Geography Tourism Coursework
Introduction
To complete this piece of coursework, we went away on a weekend geography field trip. The purpose of the trip was to answer the following enquiry questions
* What is the economic and environmental impact of tourism on Cromer?
* Does tourism offer Cromer a good economic future?
The economic impact means the effect on jobs, the economy and whether tourism brings enough jobs and money to Cromer. The environmental impact means, whether tourists affect the environment by causing more pollution, increasing litter levels and causing the destruction of landscape.
It is possible for tourism to offer Cromer a good economic future, by increasing job rates and improving services such as schools and parks.
I will be investigating tourism in Cromer, because I have previously studied the impact of tourism in an LEDC (Kenya), and I think it will be beneficial for me to study the impact of tourism in an MEDC (U.K). Also tourism is a rapidly growing industry which can greatly benefit Britain as it is a tertiary industry, and has many benefits so it is an important topic to study. As well as this it is necessary for me to complete this case study for my GCSE coursework.
(The Cromer Pier in 2006)
Sequence of Investigation
In this section of the coursework I will describe the sequence of my work and what will be in each different section.
Location- In the location I will use four maps at different scales to show the location of Cromer. The maps show Europe, East Anglia, Norfolk and Cromer.
I will highlight Cromer on every map and also any roads where I completed my surveys. I will also annotate each map and give a brief description about the location of Cromer.
Background Knowledge- In this section I will describe what tourism is and why it is a growing industry. I will use my class notes and secondary data including graphs and statistics to do this. I will also write about tourism in the U.K, tourism worldwide and the benefits and costs of tourism worldwide. I will also show the possible benefits and costs for Cromer because of tourism.
Methodology- My methodology is basically explanations of all my surveys and why they were relevant to my case study. This will include how I collected my data and why I collected certain data. I will also explain how my data links back to my enquiry questions. My methodology will include location maps showing where I collected some data and asked interviews, as well as copies of my surveys.
Additional Data collected- This section of my coursework will include any additional information I will collect from secondary resources. This information will be relevant to me finding the answers to my enquiry questions.
Data Presentation- In this section, of my coursework I will present all my collected data as graphs, annotated photos, labeled maps, charts, etc. I will also describe what each data is showing.
Data Interpretation- The data interpretation section of my coursework will be linked to the data presentation section. I will interpret each graph, by stating what the results show using figures, suggesting reasons for those results and finally making links between the set of results I have and the enquiry questions.
Conclusion- The conclusion will include the answers to my enquiry questions, and recommendations for the future of Cromer
Evaluation- In the evaluation, I will question the reliability of my methods, and decide whether my results and conclusions are accurate
Location
Map of Europe
Map of East Anglia
Map of Norfolk
Map of Cromer
Cromer is a small town in North Norfolk, in the East Anglia region. Towns that surround Cromer are East Runton, Sheringham, Overstand and West Runton. Cromer is about 180km away from London, and accessibility to the resort is poor. To travel to Cromer we used the M11 to Cambridge (80km approx) and the rest of the journey we traveled on smaller roads.
Background Knowledge
Tourism is the business of providing tours and services for tourists. It is one of the world's fastest growing industries and it is a tertiary industry as it provides a service to people. (Figures show that travel expenditures have grown 5.2% annually)
The tourist industry can be an important part of a country's economy: in Britain it employs more than two million people.
Tourism is a rapidly growing industry for a number of reasons:
* Higher salaries mean more income will be spent in luxuries e.g. holidays.
* More social awareness now of other countries then there was before.
* Transport has been greatly improved (low cost airlines), which means more people will be able to travel abroad.
* More leisure time/free time.
As well as the growth in tourism allowing more people to travel abroad it has also created jobs for many people. Because tourism is a growing industry, employment in the industry has grown by 25%. Today, travel industry equals 42% of manufacturing industry employment.
This pie chart shows the different industries and the percentage of employment.
You can see that Service and Tourism produces the most amount of jobs compared to the other industries.
(SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES)
Tourism in the U.K
Tourism in the U.K has increased in recent years; this is because some of the popular tourist destinations in the UK include towns near the coast and the seaside as they are easy to reach, suitable for families and relatively cheap. Statistics show that UK residents made 126.6 million visits within England in 2005 and overseas residents made 29.95 million visits to the U.K which is an 8% on 2004.
Origin of staying visitors
%
Home or neighboring counties
75
Other Counties, Scotland & Wales
22
Overseas (most English speaking)
3
This table shows the percent of staying visitors to the peak district and the different origins.
Tourism Worldwide
This graph shows the amount of tourists that travel to the UK and the amount that travel abroad.
From the graph you can see that tourism abroad, has improved while tourism in the UK has improved it is still unsteady. This is mainly because of package tourism in LEDC's. Package tourism includes 'all inclusive' holidays which means all the necessities such as hotel, food and transport are already booked for you before you leave. Although package tourism has benefits for the tourists it is causing many environmental and economic problems:
* Pollution problems, destruction of the environment and loss of peace and quiet.
* Primary industry jobs may be lost, number of visitors is unreliable.
I have already learnt about the environmental and economic problems, package tourism in an LEDC causes, and I am now studying the impacts tourism has on Cromer.
The Economic Impact of Tourism In Kenya (An LEDC)
Benefits:
* Around 180,000 Kenyans are employed in hotels, restaurants, and as guides.
* Around 380,000 Kenyans make a living by selling things tourists or by supplying hotels with food and other materials.
* The money earned is taxed by the government and invested in schools, hospitals and industry
* The infrastructure (airports, roads, water and electrical supplies), has been improved for tourists, can also benefit local people.
Disadvantages:
* As little as 15% of money spent on holiday reaches the host country.
* Money for development may be borrowed > increasing debts.
* Number of visitors is unsteady
* Many jobs created by tourism are unskilled, of low status, poorly paid and seasonal.
* A lot of materials and highly paid staff may be imported.
The Environmental Impact of Tourism
Benefits:
* Greater awareness of the need for, and interest in the conservation of landscape, features, vegetation and wildlife.
* Income from tourism/entrance fees may pay for management and conservation fees.
Disadvantages:
* Destruction of the environment, and resulting loss of habitats for the building of airports, roads and hotels.
* Loss of peace and quiet.
* Pressure on frequently visited landscapes, such as soil and path erosion.
* Pollution problems such as litter, and untreated waste going into the rivers or the sea.
The Social Impact of Tourism
Benefits:
* Land cultures and traditions may be preserved
* Development of tourism may halt migration loss, because of new employment opportunities.
Disadvantages:
* Local traditions may disappear even faster, in favor of copying the visitor.
* Tourists look down on local people and treat them badly.
Sustainable Solutions
Environmental damage in Kenya can be reduced if:
* Tourists can be encouraged to stay with local people rather than building large hotels
* Tourists could be educated about local culture using simple notice boards.
* Tourists staying could pay a tax, which could be used to repair traditional buildings.
A beach hotel in Mombasa and a safari tour.
I will use the enquiry in Cromer to study similar issues,and also sustainable solutions to the impacts of tourism in Cromer.
Methodology
In order to answer my enquiry questions, I had to collect certain data and evidence to help me. In this section of the coursework I will explain what methods I used, how I collected data and why it is relevant to my investigation.
Tourist/Residents Questionnaire
The first method I used to collect data was a questionnaire. To collect this data I had to ask at least two residents and two tourists a set of questions. The rest of the class also had to do this and all the results are going to be used to create a large sample.
The questionnaire requested information such as age, opinions on tourism in Cromer and ideas on how Cromer could be developed further. All of this information is important to me as it will help to answer my main enquiry questions, on whether Cromer has a good economic future and what the impact of tourism on Cromer is.
I chose to collect this data in the afternoon as this was the time both tourists and residents would be out. I also chose to ask my questionnaires on Church Street, and Garden Street as both are the main shopping streets. ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The questionnaire requested information such as age, opinions on tourism in Cromer and ideas on how Cromer could be developed further. All of this information is important to me as it will help to answer my main enquiry questions, on whether Cromer has a good economic future and what the impact of tourism on Cromer is.
I chose to collect this data in the afternoon as this was the time both tourists and residents would be out. I also chose to ask my questionnaires on Church Street, and Garden Street as both are the main shopping streets. I did this because; I thought there would be a lot of people who would be willing to answer my questionnaire. To collect the information, I only needed a pen, clipboard and four copies of my questionnaire. An alternative method would have been to ask the local council for statistics such as crime rates during tourist seasons and the amount of tourists that visit each year, but I didn't choose this method because I wouldn't have been able to get information such as residents opinions on tourism and details of where tourists travel from. Also secondary data is less reliable than primary data.
The results from my questionnaires were collected with the rest of the class and a large sample was made. I was then given a sheet with the results for the residents questionnaire, and the results for the tourist questionnaire.
The following page has a copy of the results from the tourist's questionnaires.
Traffic Count
In order to help me answer my first enquiry question about the environmental impact tourism has on Cromer; I had to complete a traffic count to find out if tourists increase the level of traffic.
To collect this data I only needed a pen, and my survey. I also had to decide what street to use for my traffic count, I chose Church Street because it is popular with tourists as a lot of the shops are aimed at tourists. I then had to record the time and for ten minutes counted the amount of cars that went past in a tally. I repeated this survey two more times throughout the day to get an accurate set of data, and to also see if the amount of traffic changes during the day.
The purpose of this survey was to see if tourists increase the level of traffic which will therefore mean tourism has an environmental impact on Cromer.
Pedestrian Count
To answer my enquiry questions on the economic impact of tourism on Cromer and if tourism offers Cromer a good economic future, I had to do a pedestrian count. This helped me to see how many people visit and if numbers are increasing or decreasing.
To complete my survey I first had to decide on a location, I decided to choose Church St again, because I knew it was a popular location. I went at three different times during the day and for ten minutes I recorded the amount of young, middle aged and elderly pedestrians that walked past using a simple tally chart. The purpose of having three different age groups was to see if Cromer is a popular place for all ages and therefore if it has a good economic future.
Another method I could have used would be to write to the local council and ask for figures in the amount of people that come to Cromer. I didn't do this because I would not have been able to see the different age groups, and secondary data is less reliable than primary data.
Environmental Mapping
Another method I used to collect data was environmental mapping. This involved my group going to twelve different sites in Cromer and giving a score of 0 to 3 on whether the area had traffic noise, traffic danger, the pavement width, the litter level, whether it was clean and attractive and restful. After a site was given a score for each topic, the overall score was worked out. This was repeated until we had twelve different sites.
This data collected from this, is useful to me as it will help prove or disprove a hypothesis made by the class which was:
* The further you move away from the town centre the higher the environmental quality.
The data will also help to show if as a result of tourism Cromer has a low environmental quality.
This is a copy of my traffic count before it was completed.
Location: Church Street
Time: 10:45
Time: 1.00
Time: 3:30
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Young:
Middle aged:
Elderly:
Below is a copy of my pedestrian count before it was completed.
Location: Church St
Below is a scanned sheet which I used to collect the data for my environmental mapping survey.
Environmental Quality Survey
To help me find out the environmental impact of tourism on Cromer, I used an environmental quality survey. This involved me going to the different sites (the beach and Garden St) and deciding if there was litter, vandalism peace and quiet etc and give a rating from -3 to 3. I chose these sites as both are popular with tourists and the beach is an area of beauty which should be looked after.
This data was collected to see if tourists increase or decrease things such as the amount of litter and so on.
Another method that could have been used was to ask local residents their opinions and whether they think tourists have a good or bad environmental impact on Cromer, but I wouldn't have received reliable data because their opinions may not have been true.
Interviews
For me to find out general opinions on Cromer, I carried out five interviews in quieter places such as New Street and the beach. I chose these areas as there would be more residents there who would be willing to answer my questionnaire.
The interviews included questions such as "are jobs in Cromer well paid, is pay seasonal and do shops and other businesses rely on tourism?"
I also chose to ask some extra questions to young residents which included "are there enough things in Cromer to occupy young people and would you like the council to do more?" This helped me to understand the views of different age groups and also helped me to answer one of my main enquiry questions; "does tourism offer Cromer a good economic future?" i.e. by offering different attractions for all age groups.
Below is a copy of a page from my interview.
Photographs
To help me answer my enquiry question on the impact of tourism, I took photos in Cromer of areas with beauty and places of nature and also places that had some litter. These photographs when annotated will help to show the environmental impacts of tourism.
I also took photographs of tourist attractions which will help me to show if tourism offers Cromer a good economic future.
This photograph shows a resident answering our resident's questionnaire.
Business Dependency Survey
The business dependency survey will help me show the economic impact tourism has on Cromer. I chose to complete my survey on Church St because there are a lot of high street shops. I had to write down the name of every fifth shop, the products it sells, the amount of shops and whether the shop was aimed at tourists or residents.
This survey is useful to me because as well as showing the economic impact of tourism, it will show if Cromer relies heavily on tourists.
This is my completed business dependency survey.
Additional data collected
Comparing flowcharts
To show Cromer's growth as a tourist destination I will use two flowcharts to show the development of Cromer compared with traditional seaside resorts. The information I needed for the flowcharts was collected from the internet, therefore making it secondary data. I will use my flowcharts to answer one of my enquiry questions by showing if Cromer has a good economic future. I will use my flowcharts in the Data Presentation/Data Interpretation section of my coursework.
Below are some of the similarities and differences between Cromer and other traditional seaside resorts.
Similarities
* Both Cromer and traditional resorts grew up as a small port or fishing village.
* Rich people visited by carriage: In Cromer this happened during the early 1800's but in traditional resorts this happened in 1850.
* A railway was built to the resorts: In Cromer this happened between 1874-1977 but in traditional resorts this occurred in 1900
Differences
* Motorway reaches other resorts but not Cromer. This is because Cromer has to abide by strict development laws. A motorway would pollute the area, which is of natural outstanding beauty.
* Cromer had more day visitors earlier that other seaside resorts.
* Cromer's hotels were also built earlier than other resorts; the Hotel De Paris was built before 1850 and was extended in 1851.
* Also development started in the town in 1877. But in other resorts this happened in 1900.
Data Presentation and Interpretation
This is the main section of my coursework, and I will present all the data I have collected in a clear and original way. I will also explain what each graph, chart or picture shows about tourism in Cromer.
Fig. 1
Interpretation
The above bar graph, shows what residents of Cromer believe are the main
benefits of tourism.
It shows that the majority of residents, believe that tourism brings money to
Cromer therefore benefiting services such as schools, hospitals and parks.
Thirty of the 97 residents asked believed the main benefit of tourism was that it creates jobs. This benefit was not chosen by many, because while tourism does create jobs in Cromer, many are seasonal, low paid and unsteady. The least popular benefit amongst residents was tourism develops attractions and facilities (19 out of 97 residents chose this). The reason for this may have been that while tourism does bring the development of attractions and facilities at other resorts it is not as possible in Cromer. This is because, Cromer has strict environmental laws and is an area if natural outstanding beauty, so it is protected from development.
This graph can be linked back to both of the enquiry questions as it is clear to see that, a lot of residents believe that tourism has a good economic impact on Cromer by bringing money to the area, which can be used by the local council to improve services.
While the graph does show that tourism has a good economic impact on Cromer, it also shows that tourism may not be able to offer Cromer a good economic future in the long-term, as residents don't think that tourism has allowed Cromer to develop its attractions; therefore not bringing the younger generation to Cromer.
Fig. 2
Interpretation
This pie chart shows, what residents think are the most common problems brought by tourism.
The chart shows that most (44) residents believe that traffic congestion is the main problem, while noise is the second problem. Traffic congestion is a problem in Cromer as many of the tourists use cars to travel around Cromer instead of public transport.
Only 20 residents thought that vandalism and crime was an issue, while 13 residents believed that no problem had occurred as a result of tourism. This may be because tourists spend the majority of their time at the beach or on the high street, instead of the quieter residential areas, so residents do not notice any problems.
This pie chart helps to answer the enquiry question as it shows the environmental impact of tourism because traffic has increased, therefore increasing pollution.
Fig. 3
Interpretation
The above located graph shows where I completed my traffic count. The traffic count shows the different levels of traffic on Church St, during the day. You can see that traffic is at its highest during the afternoon, with 67 cars being counted in one 10 minute period. Traffic is at its lowest around lunchtime, this may be because a lot of the tourists are on the beach or in restaurants. Traffic is relatively high in the morning because tourists may be either arriving in Cromer or driving into the high street.
This graph can be linked with Fig. 2 which states that residents think the most common problem of tourism is traffic congestion; this thought is proved by this graph as it shows the high traffic levels.
This graph also helps to answer the first enquiry question, as it shows the high amount of cars being driven therefore contributing to environmental pollution.
Fig. 4
(The Cromer Beach)
Interpretation
This photo shows some litter on the beach which could be an effect of tourism. This photo was taken on the beach and in the late afternoon. I took this photo to show that there is a negative as well as positive effect to tourism.
This photo can also be linked to Fig. 2 which is a pie chart that shows that residents think the second biggest problem, tourism has brought to Cromer is litter.
This photo helps to answer one of the enquiry questions, as it shows an environmental effect of tourism in Cromer.
Comparing Flowcharts
Cromer's growth is similar yet different to other traditional resorts. I will compare a flow chart showing the growth of a traditional seaside resort, with a flowchart showing the growth of Cromer.
Flow Chart:
To show the growth of a traditional seaside resort.
Fig. 5
Flow Chart:
To show the growth of Cromer
Fig. 6
Interpretation
The general impression I get is that Cromer has not grown in the same was as traditional seaside resorts. The town has developed ahead of its time, evidence for this is that the hotels and residential areas were built much earlier than in other resorts. But saying this Cromer has no big amusements and not as many hotels today. This is because it is situated in an area of outstanding beauty, which means there cannot be that much development in the town especially if it affects the area.
The flow charts help me answer one of the enquiry questions; on tourism offering Cromer a good economic future. From the flow charts, you can see that Cromer has develop much faster than other resorts, but now faces pressure as it can not be further developed and is losing out on a younger generation of tourists so therefore it doesn't have the best economic future compared to other resorts.
Fig. 7
Interpretation
From the above line graph you can see that 32 of the tourists interviewed, were staying in Cromer for one week. This is because Cromer is hard to reach and there isn't much point staying for just a day. There also isn't many people staying for 2 weeks, this is because Cromer doesn't have as many hotels compared to other resorts or tourist destinations.
This line graph can help to answer one of the enquiry questions, as it shows Cromer's need for more hotels and transport links to increase its chances of having a better economic future.
Interviews
Interview1
Location: Church
Person interviewed was an elderly woman in her 60's, she has lived in Cromer for 25 years.
) "What changes have you seen in Cromer over the years?"
"Fewer holidaymakers come to Cromer today, and over time small businesses have closed down. The younger generation move away for better opportunities, my own two boys have moved away, one to Oxford and one to Leeds.
2) "What do you think will happen in the future?
"I don't think nothing will change, the highlight of Cromer is the beach. And I think people will continue to visit Cromer because it's a quiet, peaceful and relaxing place.
Summary
The woman in the Church said that over the years she has seen change in Cromer, as more businesses have closed and also in the tourist area as fewer holidaymakers come to the resort. The younger generations are also migrating to industrial cities like Leeds, and Birmingham, and also to academic cities like Oxford.
Her opinion is that Cromer will remain the same; it will not develop industrially or diversify into other ways of attracting a wider range of people.
This may mean that it will be hard for Cromer to have a good economic future, as it doesn't appeal to all ages as a tourist destination.
Interpretation of Fig. 9
The following page has a map showing the results, from my environmental mapping survey. The map shows the environmental quality in various locations in Cromer. From the map I can see that the areas near the beach have a high environmental quality based on factors such as litter, attractiveness and traffic noise. This is because it is very important for the council to keep this area tidy, as it is a favorite place for tourists to visit. This helps to answer the first enquiry question, because as a result of tourism, there is a high environmental quality near the beach.
But from the map you can also see that the shopping area (Church St, West St) have a considerably low environmental quality. This may be because of the tourists littering the area, or causing noise/traffic. There is proof for this as on the map you can see that there is a small area with a high environmental quality. This is a residential area, and the reason for its high environmental quality, may be that it is not visited by tourists. This is also evidence for the first enquiry question, as it shows that because of tourism there is a low environmental quality.
In summary, the environmental quality map shows a lot about the environmental quality in Cromer and how tourism affects the environment.
Interpretation-
The above speech bubble which was answered by tourists shows that the majority think that Cromer does need to be developed, with only one person thinking nothing has to be done. Most of the tourists believe that Cromer should be developed to suit younger people. This issue has been already acknowledged in Fig. 1, and seems to be a key issue if Cromer wants to have a good economic future. Traffic Congestion is also a problem and this shows the environmental impact, tourism has on Cromer and may also lead to an economic problem as it may result in loss of tourists.
Another development tourists think is necessary is better road access; this is a problem for Cromer as it is hard to reach, compared to other resorts. This problem has also, already been shown in the flowchart and may lead to Cromer not having a good economic future, as people will choose to go to other resorts as they are more accessible.
Fig. 10
Pedestrian Count - Pictogram
Morning:
0:46-
0:56
Afternoon:
2:16-
2:22
Late
Afternoon:
2:20-2:30
Key:
Interpretation-
The above pictogram shows the results from my pedestrian count, which I completed on Church St. It shows the amount of pedestrians that were on Church St at different times.
From the pictogram, it is clear to see that it is mostly elderly people that visit Cromer, with 30 been counted in one 10 minute period. You can also see that there is a very low amount of young people and the few that there was, were young children with their families.
This is proof that Cromer needs to be further developed for a wider range of tourists, so it will stand a good chance of having a future as a tourist resort.
Fig. 11
Interpretation-
The above doughnut chart shows what tourists visiting Cromer believe are problems of tourism.
It shows that the majority of tourists believe traffic to be a problem, which is the same belief as the residents of Cromer in Fig. 2, this proves that traffic is a major problem in Cromer and as a result of this tourism does has an environmental effect in Cromer, as it causes pollution. Vandalism doesn't seem to be a problem, because in Fig. 2 not a lot of resident chose this option and in this chart, only 2 tourists think this is a problem. This shows tourism has a good economical impact on Cromer as the council doesn't have to pay for repairs, because vandalism isn't an issue.
This chart can be linked back to the enquiry questions, as it is clear to see that a large majority believe traffic is an issue, and this means it has an effect on the environment by causing pollution. Also as 30 tourists think that there is no problem in Cromer, this could show that Cromer has a good economic future as there is a large amount of people that think Cromer is a perfect holiday destination.
Fig. 12
Interpretation-
The scatter graph above shows the amount of residents that think Cromer has a good future in tourism.
It shows that 61 out of the 72 people asked believe that Cromer does have a good future with only 11 tourists disagreeing. This graph shows that a lot of the residents of Cromer think tourism is a good industry and is beneficial to Cromer. Also, although the speech bubble on pg 28 shows that a substantial amount of tourists think Cromer needs developing, this graph shows that the major believe Cromer will still have a good economic future without this development. Some of the reasons given for this belief were that it is a well loved resort, friendly environment and the scenery is beautiful. These reasons may be why the council doesn't want to develop the area as it is seen as a place of natural outstanding beauty, and if they chose to develop they would lose some of their tourists.
The reasons given by the residents for Cromer not having a good future were that Cromer is only a seasonal place, there are cheaper packages abroad and the development of attractions is needed. This shows the other point of view that Cromer needs to develop to increase its tourism, and will not be seen as a tourist destination in a few years time as it not developed enough.
This graph can help to answer the second enquiry question, as is it shows what the residents of Cromer think, and the interpretation shows the reasons why Cromer may have a good future, and also why it may suffer as a tourist destination.
Fig. 13
Interpretation-
This bar chart shows whether tourists think Cromer has a good future in tourism.
It shows that 67 out of the 73 tourists asked believe Cromer does have a good future with only 2 people thinking it doesn't. This means that the majority of tourists think Cromer has a good future whether it develops or not. This graph can be linked with Fig. 11 which asks the same question but to residents. The results are similar for both graphs with the almost the same amount of people thinking Cromer has a good future.
The reasons for this may be that Cromer is a well loved tourist destination.
This graph can help to answer the second enquiry question, as it shows what the tourists- who are the people spending their money in Cromer, think about its future.
Fig. 14
Interpretation-
The above located map shows the amount of residents that have a job in Cromer.
It shows that the majority of residents questioned don't have a job in Cromer, with only 20 out of the 52 residents asked working in Cromer. This shows that although Cromer receives money from the tourism industry, it has not necessarily been spent on improving the employment rates in Cromer. Many of the residents believe that job prospects are low, as there is not much demand for jobs in the tertiary or quaternary industry; and the few that there is are seasonal. Also there is not enough higher education, so a lot of young residents leave Cromer for more developed cities, such as London and Oxford to receive qualifications for better job prospects.
This graph tells you that tourism hasn't had a good economic impact on Cromer as a lot of the residents choose not to work there as it doesn't have enough opportunities.
This graph could also help to show that Cromer doesn't have a very good chance of having an economic future as tourism hasn't helped to improve job opportunities and employment levels.
Fig. 15
Interpretation-
This radar chart shows the different jobs residents in Cromer have.
From the chart you can see that most of the jobs are either in the primary or secondary industry, with only a few in the tertiary industry. Out of the people questioned, the most common job is a shop assistant (7 out of 20 residents), which is a relatively low paid job with long hours. The second most common job is a builder with 4 out of the 20 people questioned. This is a job in the secondary industry and doesn't need many formal qualifications. The chart also shows that only 1 resident worked as a teacher in Cromer. This shows that Cromer doesn't have many residents with secondary or even tertiary jobs.
This chart can be linked back to the enquiry questions, as it shows whether tourism has improved jobs and employment, therefore having an economic impact.
Interpretation-
The map on the opposite page shows my results from the business dependency survey. It shows how many shops on Church St are tourist dependent.
Out of the nineteen shops surveyed 10 are tourist dependent. These shops sell goods such as gifts, novelty items and seafood. These shops rely heavily on the business they receive from tourists. This shows that many businesses in Cromer need tourism and would suffer greatly if tourism in Cromer declined. This survey can be compared with Fig.12, which shows that the majority of residents believe Cromer has a good future in tourism. Both Fig.16 and 12 show that Cromer is dependent on tourism for a good economy.
This survey helps to answer the enquiry question as it shows the economic impact of tourism by there being a high amount of shops that rely on tourism. The survey also helps to answer my second enquiry question as it shows that tourism does offer Cromer a good future, as there is many business that are only open because of tourism. On the other hand tourism only offers seasonal business to many shops and this may be a problem as tourists only visit certain times if the year.
Interview 2
Location: Pier
The people interviewed were 2 teenage residents.
) "Who is Cromer most popular with?"
"Mostly with the elderly and families with young children.
2) "Why do you think tourists visit Cromer?"
"They visit for the peace and quiet"
3) "What does Cromer in your opinion; need to develop for the future?"
"They should have more things for teenagers like skate parks, and decent shops. There are a few facilities but nothing great. It's illegal for us to skate on footpaths, and there are no cycle paths for us to use
4) "What job opportunities would there likely to be in the future for you?"
"There's nothing here for me; there's no well paid jobs with poor pay.
Summary
The teenage resident's view of opportunities for them in Cromer was not prospective. They said there were no well paid jobs in Cromer. Their opinion on ways to develop Cromer was to have, more attractions for teenagers such as skate parks and brand shops. They said that the council won't listen to new ideas to develop the area as elderly people will not visit that much.
This interview helps to answer the enquiry questions as it shows tourism may have had a negative effect on Cromer, as the younger residents of Cromer believe there are not enough opportunities for them, and the jobs that are available are either low paid ore seasonal. Also the fact that the Cromer Council refuses to develop the area shows that Cromer may not have a good economic future as the council will not develop the area for all age ranges.
Fig. 17
(Traffic on West St)
Interpretation-
This photograph was taken on West St in the afternoon and shows the environmental impact of tourism on Cromer. This photo can be linked with Fig.11 which is a doughnut chart showing that tourists believe traffic congestion is a problem. As many tourists travel to Cromer in cars as it is not easily accessible, traffic congestion is a big problem.
The environmental impacts of traffic congestion include pollution, and contribution to global warming. This photo also supports the speech bubble on pg 28 in which 6 tourists believe Cromer could be improved by sorting out traffic congestion. Tourism in Cromer could be greatly improved if there was better access to the roads.
This photo supports the enquiry question as it shows the environmental impact tourism has had on Cromer.
Interpretation-
The population pyramid on the previous page shows the different age ranges of people that live in Cromer and Newham. This information is from the 1991 Census so it is secondary data.
From the population pyramid you can see that Newham has a higher population compared to Cromer. Newham also has a higher amount of economically active residents, while Cromer has a small amount. The reason for this may be that Cromer does not have enough economic opportunities and residential towns such as London.
Cromer also has a higher amount of elderly dependents compared to Newham, this shows that Cromer is seen as a place for the elderly and therefore may not have a good economic future as no other age ranges may visit.
This graph helps to answer the enquiry questions as it shows that tourism hasn't offered Cromer a good economic future as there is not that many economically active residents living in Cromer.
Fig. 19
Interpretation-
The above photo shows a gift shop in Cromer. This can be linked back to Fig.16 which is the business dependency survey results. This photograph helps to answer as it shows that there are businesses that rely on tourism, therefore tourism has had a good economic impact on Cromer.
Conclusion
As I have now completed the data presentation and interpretation section of my coursework, I will conclude on what I have found out and I will also answer the enquiry questions.
WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM ON CROMER?
From my graphs, I can see what economic impact tourism has on Cromer.
Fig.1 shows that the majority of residents in Cromer believe tourism brings money into the area. This shows that the residents of Cromer believe tourism has an immense economic impact by bringing money into the area and improving services. Fig.1 also shows that 30 residents believe tourism creates jobs, this shows that there is an economic impact, as there is a higher level of employment and job prospects. Although 30 residents believe that tourism has increased job rates Fig. 14 shows that only 20 out o of 72 residents asked have a job in Cromer. This shows that tourism hasn't had a good economic impact as many residents choose not to work in Cromer. Fig. 15 and 16 helps to support this, as it shows that most residents questioned have low paid jobs and that the businesses they work in rely heavily on tourism and without it they would suffer.
In conclusion my surveys show that the economic impact in Cromer includes an increase in jobs, and the development of services such as schools and hospitals.
Although tourism has allowed these changes the economic impact is very unsteady as there have not been any long term changes such as the building of a local sixth form or university, so that there are better prospects for Comers younger residents. Also the increase in employment is due to the growth in tourist related shops and these jobs are usually low paid and seasonal and in the secondary industry. This shows that the economic impact hasn't been as impressive as it could be as there are hardly any jobs in Cromer that don't rely on tourism.
WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM ON CROMER?
Some of the surveys I completed also help to show what environmental impacts have been caused as a result of tourism.
Fig.2 shows that 44 residents believe that traffic congestion is a problem caused by tourism, and this effects the environment as the burning of fossil fuels can contribute to global warming. Fig.4 shows some litter on the beach, and as this is a favorite place for tourists to visit, it helps to shows what impact tourism has had on Cromer. Fig .9 which is the chloropleth map shows the different areas in Cromer and their environmental quality. As the shopping area has a low quality, this shows that tourists may cause environmental problems as this area is frequently visited by tourists. But on the other hand the beach has a high environmental quality and is also visited by tourists. The reason for this may be that the council receives extra money to keep this area tidy for tourists. Fig.11 shows that tourists believe litter is not a big problem in Cromer
In conclusion my surveys show that environmental impact is both good and bad. The environmental impact is good in some ways, because as a result of tourism the council needs to keep the area tidier to encourage tourists to visit the area. This means tourism helps to keep the area clean to promote the area as a tourist destination.
As well as there being a good environmental impact; tourism also creates a bad environmental impact in Cromer such as traffic congestion and litter in the main shopping area.
From this information, the environmental impact on Cromer has not been as destructive as other tourist destinations, as the council look after the area well but there has still been some substantial damage caused.
DOES TOURISM OFFER A GOOD ECONOMIC FUTURE?
My second enquiry question was if tourism offers Cromer a good economic future. Some of my surveys help to show whether tourism has improved Cromer's chances of having a good economic future.
Fig.1 shows that Cromer may not have a good economic future as only 19 residents believe tourism has helped to develop attractions and facilities. Fig.5 and 6 also show that Cromer doesn't have the best economic future as the flow charts show that Cromer has developed ahead of its time, but are now struggling compared to other resorts in Britain. Fig. 7 also suggests that Cromer needs to develop more to increase the amount of tourists that visit the area. The interview on page 27 also shows that a resident thinks Cromer needs to improve for there to be better opportunities.
Although many people questioned believe Cromer does not have a high chance of having a good economic future; even with tourism, there are also many people that think Cromer has a good chance of having an economic future because of tourism.
Fig.11 shows that 30 tourists think there is no problem in Cromer such as litter or vandalism and this may help to prove Comer's chance of having an economic future as there is clearly a large amount of people that think Cromer is an ideal destination.
Fig. 12 and 13 also show that the majority of both residents and tourists believe Cromer has a good future in tourism.
In conclusion my surveys show that Cromer does have the chance to have a good economic future, but only if it is developed further i.e. by building better transport links so more tourists would be able to visit, and by allowing development into the area to improve shopping and other facilities.
Evaluation
Tourist/Residents Questionnaire
I used this method to form a large sample which would be used for a lot of my graphs, and would provide me with a considerable amount of data. I found this method very effective as the final data used was not from just one person, but a large group of both tourists and residents, so I also had a mixture of different opinions. The data was also reliable as I knew it was primary data.
Traffic Count/Pedestrian Count
This method was used so that I could show the environmental impact of tourism on Cromer. Although the data that I found out was useful to my coursework I didn't find this method to be as reliable as it could've been. I would improve this method by increasing the time we spent at Cromer. I believe this would improve the reliability of my results as the time I collected the data would be more spaced out.
Environmental Mapping
I used this data for the chloropleth map to show the environmental quality of Cromer.
I found this data to be quite reliable as the whole class was allocated different part of Cromer to comment on and put our results together. Although this data was reliable, a factor that could've affected it is the time of year, as there may have been more traffic or noise if we visited in August.
Interviews
I used interviews to find out what tourists and residents think about Cromer and tourism; and this helped me answer my enquiry questions. I found this method both partly reliable and unreliable. It was reliable as I was getting opinions on specific information, but it was also unreliable as they were only opinions and not necessarily facts. I would improve this method, by using statistics to back up the opinions in my interviews.
Photographs
I used photos that I took in Cromer to show things such as the environment and tourist directed shops. My photos were reliable as they were what you could see, but again they may have been affected by the time of year that we visited. For example if we were to visit in a more tourist seasonal month there may be a higher amount of litter.
Business Dependency Survey
I used the business dependency survey to show whether there are shops in Cromer that are tourist dependent. I think this method was reliable as I was only counting the shops I saw and there weren't really any factors that would've affected my data collection.
Glossary
LEDC: Less economically developed country.
MEDC: More economically developed country.
PRIMARY INDUSTRY: Primary industry jobs are usually low paid and low skilled. They include mining, lumbering and agriculture.
SECONDARY INDUSTRY: Secondary industry jobs involve working in factories.
TERTIARY INDUSTRY: Tertiary industry jobs mean jobs that provide a service, and require more skills and are usually higher better paid e.g. teacher, doctor.
ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE: The age range that can work and earn money.
ELDERLY DEPENDENT: The age range that usually have to rely on the economically active.
GCSE Geography Coursework
Aisha Khan 10N