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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Case Study - Tourism Example
Tourism is one of the world's fastest-growing economic sectors and has become a vital part of many countries' development strategies. It involves people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for leisure, business, or other purposes.
Key Definitions:
Tourism contributes about 10% of global GDP and creates 1 in 10 jobs worldwide. For many developing countries, it's the main source of foreign exchange and investment. Tourism can help diversify economies that previously relied on traditional industries like agriculture or manufacturing.
Tourism comes in many forms including beach tourism, cultural tourism, adventure tourism, ecotourism, medical tourism and business tourism. Each type attracts different visitors and has different impacts on local communities and environments.
The Butler Model (or Tourism Area Life Cycle) helps us understand how tourist destinations develop over time. It shows that destinations typically go through several stages of development.
Small numbers of adventurous tourists discover an unspoilt area. Limited facilities and infrastructure exist.
Large numbers of tourists arrive. Major hotel chains and tour operators move in. Local control decreases.
Tourist numbers peak. Environmental, social, or economic problems may emerge. The destination may become less fashionable.
After stagnation, destinations can either decline as tourists move elsewhere, or rejuvenate through new attractions or sustainable approaches.
Jamaica is a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 2.9 million people. Tourism directly contributes about 10% of Jamaica's GDP and employs approximately 25% of the workforce when including indirect employment.
Jamaica has been a tourist destination since the 1950s, but mass tourism really took off in the 1970s. The north coast, particularly Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, has been developed extensively with large resort complexes, often owned by international hotel chains.
Jamaica is famous for its all-inclusive resorts where tourists pay one price for accommodation, food, drinks and activities. While these resorts create jobs and attract visitors, they can limit the economic benefits to the wider community since tourists have little reason to venture outside and spend money locally.
Leakage refers to the portion of tourist spending that leaves the destination country. In Jamaica, this happens through imported goods (food, drinks, furniture), foreign-owned hotels sending profits overseas and foreign tour operators. Studies suggest that for every $100 spent by tourists in Jamaica, only about $30 stays in the local economy.
Recognising the challenges of mass tourism, Jamaica has been developing more sustainable approaches:
Villages like Treasure Beach on the south coast offer small-scale, locally-owned accommodation and experiences that directly benefit communities.
The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park offers hiking, birdwatching and cultural experiences while protecting natural habitats.
The Tourism Linkages Network connects farmers and craftspeople with hotels to increase local purchasing and reduce imports.
Jamaica has established the Tourism Enhancement Fund, which collects a fee from every tourist arrival. This money is used to improve infrastructure, train tourism workers, restore heritage sites and fund environmental projects. This helps ensure tourism contributes to broader development goals.
Costa Rica has positioned itself as an ecotourism destination, protecting 25% of its land as national parks while developing tourism. Unlike Jamaica's focus on beach resorts, Costa Rica attracts tourists interested in rainforests, wildlife and sustainable practices. This approach has reduced leakage and spread benefits more widely.
Bali has developed tourism around its unique culture and traditions. While it faces challenges with overdevelopment in some areas, cultural tourism has helped preserve traditions and crafts that might otherwise have disappeared as the economy modernised.
Jamaica and other tourism-dependent economies face several challenges:
However, these challenges also create opportunities for more sustainable and inclusive tourism models that:
For the iGCSE Geography exam, you should be able to discuss specific facts and figures about Jamaica's tourism industry, explain both positive and negative economic impacts and evaluate strategies for sustainable tourism development. Use specific place names and examples to demonstrate detailed knowledge.
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