What is Tourism Geography?

Summary

This video script explores the intersection of geography and tourism, defining tourism geography as the study of how physical and cultural characteristics of places influence and are influenced by tourism. It delves into physical geography aspects like climate, geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeography, and human geography elements such as population dynamics, urbanization, cultural landscapes, and economic geography. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding these factors for sustainable tourism practices that benefit both tourists and local communities.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Geography is the study of the earth's features and the relationships between tourism and geography have been studied for about a hundred years.
• 📚 The term 'geography' originates from the Greek words 'geo' (earth) and 'graphia' (description or writing), highlighting its focus on describing the earth's features.
• 👋 Øyvind introduces the video series 'What is Tourism!' to explore the links between tourism and geography.
• 🔍 Geography is defined as the science of place and space, involving the study of both physical and cultural characteristics of regions and their influence on human behavior.
• 🏞 Tourism geography specifically studies how the physical and cultural characteristics of places are influenced by and influence tourism.
• 🌡 Physical geography includes climate, geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeography, all of which have direct implications for tourism demand and destinations.
• 🏔 Geomorphology helps understand the formation of landforms important for tourism, such as mountains and canyons, and potential geological hazards.
• 💧 Hydrology provides insights into water-related tourist attractions and the availability of water resources for tourism activities.
• 🌿 Biogeography offers guidance on the distribution of flora and fauna, important for both biodiversity conservation and as tourist attractions.
• 🏙 Human geography focuses on human activities, their spatial distribution, and impacts, which are crucial for analyzing tourist populations and urban tourism.
• 🏛 Cultural landscapes, as expressions of human activity, are significant for understanding potential tourist attractions and their significance.
• 💼 Economic geography helps in understanding the economic impacts of tourism and designing effective tourism policies and strategies.
• 🌳 Tourism geography aims to provide a scientific understanding for sustainable tourism practices that conserve resources, protect communities, and enhance experiences.

Q & A

What is the origin of the term 'geography'?

The term 'geography' comes from the Greek words 'geo' (meaning 'earth') and 'graphia' (meaning 'description' or 'writing'), and it was first used by the ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes in the third century before the Common Era.

How long ago did studies of the relationship between geography and tourism first emerge?

The first studies of the relationships between geography and tourism emerged about a hundred years ago.

What is the main motive of leisure tourism according to the script?

Experiencing the unique characteristics of different places is one of the main motives of leisure tourism.

How does the University of Oregon define geography?

According to the Geography Department at the University of Oregon, geography is the science of place and space, involving the study of the physical and cultural characteristics of different regions and how they influence and are influenced by human behavior.

What is the definition of tourism geography as adapted from the University of Oregon's definition of geography?

Tourism geography involves the study of the physical and cultural characteristics of different places and the ways in which they influence and are influenced by tourism.

How is geography commonly approached from different perspectives?

The study of geography is commonly approached from two different perspectives: physical geography and human geography.

What is physical geography and how is it related to tourism?

Physical geography is the branch of geography that studies the natural environment and its physical processes, including climate, geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeography. It is related to tourism as it provides insights into patterns and variations that affect tourism destinations, such as climate, landforms, water-related attractions, and biodiversity.

What is human geography and how does it relate to tourism?

Human geography is the branch of geography that focuses on the study of human activities, their spatial distribution, relationships, and impacts on the natural and built environment. It relates to tourism by providing insights into tourist populations, urban tourism, cultural landscapes, and the economic impacts of tourism.

How does biogeography contribute to tourism?

Biogeography, the study of the distribution of living organisms, provides insights into the distribution of endemic and endangered species, the ecology of natural habitats, and the impacts of human activity on biodiversity. It can guide where flora and fauna can be safely exploited as tourist attractions.

What role does economic geography play in understanding tourism?

Economic geography, which is concerned with the geographic spread of economic activities, provides a framework for understanding the economic impacts of tourism on different regions and communities and for designing effective tourism policies and strategies.

What is the ultimate goal of tourism geography in relation to sustainable tourism practices?

The ultimate goal of tourism geography is to provide the scientific understanding and tools for analyzing and managing the natural and cultural environment of tourism destinations, enabling tourism professionals to develop sustainable tourism practices that conserve local resources, protect communities and ecosystems, and enhance the tourist experience.