The Impacts of Tourism - Essay Example

The Impacts of Tourism Today, tourism has experienced a significant growth, becoming the world’s largest industry. Tourism creates many different aspects and consequences for economies, environments, cultures and societies (Archer, Cooper & Ruhanen, 2005). The factors that induce the impact of touristic activities on a zone include the variety of tourist potential, the existence of a general infrastructure, and the presence of tourist structures of alimentation, accommodation and pleasure (Valentin, Condratov & Stanciu, 2006). Due to a great role of tourism as a global employer and customer, it is important to plan and manage touristic activities to maximize their positive impact and minimize the negative consequences of tourism. This paper describes my 10 days trip to Andalusia, Spain, and investigates the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural impacts of my journey on this region. I am going to provide different strategies that can be employed to increase the positive impacts and reduce the negative impacts of touristic activities in Andalusia. I am going to visit Andalusia during the Holy Week, which is a very important celebration in this region. Both big cities and small towns organize dozens of processions, which involve elaborately decorated floats and shrill brass bands ( “Easter-Aesthetics and Passionate”, n.d). I am convinced that my trip will enable me to learn that tradition, which is an integral part of an Andalusian culture and reflects the spirit of the people. I am going to arrive by plane, flying from Montreal to London and then taking a cheap flight with a British low-cost airline EasyJet from London to Malaga. I have used the website www.skyscanner.com to find the most economic flights. Using services of a British company, I can contribute with a flow of foreign currency into the economy of the European Union and thus, although indirectly, into the economy of Spain. I have also used the website of Alsa, the leading organization in the Spanish passenger road sector, to obtain the routes and timetables information. Due to efficient bus connection between different towns of the region, it is the most comfortable and economic way of travelling in Andalusia. I will be arriving in Malaga on Thursday, a few days before the start of the Holy Week. As there are not many tourists around before the celebrations start, I can avoid crowds when visiting historical sites of interest. On Saturday, I am taking a bus to Granada, where I will be staying until the Maundy Thursday. Granada is located in the centre of Andalucía, which allows me to make one-day trips around the region. I am going to visit such spots as the highest peak of Andalusia, Sierra Nevada, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, and the village of Loja with its picturesque waterfalls (Williams, n.d). While staying in the city, I will participate in such unique events as the procession of Santa Cena (the Last Supper) on Palm Sunday and the procession of Christ of the Gypsies on the night of Easter Wednesday On Thursday I am moving to Seville, where the night between Maundy Thursday and Great Friday, the “Madruga” is the most special night and is the summit of processions in Seville (“Enjoy Seville and it’s Holy Week”). Several processions leave the churches at midnight and march through the town to arrive at the cathedral in the early morning. The celebrations that take place in Seville the following days involve the glorious Passion of Christ on Great Friday and, finally, the Resurrection celebrations on Easter Sunday. On Monday, I am going back to Malaga, from where I have a flight to London. Throughout my trip, I am going to stay with people I have contacted through Couch Surfing, a hospitality exchange network that enables travelers to search for hosts all over the world. This way of travelling will enable me to make new friends in the cities I am going to visit, get to know the places unknown by tourists and, thus, learn more about Spanish culture. Andalucía has mostly the mild Mediterranean climate, with hot dry summers and mild wet winters (Symington, 2004). It is one of the sunniest regions of Europe, which appeals to numerous tourists. Andalucía is divided into eight provinces, named after their capital cities. However, geographically it can be split into four zones: the Sierra Morena range, a low chain of hills located across the northern parts of the provinces of Cordoba, Huelva, Jaen and Seville; the valley of Guadalquivir river, which flows through the cities of Jaen, Cordoba, and Seville; the Cordillera Betica, one of the principal ranges of Spain, stretching across the provinces of Malaga, Granada, and Murcia; and, finally, the coastal plain (Symington, 2004). Due to relative lack of industry in the region and historically regional agriculture, Andalucía has quite a clear environment (Noble, Forsyth, and Hardy, 2005). Furthermore, Andalucía has the biggest environmental protection program in Spain, which involves over 90 protected areas. They account for 20 percent of Andalusian territory and over 60 percent of the total protected area in Spain. Andalusian culture has been influenced by a variety of civilizations who have inhabited the region throughout the centuries, contributing to a great artistic and historic heritage. The Romans, who lived in Andalucía in the ancient times, have left the remains of the former villages at the Betica-Romana Route as well as numerous works of sculpture, pottery, and mosaics. The architectural inheritance of the Arab supremacy involves the street labyrinths of the ancient town centers, spectacular water routes and defense systems, and, finally, such outstanding buildings as in the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Alhambra in Granada, and Alcazar in Seville. The architecture of Andalusia also involves the famous Cathedral of Seville, today the third biggest Cathedral in the world. Andalusia is world-famous for flamenco, which combines traditional gypsy music with Arab and Jewish sounds. Flamenco, which involves singing , the dance, and the guitar play, has inspired several music cultures all over the world. I am also looking forward to Andalusian cuisine, which involves wine, olives, seafood, and famous “tapas”, small portions of meals, served with drinks in bars (“Andalusia and its culture”, n.d). Economically, Andalusia is divided into three zones, which have different levels of economic activity, population, and income (“ Andalusia Guide…Economy). The most dynamic zone includes the major urban settlements and the coastal fringe. Even though these areas comprise only 6 per cent of the territory of the region, they generate for 70 percent of national income. Tourism is a principal source of income in this zone and it provides a high percentage of job creation. The intermediate zone, the economy of which is based on agriculture, involves fertile lowlands and the lower valleys of the regions. Finally, the poorest zone involves mountain areas, isolated and poor-equipped for agricultural development. Due to its arid character, the agriculture in this zone is restricted to olive-growing. This zone is inhabited by only 12 percent of the population (“Andalusia Guide…Economy”). Andalusia is a unique place, influenced by many cultures, customs and traditions. I am looking forward to visit this region during the Holy Week and, thus, learn one of the most important Andalusian traditions. I am very glad to stay with Spanish hosts throughout my trip as it will enable me to discover places unknown to tourists and, thus, make my travelling experience more authentic and enriching. I have planned my trip to maximize positive outcomes and minimize negative consequences of tourism in Andalusia. To start with, I am going to use Spanish means of transport and services of small, locally owned establishments and, thus, contribute to the development of local economies. I am aware of a great role of tourism in the economy of Andalusia; this sector is one of the most important sources of job creation and, especially in the light of economic crisis, helps many families to survive. I hope that my trips to smaller towns in rural areas can create more equitable distributions of income within the region (Archer et al., 2005). When it comes to environmental outcomes of my trip, I am going to follow the principles of responsible tourism. The maintenance of natural resources in Andalusia is particularly important to retain this region an attractive tourism destination. Thus, throughout my trip I am going to move between different cities by bus, which is much more ecologic way of travelling than going by a car. When visiting city centers, I am going to walk rather than use public transport. This way, I can admire urban landscapes of Andalusia and contribute to the protection of clean air. Finally, I hope that my presence at the celebrations of the Holy Week, along with many tourists from all over the world, will keep this tradition alive for the future generations. I think that travelling and learning different cultures is not only a great way to discover the world, but also to look at one’s own culture and identity from a different perspective. Thus, travelling makes us more tolerant, open-minded, enables us to grow up and develop new ways of thinking. I am convinced that my trip to Andalusia will be a highly rewarding and enriching experience. References: Andalusia and its culture-architecture, arts, religion, feasts, and festivals (n.d). In andalusia- web.com. Retrieved from http://www.andalusia-web.com/culture.htm on February, 9, 2010 Andalusia guide. About Andalusia. Economy. In Fuerte Hoteles. Retrieved from http://www.fuertehoteles.com/guia/tourism/about_andalucia/economy.htm on February 11, 2010 Archer, B., Cooper, C, and Ruhanen, L. (2005). The Positive and Negative Impacts of Tourism. In Theobald, W. , Global Tourism (pp. 79-103). Easter-Aesthetics and Passionate (n.d). In andalucia.com. Retrieved from http://www.andalucia.com/magazine/english/ed2/semana-santa.htm on March, 5, 2010 “Enjoy Seville and it’s Holy Week” (n.d). In Guía Semana Santa Andalucía. Retrieved from http://www.guiasemanasanta.com/sevilla/in/ on March 4, 2010 Garvey, G. and Ellingham, M. (2009). Andalucía (6th ed.). London, Rough Guide. “Holy Week in Granada” (n.d). In Granada Tourism. Retrieved from http://www.turgranada.es/semana-santa/semana-santa.php on March, 5, 2010 Noble, J., Forsyth, S.,& Hardy, P. (2005 ). Andalucía (4th ed). London, Lonely Planet. Symington, A. (2004). Andalucía (4th ed.). Bath, Footprint. Valentin, H., Condratov, I., and Stanciu, P. (2006). The Influence of Tourism Activity on the Low Development Regions. Retrieved from: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1071943 on March, 3, 2010 Watson, F. F. (n.d). Festivals-Semana Santa. In andalucia.com. Retrieved from http://www.andalucia.com/festival/easter/home.htm on March 5, 2010 Williams, J (n.d). Granada Province-Loja del Rio. In andalucia.com. Retrieved from http://www.andalucia.com/province/granada/loja.htm on March 6, 2010 24 march (wed) – 5 april (mon) Read More