3.7 Global Tourism
Resources Booklet
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Tourism is a luxury. Until recently participation was restricted to the few who could afford both time and money to
travel. Today most people in the developed world and increasing numbers in the developing countries engage in
tourism at some time in their lives. Tourism is an accepted and even expected part of today’s lifestyle for a large and
growing number of people. It has become an indicator of socio-economic status and is considered necessary for
good health and personal well-being. Tourism is the largest industry in the world and makes a significant
contribution to the GDP of many countries. It is a major catalyst for economic growth and structural change.
The growth of global tourism has had pronounced social, economic and environmental effects. For a long time
Western Europe and North America have dominated global tourist flows. There was a strong flow of tourists from
USA to Europe throughout the 20th century and the level of transatlantic movement in both directions increased in
the 1970’s as competition reduced the price of travel.
There has been true globalisation as more and more
countries become destinations for international travel.
A major factor causing growth has been transport
improvements. Mass transit has increased the number of
people who travel. Motivation for travel has also changed.
Prior to the 18th century it was for trade, education and
religious purposes. Travel for pleasure was only undertaken
by a wealthy few.
2012
1 Billion
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The industrial revolution caused dramatic social and economic change and laid the foundations for modern tourism.
People moved to industrial towns, had higher incomes and were no longer tied to the land. Eventually they acquired
holiday rights and sought to escape from urban areas during breaks from work. There was a rapid expansion of
middle class, working in professional services, government and banking and this created a market for travel. At the
same time transport methods improved- rail and steam ship. There was also the emergence of the hotel industry,
seaside resorts and spas were popular. The most spectacular growth occurred in the second half of the 20th century.
During this time the moral and legal right to leisure became established. Aircraft took over from steam train or
steam ship as the prime mode of transport. Longer holidays, ageing population and increasing affluence, a surge in
car ownership and growth of cheap package tours became well established after WWII. The development of jet
aircraft in the 1970’s opened up the market for long haul travel. Tourism dramatically increased towards the end of
the 20th century. Advances in transport technology cut travelling times and greatly reduced the cost of travel. 50
years ago it took 6 weeks to travel from NZ to Europe by ship. Today it is just a 24 hour flight.
More recently there has been spectacular growth in the Asia- Pacific region. This reflects the rising incomes in some
of the newly industrialising countries of Asia, Japan, China, Korea and India.
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Another important factor is the world population’s changing demographics. Increased life expectancy means there is
a growing proportion over the retirement age who are available to travel. Increasing numbers of women in the
workforce has increased incomes for families and the ability to afford a holiday. Communications around the world
have improved and media promotions boost the awareness of new destinations and tourism opportunities. Political
factors influence tourism flows. The ease of access into a country or region is a key factor in attracting tourists.
Governments are responsible for visa processing and customs clearance. Some countries have introduced visa-free
entry to remove barriers in crossing borders eg Europe.
Future pace and direction of growth in the tourism industry will be determined by:
Affordability – the greatest potential is in Asia with a massive population of rising affluence
Accessibility – transport technology makes long haul travel more affordable. Destinations chosen will reflect
perceived security. Places experiencing political instability will largely be avoided.
Tourism is now the world’s largest and fastest growing industry. In 1950 only 25 million people travelled
internationally. In 1996 this had jumped to 594 million and in 2012 the number of tourists passed 1 billion.
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Top 10 destinations (numbers of tourists visiting in millions)
European countries
Rank 1987
1996
2002
2012
The largest movements of tourists are
1
Spain
42
France
61
France
77
France
83
2
France
31
USA
45
Spain
52
USA
67
3
USA
23
Spain
41
USA
42
China
58
4
Italy
20
Italy
33
Italy
40
Spain
58
5
Austria
14
UK
26
China
37
Italy
46
6
UK
12
China
23
UK
24
Turkey
36
7
Canada
12
Mexico
21
Canada
20
Germany 30
8
Germany 10
Hungary
20
Mexico
20
UK
29
9
Hungary
10
Poland
19
Austria
18
Russia
26
10
Switzerland 9
Canada
17
Germany 18
from Northern Europe and North America
to the warmer climates of Southern
Europe and Central America and between
North America and Europe.
Malaysia 25
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Development is a process of change in a country’s economic and social structure that should create a better quality
of life for people. Many developing countries see tourism as a way of encouraging development, creating jobs and
bringing in much needed foreign exchange. Examples of advantages and disadvantages are listed in the table below:
Advantages of tourism


Tourism earns much needed foreign income
Unique physical environments are often
and profits go overseas
Tourism creates jobs and is labour intensive

The production and selling of tourist souvenirs
creates work for craft based industries
spoiling scenic sites and causing pollution



Agricultural systems breakdown as land is sold
off to developers

Local traditions and customs are destroyed by
contact; prostitution, crime, drugs and
Local customs and heritage are preserved
Increased understanding between cultures
Craft industries encouraged to produce cheap,
mass produced souvenirs
drunkenness often increase
because tourists want to experience it

Much of the employment is seasonal and
poorly paid
Profits can be used to improve housing,
schools, hospitals, electricity and water supplies
Lack of planning often results in hotels, airports
and roads being built in the wrong place,
There is much needed foreign investment in
airports, roads and hotels


Local produce can be sold to hotels and
restaurants

Only 10-20% of the income received stays in
the country as most hotels are foreign owned



that can be used to pay for imports
protected because of their appeal to tourists

Disadvantages of tourism

Lack of respect for local religious beliefs
Increasing life expectancy means that there is a growing proportion of the population over the retirement age. With
their accumulated savings this group is the most travelled. As the world population continues to age this group will
expand substantially. The increasing participation rate of women in the workforce has also provided a boost to
tourism as two-income families with fewer children can afford to travel more.
Tourism is not a new idea. As early as 776BC people travelled to Greece to watch the first Olympic games. Wealthy
Romans also travelled for holidays and to visit friends and relatives around Italy and to regions as far away as Egypt.
The pyramids were already great attractions. The growth of the Roman Empire led to the development of roads and
inns - an early form of today’s motels. The Roman Empire gave rise to some of the earliest forms of coastal resorts eg
Naples. One of the earliest forms of tourism was to visit the spas or hot pools of Britain and Europe. The Romans
developed the baths for health purposes. You can still visit Roman baths in the town of Bath in England. They
became fashionable destination for the wealthy during the 18th century. Around the same time people participated
in the ‘Grand Tour’, a term used to describe educational travel to the main social and cultural centres of Europe.
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The purpose was for young men to complete their education with a tour through Europe. Thomas Cook from
England was the first person to organise package tours. He began with single day train trips and then expanded with
longer package deals into Europe, China and America. The most significant factor in these early days was the
introduction of faster and more comfortable means of travel such as trains and steamships. As the popularity of
these new transport forms grew, the price decreased and touring to new regions was possible for more people. The
ownership of private motorcars also encouraged tourism, as did the growth of airline transport services after World
War Two. As prosperity increased in the 1950’s people had disposable income that enabled them to travel. Tourism
also increased with the introduction of lower hours of work per week and therefore more hours of leisure time.
3 A’s of world tourism growth-Reasons for global tourism growth:
Awareness and motivation
Accessibility
Affluence
(people want to travel more)
(places are easier, quicker to get to)
(people have more time and money)

Desire to escape stress of

High interest in

experiencing new cultures
and natural environments

Competitive marketing

More educated popuation

Internet, global media

Globalisation – the removal


Low cost and long haul


more affluent countries

Income per capita is high
and people can afford to
Highly developed road and
have longer holidays

Reduced cost makes travel
affordable

Most tourists come from
airlines
rail links
of barriers and increased
connectedness

services available
urban living

Wider range of transport
Increasing proportion of
retiring, affluent people

Some countries have quickly
Internet has made
rising levels of affluence eg
purchasing easier
China, India, South Korea
Improved technology led to

Higher living standards and
Improved education led to
improved transport and
increased leisure time lead
more knowledge of tourist
communication
to more opportunities to
destinations
travel
Tourism is a major phenomenon of 21st century and a major part of the world economy. Since the 1950’s tourism has
changed dramatically:

In size (huge increases in numbers travelling)

In the scope of operation (now most countries in the world have some kind of tourism industry)

In the range of activities and the styles of travel
Tourism has effects on people and places. Effects can be economic, social, cultural, environmental, political, long
term or short term, positive and negative.
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Core areas of tourism develop where people travel to most. Agglomeration is the tendency for economic activities to
concentrate with other economic activities and so share common facilities. A location that is already reasonably
highly developed in terms of accommodation, shopping and facilities will provide a strong attraction for further
activities to develop in that location. Tourism throughout the world has tended to be a concentrated activity. There
are particularly well known sites that are visited by a vast number of people. However the overall pattern of tourist
destinations is dispersed across the globe.
After slowly recovering from the late-2000s recession, where tourism suffered a strong slowdown from the second
half of 2008 through the end of 2009, and the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, international tourist arrivals
surpassed 1 billion, globally for first time in history, in 2012. International tourist arrivals reached 1.035 billion in
2012, up from over 983 million in 2011, and 940 million in 2010.
International tourism receipts have had a 3.8% increase from 2010. In 2012, China became the largest spender in
international tourism globally with US$102 billion, passing Germany and United States. China and emerging markets
such as Russia and Brazil, have significantly increased their spending over the past decade.
The World Tourism Organisation reports the following countries as the top ten tourism earners for the year 2013:
USA, Spain, France, China, Macau (China), Italy, Germany, UK, Hong Kong (China), and Australia.
The World Tourism Organisation reports the following countries as the top ten biggest spenders on international
tourism for the year 2012: China, Germany, USA, UK, Russia, France, Canada, Japan, Australia and Italy.
There have been a few setbacks in tourism, such as the September 11 attacks in 2001 and terrorist threats to tourist
destinations, such as in Bali (2002) and several European and US cities. December 2004, a tsunami, caused by
the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, hit Asian countries, including the Maldives and Phuket, Thailand. Thousands of
lives were lost including many tourists. This, together with the vast clean-up operations, stopped or severely
hampered tourism in the area for a time.
Overall there is movement away from a mass tourism approach of one size fits all, to one in which more specialised
tourism experiences are offered to niche markets. Examples include: adventure tourism, eco-tourism, medical
tourism, educational tourism, religious tourism and sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism is becoming more common. This involves regard for ecological and socio-cultural aspects of host
communities in tourism development planning. It involves mitigating or avoiding some of the negative economic and
social impacts of 'mass tourism'. Ecotourism is responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that
strives to be low impact and (often) small scale. It helps educate the traveler; provides funds for conservation;
directly benefits the economic development and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights.
Take only memories and leave only footprints is a common slogan in protected areas. In educational tourism, the
main focus of the tour or leisure activity includes visiting another country to learn about the culture, such as
in Student Exchange Programs and Study Tours. More recently, creative tourism has gained popularity as a form of
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cultural tourism, drawing on active participation by travelers in the culture of the host communities they visit.
Several countries offer examples of this type of tourism development, including the United Kingdom, Austria, France,
the Bahamas, Jamaica, Spain, Italy and New Zealand (eg Tamaki Tours in Rotorua). One emerging area of special
interest has been identified as "dark" tourism. This type of tourism involves visits to "dark" sites, such as
battlegrounds, scenes of horrific crimes or acts of genocide, for example: concentration camps. Dark tourism
remains a small niche market, driven by varied motivations, such as mourning, remembrance, education or macabre
curiosity. Its early origins are rooted in fairgrounds and medieval fairs.
Also known as "Tourism of Doom," or "Last Chance Tourism" this emerging trend involves traveling to places that are
environmentally or otherwise threatened (such as the ice caps of Mount Kilimanjaro, the melting glaciers
of Patagonia, or the coral of the Great Barrier Reef) before it is too late. This type of tourism is believed to be on the
rise. Some see the trend as related to sustainable tourism or ecotourism due to the fact that a number of these
tourist destinations are considered threatened by environmental factors such as global warming, overpopulation or
climate change. A 2010 report into space tourism anticipated that it could become a billion dollar market by 2030.
Since the late 1980s, sports tourism has become increasingly popular. Events such as rugby, Olympics,
Commonwealth games, Asian Games and football World Cups have enabled specialist travel companies to gain
official ticket allocation and then sell them in packages that include flights, hotels and excursions.
The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasts that international tourism will continue growing at the average
annual rate of 4%. It has been suggested that travel is necessary in order to maintain relationships, as social life is
increasingly networked and conducted at a distance. For many people vacations and travel are increasingly being
viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury.
The top 50 cities map, derived from Euromonitor data, contains some surprising information. Few people in the
United States have heard of the southern Turkish city of Antalya, yet with more than eight million visitors in 2008 it
ranked in the seventh position. On the eastern side of Eurasia, the biggest surprise is the strong draw of south China
and Southeast Asia. Four cities make the list: Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Shenzhen, which did
not exist before 1979, attracted more than three million visitors in 2008. Thailand’s presence in international
tourism is huge, with Bangkok ranked as the world’s third most visited city, trailing only London and New York.
Further south, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Singapore ranked fifth and fourth respectively, higher than both Paris
and Dubai.
International tourism figures, however, can be deceptive. London and New York have particularly high numbers in
part because they serve as gateways to other destinations in Europe and North America. Europe’s numbers are
boosted by the small size of its countries, which draw even short-distance travellers across borders. Many of
London’s fifteen million visitors in 2008 simply came to shop. As Euromonitor reported, “in late 2008, the pound
weakened significantly against the Euro, encouraging Eurozone visitors, especially from France, to do their Christmas
shopping in London.” Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai are common stop overs on long haul flights.
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Consumers will demand more individual and authentic travel experiences in the future and will rely more than ever
on technology such as the internet to plan and enjoy their trips. More people will seek authentic holiday destinations
and experiences with more interaction with local communities. Adventure travel is growing fast as people seek
diverse new experiences and is also helping destinations to protect local communities and the environment.
People’s views of the world have changed. People increasingly want to get back to basics, to experience real things
in a responsible and sustainable manner. Basically, people are increasingly stepping outside of their comfort zones
to seek authentic experiences. Adventure travel also ties in with sustainable tourism. Adventure travellers are
welcome guests in destinations from a financial perspective because they tend to stay longer and spend more
locally. About two-thirds of their holiday costs are spent directly in the destination in contrast to just 10-15% of
package holiday costs. This is very important for local economies and societies around the world. Adventure travel
can play a sustainability role in creating and supporting local jobs.
Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification, becoming one of the
largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world. Many new destinations have emerged apart from the
traditional favourites of Europe and North America.
Long-term outlook: International tourist arrivals worldwide will increase to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. Between 2010
and 2030, arrivals in emerging destinations (+4.4% a year) are expected to increase at double the pace of that in
advanced economies (+2.2% a year).
Asia and the Pacific have recorded the strongest growth with a 7% increase in arrivals, followed by Africa (+6%) and
the Americas (+5%). International tourist arrivals in Europe, the most visited region in the world, were up by 3%.
Two international sporting events contributed to Europe’s results last year: the UEFA European Football
Championship held in Poland and Ukraine, and the London Summer Olympics and Paralympics in the United
Kingdom. These events boosted tourism receipts in all three countries.
Europe is currently still the world’s largest source region, generating just over half of all international arrivals
worldwide, followed by Asia and the Pacific (23%), the Americas (17%), the Middle East (3%) and Africa (3%).
By region, the strongest growth will be seen in Asia and the Pacific, where arrivals are forecast to increase by 331
million to reach 535 million in 2030 (+4.9% per year). The Middle East and Africa are also expected to more than
double their arrivals in this period, from 61 million to 149 million and from 50 million to 134 million respectively.
Europe (from 475 million to 744 million) and the Americas (from 150 million to 248 million) will grow comparatively
more slowly. As a result, Europe (to 41%, from 51%) and the Americas (to 14%, from 16%) will experience a further
decline in their share of international tourism, mostly because of the slower growth of comparatively mature
destinations in North America, Northern Europe and Western Europe.
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