Britain was the first European country to industrialise by 1800 and the industrial society was the first society to offer time for leisure to a growing number of people. Initially this did not apply to the working masses, but rather to factory owners and traders. These comprised the new middle class. The British origin of the tourism industry is reflected in many place names. For example, in Nice, one of the first and best established holiday resorts on the French Riviera, the long boulevard along the seafront is known as the ‘Promenade des Anglais’.
Tourism did not spread to LEDCs or NICs, such as those in South America and South East Asia, until the 1980s due to the lower living standards and lower rate of economic development. However, as countries in these regions, such as Brazil, Singapore and Malaysia, are beginning to industrialise, living standards are increasing. For example, in 1995 GDP per capita in Brazil was $6150 compared to $8100 in 2005. Therefore wealth and the ability to travel for leisure purposes are also increasing. In 1991, Asia earned over $30 billion from tourism.
In newly industrialising countries (NICs), such as Thailand, where between 1985 and 1995, economic growth rates were 6-9% a year, they were able to raise large sums of capital to invest in tourism development. This had a great effect on tourism growth in South East Asia, where tourist accommodation increased by 50% and in Thailand alone, international arrivals increased from 5 million to 7.5 million between 1991 and 1995. This increase in secondary resources, such as hotels and shops also encourages growth in tourism.
However, it is not always the case that economic development leads to growth in the tourism industry. For example, in many LEDCs, governments seeking economic development have understandably realised the attractiveness of their resources for tourism, such as beaches, warm climates, mountains and exotic cultures and their potential for income, jobs and development. For example, in 1991, the Malaysian government, who are directly involved in tourism development, declared that year a ‘Year of Tourism’ to encourage travel. Therefore, many government policies for economic growth have turned to tourism promotion. This is also a major cause in the growth of the tourism industry over recent years, which in 1965 had 110 million tourists, but by 1993, the tourism industry had undergone a five-fold increase and there were 510 million tourists worldwide.
One hundred years ago, a person would be lucky to receive one day for a summer holiday. At present, holidays within the EU are a law, with all full-time workers guaranteed an annual minimum of four weeks paid holiday (by 1995, 90% of workers in the UK received this entitlement). As the length of the working week has been progressively shortened and paid holidays have increased, wages and salaries have been maintained. These benefits, as well as the fact that prices are comparatively cheaper than ever before, especially in terms of air-fares and package holidays, mean that people have greater leisure time and greater disposable income, which can be spent on luxuries such as holidays to exotic locations. For example, in 2004, tourism in Guatemala grew by 34%. In addition, since the Second World War, the number of women in employment has increased tremendously (40% of the world’s 2.8 billion workers are women), meaning family incomes have increased, making foreign holidays more affordable. As the ageing population is increasing, and more people are receiving substantial pensions, this age group (60+ years) too have more money and more time to go on holiday.
Another vital factor in the growth of the tourism industry has been technological advance in terms of transport as it allows greater mobility and easy access to originally inaccessible destinations. Increased worldwide communication links, such as motorways, railways and air travel, means not only is travel easier, but it is also faster and cheaper. For example, in April 2001, United Airlines launched a non-stop flight from New York to Hong Kong, which would take 15 hours and 40 minutes. The importance of transport dates back even to the 18th century. For example, the 1745 Turnpike Act in the Lake District, UK meant that better roads and rail lines were constructed creating better communication links between the towns of Kendall and Grasmere and therefore tourism increased. There are now 12 million visitors a year. The combination of increased leisure time, greater travel facilities and shorter distances meant that the first holiday resorts to develop in Britain were towns on the seaside, such as Blackpool, which were situated as close as possible to the growing industrial conurbations. Even in unique locations, such as Antarctica, where visits to the land mass only became available in 1964 by cruise ships, the number of tourists has increased dramatically from 5000 in 1991 to an expected 26,000 in 2006.
Change in social attitude is also a significant factor. Travel was initially thought of as difficult and even dangerous, but by Victorian times it had become fashionable for the rich to go on holidays. For example, in England, the sons of nobility were sent on a Grand Tour of Europe as part of an educational experience. In today’s society, the consumer culture has encouraged people to seek out new destinations and try new experiences. In addition, the mass-media have increased general awareness of far away destinations. Although originally, the first inclusive tour was not until 1869, when Thomas Cook set up organised trips to the Nile, today one can find information about package holidays and tour companies everywhere. Including the internet, magazines, travel books and high street travel centres, such as ‘Thomsons’ and ‘First Choice’.
Tourism has not only grown in terms of the number of tourists, but it has also diversified. Many different types of tourism have developed in recent years, which add to the reasons for the booming global tourism industry. For example, health tourism has expanded greatly with spas opening up all over the world, such as those in Bath as well as tourism for winter sports such as skiing, although these have been around since the 19th century. Popular tourist destinations are also constantly changing as places go in and out of fashion. For example, the Caribbean was renowned in the 1960s, but in recent years Asia has been increasingly attracting large numbers of visitors. The tourism industry is fairly new and not only does it help national economies by providing millions of jobs but it also benefits individuals and families and as more and more destinations are discovered, the greater the growth of the industry will be. However, as well as thinking about their economies, governments and individuals should take into consideration the environmental and social impacts of tourism in order to ensure sustainable development in the future.
