Types of tourism
locations
The types of tourism locations vary as a result of different
demands of consumers. There are tourist enclaves, resorts, theme
parks, urban tourism, heritage tourism and alternative
tourism.
Tourist enclaves are usually self-contained areas in the physical,
social and economic sense. They are physically separated and
isolated from the local community and develop as an independent
body. The limited economic linkages between the enclave and the
local community means a dependence on wealthy foreign tourists,
hence reinforcing the exclusivity of the enclave and producing a
pronounced contrast in the lifestyle between the tourist and the
local community. Some examples of tourist enclaves can be found in
the Maldives and Mauritius.
The tourist enclaves in the Dominican Republic are part of
concerted government efforts which emerged in the 1970s to promote
tourism, as a means of diversifying the economy and to raise the
extremely low standards of living. Tourist enclaves are the
preferred model for development as the potential revenue that can
be reaped rationalizes the use of scarce funds on infrastructural
developments such as a new airport, road development and sewage
treatment schemes. However, the packaging of the resort as an
'all-inclusive' destination has minimized levels of spin-off trade
entering the local economy. This is because goods and services are
purchased in bulk from major Dominican centres and imported
directly from offshore suppliers. Any tourist demands that are met
through local sources often lead to a shortage for the community.
Also, employment is present, but generally seasonal.
Resorts are also another form of tourism location. They are
concentrated forms of development which occurs around a key
resource, such as the sea or mountains. Examples of such include
the seaside resort in Brighton and the mountain resorts in La
Grande, France. The development of the modern beach resort in
Pattaya, Thailand, originated from the handful of second homes to
wealthy Thais. Pattaya used to be a relatively inaccessible fishing
community. As new roads improved accessibility, together with the
establishment of US military bases in the region, new demands led
to the construction of the first hotels on the beach frontage from
1964, which acted as a catalyst to subsequent expansion of
hotel-based tourism catering for both the domestic and
international market.
Urban tourism includes destinations in their own right for
activities such as shopping, entertainment, visiting families and
friends, sports and leisure. Examples of such include the capital
cities of London, the historic sites of Oxford and specialized
tourist service centres like Lourdes for pilgrimage. Hence, we can
see that the different destinations cater to different types of
tourist needs.[/quote]
anyone learnt anything yet?
