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GeoActiveGeoActive 492 OnlineOnline MASS TOURISM: TRENDS AND by Hilary Edge ISSUES IN SPAIN TOURISM is the world’s largest Peak of success Problems and stagnation and fastest-growing industry. In Rejuvenation? 1950, 25 million people travelled abroad; by 2010 this number had Decline? risen to 940 million and generated US$919 billion in income. Tourism was once a luxury for the wealthy but in the 20th century, mass tourism developed. To fully Growth and development understand the term mass tourism Number of tourists we need to look at several factors: Traditional society – discovery of area • the number of tourists in relation to the ability of the area to cope with this – known as the carrying capacity Time • how tourists interact with the area they are visiting Figure 1: Tourist area life cycle model • the impact tourists have on the area Source: adapted from R. Butler, 1980 they visit. GeoActive Series 24 Issue 2 Fig 492_01 Mac/eps/illustrator v15 s/s saw a huge increase in theNELSON number THORNES to PUBLISHINthe developmentG of democracy If there is evidence that the local Artist: David Russell Illustration culture, economy and environment of tourists going to Spain. Today and a liberalisation of the tourism of the tourist area cannot survive tourism makes up 10.5% of Spain’s industry. In 1986 Spain became a independent of tourism, then mass Gross Domestic Product (GDP). member of the European Union tourism can be said to exist. But The development of the tourist (EU) and this enabled it to receive carrying capacity is very difficult industry in the 20th century can funds from the EU Regional to establish. For example, are 20 be seen in the context of Butler’s Development Fund (ERDF) to help tourists a day climbing Ben Nevis model of the ‘Tourist area life develop its economy. A distinct more sustainable than 1,000 cycle’ (Figures 1 and 2). benefactor of this money has been tourists on the beaches of Ibiza? the road system which is now well The boom in tourism between the developed, and many airports Tourism carrying capacity is 1960s and 1980s was due to the have been built. However, in 2009 defined by the World Tourism following factors: it was reported by AENA, the Organisation as ‘the maximum • a growth in incomes in northern Spanish airport authority, that only number of people that may visit Europe and an increase in the number 9 out of 45 airports were making a tourist destination at the same and length of holidays with pay a profit. These were to be found time, without causing destruction mainly on the Mediterranean coast • an attractive exchange rate which of the physical, economic, socio- made Spain a cheaper destination and in the Canary Islands, with the cultural environment and an highest income at Alicante airport, unacceptable decrease in the • active promotion of tourism by the gateway to the Costa Blanca and quality of visitors’ satisfaction’. Spanish government its most famous resort, Benidorm More recently this has been refined • faster and cheaper flights – flight time (Figure 4). into a management strategy called London to Alicante: 2 hours ‘Limits of Acceptable Change’. So • the development of the package where does Spain fit into this? holiday offering ‘sun, sea, sand Benidorm, Spain’s most and sangria’ at an affordable price famous resort Spain has always attracted (Figure 3). In the 1950s Benidorm was a travellers interested in its sunny small, but declining, fishing village, climate, picturesque landscape In 1975 Franco, the Spanish so the local council decided to and local traditions. But the 1960s dictator, died, opening the way promote tourism. However, the Series 24 Spring issue Unit 492 Mass Tourism: Trends and Issues in Spain © 2013 Nelson Thornes GeoActive Online This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only. Page 1 of 4 Date 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Number of tourists 0.5 million 34 million 51.3 million (1987) 50.9 million 60 million (2007) to Spain 53 million (2010) Type of tourist and Independent Package holidays British buy houses Cheap airlines Independent travellers holiday travellers visited from May to as holiday homes. encourage including cultural, city cultural areas September Retired people stay independent breaks, e.g. Granada, in hotels out of travel using the Barcelona; golf holidays; season very cheaply internet rural tourism Employment Farming and Hotels, High % of people Employment in 12.7% of Spain’s working fishing bars, shops, employed in tourism tourism falls population in tourism construction Changes in Very few tourists Government Carrying capacity Long-haul travel Recovery based on tourism encourages tourist reached; start of becomes cheaper diversification and all- industry decline in tourism so fewer people year attractions including come to Spain festivals, exhibitions, sports events, business and conferences Accommodation Very limited – a Large concrete Apartments, villas Older hotels Many different types of few small hotels hotels built very and timeshares looked shabby accommodation including quickly farms and paradors Facilities Few amenities and Problems in Marinas and golf Bars and hotels New theme parks built; poor-quality roads towns of traffic courses begin to close but resorts concentrate on congestion new airports open good-quality facilities and new roads built Environment Clean, quiet Much coastal land Dirty beaches, noise, Government Spain voted country with unpolluted being built on crime begins to clean best-quality beaches beaches up environment Figure 2: The development of tourism in Spain in relation to Butler’s model local mayor had the foresight to London Costa Blanca prevent cramped development in Temp (°C) Precipitation Temp (°C) Precipitation contrast to what later developed (mm) (mm) in nearby Torrevieja. Even though 35 35 there are about 330 skyscrapers in 30 60 30 60 Benidorm, each one has its own leisure area around it, and space 25 25 for gardens, pools and tennis 20 40 20 40 courts. In 1950 Benidorm had a 15 15 population of 2,726 people. This number had grown by 2010 to 10 20 10 20 71,197. It is Europe’s and Spain’s 5 5 largest holiday resort and receives 0 0 5 million tourists a year. It has JF MA MJ JA SO ND JF MA MJ JA SO ND a climate that is very attractive, especially to north Europeans, Figure 3: Sun… one reason for the growth of tourism in Spain with 3,400 hours of sunshine a GeoActive Series 24 Issue 2 year, only 577 mm of rain and sea Fig 492_03 Mac/eps/illustrator v15 s/s temperatures in winter of 15oC. NELSON THORNES PUBLISHING Artist: David Russell Illustration All three of Benidorm’s beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag for quality and cleanliness by the Foundation for Environmental Education (see foreground of Figure 4). As well as the natural resources, Benidorm has three theme parks, hotels providing cheap, all-inclusive deals, and numerous bars and clubs, many of which provide free entertainment. Although Benidorm had a poor reputation in the 1980s for badly behaved, often drunk, tourists, Figure 4: Benidorm in December Source: Hilary Edge Series 24 Spring issue Unit 492 Mass Tourism: Trends and Issues in Spain © 2013 Nelson Thornes GeoActive Online Page 2 of 4 This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only. gardens and numerous swimming Costa N Verde FRANCE BeniDorm pools, uses the same amount of – is this the new face of water per year as a nearby town CATALONIA with a population of 220,000. L SP AI N eco-tourism? R. Ebro Barcelona Madrid Balearic Sandy beach destinations such UGA Is. as Benidorm don’t usually attract In Catalonia the problem of Valencia Costas ORT the independent, environmentally- P supplying water to tourist areas Benidorm conscious traveller. But on a trip to has led to considerable conflict Murcia Alicante this Mediterranean resort, one self- ANDALUCIA Granada confessed eco-tourist noted that they between different groups. The Costa Almeria have much going for them: Spanish National Hydrological Key 0 250 km ‘The beach is immaculately clean and Plan (NHP) proposes the building Water transfer scheme visitors can walk, rather than drive, of approximately 863 different Figure 6: Water transfers in coastal everywhere. Street lighting is low- water projects, such as large dams Spain energy. At my hotel, all the room lights and water transfers. One such automatically switched off on leaving, GeoActive Series 24 Issue 2 and many of the water taps are foot- scheme involves transferring water InFig 1996, 492_06 Spain Mac/eps/illustrator overtook France v15 s/s NELSON THORNES PUBLISHING pump operated, which saves water. from the Ebro basin south into and ItalyArtist: in David earnings Russell from Illustratio n A lot of the food is locally sourced. Valencia, Murcia and Almeria tourism, with a growth of 12% in But perhaps most significant is that (Figure 6) at a cost of €23,500 the sheer volume of tourists has an tourism receipts as visitors looked environmental ‘up’ side: bringing in million, with the European Union, for a more upmarket, cultural thousands of guests to such a small through the Regional Fund, experience. By 2004, more people area limits the area on which they’re contributing 30% of that cost. visited Spain independently than having an impact.’ as part of a package, resulting in Opponents to the scheme cite the several tour companies removing Figure 5: From a news report on negative, unsustainable effects tourism in Benidorm, May 2008 previously popular areas such as the on the environment, especially Costa Brava and Ibiza from their in the Ebro delta area. Changes the active police presence now brochures. More recently, with in water flow, temperature and the continued economic crisis in means that it is very popular with erosion rates could have a major families and retired people.