Tourist Destinations

HND Hospitality Management

UNIT 39 - TOURIST DESTINATIONS
LO3 -Understand how the characteristics of destinations affect their appeal to tourists.
LO4 Understand issues likely to affect the popularity of tourist destinations.
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Name: Carole Lewis
TABLES OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Details of the topic 1
Name
ID number
Date of submission
Contents page 2
3.1) Compare the appeal of current leading tourist destinations with that 3
of currently developing tourist destinations.
3.2) Evaluate how characteristics of a tourist destination affect its appeal 4
4.1) Analyse issues that affect the popularity of tourist destination 4
4.1) Analyse issues that affect the popularity of tourist destination (contd) 5
4.2) Discuss the potential for responsible tourism to enhance the host community at 5
worldwide tourist destinations
4.2) Discuss the potential for responsible tourism to enhance the host community at 6
worldwide tourist destinations (contd)

References 6
Appendices
Appendix A 7 & 8
Appendix B & C 9
Appendix D 10 & 11
Appendix E 11
3.1 Compare the appeal of current leading tourist destinations with that of currently developing
tourist destinations.
The United States of America has 50 states and the amount of places to visit is endless. There is
something to suit everyone with sporting venues, museums, art galleries, theme parks, beaches,
landmarks, monuments, festivals, top entertainment, casinos and quality shopping.
The United States is widely known as the Land of Liberty and they are different kind of people
and races that lives there, hence the different culture, cuisine, politics and religion.
Washington D.C. is the nations capital and home to the US President and Congress with many
important government buildings and monuments. The countrys largest city is New York, home
to many skyscrapers, museums and theatres. Other major cities include Boston with its historical
significance such as Harvard Museum of Natural History and Symphony Hall; Las Vegas is
known as the entertainment capital while Florida is known for its buzzing nightlife and Walt
Disney World; New Orleans is noted for Mardis Gras which is one of the biggest carnival, and
Los Angeles is famous for celebrities and is home to Hollywood, the famous film industry, (refer
to appendix d for images of some of the US attraction).
American food is as diverse as the people who live in the US, but America favourite cuisine
include foods like barbecue, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and apple pie as they are eaten by
majority of the population.
Sports are important with major league teams of football, basketball, baseball and hockey. The
USA is in the top ten of the world tourist destination, they had over 65 million visitors in 2012.
(Refer to appendix c for numbers of international visitor that came to the US in the last 10 years).
Jamaica has long been favoured as a Caribbean vacation destination, with a tropical climate,
beautiful blue oceans and a multitude of outdoor activities to enjoy, known for its beautiful
beaches with a large variety of resorts. The main locations for tourists on the island are Montego
Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, each with something a little unique to offer. Except for a short
hurricane season, the weather in Jamaica is beautiful all year round. Jamaica is famous for so
many things such as our landscapes, beaches such as Puerto Seco, waterfalls such as Dunns
River Fall, our flavourful food such as jerk chicken, alcoholic beverage such as rum punch and

historical sites such as Rose Hall Great House. The number of attractions in Jamaica also
includes caves Green Grotto, mountains Blue Mountain, museums Bob Marley Museum
and historical gardens such as Hope Gardens, (refer to appendix a for images of some of
Jamaicas attraction) One thing about Jamaica also is that they have a very unique culture, and
their music which is reggae is the best in the world, hence the fame of Bob Marley, a Jamaican
singer and song writer. The festivals bring many tourists to the shores of Jamaica such as Reggae
Sumfest and Sting and they have the best sprinters in the world, hence the fame of Usain Bolt
who is a Jamaican sprinter and the fastest runner in the world. Jamaica had over 3 million
visitors in 2011 which was a record breaker in compare to the past couple of years. (Refer to
appendix b for numbers of international visitor that came to Jamaica in the last 10 years).
3.2 Evaluate how characteristics of a tourist destination affect its appeal
Tourism can bring many economic and social benefits, especially in developing countries, but it
also can have negative effects. There have been a lot of arguments about whether tourism is
beneficial or harmful to the environment.
Tourism creates jobs, both through direct employment within the tourism industry and indirectly
in sectors such as retail and transportation. The tourism industry also provides opportunities for
small-scale business enterprises, which is especially important in rural communities, and
generates extra tax revenues, such as airport and hotel taxes, which can be used for schools,
housing and hospitals, and help to establish a basic infrastructure such as roads, visitor centres
and hotels. Jobs created by tourism are often seasonal and poorly paid, yet tourism can push up
local property prices and the cost of goods and services. Destinations dependent on tourism such
as Jamaica can be affected by events such as natural disasters and economic recession but the
traditional customs, handicrafts and festivals are preserved because of tourism. Visitor behaviour
can have a harmful effect on the quality of life for example, crowding and congestion, drugs and
alcohol problems, prostitution and increased crime levels can occur. And sometimes because of
tourism, locals are being displaced from their land to make way for new hotels or barred from
certain beaches. Tourism help to protect the wildlife and natural resources such as rain forests,
as these are now regarded as tourism assets. In developing countries like Jamaica, tourism helps
to create other sources of employment and reduce problems such as overfishing and
deforestation, but it also can be a threat to natural and cultural resources such as water supply
where the local community suffers because of shortages of water, the destruction and erosion of
the beaches, coral reefs and heritage sites through overuse. It also causes increased pollution
through traffic jams, littering, increased sewage usage and noise.
4.1 Analyse issues that affect the popularity of tourist destination
Issues that affect the popularity of tourist destination such as the USA are threat of terrorism, like
for example the 9/11 where planes were hijacked and use as a weapon against the people of
America, and because of that peoples fear of travelling to other countries has affected the travel
and tourism industry. A year after the incident the demand for travel and tourism fell by an
estimated 7.4% worldwide in 2001 and 2002, compared with the growth that had been forecast
for those years. To prevent another episode, the government of the US has double the securities
at all airports and everyone including luggages are checked and searched. They have also joined

with 70 other countries to help to fight terrorism. Bali, one of the developing countries was badly
damaged because of the bombing. It became clear that the push for tourism was not matched
because of non-development of the infrastructure. In the wake of the bombings about 2/3 of the
hotels couldnt cover operational cost/debt repayment, with 54% of the establishment reporting a
drop in international and domestic tourists. The UK also suffered a reduction in overseas visitors
in 2001 when they had the foot and mouth disease. There was also a reduction of visitors to
Jamaica because of the violent crimes in Kingston the capital, Montego Bay and other tourist
areas. A state of emergency was called to prevent anyone from going on the streets after certain
hours and effective policing was put in place which helped to cut down on criminal activities.
Few of the main attractions for the enjoyment of tourist are the beaches, snorkelling, scuba
diving and glass bottom boating, and these things are dependent on the coral reefs, seagrove beds
and mangroves which are been threatened by natural causes and human behaviour; such as
pollution, overfishing and global warming. If the environment is degraded, visitors will not want
to come or want to pay less and Jamaica will lose out financially on foreign exchange.
4.2: Discuss the potential for responsible tourism to enhance the host community at worldwide
tourist destinations
Everyone has a different way of saying what they feel responsible tourism is all about such as
one writer said Its creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit, another
one felt its about finding the right balance between minimising our impact on the environment
and yet not losing the ability to open minds through new experiences and interaction with
cultures different from our own, although they have the same idea, I feel the declaration of Cape
Town would be relevant for all the worldwide destinations. This is the definition of the Cape
Town declaration of responsible tourism.
minimizes negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;
generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of
host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry;
involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances;
makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the
maintenance of the world's diversity;
provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with
local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
provides access for physically challenged people; and
is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and
confidence.

The declaration concludes with a commitment 'to work with others to take responsibility for
achieving the economic, social and environmental components of responsible and sustainable
tourism.' St. Kildas, Scotland was the winner for Responsible tourism 2012.
The judges saw the National Trust for Scotland's work in St Kilda, the UK's only mixed-World
Heritage as a good example of the contribution which tourism can make to the maintenance of
built cultural heritage in remote areas. (Refer to appendix e for images of St.Kildas, Scotland).
Developing countries such as Jamaica has decided to enhance and build on the attributes that
Jamaica is known for, which are:
natural beauty
warm and friendly people
well designed and attractive resort towns
various attractions
environmentally friendly posture
The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo.) Limited has been given the
responsibilities of developing and improving Jamaicas tourism product. Its main responsibilities
are:
Returning the tourism economy to a surplus position
Making sure plans are implemented to improve the main resort areas
Giving special attention to the areas that has the potential to help enhance Jamaicas tourism
product, and to plan, develop and put ideas into place, in order to improve Jamaicas
competitiveness as a preferred tourism destination
Finding the easiest way to combine in a practical manner and take into account all of which is
aesthetic, cultural, architectural, economic and environmental, securing co-operation from all
parties concerned including locals and visitors, in any specific project.
If all worldwide destinations have a common interest and mutual support in responsible tourism,
continued efforts over time will make poor situations better and good situations great.
REFERENCES
Discover the World
Famous Wonders

Heritage Tourism Production in the Caribbean

Jamaica Gleaner
Planeta.com
Planetware
Responsible Travel
Travel Unit8
Touropia
World Guides
United Nations Environment Programme
USA Today
World Responsible Tourism Awards
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
Attractions of Jamaica
Puerto Seco Beach
Puerto Seco Beach lies in Discovery Bay, St. Ann and is one Jamaicas proudest landmark.
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Rose Hall Great House
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Jamaica is Rose Hall great house. Rose Hall is most
famous for the story of its mistress Annie Palmer, a renowned beauty. Annie Palmer was widely
feared as a black magician, and she is also supposed to have dispatched three husbands (by
poison, by stabbing and then pouring boiling oil into his ears, and by strangling) and
innumerable lovers, including slaves, whom she simply killed when she was bored of them. She
was 4ft 11ins high and was murdered in her bed.
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Bob Marley OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter who achieved international fame through
reggae.[pic]
Reggae Sumfest is the largest concert festival in Jamaica, taking place yearly in Montego Bay. It
attracts a large crowd of locals and visitors alike, and features a variety of Jamaican reggae artists
and international artists also.
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Visitors have the opportunity to interact and "Swim With" dolphins, enjoying the thrill and love
of these amazing lovable animals. Visitors can also swim with, hold, feed and learn about the
evolutionary secrets of the Caribbean sharks.
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APPENDIX B
INTERNATIONAL TOURISM; NUMBER OF ARRIVALS IN Jamaica
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This is a chart showing visitor arrivals to Jamaica from 2002 to 2010 but in 2011, visitor arrivals
hit a record of 3.07 million.
APPENDIX C
INTERNATIONAL TOURISM; NUMBER OF ARRIVALS IN THE UNITED STATES
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This is a chart showing visitor arrivals to the USA from 2002 to 2010 but in 2012 they had 65
million visitors arrivals making them number 2 of the top ten tourist destinations.
APPENDIX D
Attractions of the USA
The White House in Washington DC is the official residence and office of the President of the
United States.
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The gambling mecca of the world, Las Vegas is situated in the midst of the southern Nevada
desert landscape.

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Situated between the state of New York and the province of Ontario, Niagara Falls is one of the
most spectacular natural wonders on the North American continent. Niagara Falls is actually
three different falls, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls.
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APPENDIX E
2012 Winner of Responsible tourism - St. Kildas, Scotland.
The St. Kildas island was abandoned by the remaining 36 residents when life on the island
became unsustainable and the buildings quickly went into disrepair. Between 2008 & 2010 the
National Trust for Scotland carried out a sympathetic restoration. The judges saw the National
Trust for Scotland work in St. Kildas, the UKs only mixed world heritage site important to
both the cultural and natural heritage of the world.
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