Travel and Tourism (9395) | Changing global tourism flows

Study Notes: 3.1 Changing Global Tourism Flows (AS Level 9395)

Hello future Travel and Tourism expert! This chapter is all about understanding the massive movements of people across the globe and figuring out why those movements — the tourism flows — change over time. Think of it like watching ocean currents: they look stable, but underlying factors like temperature and wind keep them constantly shifting. Understanding these shifts is key to success in the tourism industry!

What are Global Tourism Flows? (3.1a)

Global tourism flows describe the patterns of travel activity between different countries or regions. We look at two key components:

1. Generating Areas (The Places Tourists Come From)
• These are countries where tourists originate.
• Historically, the main generating areas were wealthy developed nations in the West (e.g., Western Europe, North America).
• The Big Change: Today, emerging economies (like China, India, and Brazil) have rapidly growing middle classes, making them massive new generating areas. This is a huge shift in the global tourism landscape.
2. Receiving Areas (The Destinations Tourists Go To)
• These are the destinations that attract tourists (e.g., France, Thailand, Peru).
• Flows are shifting as new, previously less accessible destinations open up (e.g., regions in Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia).
• We track the numbers of tourists visiting these places to measure the flow. A sudden spike or drop indicates a major change in the flow pattern.

Factors Affecting Global Tourism Flows (3.1b)

Tourism flows do not stay static; they are highly sensitive to four major categories of change: Economic, Social/Demographic, Health/Security, and Technological.

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1. Economic Changes

Money is the biggest driver of travel. Changes in financial conditions, both nationally and personally, greatly impact if and where people travel.

Levels of Disposable Income and Employment

• Disposable Income: This is the money people have left to spend or save after paying taxes and essential living costs (like rent and food).
• Simple Analogy: If your allowance suddenly doubles, you are more likely to spend some on a non-essential item, like a trip.
• When disposable income increases, demand for outbound international travel increases. When unemployment is high, travel spending is often the first thing cut, reducing flows.

National Economic Strength and Currency Exchange Rates

• National Strength: Countries with strong, stable economies tend to have citizens who travel more frequently and spend more abroad (high generating power).
• Currency Exchange Rates: This is a critical factor. If the Euro becomes strong against the US Dollar, a trip to the USA becomes cheaper for a European tourist, increasing the flow to the USA. If the dollar is strong, flows from the USA increase because their money buys more overseas.

Government Investment and Infrastructural Developments

• Governments can intentionally influence flows by investing in tourism.
• Investment Examples: Building new international airports, modernising rail networks, providing subsidies for new hotels, or heavily funding national tourism organisations (NTOs) to promote the country.
• Better infrastructure (like reliable roads, energy supply, clean water) makes a destination more accessible and appealing, increasing inbound flows.

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2. Social and Demographic Changes

Who people are, how they live, and what they care about shapes their travel choices.

Age Profiles and Family Structures

• Age Profiles: As many developed countries experience ageing populations, the demand increases for:
  • Cruises (often preferred by older, retired travellers).
  • Wellness and medical tourism.
  • Longer stays outside of traditional peak seasons.
  In contrast, younger populations drive demand for adventure, budget travel, and backpacker routes.
• Family Structures: Changes (e.g., more single-person households, multi-generational holidays) influence the popularity of different accommodation types (e.g., serviced apartments vs. large family resorts).

Attitudes and Sustainability Awareness

• There is a major shift in public attitude towards the impacts of tourism.
• Tourists are becoming more aware of environmental and social issues.
• This increases the demand for Ecotourism and Responsible Tourism (which we cover in depth in 3.2). This shift in attitude directs flows away from destinations known for over-tourism or poor environmental records.

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3. Health and Security Issues

Nothing stops tourism flows faster than feeling unsafe or unwell. These factors are powerful and immediate.

Disease Epidemics / Pandemics and Disasters

• A major outbreak (like the global COVID-19 pandemic or a localised Ebola scare) can cause tourism flows to drop almost instantly to zero, sometimes globally.
• Natural Disasters (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions) or human-made disasters (e.g., major oil spills) make destinations inaccessible or dangerous, halting flows immediately.

Social, Political Unrest, Crime and Terrorism

• High levels of crime or political unrest (civil wars, protests) deter tourists. Many governments issue official travel advisories urging citizens not to visit unstable regions, effectively stopping leisure flows.
• Acts of terrorism can cause long-term decline in flows, as the destination is perceived as high-risk, regardless of the government’s efforts to promote safety.

Border Controls and Visas

• Strict border controls and complicated, expensive visa requirements can severely slow down tourism flows.
• If Country A makes it easy and cheap for people from Country B to visit (e.g., visa-free entry), flows increase dramatically. If Country A requires a month-long application process, flows will be low.

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4. Technological Advances

Technology has radically changed *how* and *where* people travel, often making travel faster, cheaper, and more personalised.

Developing Forms of Transport

• The development of more efficient and larger aircraft (like the Airbus A380) has driven down the cost of long-haul flights. This has opened up distant destinations (like Australia or South Africa) to mass tourism flows.
• There is also an increasing focus on sustainable forms of transport (e.g., faster, greener rail networks) which can influence travellers to choose land transport over air for short-haul trips.

ICT (Information and Communications Technology)

ICT is perhaps the greatest recent factor influencing tourism flows:

• Online Information and Real-Time Reservations: Tourists no longer rely solely on travel agents. They can research, compare prices, and book every component of a trip instantly online. This allows for Dynamic Packaging (creating customised trips) and increases flows towards independent travel.
• Mobile Technology and Ticketless Travel: Mobile apps facilitate instant booking, digital boarding passes, and on-trip support. This makes the travel process easier and faster, removing barriers to impulse travel.
• Social Media: Platforms like Instagram or TikTok can make a destination instantly 'viral' and trendy, causing a rapid, short-term spike in tourism flows (e.g., specific scenic spots suddenly becoming overcrowded).
• Biometrics: Technology like facial recognition at airports speeds up border control and check-in processes. This increased efficiency allows airports and destinations to handle higher volumes of tourists, facilitating flow.

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Summary: Analysing Changing Flows

When asked to analyse why tourism flows change, remember to structure your answer using these four major categories (Economic, Social/Demographic, Health/Security, and Technological). Changes in global tourism flows are not usually caused by one single factor, but by a combination of influences working together.