Growth of Tourism (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

Growth of Tourism

• A leisure activity is something done for enjoyment in your free time

• Tourism is when a person travels to another destination for more than 24 hours but less than once a year

• Tourism can be split into:

  • Domestic: own country

  • International: another country

• Tourism can be considered a form of circular migration, as there is no intention of a permanent move, but can be for work, medical, educational or pleasure reasons

  • Seasonal workers are circular migrants who work in one place and return home after a short contract

  • Students at university return at the end of the term to their normal place of residence

  • Medical treatment encourages people to move to countries temporarily

  • Sport: many sports have gone global through international competitions, either as players or spectators

• Over the last 50 years, mass tourism has expanded into a major global industry, which is still growing 

• An estimated 900 million people become international tourists every year (pre-pandemic)

• Europe remains the region with the greatest number of tourist arrivals, with France being the No. 1 destination

• 53% of inbound tourism is for leisure (holiday); the second reason is for visiting friends and relatives

• The main reasons for the rise in tourism can be linked to:

  • Better pay and leave benefits: most workers now work less than 40 hours a week and have paid annual leave

  • Increased disposable incomes: typically, both couples work, which boosts the amount of money coming into the home

  • Border crossings are easier than ever with international agreements

  • Transport is faster and cheaper now

  • Internet, social media, etc. promote foreign destinations, last-minute holidays, etc. 

  • More 'built attractions' like theme parks and water parks

  • Events like music festivals, sports, etc

  • Many countries have heavily supported tourism or international events like the Olympics

• Travel and tourism employs the most people worldwide and accounts for 7% of global exports

• Growing awareness of the beauty of physical and human environments, together with improved living standards, has allowed more people to travel domestically and abroad