:
Accommodation, which reflects the demand
A wide range of transport options
Public utilities which meet the needs of visitors
Investment from governments
Hotspots may be:
Seasonal - tourism peaks at particular points in the year
Diurnal - tourism may peak at specific points of the day
New York: An urban tourism hotspot
The primary resources include historical monuments, vibrant cultural scenes and museums
Secondary resources have developed across New York to provide for tourists, including hotels, restaurants and modern museums
Some challenges caused by tourism in New York City include:
The Brooklyn Bridge was closed twice in 2018 due to overcrowding
Overselling of access to the Statue of Liberty
Over 400ft queue of people who wanted access to the Empire State Building in June 2019
Tourism is seasonal in New York due to the climate, with a low season in February
In 2020 tourism declined by 65% due to COVID-19
New York tourism strategy
Strategy | Features of the strategy |
|---|---|
Infrastructure development | The city is advertised towards a wide range of tourists with its variety of transport and over 120,000 rooms available in hotels |
Marketing campaigns | NYC & Company's marketing campaigns, like "NYC Homecoming", provided a week of concerts in Central Park to encourage tourism. COVID-19 It's Time For New York City - a multimedia campaign to attract domestic and international tourists A multimedia campaign, SavorNYC which has a monthly food theme |
Cultural events | New York Fashion Week and the Tribeca Film Festival |
Sustainability initiatives | Green certification programmes exist in partnership with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Bike sharing with Citi Bike Zero Emission buses |
Digital innovation | Smart tourism apps such as ‘sit or squat’ monitor the cleanliness of toilets in the city RiseNY offers replica visits on the first subway trip from 1904, interactive galleries and flight simulation |
Collaboration with stakeholders | The city collaborates with businesses, hotels, and attractions to ensure a coordinated approach to managing and promoting tourism sustainably |
New York's tourism strategy also aims to:
Increase the number of international travellers
They will spend longer in the city, which will increase visitor spending
Create multicultural content hubs which celebrate the diversity of the communities that make up New York
Launch a Halal travel guide for the city
Decrease seasonality
New York City hotel week encourages tourism in the winter and offers a discount on hotel rooms
Invest over $20 billion in the city’s major airports
Diversify tourism through Gansevoort Peninsula, which is Manhattan’s first public beach
Increase transport
A new railway station opened in 2021 to relieve pressure from Penn Street Station
Regenerate public spaces
The HighLine was developed from a disused railway track
Increase economic impact
Market New York is a grant project which provides funding for projects
Growth of Rural Tourism Hotspots
Yosemite: A rural tourism hotspot
Yosemite National Park is located in California
It has been a protected area since 1864
The primary resource is the landscape and ecosystems
Secondary resources have been built around these primary resources
There are various tourist attractions:
Glacier Point
Yosemite Falls
Sequoia trees
El Capitan and the Half Dome
Diverse ecosystems
Accommodation is plentiful and diverse
Campsites, hotels and lodges are all available
Transportation is available through shuttle services
Private cars can be used in the area with a permit
Management of Yosemite National Park
Strategy | How it helps |
|---|---|
Annual Visitor Cap | Prevents overcrowding and possible environmental damage Ecosystems can be managed to limit footpath erosion, such as that on the Mist Trail |
Shuttle services | Reduces individual car traffic and lowers emissions |
Partnerships with local communities | ‘Ask a climber’ program has been introduced for visitors to learn about Chinese-American history in the park Working with accessibility groups to ensure that sites are accessible to all |
Habitat restoration | Programmes have been set up to protect endangered species such as the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog |
Ecosystem studies | Scientific research is carried out in the area to adapt to climate change |
Fire management | Controlled fires are used to maintain the ecosystem |
Visitor education | Many programs and exhibits take place to show how different groups of people have contributed to the area, such as Buffalo soldiers, Yosemite Indians and women |
Sphere of Influence of Sporting & Tourist Facilities
A sphere of influence is the area from which a facility or an attraction draws its supporters
Small playgrounds have small thresholds; only local people will visit
Sports centres have a large threshold. They provide opportunities for a large number of people to participate in central locations; people will visit from a much wider area
The range is the maximum distance people will travel to use a facilities
The minimum number of people needed for a facility to be viable is known as the threshold population
The larger the population of a city, the more opportunities there will be for sports franchises to operate
This is known as a sports hierarchy
Hierarchy of Sports Facilities in Different Settlements in a Higher-Income Country
Community size | Possible facilities | Possible activities |
|---|---|---|
Village up to 1000 people | Mobile library Community hall | Exercise classes such as yoga, cricket, and bowling |
A small country town with up to 6,000 people | As above, plus a swimming pool, tennis courts, and football pitches | As above, plus court games like netball and basketball |
Town | As above, plus golf courses | As above but with dedicated areas for golf and other specialist sports |
City | Athletic grounds Sports stadiums | As above, plus grounds of sports teams such as football and rugby |
Capital city | National sports centres | As above but for national teams |
Factors affecting the sphere of influence
Transport - good transport links increase the sphere of influence
Competition with other facilities
Services provided by a facility
Local population characteristics, including wealth
Urban areas
Urban areas are important for tourism for a variety of reasons, including:
They can be an entry point for other tourist destinations, such as New York, which is used as a gateway for cruise holidays
They have a wide range of accommodations which can suit all budgets, from hostels to 5-star hotels
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember that the hierarchy of sports examples is based on traditional Western examples and that a sports hierarchy may differ depending on income
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