3.3 Leisure activities and tourism

Tourism has increased because:

                     -greater affluence: higher salary + holiday with pay

                     -greater mobility: increase in car ownership + more aircraft

                     -improved accessibility and transport facilities:

                                    -better roads

                                    -larger airports, online reservation, package holidays

                     -more leisure time: longer vacations, shorter working hours, people work from home, more elderly

                     -changing lifestyles: changing fashions, earlier retirements

                     -change in recreational activities

                     -advertising of holiday destinations: TV and interwebz

                     -green tourism

Advantages of tourism:

-growth in income

-an increase in foreign exchange

-employment opportunities

-the development of infrastructure and facilities which may be used by the local population

-the encouragement of other developments to take place in an area

-cultural advantages

Disadvantages of tourism:

-seasonal unemployment

-under-use of facilities at certain times of the year (ski-towns in summer)

-increased congestion, pollution (the Lake District)

-a shortage of services e.g. water supplies

                     -social/cultural problems

                     -damage to the physical landscape (foot path erosion in the Lake District)

Growth of tourism in an area will depend on factors such as:

                     -accessibility

                     -scenery

                     -climate

                     -accommodation

                     -amenities

                     -sustainability