Issues questions

i What issue is suggested in the informa­tion about tourism development on Pangkor Island? ii Who used the island in the past?

iii Who will use it in the future?

iv Why was it chosen for past and future

activities?

v How and why has the issue arisen?

vi What conflicts are involved in it?

vii What alternative decisions could have

been made?

viii What impacts would each one have had?

g Copy Table 3-1 and complete it by compar­ing the issues revealed in Activity 3 on page 74 with the conflicts over tourism on Pangkor Island revealed on pages 78 to 80.

Table 3.1 Biophysical and cultural issues affecting Pangkor Island and Senggigi Beach

Senggigi Beach, Indonesia

I ssues Pangkor Island,

M alaysia

Biophysical

●

●

●

Cultural

●

●

●

■

h i Which issues are unique to each of the

two areas cited in part g?

ii Which issues have similar aspects?

80

THE IMPACT OF TOURISM

i Discuss the statement, 'Although the cultures of the countries cited in this chapter's aforementioned case studies are in many ways different, the issues involved in development of tourism there are similar.'

Tourism in the coastal areas of Thailand

Where are the tourist destinations located in coastal Thailand?

Who is involved? Where do the tourists come from?

Tourist Authority of Thailand statistics reveal that the country has an average of about six million tourists each year; in 1983 the figure was 2.2 million. During the late 1980s, total arrivals reached 3-5 million, and the visitors came from the countries and regions listed in Table 3-2.

Table 3.2 The regions and countries from which tourists visiting Thailand originated during the late 1980s

Region and country of origin Number of tourists

Figure 3.32 Thailand

What are the issues?

How and why have the issues arisen?

East Asia and the Pacific	1,541,000
Malaysia	765,000
Japan	341,000
Singapore	240,000
Taiwan	195,000
Europe	794,320
Great Britain	184,000
Germany	148,000
France	132,000
North and South America	292,000
The United States	236,000
Canada	44,000
South Asia	- 217,000
Australia	111,000
The Middle East	118,000

(Source: Tourist Authority of Thailand)

A large percentage of the tourists ended up in the coastal holiday destinations of southern Thailand - see the map in Figure 3.32.

What have tourism's impacts been on the biophysical environment and the culture?

Phuket

One of the coastal holiday destinations is Phuket -sometimes dubbed 'the pearl of the south' in the tourist brochures. With an area of 810 square kilometres it is Thailand's third-largest island, located 885 kilometres south of the Thai capital Bangkok, in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of southern Thailand - see the maps in figures 3.32 and 3.33 above and on page 82. Phuket town has a population of more than 50,000. The island's coastal scenery is spectacular: all types of beaches, rocky through to long and sandy, as well as limestone cliffs, forested hills and many types of tropical vegetation. Tourists usually travel to the island via Bangkok, using either the regular air service or airconditioned coaches that take a full day

81

TOURISM

Figure 3.33 Phuket

to reach their destination. Visitor concentration tends to be at beaches such as Patong and Kata, whereas beaches such as Nai Han and Karon are relatively quiet.

The turning point for Phuket's tourism occurred during the early 1970s when a 'Club Mediterranee' was established at Hat Kata. The island now boasts more than seventy major hotels, and many more are under construction, some in ecologically fragile ar­eas. The presence of this amount of development has signalled a change in Phuket, because many of the cheaper holiday-accommodation venues are disap­pearing. Unlike the situation several decades ago, the island now has very few secluded or undeveloped beaches. Just over a decade ago it was ringed by secluded beaches and populated by fisherfolk, farm­ers and tin miners. Although tourism brings jobs and money, many local people are concerned about the destruction of their environment - see, for example, the comments in figures 3.34 and 3.35.

From Mr Chawatt Tammonakut…

Our very beautiful natural beach, coral reef and mountains are being destroyed. Mine owners gouge the hills to sell soil for hotel construc­tion. Hotels dump sewage into the sea. Drink­ing water now has to be brought in by truck for part of the year.

Figure 3.34 Comment made by the Academic Director of Phuket Community College, which offers seminars to tourism-industry operators about environment protection

From Mr Sutheep Orvantana…

We provide our own water from wells and dump our sewage in the lagoon. The government has promised to pave the road and build a sewer­age system for the hotels here, but we don't know when.

Figure 3.35 Comment made by the manager of fifty-seven bungalows overlooking Ao Karon (Karon Beach), west Phuket

Eo Phi Phi Don

Phi Phi Don is the larger of two islands off the west coast of southern Thailand, about 40 kilometres from the mainland town of Krabi. The other, much smaller, island in the group is Phi Phi Le. Phi Phi Don has a very interesting shape - see the map in Figure 3.36 on page 83-

The daytrippers and overnight visitors who come to the island from Krabi or Phuket do so because of its scenic hills, cliffs, long beaches, brilliant blue-green waters and wonderful birds and sea life. The 'handle' in the island's middle has long white-sand beaches on either side of it, only several hundred metres apart. The ferries arriving from Phuket and Krabi dock after coming into Ao Ton Sai, where a beach curves around the southern side - see the photograph in Figure 3.37 on page 83.

There is a Muslim village where the ferries dock. The island's western section is uninhabited, whereas at the eastern section's northern end is Laem Tong, which has a community of sea gypsies. These people tend to be nomadic, sailing from one Thai island to another and repairing their boats and fishing nets.

The island's best coral reefs are located at its southern end, facing Hat Yao. Tourists stay at that location or at Ton Sai or Lo Dalam, each of which has bungalows located right on the beach. North west

8 2

THE IMPACT OF TOURISM

Laem Tong

Hat Laem Toog

Lo Bakao

To Bangkok

Hat Lanti

Kilometres Legend

• Settlement

Figure 3.36 Ko Phi Phi Don

from Hat Yao is Hat Lanti, a beautiful surfing beach. At that point is a village mosque, located in a coco­nut grove above the beach. The villagers will not allow bungalows to be constructed in the vicinity. Two small resorts offering more than bungalow facilities for tourists are located in the bay of Lo Bakao and at Laem Tong.

Ko Samui

Contrasting with Phuket and Phi Phi Don is Samui, population more than 32,000 and area 247 square kilometres. Located more than 30 kilometres east of mainland southern Thailand - see the map in Figure 3-32 on page 81, in recent years it has been rapidly developing along Phuket lines, even though it is fur­ther offshore and more difficult for tourists to reach.

Although Bangkok Airways offers daily flights to the island, most visitors choose to travel there on the tour buses that run directly from Bangkok. The visi­tors come via car and then ferry from Don Sak in Surat Thani province. Tourists can also use a bus-ferry combination that takes them from Surat Thani to Na Thon on Samui. Samui's population is gener­ally concentrated in Na Thon, the port town on the island's western side, opposite the mainland from which the vehicle and passenger ferries arrive. A dozen small villages are scattered around the island, and one paved road encircles it.

Coconut production remains the most important part of the local economy - more than two million coconuts are shipped to Bangkok each month. Tour­ism is becoming increasingly dominant, however, and this has been the case since 1971 when the first tour­ist arrived on a Bangkok coconut boat.

A tourist-brochure writer might describe Ko Samui's two main resort areas and some of the activi­ties they offer in the style of the text in Figure 3-38 on page 84 entitled 'Three "slices" of Samui'. A some­what different perception of Samui is shared in the newspaper article in Figure 3.39 on pages 84 and 85 entitled 'Drugs, sex and beach bars'.

Figure 3.37 Ao Ton Sai (Ton Sai Beach), Ko Phi Phi Don

83

T O U R I S M

Three 'slices' of Samui

Chaweng

Chaweng is a sweeping 5 kilometre stretch of sand and coconut palms sheltering more than fifty guest­houses, huts, bungalows and five-star hotels, from the internationally acclaimed Palm Reef Hotel right through a range of accommodation, including quaint establishments such as Lucky Mother, JR's Palace and Charlie's Hut.

Laniai

Lamai is another fine beach, around the corner of a big rocky headland at Chaweng. Whereas Chaweng has its own raucous atmosphere of bars, restaurants and discos, Lamai is for trie slightly younger-and 'friskier' visitor. For a moderate price, Lamai of­fers places such as the Nice Resort and, right next door, a curious little establishment known as the Animal House.

Getting about

You can drive a hired motorcycle or jeep around Samui's hair-pin bends and mountain roads in about an hour, although a slow half-day cruise by rented jeep, stopping off here arid there, is much more sensible and conducive to longevity! One favoured pas­timeis blind-curve overtaking, a practice that has prompted the local hospital to erect dozens of signs around the island reminding drivers to be careful and observe all traffic regulations. Samui has no form of public transport except for the local equiva­lent of taxis: songthaews, old utility trucks with benches in the back. These run almost cdntmubusly from the island's main town of Na Thon to the vari­ous beaches. A fare of between fifty Australian cents and one Australian dollar will take you almost any­where in Samui.

Figure 3.38 Ko Samui, tourist-brochure style

Drugs, sex and beach bars

The jiving is cheap, the food is delicious, but beware of the two-legged sharks of Koh Samui.

By Doreen Taylor

Welcome to paradise lost, cuckoo land - the once idyllic island of Koh Samui [the spellings 'Koh' and 'Ko',for 'island', are both acceptable]and now one of Thailand's most popular resorts for ferangs (foreigners). The 12 hour train journey from Bangkok was comfortable and cost $A20, the

occasional flea did not linger, and my tasty dinner of chicken, chillies and rice, costing $A2, did not result in a charge to use the loo, for which I was grateful.

The 2 hour ferry trip from Surat Thani was crowded nose-to-backpack with scruffy-looking, mainly German travellers. And once docked at Na Thon, the main town, I initially thought I'd landed in a war-zone -ferangs were limping and bandaged, some on crutches, others with livid bum marks.

Most injuries were the result of motorbike ac­cidents in high season (November to March), it's awesome. The ring-road around the island often re­sembled a Grand Prix circuit with inexperienced drivers (no licence or insurance required) high on magic mushrooms or marijuana. No taxis ran after 7 p.m., so unless you stayed on your beach, you hired a jeep or motorbike and prayed.

The roads off the main unlighted circuit were gravelly dirt or sand tracks. Brakes and clutches on hired motorbikes were frequently neglected - cash 'being more important than ferang lives; One hap­less lad with insufficient funds to pay both his hospital bills and the damage to his brakeless motorbike was told, 'Your mother pay. Ring mother.'

Like sharks, me inhabitants of Koh Samui wait for their prey to step off the ferry or plane into their sharp-teethed open jaws, and who can blame them? For over the past 15 years they have watched their island being overrun by often badly behaved, seem­ingly drug-crazy foreigners. You cannot have a glass of water without someone saying, 'You pay. .You pay.' The Thais in the south are mainly Muslim, not the fun-loving Buddhists of the main centres, but most Thais think ferangs arewalking wallets, and in comparison to them, we are.

Koh Samui is ah island kingdom rim by seven families who control everything, and it is wise not to ask too many probing questions. Crime is well organised and territorial; pickpocketing, bag swip­ ing and traveler’s cheque scams are effective and growirig in number.

Most of the bars and nightlife are at Lamai beach, these days a miniature Pattaya - Thailand's sex city, with Thai boxing, prostitutes andrdiseos. There are six beaches. After Lamai, Chaweng beach is the most popular. Both beaches are cov­ered with bungalows, ranging from the original : wooden 'dog kennels' - a bed and mosquito net for $A2 a night - to modem concrete ones with fan, Western-style loo (bucket of water to flush), dou­ble bed and shower for $A8.

All over the island, bungalows were in various

84

THE IMPACT OF TOURISM

states of construction, but search hard enough and there are still stretches of virtually uninhabited beach.

Most of the food in the area is delicious and cheap - shark with garlic and peppers cost $A1.70, coconut soup with shrimps $A1.10, and pint mugs of fruit milkshakes have your stomach arriving sec­ onds before the rest of you.

It is because there's so little to do that Koh Samui is so popular. Sightseeing is disappointing, but island-hopping to Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Tao shows how Koh Samui used to be, with primitive huts and lack of amenities such as: videos and elec­tricity. However, Koh Pha-Ngan is well on the road to ruin too.

As tourists are now so well catered for, the bet­ter-off and demanding are starting to pour in, such as Wayne, an overweight, middle-aged Canadian. The natives are aiming to attract more Waynes and yuppie types to their island, and the new airport (a thirty-seater plane for $A200 return flies from Bang­kok) is helping them to succeed. The package tours are ringing the final death knell to novelty-seeking adventurers.

I caught the return ferry with the other 'Cheap Charlies', disillusioned with Thais and a once para­dise now resembling a Lego-land maze.

Figure 3.39 Newspaper article (The Age, 'Extra' section, 14 December 1991)

Ko Pha-Ngan

The boat journey to this island, area 190 square kilo­metres and north of Ko Samui, takes about half an hour. Ko Pha-Ngan has become the first choice of people who consider Phuket or Ko Samui to be too 'touristy'. With a population of more than 8000, half of which is in or near the port town of Thong Sala, it has rapidly established itself as the alternative des­tination of tourists who are unimpressed by Ko Samui's coastal and beach developments. Ferries travel be­tween Surat and Ko Samui (Na Thon) on a regular basis and bring visitors to the sixty-plus accommoda­tion places that are scattered around the island's shores. The island has retained many deserted beaches which, unlike those of Ko Samui, have not all been either developed or marked for development - see the photograph in Figure 3.40 on page 86.

Ko Pha-Ngan has particularly good live-coral formations, and snorkelling has become very popu­lar among tourists. Although it has become a favoured place for backpackers, its general lacking of roads has tended to spare it from the large-hotel developers who

have elsewhere concentrated on the package-tour market. Because Ko Samui has become more expen­sive for travellers, increasing numbers of people are being drawn to Ko Pha-Ngan - for most tourists, overall living costs are about half what they pay on Ko Samui. When compared with Samui, Pha-Ngan is revealed to have a much lower concentration of bungalows, less crowded beaches, some scenic cliffs and sandy coves, and a generally less spoiled holi­day atmosphere and natural environment. The bun­galows tend to be concentrated just north and south of Thong Sala and at the island's southern end, at Hat Rin - see Figure 3.40. It is at these localities that the early signs of tourist impact, for example rubbish, are becoming evident.

Ko Tao

This island of area only about 21 square kilometres has a population of 750, most of which is involved in coconut growing and fishing. A few backpackers take the five-hour ferry journey to reach the island from Surat via Ko Pha-Ngan because they wish to enjoy the beach and the palm-studded Ko Samui-type en­vironment without Samui's crowds and coastal devel­opments. Ko Tao is usually viewed as receiving tourists who are interested in having a longer stay; daytrippers or quick-ovemighters do not go there. One of its most beautiful and untouched natural areas is off its north­west shore - the island of Nang Yuan, which is really three islands joined by a sand bar - see the photo­graph in Figure 3.41 on page 86.

Tourism in Fiji

With a population of more than 800,000, Fiji has long been a popular tourist destination, particularly with New Zealanders and Australians. The political turmoil that accompanied the 1987 military coup and the government instability that followed had a devastat­ing effect on the country's tourist industry: people stayed away in large numbers, thereby affecting the livelihood of hotel and resort operators and the in­come levels of the local people, many of whom were employed in the industry. The 1991 Gulf War crisis and worldwide recession that occurred at that same time and over the following years did not aid the industry's recovery.

Some recovery is currently being enjoyed, however. Fiji boasts kilometres of white-sand beaches on some 300 'islands in the sun' - temperatures ranging from 13 to 33 degrees Celsius, cheap upmarket resorts and hotels, and warm, friendly people, 40,000 of whom are employed in the tourist industry. In 1993,

85

T O L" R I S M

Figure 3.40 Hat Rin, Ko Pha-Ngan

more than 286,000 visitors injected about $325 million into the economy. Amounts as large as these contribute more than 20 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and provide Fiji with its largest foreign-exchange earnings. Industry-investment levels have been high, and in recent years, large overseas hotel chains have been building hotels and resorts. This investment has other spin-offs - in the areas of transportation, agriculture, food processing, retail and wholesale trade, entertainment, leisure, sport and banking.

Figure 3.41 Ko Tao

The emphasis is now moving away from the tra­ditional tourist markets of Australia - there were 77,609 Australian tourists in 1993 - and New Zealand, to Japan, North America and Europe. This is in order to achieve more than the low 2 per cent growth rate of 1993 - which suggests that recovery is very slow. The growth is not enough to continue attracting the 50 to 60 per cent hotel-room occupancy for the 5400 rooms during peak periods only. Lack of the service of a major North American airline carrier to the islands is considered to be one of the factors affecting further

growth. Another major problem is the uneven distri­bution of visitor arrivals during the year, which causes peaks and troughs instead of an even flow. The high season is from June to late January, which is tradi­tionally the period of Australian and New Zealand school holidays and winter months. The Pacific is­lands such as Fiji's have never been popular on the European markets, because many closer and cheaper options exist for European tourists.

Sonaisali Island, Viti Levu

Sonaisali Island is located on the western side of Viti Levu, the main island of the Fiji group, a twenty-five-minute drive from Nadi International Airport and a three-minute ferry trip from the mainland — see maps a, b and c in Figure 3.42 on page 87.

The Sonaisali Island Resort

This new resort is an example of a successful tourism venture involving consideration of all aspects of the local culture and positive tourism development. It has been developed on a large sand island (a spit) cov­ering about 47 hectares parallel to the coast, and a long waterway separates it from the mainland. The developers have created an attractive environment by stabilising the small island with vegetation - see the photograph in Figure 3.43 on page 87. A marina, a tennis court, a large swimming pool, luxury accom­modation, restaurants and bars are some of the re­sort's features, and a variety of water sports and activities are offered as part of a full resort holiday. The resort has been established with the involve­ment of the local villagers. These local people con­tinue to own the land on which the resort has been built, and the company developing it holds a ninety-nine-year lease. Construction of the resort has entailed maintenance of the biophysical environment's

86

THE IMPACT OF TOURISM

Figure 3.42 Fiji: a the island group's location; b Viti Levu; c Sonaisali Island and Viti Levu (Note: The three maps are not to scale.)

stability, stabilisation of the spit, retention of the native vegetation, and undisturbed continuation of the natural longshore drift and coastal processes. The site's na­tive grasses and established lawns prevent sand ero­sion.

Figure 3.43 The Sonaisali Island Resort, Fiji

The local villagers receive a percentage of the resort's annual turnover, a condition agreed to in the original negotiation. The money is used for provid­ing villagers with improved housing and education facilities. All the resort's staff members come from the village, and the village chief is involved in all negotiations. The local staff members are trained to develop specific skills, and their jobs are rotated so

that they learn and develop a variety of skills. They hold a variety of positions in the areas of manage­ment, administration, catering, personnel and recrea­tion and are thereby able to associate with a variety of people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

A meke (a traditional dance-and-song event) and a luvo (a traditional meal cooked in a ground oven) are provided several times a week for guests. This enables other local villagers to contribute to the tour­ists' enjoyment as well as to the tourists' understand­ing of Fijian culture. These cultural aspects have become somewhat commercialised, however, in or­der to satisfy the tourists' perceived needs rather than to present a completely authentic activity.

The village chief and the villagers are pleased with the arrangements worked out with the resort's managers, and continuous and extensive negotiation guarantees that the villagers' interests are incorporated.

How are the issues likely to be resolved? How should they be resolved?

How do you respond to the changes that are occurring?

How would you justify your response?

Activity 7

The case studies of tourist developments in some island locations of Thailand and Fiji all show the visitors' impact on the biophysical environ­ment, the human settlements and the culture.

a Discuss what you view as being the major issues associated with tourism's impact that are common to all the localities cited.

b Describe each case study's geographical set­ting and state how the location has affected each issue. Consider information such as the location relative to Bangkok or Nadi, the island's size, the island's physical shape and features, transport and ferry connections, and the local people's economy and life­style before tourists began to arrive in large numbers. Make sure you use all the infor­mation provided in the chapter.

c i Other than the issues discussed in part a, discuss an issue specific to each is­land.

ii From this list of issues, choose one place and briefly attempt to answer the following seven questions.

T 0 U R I S M

Questions

• Who uses the island?

• Apart from the local people, where are the users likely to have come from?

• Does a popular time for visitors, that is, a 'high season', exist?

• What are the effects of this concentration of tourists during a part of the year?

• What would be the effect of reducing tour­ism on the island?

• What alternative arrangements could be made in order to lessen the impact?

• What effects would each one have?.

d What do tourists apparently want on each island, for example five-star resort accom­modation, or unspoilt simple accommoda­tion and unspoilt landscapes?

e Why are some of the more undeveloped islands becoming more popular with tour­ists?

f i Had you the opportunity to visit the islands off the coast of Thailand or Fiji, state how you would respond if you were given the choice of staying in the following places of accommodation.

Places of accommodation

• Wholly in a self-contained five-star resort

• In several less expensive hotels on a couple of islands

• In low-cost accommodation in coastal villages

• In localities in which very few tourist facilities exist

ii Answer the following questions.

Questions

• Which choice/s would you make?

• How would you justify the choice/s?

• What factors did you consider in mak­ing the choice/s?

• How might your decision alter accord­ing to your age and changing circum­stances?

g State the ways in which the local people's culture and lifestyle have changed with the advent of tourism. Discuss any changes you consider to be appropriate.

h What has tourism's impact been on the is­lands'environment?.

i What are the positive outcomes of tourism development on the Thai and Fijian islands cited?

j Discuss the statement, 'All tourism development is bad for the islands of Thailand and Fiji.

88

CHAPTER ♦ FOUR

_{Tourism and the future}

What prompts our interest in this issue?

Tourism is one of the world's biggest and fast­est growing industries. Tourist activities have a continually changing range, are taking on new forms, are growing in numbers and are spread­ing to new locations. The industry involves huge numbers of workers, massive investment capital and hordes of customers constantly moving around the earth's surface and con­centrating at popular points on it. In 1993 it was predicted that travel and tourism would earn $US3500 billion globally, create 6 per cent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and account for 7 per cent of the world's in­vestment. One-hundred-and-twenty-seven mil­lion of the world's people are employed in tourism, which translates as one in fifteen jobs being tourism related.

Australian tourism figures for 1991-92

• Tourism accounted for 5-6 per cent of GDP.

• It accounted for 465,000 jobs, or 6.1 per cent of the workforce.

• It generated $26.6 billion, of which $18.4 billion was generated by domestic tourism.

• Foreign backpackers spent more than $540 million.

• Foreign visitors spent $8.2 billion, which represented 11 per cent of total export earnings.

• Foreign visitors spent $1.5 billion on shop­ping, according to the Bureau of Tourism Research.

• Four billion dollars' worth of tourism de­velopments were expected to be com­pleted by 1996.

Tourism has grown and become more im­portant while the world has been experienc­ing economic recession, so the growth and

Figure 4.1 Tourists enjoying some post-climb relaxation at the magnificent Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

changes are expected to be even quicker as the global economy improves. Because of these and other indications, two important questions have to be raised:

• What is tourism's future?

• What is our world's future in response to tourism's impacts?

89

TOURISM

Activity 1

a State any news items recently generated in your local area that suggest growth or change has occurred in its tourism activ­ity.

b Monitor the issue/s cited in part a by keep­ing a journal and a clippings file that record pieces of information such as those listed i to vii as follows.

Pieces of information

i What is likely to stimulate tourism, for example an event, personality, initiative or decision

ii The range of people involved

iii The type/s of tourism promoted (Hint:

Refer to Chapter 1 for examples.)

iv The amount of advertising involved

v The type of tourism site required, for example 'new' or 'expanded' or 'rede­veloped'

vi The types of infrastructure required

vii The likely impacts

c People who work in the industry, govern­ments that provide the required infrastruc­ture, groups that seek to protect the environments, and social groups potentially affected by tourism, all attempt to predict tourism trends. The Great Barrier Reef Ma­rine Park Authority, for example, makes predictions about the number of visitor nights for island resorts - see the graph in Figure 4.2. When you have collected enough information for part b, state your conclu­sion about the proposed tourism and its setting.

Activity 2

a Referring to Figure 4.2, state when the pre­dictions began to be made.

b What were the predictions for the number of visitors staying overnight at resort estab­lishments - visitor nights - if the increase was

i 3 per cent? ii 5 per cent? iii 10 per cent?

c Using your library's resources and/or direct inquiry, find out the actual levels of visitor nights for 1994 or 1995 and subsequent years.

Figure 4.2 Actual and predicted numbers of visitor nights for Great Barrier Reef island-resort establishments, 1985-95

Tourism trends

It is common to predict what the future will hold by examining current trends. In using the word trend, a word closely connected with the idea of direction, we are reminded that we can often judge which di­rection a new road may lead us in by knowing where the road has come from and what type of terrain it is likely to traverse. By carefully studying what is hap­pening at present and what is planned for the near future, we may be able to forecast something about tourism some distance ahead. It is much harder, though, to predict with certainty what may happen a long way ahead.

Australians and the people of many other coun­tries apparently believe that tourism is likely to be­come their most important export earner. Indonesia's export earnings obtained through tourism, in Bali in particular but also in other places, have become that country's main overseas source of income. Govern­ments have accordingly instigated policies and in­vested public moneys in an attempt to gain maximum benefit from tourism-industry growth. In 1993, the Australian federal government's proposals with refer­ence to tourism included the following.

• Investment of $10 million in order to develop tourism based on the natural environment

• Investment of $4 million in order to help develop farm tourism

• Investment of $20.75 million in order to improve regional infrastaicture programs, many of which are targeted to support tourism

90

TOURISM AND THE

FUTURE

Figure 4.3 Passengers aboard Ansett Australia's inaugural flight to Denpasar, Bali, arriving at their destination, September 1993

In 1992, the federal government released a Na­tional Tourism Strategy covering the four broad areas of 'economic', 'environmental', 'social' and 'support'. Its main areas of concern include marketing, research, transport, worker training, economics issues, business management, environmental and social issues, a range of accommodation, and ways in which to co-ordi­nate tourism. The strategy is based on analyses of current trends and predictions about tourism's future and value to the Australian economy.

Bevelopment of market niehes

In Australia, an increase in demand for different ex­periences has accompanied tourism's growth. Because they had formed certain perceptions about Australian tourist destinations, many people were prompted to come to our country, and Australians themselves began to wish to explore their own country in depth. The perceptions included images of open spaces and adventure, a wide choice of product - for example the wilderness, the outback, the Great Barrier Reef and the surf - and personal safety in a world marred by increasing violence. Experienced and discerning tourists are increasingly seeking individually satisfy­ing experiences, and the tourism industry is respond­ing by developing products to fill market niches -see the diagram in Figure 1.17 on page 21.

§©me influential trends

Some of the influential trends occurring in Australia

and being reflected around the world are listed as

follows.

• Wealth has been redistributed, to the effect that by the late 1980s, 20 per cent of households con­trolled 62 per cent of the wealth whereas 25 per

91

cent controlled less than 5 per cent. This factor has led to changes in provision of more tourist amenities at both the high and the low end of the socioeconomic scale - five-star resorts and unpowered tent sites respectively, for example -along with less amenities in the middle range.

• An overall reduction has been made in most people's disposable income because of factors such as high mortgage-interest rates and prop­erty rents and reduced real wages. This has prompted tourists to be more selective and seek tourism experiences that provide value for money.

• The population is ageing: in the five years to 1991, the number of people more than sixty-five years of age grew from 1.75 million to 1.9 million. Over the next thirty years, the number of people in every fifty-plus age group will double. Those groups will seek less energetic activities and will be better educated in order to sidestep the hol­low promises of insubstantial holiday packages.

• Until recently, Australian tourism was organised by Anglo-Celtic ethnic groups in order to cater for their own interests. The dramatic increase in the number and range of ethnic groups seeking satisfying tourism experiences may lead to the development of types of tourism aimed at their specific needs. Almost 25 per cent of Australians were bom overseas, and about seven million of us are first or second generation.

• The nature of the Australian household is chang­ing: couples who have children now comprise only 11 per cent of households. The trend to­wards fewer births is expected to continue, and the traditional family holiday of thirty or forty years ago is much less common today.

• An often cited trend is that people now have more leisure time to devote to tourism and other lei­sure activities. Although this is true for some peo­ple, the reality is that most Australian workers spend much more time at their jobs and earn less income, whereas many other people have nei­ther a job nor enough income to contemplate expensive tourism. The growth of offerings at the lower end of the tourism market has come about in response to this.

Tourists' demands

From all these tendencies and many others, some clear demands for specific types and characteristics of tour­ism can be noted - see Table 4.1 on pages 92 and 93-Some of the trends are stronger than others, some more recent. Which of them will be more enduring and therefore worthy of consideration when decisions about tourism are being made is not always easy to

Т О U R I SМ

Current tourism trend

Healthy holidays

judge. The most dominant trend of recent years is the worldwide trend towards ecotourism. which takes many forms, and we will examine this further on in the chapter.

Activity 3

a Choose six of the current tourism trends listed in Table 4.1 - hallmark events, for example.

b Research the travel sections of newspapers, journals and other media in order to find examples of each of the six trends.

с Set out a table listing the six trends and their examples.

Table 4.1 Some current tourism trends and their characteristics

Current tourism Characteristics trend

Increasing сynicism and discernment felt by the tourist

Potential tourists have become more cynical about the glowing promises made in tourism publicity, and they have higher expectations of the quality of the product they buy - the accommodation has to match that portrayed in the advertisements, for example, and businesses and governments have various standards that have to be reached. Groups such as automobile associations provide evaluations of tourist accommodation in order to guide tourists.

Tourists seeking peace and quiet

The increasing stress of urban living has prompted people to demand peaceful experiences in tranquil, natural surroundings - see the photograph in Figure 4.4 on page 93.

Impulse holidays -people deciding to travel 'at the drop of a hat'

Usually shorter touring holidays -even very short and often local

People who do not have dependent children are becoming more mobile and are able to make quick decisions to travel, especially for weekends.

Instead of taking a three- or four-week break once a year, workers are often able to take a break of only a few days several times a year. Many co-ordinating bodies such as state tourism authorities now advertise 'short breaks', which usually involve travel over a short distance -less than 250 kilometres - and appropriate lodgings and activities.

Characteristics

Many people are taking greater care of their health and seeking formal or informal holidays that can provide the facilities or opportunities they require.

Heritage holidays

Increasing numbers of tourists are interested in their own culture and heritage and wish to discover how their forebears lived.

Cultural tourism

A significant group of tourists likes to travel in order to enjoy a range of cultural pursuits associated with food, wine, theatre, festivals and the arts.

Educational tourism

This is sometimes highly organised -'farm stays', children's camps and natural science study tours, for example - but sometimes also involves making reasonably informal visits to places, when a person's main intention is to learn more about something.

Hallmark events

In order to attract tourists and their money to a specific place, a major event such as a horse race, a car race, an athletics carnival, a music festival or a carnival is staged and promoted vigorously as a central inducement. This has become a major characteristic of the Olympic Games.

Challenging tourism A group of adventurous tourists seeks excitement by taking on a challenge that is way outside its usual experience. For some it may be a physical challenge such as rock climbing, for others a cultural challenge such as living in the South American Andes with a remote tribe. This group seeks involvement rather than passivity.

Tourism in remote The bustle of urban life prompts many places people to search for solitude as far from

their usual daily routine as possible. Some people find this escape in places such as Australia's outback where seclusion is measured in not only kilometres but new experiences of isolation from people, telephones, buildings and traffic. This form of tourism is often associated with a new trend in technology, whereby the four-wheel-drive vehicle, which was until recently a 'work-horse', has become a popular form of recreational transport.

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TOURISM AND THE FUTURE

Current tourism trend

Characteristics

Figure 4.4 An ecotourist-birdwatcher finding peace and quiet in natural surroundings

Tourists seeking The recent boost in awareness and wilderness appreciation.of the environment and in

experiences awareness of the need to conserve it has

been greatly fostered by television-documentary makers. Many people seek wilderness experiences involving walking, camping and the relishing of nature.

Ecotourism This is ecologically and socially

responsible nature-based tourism. As tourists have become more aware of aspects of the biophysical and cultural environments and the need to conserve and protect it, they have become increasingly resistant to facets of mass tourism - mass-tourism products and destinations are consequently neglected whereas 'green' holidays are becoming the most sought-after type of holiday. This 'anti-tourism' is the most important trend - see the photograph in Figure 4.5.

( Source: Adapted from Rob Tonge & Associates, Tourism Trends and Opportunities 1993 and Beyond,)

Some of the tourism industry's responses to recent trends in tourists' demands are listed in Table 4.2 on pages 94 and 95; see also the collage of advertise­ments in Figure 4.6 and the photograph in Figure 4.7 on page 95- The responses may reflect tourist char­acteristics such as age, level of wealth, personal in­terests, extent of education, cultural and ethnic background, and environmental awareness. Tourism-facility supply is becoming more finely attuned to ever wider demands. Most of the demand trends noted and the responses listed are reasonably short-term predictions; longer term forecasts are somewhat riskier. During the twenty-first century it will probably be trends in technologies and economic circumstances that point to the greatest constraints being placed on tourists or to the best opportunities for them.

Many modern tourists have simple tastes and needs and enjoy reasonably basic facilities; others seek sophisticated comfort. Regardless of what their inter­ests are, however, their demands have to be met. The tourism industry has identified 'New Age' travellers, or 'FITS' - Free and Independent Travellers, who are more experienced, mature and affluent and in search

Figure 4.5 Bison in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States

of an educational experience beyond simply 'holi­daying'. Most of the trends in Table 4.1 above and on page 92 denote the interests of these types of travel­lers.

Activity 4

a Choose one industry response to recent tourist demands as listed in Table 4.2, or choose another response to recent trends.

b Design an advertisement - for example a radio or television commercial, a poster, a pamphlet or an advertising spread for a newspaper - that illustrates how, through the industry response, the tourists in that market niche are targeted and attracted. .

с Display the class's advertisements and dis­cuss them.

⁹³

TOURISM

Table 4.2 Tourism opportunities recently addressed by the industry

I ndustry responses to tourist demand

Comments

Industry responses to tourist demand

B udget-hotel-and-motel or home-stay accommodation

Guesthouses

Health resorts

Hostels - found through, for example, the international Youth Hostels Association

Caravan parks and tent-camping sites

Cabins or onsite caravans

Farm tourism

Fishing and hunting lodges

Comments

These 'no frills' forms of accommodation are common in the United States -motels that provide only beds and no meals, for example - and in Europe, as bed-and-breakfast rooms in private homes.

In Australia, these were the mainstay of tourist accommodation during the first half of the twentieth century. Although they fell out of favour, they have had a resurgence recently, especially in places of natural beauty such as beach, mountain and wilderness sites.

These have so far mostly catered for the 'wealthy' end of the market, partly because in their present form they are costly to establish. New, cheaper ways of providing for this demand are currently being developed.

These were traditionally established to provide very cheap accommodation for young travellers. A simple bed is usually provided, and the travellers share cooking and household chores. More recently, many older people have been using this type of amenity so that they can afford to travel. Some hostels are in wonderful settings, such as the youth hostel located in a castle in the walled, medieval German town of Bacharach overlooking the Rhine River.

The existence of new technologies that make camping easier has prompted a wide cross-section of people to use caravans, camper vehicles and tents. At the other end of the scale, some holidaymakers fake along everything they are used to at home - in the United States, for example, it is common to see a 14 metre-long camper van towing a Land Cruiser and carrying a light dinghy, trailbikes and mountain bikes as well as a satellite dish for pay-TV!

These provide benefits similar to those of other forms of camping, minus the need to take your own'accommodation. They are common in places in which the natural setting is the main attraction.

This provides new experiences for city dwellers.

These provide activities that focus on local fauna as a sporting interest for tourists.

The activities are heavily controlled and the 'hunters' increasingly use cameras instead of guns.

Wilderness holidays These are very common throughout the

world. They usually provide either very basic facilities or standard camping facilities, and they frequently cater for the four-wheel-drive tourist. An interesting type of wilderness holiday involves groups of people going to national parks in order to work hard - the members of the Chicago Zoological Society, for example, frequently travel to South Australian national parks such as Chowilla in order to help with maintenance and animal studies.

Four-wheel-drive At the same time as increasing numbers

touring of urban dwellers are 'heading for the bush'

in four-wheel-drive vehicles, restrictions are being placed on their access to places that are vulnerable to damage. Alert entrepreneurs are now providing easy access to unprotected four-wheel-drive country. The increased access these vehicles enable their owners to have brings with it many responsibilities in caring for the wilderness.

Adventure holidays Because 'adventure' means very different

things to different people, these holidays are targeted to specific groups; examples are abseiling, scuba diving, horse-drawn caravanning and mountain trekking.

Offroad safaris

Educational, special interest and experiential tours

Conventions

These safaris provide the four-wheel-drive experience for organised groups.

A wide range of these is on offer to cater for almost every interest.

When people travel to attend conferences and conventions in order to learn more about their work, they also undertake some type of tourism. Having had a taste of what is on offer, they sometimes return with their families or friends when more leisure time is available.

Local culture tours Tourists often seek to understand other

(Source: Adapted from Rob Tonge & Associates, Tourism Trends and Opportunities 1993 and Beyond9

cultures and therefore visit cultural sites such as Obiri Rock in Kakadu National Park or an Acoma village on a mesa in New Mexico.

TOURISM AND THE FUTURE

Figure 4.7.

Four-wheel-drive touring,

the Himalayas Pakistan

Т 0 U R I S M

Reading the tourism trends -making good or bad decisions

In the tourism industry, not all decisions have been made on the basis of sound projections, and the decision making has sometimes involved nothing more than rash speculation. Over recent years, some peo­ple have believed that any tourism venture would return amazing profits, and they have lost a lot of money through investing unwisely. They have been unkindly likened to the members of the former 'cargo cults' who believed that riches would be showered on them from the heavens.

The economic recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s has taught us several clear lessons abut exercising prudence in the tourism industry. We now know that it is important to view optimistic predic­tions with caution and to assess trends cautiously. During the late 1980s, a significant number of Aus­tralian tourism businesses, including a national air­line, 'went broke'. An Australian pilots' strike, which lasted several months, significantly interrupted inter­nal flights and international tourism, thereby causing major damage to tourist resorts in the more remote settings, such as Uluru and the island resorts of the Great Barrier Reef. At the height of the tourism boom, some companies invested 'wildly' in big, new, costly developments, but their investments could not be sustained due to slowing growth in tourism. As well as suffering because of bad judgement about what tourists wanted, these ventures were 'hit' by an over-supply of tourism amenities, the recession and high interest rates.

Some of the disasters seem to have been caused by the greed of some individuals, banks and non-bank lending institutions - their wishing to 'get rich quick' - or by the bad practices of property specula­tors seeking to make money through building and selling facilities, whether or not these were needed.

Some of this period's trends and major issues that should have been treated with more caution are listed as follows.

• There was an unsustainable, annual growth rate of 26 per cent in overseas visitors.

• There was unprecedented growth in the number of resorts competing for 'five star' tourists.

• The belief existed that tourists coming to Aus­tralia wished to experience 'clones' of overseas successes such as Disneyland, whereas the tour­ists actually wished to have uniquely Australian experiences.

• It is a fact that domestic travellers, not rich over­seas tourists, account for about 70 per cent of the tourist trade.

• People were becoming increasingly concerned about preserving the environment and were wish­ ing to leave behind the type of urban experience typified by the large resort.

The tourism businesspeople and some govern­ments that encouraged them were neither aware enough of actual trends nor sensitive enough to what the trends really meant. The lessons of the period clearly show that tourism is an industry that has to be responsive to the needs of both people and the en­vironment. One way of taking greater care in identi­fying trends is to consider them over a period longer than that of only a few brief years and to learn to interpret them in the context of global occurrences.

A variety of global occurrences may have affected Australia's tourism patterns during the late 1980s; following are three examples.

• The staging of special events such as the Ameri­ca's Cup in Fremantle, the Bicentennial celebra­tions mainly in Sydney, and Expo in Brisbane

• The release of internationally popular films such as 'Crocodile Dundee'

• The devaluing of the Australian dollar, making Australia an economically attractive destination

At the end of the twentieth century, the tourism

industry is so global that the decision was made in Europe to relocate the 1996 Australian Formula One Grand Prix from Adelaide to Melbourne, without in­volving the Adelaide organisers - see the photograph in Figure 4.8 on page 97.

This decision will have a considerable impact on both South Australian and Victorian tourism and its associated industries. It has been estimated that be­tween 8000 and 10,000 people in South Australia eamt income through the Adelaide Grand Prix. In 1992 the event generated $37.4 million from outside the state.

Activity 5

Four recent occurrences that have had a posi­tive or negative impact on tourism are listed as follows.

Occurrences

'• The staging of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, which attracted tourists from all over the world

• The waging, of civil war in the nations of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, which has completely prevented tourists from vis­iting Sarajevo

• The seizing of power by the military forces in Fiji in 1987, which temporarily damaged Fiji's tourism industry

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TOURISM AND THE FUTURE

Figure 4.8 A model of the circuit for the 1996 Australian Formula One Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbournt

• The reintroduction of Test Cricket in South Africa, which has boosted tourism there Find some other examples of occurrences

and state whether their influence on tourism has

been positive or negative.

Sydney 2000 - the Olympic Games and beyond

In Monte Carlo on 25 September 1993 when the In­ternational Olympic Committee announced that the Olympic Games would be staged in Sydney in 2000, each Australian state and the counties or provinces of most of our neighbouring countries began to plan the best way to gain from the large flow of tourists that the Games will generate. Use of hallmark events and their ability to attract many tourists, whether to small, local and regional events or to major, international events such as the Olympics, is a major

prevailing and successful trend in tourism. If we add the seven years of preparation for the event to the years following it during which the publicity gained will continue to lure tourists, we realise that this one event will have an influence spanning more than a decade. It will be very important for all the parties involved to carefully consider all the potential advan­tages and disadvantages it will bring.

Who is involved in the issue?

The Sydney Olympics and their associated tourism will impact on many groups, not only the athletes. All Australians, even those not interested in the Games, will be affected by them.

It is estimated that the Games will generate a net increase in Australia's economy of at least $7 billion. Much of this will ensue from 'flow on' effects over a

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Т О U R I S M

fourteen-year period spanning 1993 to 2006. For example, the athletes' Olympic Village accommoda­tion that will cost about $500 million will later be upgraded at a cost of $60 million and then be sold to become an important new resjdential suburb. Another $1.9 billion is expected to be raised from extra taxes flowing from the increased economic activity. Most of the $7 billion earnings - $4.5 billion - will go to New South Wales; the remainder will go to the other states and territories.

In its 27 September 1993 issue, the Adelaide Advertiser reported that a study predicts there will be a big boost in employment, including an estimated annual rise of 156,000 additional jobs between 1992 and 2004. Although most of the jobs will be located in Sydney and New South Wales, all the other states and territories will also benefit - in South Australia, for example, 15,000 jobs are expected to be created. As well as Olympic-facility planning and construc­tion jobs, jobs in tourism and infrastructure projects should be created around the country.

Tourism will be the main industry to benefit. The Australian Tourism Commission expects that by 2000, Australia will be receiving seven million foreign tour­ists each year, many of whom will visit as a conse­quence of the Games. Many will visit other pans of Australia - including an estimated 150,000 visiting South Australia - over the decade 1993-2002. It is anticipated that the twenty-seventh Olympiad, which will be staged for two weeks commencing 16 Sep­tember 2000, will attract between 500,000 and 800,000 spectators, almost half of whom will be tourists from interstate or overseas.

The Games will give Australia enormous televi­sion exposure: they will be broadcast to the estimated 85 per cent of the world's people who have televi­sion receivers. The 1988 Seoul Olympics reached a gross cumulative television audience of 17 billion, and it is estimated that the 1992 Barcelona Olympics reached 24.6 billion people. The people who view these Games on television are all potential tourists.

The disadvantages

All the estimated financial figures are uncertain, be­cause the accountants have had to make many as­sumptions and have probably discounted many disadvantages. Not every aspect will be of economic benefit to Australia, because higher import levels are likely to exist in order to cater for the increased ac­tivity of the Games. Although our country's foreign debt could thereby be increased, some analysts be­lieve that any increase will be matched by additional tourism income, which can be considered as export income, and the sale of television rights.

Activity 6

A i Estimate the gross cumulative audience - the total audience for all Games trans­missions to all countries - for

● the 1996 Atlanta (United States) Olym­pic

Games

●the Sydney 2000 Olympics

ii Give reasons for your estimates.

B What images of Australia might the televi­sion cameos - television 'postcards' - por­tray?

C What places, icons and events could be pro­moted in order to help 'sell' Australia to the rest of the world?

D Discuss the statement, 'The Sydney 2000 Olympics will promote only Sydney.'

Apart from the economic benefits expected to flow from the Sydney Olympics and the consequent impe­tus given to tourism, it is important to consider who is affected by such a hallmark event. Some people within the tourism industry will be directly affected; many other people, for example those in the build­ing, transport and catering industries, will profit; oth­ers will be adversely affected. Table 4.3 provides some examples of the people who may be affected in some way.

Table 4.3 Some people who may be affected by the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

W ithin the tourism industry Outside the industry

Builders

Food producers Caterers

Retailers

Shop assistants

Transport workers

Taxi drivers

People who live near the

venues

Regular commuters

Travel agents

Hotel employees

Souvenir retailers - see the photograph in Figure 4.9 on page 99

Tour guides Tour-coach operators National park rangers

Tourist-venue attendants Entertainment employees

Harbour-cruise operators

Buskers

Activity 7

a Copy Table 4.3, and, to the people listed in it, add some more who are likely to be affected beneficially or otherwise.

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TOURISM AND THE FUTURE

Figure 4.9 Souvenir-selling booths like these will become very common during the countdown to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

I

i

b

c

i

ii

ii i

iii

n a new table, list some of the people affected, and, for each group cited, show the potential impacts - the advantages and/or disadvantages - of the Games. Using the letter L or S, indicate which of the impacts may have long-term (L) or short-term (S) effects. Have a class discussion on the effects. Many people own and let accommoda­tion in Sydney. What alternative deci­sions might some of these property owners make for the period of the Games?

W

iii

hat fair solutions can you suggest for benefiting the property owners, the regular long-term tenants and the short-term visitors?

How might rental regulations protect all the parties involved?

Economic benefits spread from the actual Olym­pic events through to tourism and many other related industries - see Figure 4.9. This process is known as the multiplier effect, the ripple effect and spin-off, and the subject of the photograph in Figure 4.9 is only one example of some of the linkages and flows that exist.

Activity 8

a Discuss statements i to iii as follows.

Statements

i 'Up to the year 2000, and beyond, many Australian regions will be attempting to attract the tourist dollar generated by the Olympics.'

ii 'A tremendous investment will be made in infrastructure such as roads, rail and communications, and this will benefit everyone - not only in Sydney but in other parts of Australia.'

iii 'The big states will take most of the tourist money the Olympics will attract - "Might is right," yet again.'

b Draw a flowchart like the one in Figure 4.10 on page 100, showing the linkages and flows related to one of the parties i to v, as fol­lows, and me Olympics.

Parties

i

ii

iii

The television industry A hotel

A Sydney Harbour cruise operator - see the photograph in Figure 4.11 on page 100 .

IV

v

A Gold Coast resort A busker - see the photograph in Fig­ure 4.12 on page 100

V

Foreign tourists

isitors from other countries are very important among the people involved in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. It is therefore vital that they be well cared for so that when they return home they paint an attractive image of Australia and thereby encourage potential tourists to visit Australia. In recognition of this, the managing director of Ansett, Australia's major internal airline, has urged workers in the tourism industry to learn to cater for foreign-language-speaking visitors before 2000. In the October 1993 issue of Panorama, Ansett's in-flight magazine, he reminds us that tourism is employment intensive and therefore important to the Australian economy. Writing about the Games, he suggests that tourism offers a 'golden opportunity to piggy-back new awareness to generate its own international promo­tion.' He believes that the industry has to be able to make sure it has the 'ability to cater for foreign-language speakers'. The contribution that schools can potentially make to this tourism need is obvious, and the need may prompt students to seek careers built on foreign-language skills and knowledge of other countries' geographical features.

TOURISM

MANUFACTURERS

of items such as

softdrinks, milk, fast food; fresh food.bottles, paper bags, _:. tents, cleaning products,furniture and eating utensils.

SUPPLIERS

such as

wholesalers

- of, for example, food, drink and packaging items

utilities

- for example gas and electricity

hiring businesses

- hiring, for example, tents, tables and chairs

labour services

-supplying, for example,

cleaners, short-order cooks

and salespeople

THE CATERER

at the Olympic stadium

CUSTOMERS