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Unlock This CourseTourism is one of the world's biggest industries. Millions of people travel every year for holidays, business and to visit family. In your iGCSE exam, you need to know exactly what tourism is, who tourists are and why tourism has grown so much over the last century.
Key Definitions:
Mass tourism is when large numbers of people travel to the same popular destinations, usually on package holidays. Think Benidorm in Spain or Magaluf in Mallorca. It became popular in the 1960s when cheap air travel and package deals made foreign holidays affordable for ordinary people.
Alternative tourism is smaller-scale, more responsible travel. It includes ecotourism, adventure tourism and cultural tourism. Tourists want unique experiences rather than crowded resorts. Examples include trekking in Nepal or volunteering in Costa Rica.
Tourism has grown massively since the 1950s. The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) recorded around 25 million international arrivals in 1950. By 2019, this had risen to 1.5 billion! Here are the main reasons why:
As people earn more money, they have more to spend on holidays. The growth of the middle class in countries like China and India has created millions of new tourists.
Budget airlines like Ryanair and easyJet have made flying affordable. Low-cost carriers have opened up destinations that were once too expensive to reach.
Workers in many countries now get more paid leave. In the UK, workers are entitled to at least 28 days of paid holiday per year, giving them time to travel.
The internet makes it easy to research, book and review holidays. Websites like TripAdvisor, Booking.com and Airbnb have transformed how people plan trips.
Faster trains, bigger airports and improved roads mean people can travel further and more comfortably than ever before.
TV travel shows, social media influencers and glossy adverts inspire people to visit new destinations. Instagram has literally made some places famous!
In the exam, you may be asked to explain why tourism has grown. Always try to give specific examples don't just say "cheaper flights," say "budget airlines like Ryanair have made flying from the UK to Europe much cheaper." Examiners love detail!
This is when tourists travel for a very specific reason or activity. It's growing fast because people want more than just a beach holiday.
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people. Example: visiting the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
Visiting places to experience their history, art, architecture and traditions. Example: tourists visiting Machu Picchu in Peru or the Taj Mahal in India.
Travel involving physical activities and a degree of risk. Examples include white-water rafting in New Zealand or bungee jumping in South Africa.
China is now one of the world's biggest sources of international tourists. As China's economy has grown, millions of Chinese citizens have joined the middle class and can now afford to travel abroad. In 2019, Chinese tourists made around 155 million outbound trips and spent over $250 billion globally. Popular destinations include Japan, Thailand and Europe. This shows how rising incomes directly drive tourism growth.
Theme 2 is all about how and why tourism develops in different places and what effects it has. You need to understand the Butler Model, the impacts of tourism and how tourism can be managed sustainably.
Key Definitions:
The Butler Model (1980) describes how tourist destinations change over time. It has 6 stages. This is a really important model learn it well!
A small number of adventurous tourists discover the destination. There are few tourist facilities. The local environment and culture are largely unchanged. Example: early backpackers in Thailand in the 1970s.
Local people begin to provide basic services for tourists guesthouses, food stalls, guides. Tourist numbers slowly increase. The community starts to shape the tourism product.
Outside investors arrive. Large hotels, resorts and tourist infrastructure are built. Tourist numbers grow rapidly. The destination becomes well known. Local involvement may decrease.
Tourism is now a major part of the local economy. Visitor numbers are high but growth slows. The destination is heavily marketed. Some locals may start to resent tourists.
The destination has reached or exceeded its carrying capacity. Environmental and social problems appear. The destination's image declines. Visitor numbers plateau or fall.
The destination either declines (tourists go elsewhere) or is rejuvenated through investment and new attractions. Example: Blackpool has struggled to rejuvenate; Las Vegas has successfully reinvented itself.
Benidorm started as a small fishing village (Exploration). In the 1960s, package holidays brought mass tourism (Development). By the 1980s–90s it was one of Europe's most visited resorts (Consolidation). Today it faces challenges of an ageing image and competition from newer destinations (Stagnation/Rejuvenation). Spain has invested in new attractions and improved infrastructure to try to rejuvenate Benidorm's appeal.
Tourism brings both benefits and problems. You need to be able to discuss economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts both positive AND negative.
Positive: Creates jobs (hotels, restaurants, guides), earns foreign exchange, stimulates the multiplier effect, funds infrastructure improvements.
Negative: Leakage of profits to foreign companies, seasonal employment (jobs only in summer), over-dependence on tourism, rising prices for locals.
Positive: Can fund conservation projects, raises awareness of natural habitats, creates national parks and protected areas.
Negative: Pollution (air, water, noise), habitat destruction, footpath erosion, coral reef damage, increased carbon emissions from flights.
Tourism changes the way local people live, their traditions and their communities.
Promotes cultural exchange and understanding between peoples. Can revive traditional crafts and arts. Funds for schools, hospitals and community facilities. Improved quality of life for locals.
Commodification of culture traditions become a "show" for tourists. Loss of local identity. Increased crime. Displacement of local communities. Tension between tourists and residents (known as Doxey's Irridex Model locals move from euphoria to antagonism as tourist numbers grow).
Kenya's tourism industry is centred on safari holidays and beach resorts. Positive impacts: Tourism earns Kenya around $1.5 billion per year in foreign exchange, funds conservation in the Maasai Mara and employs thousands of Kenyans. Negative impacts: Much profit leaks to foreign-owned tour operators, Maasai communities have been displaced from traditional lands to create game reserves and wildlife is disturbed by safari vehicles. Kenya is now investing in community-based tourism to ensure local people benefit more directly.
Because tourism can cause so many problems, destinations need to manage it carefully. Sustainable tourism tries to balance the needs of tourists, local communities and the environment.
The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) are one of the world's most ecologically unique places. To protect them, Ecuador limits the number of tourists to around 200,000 per year, requires all tourists to be accompanied by licensed guides, zones the islands to keep tourists away from sensitive wildlife areas and charges a $100 entrance fee that funds conservation. This is a great example of sustainable tourism management in action.
📌 Always define key terms at the start of your answer it shows the examiner you know your stuff.
📌 Use named examples and case studies vague answers won't get top marks. Name specific countries, resorts, or organisations.
📌 Balance your answers for impacts questions, always discuss BOTH positive AND negative effects.
📌 Use geographical terminology words like "multiplier effect," "carrying capacity," and "leakage" will impress examiners.
📌 Link to the Butler Model when discussing how destinations change over time.