The geography of tourism and recreation

Who we are is shaped in part by where we are. Human interactions with each other and the environment are rooted in geographical understandings, as well as the opportunities and constraints of geographical circumstance. Geographical approaches and techniques offer critical insights into everything from local land-use decisions to international conflict. Tourism is widely recognised as the world’s largest industry. The figures on the size and significance of tourism are staggering. For example, according to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO 1996), in 1995 world tourist arrivals reached 567 million with estimated international tourism receipts of US$60 billion. By 2000 world tourism arrivals were estimated to have reached 698.3 million with receipts from international tourism climbed to US$476 billion (WTO 2001). Although international arrivals for 2003 were estimated to have fallen by 1.2 per cent in 2003 to 694 million, some 8.5 million less than in 2002 and the biggest drop ever in international tourism arrivals, a substantial rebound was expected in 2004 (WTO 2004a, 2004b). However, tourism, tourists and their impacts are clearly not evenly distributed. Substantial differentiation occurs at a variety of international, regional and local scales. For example, with respect to 2003 (WTO 2004a): There was zero international tourism growth in Europe. International arrivals in Western Europe showed a fall of 3.7 million (-3 per cent) although growth continued in Eastern Europe. The Americas recorded an overall decrease in international arrivals (-1 per cent), with the North American region experiencing a decline (-5 per cent) for the third year in a row. However, in contrast substantial growth was experienced in both the Caribbean (8 per cent) and South America (12 per cent). Asia and the Pacific experienced a massive drop of 12 million arrivals (-9 per cent) due to the SAKS epidemic, with the South East Asia region experiencing a decline of 16 per cent, yet South Asia had 17 per cent growth. Despite security concerns, the Middle East and Africa recovered quickly during the year and recorded the best results of all the regions with estimated increases of 10 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. At a global level the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC 2000), using a tourism satellite accounting system, has measured that, directly and indirectly, the travel and tourism industry constitutes 11 per cent of global GDP (US$3575 billion) and supports 200 million jobs worldwide (8 per cent of total employment or 1 in every 12.4 jobs). By 2010, the travel and tourism economic contribution is estimated to grow to 11.6 per cent (US$6591 billion) of global GDP and will support 250 million jobs (9 per cent of total employment or 1 in every 11 jobs). The WTTC (2001a) estimates that by 2011, the travel and tourism economy will constitute 11.0 per cent of global GDP and support 260,417,000 jobs worldwide (9 per cent of total employment or 1 in 11.2 jobs). The immediate economic significance of such figures is to be seen not only in tourist destination and tourist generating areas but also in those destinations from which tourists switch their travel in order to take advantage of cheap prices, faster travel times or more favourable perceptions of safety.