T H E G E O G RA P H Y O F RE S O U RC E S

F O R T O U RI S M
CHA P TE R 4

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

L E A RN I N G O B J E C T I V E S

Distinguish the methods used to classify and evaluate resource

for tourism

Outline the main factors favouring the development of tourism

resource

Understanding the need for tourism planning, marketing, and

sustainable development

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

T H E C H A RA C T E RI S T I C S A N D
M A N A G E M E N T O F T O U RI S M RE S O U RC E S
C H A RA C T E RI S T I C

• Tourism resources have 3 main characteristic:

Not Used Exclusively:

Tangible: Economic Tourism shares the
value to the Tourism resource with
sector. agriculture, forestry,
water management.

Perishable: They
vulnerable to
alteration and
destruction by tourist.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

P L A NNI NG
• Tourism is attracted to fragile and unique resources throughout the world.
• After WW2, many countries realize that international tourism as an ideal
solution to economic problems.
• Tourism can boost up economic and also benefit in employment income and
development.
• Nowadays, increasing awareness of the environment and host community to
complement the economic needs of destinations.
• Sustainable tourism became priority key in tourism planning.
• Example, in tourism industry, this is being done in a number of ways:
• Codes of conduct and guidelines.
• Accreditation and certification, inspecting and certifying business.
• Licensing business operating in environmentally.
• Education and Communication.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Carrying capacity (CC) is a key concept of sustainable tourism.
• Despite they are many approaches to tourism planning, the planning progress can
be reduced to six basic question as below:
1. What type of tourist will visit ?
2. What is the scale of tourism ?
3. Where will development take place ?
4. What controls will be placed on development ?
5. How will development be financed ?
Carrying capacity is “ the maximum
6. What will be government’s role ? number of people that may visit a
tourist destination at the same time,
without causing destruction of the
physical, economic, sociocultural
environment and an unacceptable
decrease in the quality of visitors'
satisfaction” (UNWTO)

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• If tourism planning does not succeed, these consequences may follow:
1.The quality and integrity of the tourism resource are put at risk.
2.The role of tourism in multiple land use may be threatened as other uses dominate.
3.The tourists suffers from a poor-quality experience.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

T O U RI S M RE S O U RC E S A T T H E
GLOBAL SCALE
P H YS I C A L F E AT URE S
• The Earth’s biosphere consists of
the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere
(water) and lithosphere (land)
• There quarters of the earth’s
surface consists of sea including
the FIVE (5) oceans.
1. Pacific Ocean
2. Northern Atlantic
3. Indian Ocean
4. Southern Atlantic
5. Arctic Ocean (Which is
largely ice covered)
• The Earth’s comprising seven continents and associated
islands.
• Asia
• Africa
• North America
• South America
• Antarctica
• Europe
• Oceania

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Almost 40% of Northern Hemisphere,
less than 20% of the Southern
Hemisphere is made up of land.
• The land surface of the Earth is
composed of a variety of Landforms
into 4 categories:
1. Mountain (areas of elevated, rugged
terrain)
2. Sloping hill lands
3. Elevated plateaus
4. Lowland plains

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Within each category there are
features resulting from natural forces
such as erosion and variations in the
composition of the underlying rock.

• Which destination at Malaysia have

been designated by UNESCO as
Geoparks ?

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Some of these features are worth
looking in more detail:
1. Geothermal features comprise
volcanoes, crater lakes and calderas,
lava formations, geysers and hot
springs.
2. Karst features found in limestone.
3. Glaciated features are the result of
action by frost and slow-moving masses
of ice.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• The sparse population of most mountain
regions has made it easier for governments
to designate areas as National Park for their
outstanding natural beauty.

• Tourism has to complete with other

demands on resources including forestry,
pasture for grazing, hydroelectric power
generation and mineral extraction.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

 THE COA S T
• Where the zone processes of the sea and the land interact, resulting
in a great diversity of landforms and scenery.

• At lease a 1/3 of world’s population are estimated to live on or near

the coast

• Beach have a high carrying capacity, where the protective plant

cover is highly vulnerable to trampling.

• Overcrowding and the litter produced by a throwaway society are

features of popular holiday resorts in peak season.

• Pollution from industrial waste and contamination from untreated

sewage are a serious risk to swimmers on many beaches.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Coral reefs are a feature of oceanic islands and most mainland
coasts in tropics, where sea temperatures range between 23 and
29 c and the water is clear and of moderate depth.

• This provides opportunities for water sports, particularly

snorkeling and scuba diving

• Coral reef ecosystems are extraordinarily diverse, but are highly

vulnerable, not only to the treat of ‘global warming’ but also to a
number of other dangers, mostly man-made.

• All countries have designated marine reserves to protect the

reefs and sea life in general.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Coastal wetlands are consisting of
estuaries, marshes and swamps,
have long been under-valued as a
tourism resource, but are now
attracting the developers.
• Examples: Mangrove swamps have
been dredged to provide harbors
and yacht marinas or expand the
lucrative shrimp-farming industry.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

I N L A N D WAT E R
RESOURCES

• Lakes and river provide a substitute for a

coastline as a recreational resource;
indeed, shallow lakes tend to warm up
more rapidly in summer than the sea.

• Lake are accessible to major cities, they

attract second home owners and a wide
range of recreational activities which may
not be compatible.

• Maintaining water quality is a major

problem, due to lake have no natural
cleaning mechanism.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• River are widely available than lakes.

• Rivers previously regarded as

un-navigable are sought out by
adventurous tourists for the
challenge of white-water rafting and
canoeing.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

C U L T U RA L F E A T U RE S
• A country’s resources in the arts, culture and
entertainment (creative industries).

• What is ‘Culture’ mean?

• Different things to specific interest groups.

• Only minority of tourists are primarily culture

seekers, most travelers are interested in the
everyday differences in lifestyles between their
country of origin and the countries they visit.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Tourism is a major factor that encourages cultural
change in traditional societies, along with
developments in global communication.

• Multiple local festivals and handicraft was present

to attract tourist.

• Pilgrimages – Journeys with a religious

motivation, were arguably the earliest form of
organized tourism.

• Heritage Tourism has grown up with people’s

curiosity about place, nature and the past.

• Dark Tourism – Focuses on places associated with

death, suffering and disaster.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

T O U RI S M RE S O U RC E S A T T H E
NATI ONA L S CA L E
 T O U RI S T A T T RA C T I O N S

• Swarbrooke (1995) has classified attractions into the following categories.

1. Natural
2. Man-made but not originally designed to attract tourists
3. Man-made and purpose built to attract tourists
4. Special events

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• Different forms of tourism
are based on different types
of attraction.
1. Youth

2. Business traveler

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

• A hierarchy of tourist attraction

First-order
attractions

Second-order attractions

Third-order attractions

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

TO U R I S M R E S O U R C E S AT T H E
LOCAL SCALE
• Private sector or public sector acting on it
behalf and local authorities.
• Many governments actively encourage
tourism in their own countries by providing
subsidiaries and tax breaks to developer.
• Local level the role of the public sector is
usually limited to providing the “initial
infrastructure”.
• Public sectors also responsible for ensuring
adequate security from crime and terrorism.
• Private sectors looks for profit and a return
on investment.
• Public sectors is to provide the basic services
in environment favorable for tourism
development.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

R E S O RT S A N D O T H E R T O U R I S T C E N T E R S

• The recreational business district.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

 T H E T O U RI S T A RE A L I F E C Y C L E

• Exploration: small number of adventurous tourist;

main attraction is unspoilt.

• Involvement: Local initiatives provide facilities.

• Development: Large number of tourists.

• Consolidation: Destination full-fledged part of the

tourism industry.

• Stagnation: Peak visitor number reached,

destination become unfashionable.

• Decline:Visitors now visit newer.

• Rejuvenation: ‘Re-launch’ the destination by

providing new facilities.

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

 E ND
P l ea s e compl ete tutor i a l i n B l a ckB oa rd

TOU1214N TOURISM GEOGRAPHY