tourism geography definition nature and scope

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TOURISM GEOGRAPHY – CONCEPT, NATURE AND SCOPE

Tourism geography is a branch of human geography that studies the spatial patterns and processes of tourism. It is concerned with the location of tourist destinations, the flows of tourists between them, and the impacts of tourism on places and people. Tourism geography is a growing field of study, as tourism is becoming an increasingly important economic activity worldwide. Tourism geographers play a vital role in understanding the spatial dimensions of tourism and in developing strategies to manage its impacts.

Here are some of the key characteristics of tourism geography:

·          It is a spatial science : Tourism geography is concerned with the spatial patterns and processes of tourism. This means it is interested in where tourists go, how they get there, and what they do when they arrive.

·          It is a social science : Tourism geography is also concerned with the social and cultural dimensions of tourism. This means that it is interested in the motivations of tourists, the interactions between tourists and locals, and the impacts of tourism on society.

·          It is an interdisciplinary field : Tourism geography draws on a wide range of disciplines, including geography, economics, sociology, anthropology, and environmental studies. This is because tourism is a complex phenomenon that involves a variety of factors.

 CONCEPT OF TOURISM   

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines tourism as "the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes."

DEFINITION - TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

V.S. Herman - Australian Economist :  Tourism is the sum total of the operations mainly of an economic nature, which directly relate to the entry, stay, and movement of foreigners inside and outside a certain country, city, or region.

International Tourism Society:

Tourism is in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home environment. Tourism may or may not involve overnight stays away from home. Tourism is in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home environment. Tourism may or may not involve overnight stays away from home

ATEST (Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism)

The definition brings out the following three distinct elements of Tourism

• Involvement of travel by non-residents
• Stay of temporary nature in the area visited
• Stay not connected with any activity involving earnings

Ziffer : Tourism is the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal place of work and residence.

 NATURE AND SCOPE  

Nature of Tourism Geography            

• Recreational
• Interdisciplinary
• Cultural and Religious
• Geographical Nature
• Historical Nature

Scope of Tourism Geography           

The scope of tourism geography is vast. It covers a wide range of topics, from the location of tourist destinations to the impacts of tourism on the environment. Tourism geographers play a vital role in understanding the spatial dimensions of tourism and in developing strategies to manage its impacts. Some of the key areas of study in tourism geography include:  

• The geography of tourist destinations : This area of study examines the factors that attract tourists to different places, such as natural beauty, cultural attractions, and historical sites.
• The flows of tourists : This area of study looks at how tourists move between different places and the factors that influence their travel decisions.
• The impacts of tourism : This area of study examines tourism's positive and negative impacts on places and people.
• Tourism planning and development : This area of study focuses on how to plan and develop tourism in a sustainable way.
• Tourism marketing : This area of study focuses on how to promote tourism destinations to potential tourists.
• Tourism management : This area of study focuses on how to manage tourism destinations in a way that minimizes its negative impacts and maximizes its benefits.

Tourism geography is a growing field of study, as tourism is becoming an increasingly important economic activity worldwide. Tourism geographers play a vital role in understanding the spatial dimensions of tourism and in developing strategies to manage its impacts.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THE SCOPE      

Here are some specific examples of the scope of tourism geography:  

The Geography of Tourist Destinations : Tourism geographers may study the physical geography of a destination, such as its climate, terrain, and natural resources. They may also study the cultural geography of a destination, such as its history, art, and architecture.

The Flows of Tourists : Tourism geographers may study the patterns of tourist movement, such as where tourists come from, where they go, and how they travel. They may also study the factors that influence tourist travel decisions, such as price, availability of flights, and the weather.

The Impacts of Tourism : Tourism geographers may study tourism's positive and negative impacts on places and people. Positive impacts can include economic development, job creation, and cultural exchange. Negative impacts can include environmental degradation, social problems, and cultural erosion.

Tourism Planning and Development : Tourism geographers may work with governments and businesses to plan and develop tourism destinations in a sustainable way. This may involve developing new tourism attractions, improving transportation infrastructure, and managing the impacts of tourism.

Tourism Marketing : Tourism geographers may work with tourism businesses to promote tourism destinations to potential tourists. This may involve developing marketing campaigns, creating websites, and attending trade shows.

Tourism Management : Tourism geographers may work with governments and businesses to manage tourism destinations in a way that minimizes their negative impacts and maximizes their benefits. This may involve enforcing regulations, resolving conflicts, and providing information to tourists.

  Elements of Tourism Geography  

The elements of tourism are the components that make up a tourist destination and that attract tourists to visit. They include:

• Attractions : These are the main draw for tourists. They can be natural or man-made and can include things like historical sites, museums, theme parks, beaches, and mountains.
• Accessibility : This refers to the ease with which tourists can reach a destination. It includes factors such as transportation options, road conditions, and visa requirements.
• Accommodation : Tourists need a place to stay, so this is an essential element of any destination. Accommodation can range from budget hostels to luxury resorts.
• Amenities : These are the supporting services that make a destination more enjoyable for tourists. They can include things like restaurants, bars, shops, and tourist information centers.
• Activities : Tourists want to have things to do when they visit a destination, so there should be a variety of activities available. These can include things like sightseeing, hiking, shopping, and dining.
• Price : Tourists also consider the cost of a destination when making their travel plans. Destinations that are too expensive may not be attractive to budget-minded travelers.
• Infrastructure : This includes things like roads, airports, and telecommunications. It is important for tourists to have access to reliable transportation and communication when they are traveling.
• Human resources : The tourism industry relies on a skilled workforce to provide services to tourists. This includes people working in hotels, restaurants, transportation, and other tourism-related businesses.
• Tourism marketing : This is the process of promoting a destination to potential tourists. It can be done through advertising, public relations, and social media.
• Tourism policy : This is the framework that governs the tourism industry in a particular place. It can include things like visa requirements, environmental regulations, and taxes.

The elements of tourism are all interconnected. For example, a destination with great attractions but poor accessibility will not be as attractive to tourists as a destination with both great attractions and good accessibility. The tourism industry is a complex system that requires all of these elements to be in place in order to be successful.

  TYPES OF TOURISM  

There are many different types of tourism, each with its own unique appeal. Here are some of the most popular types:

1) Leisure Tourism : This is the most common type of tourism, and involves traveling for pleasure. Leisure tourists typically visit beaches, theme parks, historical sites, and other attractions.

2) Adventure Tourism : This type of tourism involves activities that require physical exertion and a sense of adventure. Examples of adventure tourism include hiking, skiing, white-water rafting, and skydiving.

3) Cultural Tourism : This type of tourism involves traveling to learn about a different culture. Cultural tourists may visit museums, historical sites, and religious centers. They may also participate in cultural events such as festivals and dances.

4) Eco-Tourism : This type of tourism involves traveling to natural areas in a way that minimizes impact on the environment. Eco-tourists may go hiking, camping, and wildlife watching. They may also participate in activities that help to protect the environment, such as planting trees or cleaning up beaches.

5) Medical Tourism : This type of tourism involves traveling to a different country to receive medical treatment. Medical tourists may travel to countries where the cost of treatment is lower, or where they can receive treatment that is not available in their home country.

6) Religious Tourism : This type of tourism involves traveling to a place of religious significance. Religious tourists may visit holy sites, such as Mecca or the Vatican City. They may also participate in religious pilgrimages.

7) Heritage Tourism : Heritage tourism is a type of tourism that involves traveling to learn about a place's history and culture. This can include visiting historical sites, museums, and archaeological ruins. It can also involve participating in cultural activities, such as festivals, dances, and traditional crafts.

8) Agro Tourism : Agro-tourism, also known as agri-tourism, is a type of tourism that involves visiting working farms or other agricultural operations for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or other active involvement. Agro-tourism can encompass a wide variety of activities, such as Agro-farm tours, Animal-farm tours, harvesting festivals, etc.

9) Sport Tourism : Sports tourism is a type of tourism that involves traveling to a destination to participate in or watch a sporting event. There are two main types of sport tourism:

• Attending the Olympics
• Playing in a golf tournament
• Skiing in the Alps for winter sports enthusiasts
• Going to a football match
• Watching a tennis tournament
• Attending a hockey game

These are just a few of the many different types of tourism that exist. The type of tourism that you choose will depend on your interests and budget.

 Issues or Problems of Tourism 

Tourism geography is a complex and ever-evolving field of study. As such, there are a number of problems that can arise in the context of tourism geography. Here are a few of the most common problems:

Over tourism : Over tourism is a phenomenon that occurs when a destination becomes too popular and the number of tourists overwhelms the capacity of the destination to handle them. This can lead to a number of problems, such as environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and social tensions.

Tourism Bubbles : Tourism bubbles are areas that experience sudden and dramatic increases in tourism, often due to a specific event or attraction. This can lead to a number of problems, such as price inflation, traffic congestion, and a lack of affordable housing for locals.

Tourism Poverty Traps : Tourism poverty traps are situations where tourism actually contributes to poverty in a destination. This can happen when tourism is not properly managed and benefits do not trickle down to local people.

Environmental Degradation : Tourism can have a negative impact on the environment, both directly and indirectly. For example, tourism can lead to pollution, deforestation, and the depletion of natural resources.

Cultural Erosion : Tourism can also have a negative impact on cultures, both directly and indirectly. For example, tourism can lead to the commodification of culture, the loss of traditional practices, and the exploitation of local people.

Social Tensions : Tourism can also lead to social tensions, both directly and indirectly. For example, tourism can lead to conflict between tourists and locals, the rise of crime, and the spread of diseases.

It is important to be aware of these problems so that we can work to mitigate their negative impacts and promote sustainable tourism.

REFERENCES : 

• Nelson, V. (2021). An introduction to the geography of tourism. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Hagen, J. (2010). Tourism geography: a new synthesis.
• Williams, S., & Lew, A. A. (2014). Tourism geography: Critical understandings of place, space, and experience. Routledge.

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Geography, tourism

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• First Online: 01 January 2015
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• Geoffrey Wall 3  

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In a very general sense, geographers study the earth as the home of human beings. As such, tourism has been one of their legitimate concerns for almost a century. There has always been a close relationship among tourism, exploration, and geography, as well as the description of other people and their cultures, the lands inhabited, and the resources used. Early academic tourism papers, predominantly of a descriptive nature, date to the 1930s.

Geographical research on tourism was spearheaded in Europe , although American geographers, often working in government agencies, played a prominent role in the evaluation of the perception, use, and management of wilderness areas. At the time, the focus was on recreation , illustrating the rather different trajectories of tourism research of geographers based in Europe and North America and the somewhat artificial distinctions among research on leisure , recreation, and tourism that scarcely existed among tourism geographers but had been slow to...

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Butler, R. 1980 The Concept of a Tourism Area Cycle of Evolution: Implications for Management of Resources. Canadian Geographer 24(1):5-12.

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Gill, A. 2012 Travelling Down the Road to Postdisciplinarity? Reflections of a Tourism Geographer. Canadian Geographer 56(1):3-17.

Hall, M., and S. Page 2006 The Geography of Tourism and Recreation. London: Routledge.

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Lew, A., Hall, M., and A. Williams 2004 A Companion to Tourism. Malden MA: Blackwell.

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Mathieson, A., and G. Wall 1982 Tourism: Economic, Physical and Social Impacts. Harlow: Longman.

Mitchell, L., and P. Murphy 1991 Geography and Tourism: Annals of Tourism Research 18:57-70.

Nepal, S. 2009 Traditions and Trends: A Review of Geographical Scholarship in Tourism. Tourism Geographies 11:2-22.

Pattison, W. 1964 The Four Traditions of Geography. Journal of Geography 63:211-216.

Smith, S. 2010 The Discovery of Tourism . Bingley, UK: Emerald.

Williams, S. 2002 Tourism Geography. London: Routledge.

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Geoffrey Wall

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Wall, G. (2013). Geography, tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_92-1

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Introduction to Geography: Meaning, Nature, Scope and Value of Geography

Back to: GEOGRAPHY SS1

Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about the introduction to geography. Enjoy the class!

Meaning of geography

The word Geography is derived from the Greek word ‘Geo’ meaning the earth, and ‘graph’ which means description. Geography can, therefore, be defined as the description of the earth.

However, Geography does not only describe the surface of the earth and its features. It also investigates the inter-relationship between man and his environment. Hence Geography can also be referred to as the study of people, their activities, places and physical things within the earth.

Geography deals with the study of different people in different locations of the earth including their activities like agriculture, mining, trading, fishing, manufacturing, construction, etc. Geography also relates to the different peoples of the world, their occupations, cultures, ways of dressing, religion, etc.

Besides, Geography involves the study of physical things within the earth such as rocks, mountains, plains, valleys, rivers, oceans, weather, rainfall, soils, vegetation, etc.n

Scope of geography

Geography is a social science subject which deals with the study of man, his activities and his environment. Its relevance cuts across many other subjects like Economics, Agricultural Science, Government, History, etc. It is concerned with the study of the size, shape and movement of the earth and other heavenly bodies, landmass, bodies of water, climate, vegetation and events in different places of the world. It also deals with the spatial distribution of animal and natural resources as well as human activities.

Self-evaluation:

• What is Geography?
• The Greek word ‘Geo’ means what?
• Explain the scope of geography.

Value of geography

The value of geography or its importance include the following:

• It enables man to have a better understanding of his environment.
• Geography raises issues, problems and solutions vital to modern society.
• It consists of knowledge of the world around us i.e. it enables us to study the ways of lives of other people in other parts of the world.
• A well-trained geographer can perform many vital roles in the politics and socio-economic sector of society. He can use his geographical knowledge in such areas as urban, economic, rural or regional planning.
• Geography helps us to understand some other related topics in physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, mathematics etc.
• It enables us to have a better understanding of physical things around us such as vegetation, climate, rivers, soil, oceans, mountains etc.
• It enables us to choose a career from which we can earn a living.

What are the values of Geography?

General self-evaluation

• Explain the scope of Geography.
• What is the importance of Geography in our society?
• ‘Geo’ in the word geography means what?
• The capital of Lagos state is ______.

Reading assignment

Essential Geography, O.A. Iwena, Pages 1-2.

• Write the capital of the following states in Nigeria (i) Ebonyi (ii) Plateau (iii) Ogun.
• State two importance of geography.

In our next class, we will be talking about the  Solar System .  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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Geography: Definition, Types, Scope, Subject Matter and Major Branches of Geography

Table of Contents

Geography is a discipline that has contributed to national development for quite a long time. The word geography can be broken into the two basic parts “GEO” and “GRAPHY.” GEO + GRAPHY literally means, “to write about the Earth.”  Geo comes from the Greek word for Earth (the word Gaea, also meaning earth, is derived from the Greek as well). The “ography” part comes from the Greek word graphein , which means to write about something. However, geography means earths description.

Even though geography came out late in the academic environment, it is one of the oldest fields of study, which has attracted the attention of scholars from ancient times, the field of geography like any other man invented discipline has had its share of internal and external wrangling. The internal controversies were geared towards a critical reappraisal of its contents, philosophy, methodology and its relationships with other academic discipline.

These changes in the methodology of geography since 1950 have been discussed elaborately by Abler et al (1971), Harvey (1976), Chorley and Haggett (1967). The external treats involve the subjection of the discipline and its practitioners to scrutiny from outside. It was the response of these external challenges that produced the Pure and Applied angles of geography.

What is Geography?

Geography is the study of the differentiation of the earth surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and inter-relations over the earth of elements such as  climate ,  relief, soil,  vegetation , population, land use,  industries , or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements. Geography is also defined as the science that describes the earths surface with particular reference to the differentiation and relationships of areas.

Geography as a Science

Geography in the past used to be strictly descriptive and taxonomic and therefore hardly stated and tested any hypothesis. Consequently, it was regarded as a non-scientific discipline no matter how exact it may be. Geography in the 19 th  century provided and even systematized data that was used by such sciences as geology, botany, sociology etc, but itself was considered a non-scientific or as a protoscience. Today, geography transcends its past descriptive outlook. It is a basic knowledge among geographers today that the discipline has shifted its emphasis (paradigm shift) from a basic concern with mere ordering of data to a major interest in scientific analysis. According to Boulding (1960), geography is in a state of intellectual ferment, busy developing and absorbing new methods, especially quantitative methods, on all sides and quite consciously aware of its role as an integrator of many social sciences.

Geography is both a natural science and social science; it forms an interdisciplinary bridge to be sure, individual geographers tend to emphasize different aspects of the spatial world. Some geographers focus in physical geography by devoting their study to such patterns as  climate , vegetation, soils, and  landforms , while others focus on patterns resulting from human activities and characteristics. Among the later, economic, social, and political geographers, investigate such problems as agricultural land use, settlement patterns boundary disputes, the trade areas of cities, cultural diffusion, the incidence of pollution and the perception of the environment

The position of geography as a science, however, needs further qualification. Some of the most important concepts that are basic in geography are those of the environment and the society. The two concepts are equally significant since the central issue in geography generally concerns man in the environment and man in the society. In particular, geography has a good understanding of the significance and factors of location, the complexity of the man-environment, interaction, the problems of the environmental quality and a good experience in dealing with environmental systems and processes. Geographers, however, realize that the problem of the environment must be looked at not only in physical, chemical and biological terms, but very importantly too, in relation to human perceptions, needs desires and locations. These general characteristic gives geography a comparative advantage in environmental studies over other subject.

What Does Geography Study?

Geographical studies are as divergent as reflected by its  numerous definitions . This divergent views stern from the focus of study; thus, Peter Haggett (1969) defined geography as the study of the earth surface in the space within which human population lives. Ackerman (1958) stated that the fundamental approach to geography is the differentiation of the content of space on the earth surface and the analysis of the space relations within the same universe. According to Hartshorne (1959), geography is concerned with providing accurate, orderly and rational description and interpretation of the variable character of the earth surface.

From all these definitions, it will be noted that two themes run through: these are spatial association and areal differentiation themes which seeks to answer questions such as: are there any relationships between phenomena in various locations, where and why things are located as they are and whether places are different in terms of phenomena present there.

The major topics addressed by geographers under both themes concern the relationships between man and his environment. Answers to these questions are often provided through the analysis of cause-effect relationship, probabilistic processes etc. Any method adopted to usually depends on the values or objectives the investigator hopes to achieve, and it is the method adopted in answering the above questions that qualifies geography under any of the sciences.

Scope and Subject Matter of Geography

Geography is concerned with the patterns of phenomena and the processes that created them. Therefore, there is no special or specific subject matter which it studies, but rather its subject matter is the Earth, described and explained using the spatial perspective. History is somewhat similar to geography because its subject matter is Earth in the historical perspective. Geography is often described as two parts which makes up a whole: that is, geography is dichotomizedinto two types.

Typesof Geography

Regional geography.

• Systematic or topical geography

Regional geography focuses on areas of Earth space that have some degree of homogeneity for example regional geography of Nigerian, West Africa, South Africa ete. Regions may be basically physical, human or some combination of both and may vary in size from continents to a small  ecosystem

Systemic or Topical geography

Systematic or topical geography considers systematic studies of climate, landforms, economics, and culture among others. Geographers may specialise and call themselves, for example, urban geographers, climatologists, biogeographers, geomorphologist, political geographers and historical geographers. One thing in common to all of them is their focus on the spatial perspective in their studies. They see their subject matter in terms of locational characteristics and seek answers to certain patterns of place or the interactions between places.

Branches of Geography

Geography cuts across a wide variety of subject matter, almost any area of human knowledge can be examined from a spatial perspective. Geography can be divided into two main branches

• The Physical geography
• The Human geography

What is Physical geography?

Physical geography is concerned with the natural processes that make the surface of the earth the way it is. Physical geography includes numerous sub-disciplines, some of which are mentioned below.

Sub disciplines of Physical Geography

• Climatology – it is the study of the condition of the atmosphere with respect to the earth’s surface. A climatologist seeks to understand: The different climate patterns found on earth, the processes that cause these different climate patterns to take place in specific places (i.e. why are there different climate types), the places where these climates occur, how and why climates change over time.
• Meteorology – the study of atmospheric weather processes, a meteorologist want to understand the different atmospheric processes that create our weather, where do these weather phenomena occur, how and why does the planetary weather system work the way it does.
• Biogeography- it is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystem in a geographic space. A biogeographer studies the  geographic distribution of plants and animals  on the earth.
• Geomorphology – is concerned with the origin and solution of topographic features created by physical, chemical and biological processes operating at or near the earth surface. A geomorphologist would ask questions such as: What are the different landforms, where the different landforms are; why they are where they are and how are they form in the first place.
• Hydrology- this is the study of water resource, water cycle , movement and distribution of quality water on earth and other planets.
• Oceanography – the study of physical and biological aspects of the ocean, oceanographer researches the coastal environments of the planet and find out how humans, coastal life, and coastal physical features interact with each other.

What is Human geography?

Human geography   is the major branch of geography that studies people and their interaction with the earth and with their organization of space on the earth’s surface, various sub- disciplines under human geography are listed below.

Sub Disciplines of Human Geography

• Cultural geography – this is the study of cultural differences among people.
• Development – it is the study of standard of living and quality of human life.
• Medical geography – it is the study of distribution of spatial or seasonal incidences of epidemic and endemic.
• Economic geography – this is the science of distribution and spatial organization, how man organizes his space.
• Political geography – it studies the effects of geography on international politics and relations.
• Cartography –  cartography is the art and science of making maps and the oldest of the geographic techniques.
• Urban geography – it is concerned with land use pattern, planning of the cities and regions that will constitute the geography and geographic.
• Tourism geography – it is the study of travel and travel as an industry and as a social and cultural activity.
• Social geography – it is the study of relations of social phenomena and its spatial components.
• Geographic information system (GIS)  – is the branch of geography that develops databases of geographic information and systems to display geographic data in a map-like format.
• Remote Sensing – remote sensingutilizes satellites and sensors to examine features on or near the earth’s surface from a distance. A geographer in remote sensing analyses data from remote sources to develop information about a place where direct observation is not possible or practical.
• Quantitative Methods – this branch of geography uses mathematical techniques and models to test hypothesis. Quantitative methods are often used in many other branches of geography but some geographers specialize in quantitative methods specifically.

Geography, by nature is an integrative and synthesizing science it is a spatial science that deals with both the physical and human environment. It is not surprising therefore to note that geography is probably the only academic discipline that is located in more than one faculty our universities. It is neither an academic monolith, nor a jack-of-all-trades, as some non-geographers would like to think.

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