Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
1
INTRODUCTION
Tourism matters!
Geographical knowledge is more important than ever in an
increasingly global and interconnected world. How can a
graduate claim to be a learned scholar without any
understanding of geography?
(Susan Cutter, President of the Association of American
Geographers, 2000:2)
Who we are is shaped in part by where we are. Human
interactions with each other and the environment are
rooted in geographical understandings, as well as the
opportunities and constraints of geographical
circumstance. Geographical approaches and techniques
offer critical insights into everything from local land-use
decisions to international conflict.
(Alexander Murphy, President of the
Association of American Geographers, 2004:3)
Tourism is widely recognised as the world's largest industry. The figures on the size and
significance of tourism are staggering. For example, according to the World Tourism
Organisation (WTO 1996), in 1995 world tourist arrivals reached 567 million with
estimated international tourism receipts of US$60 billion. By 2000 world tourism arrivals
were estimated to have reached 698.3 million with receipts from international tourism
climbed to US$476 billion (WTO 2001). Although international arrivals for 2003 were
estimated to have fallen by 1.2 per cent in 2003 to 694 million, some 8.5 million less than
in 2002 and the biggest drop ever in international tourism arrivals, a substantial rebound
was expected in 2004 (WTO 2004a, 2004b).
However, tourism, tourists and their impacts are clearly not evenly distributed.
Substantial differen tiation occurs at a variety of international, regional and local scales.
For example, with respect to 2003 (WTO 2004a):
