The Butler Tourism Model
• Based on MEDC tourism
• Cycle of a resort development, tourism and
decline.
• Tourism viewed as a resource
• The model has 6 Stages:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Exploration
Involvement
Development
Consolidation
Stagnation
Decline/Rejuvenation
The
Butler
Model
EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…
Exploration
• Small number of tourist
attracted by culture/natural
beauty.
• Limited numbers.
• Few facilities exist.
EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…
Involvement
• Some involvement by locals to
provide tourists with facilities.
• Recognisable
tourist season.
• Developing
tourism market.
EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…
Development
• Large numbers of tourists.
• Control of market moves from
locals to external bodies e.g. TNC’s.
• Conflict between
residents and tourists.
EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…
Consolidation
• Tourism constitutes major part of
the economy.
• Tourist numbers plateau.
• Older facilities seen as
“second rate”.
EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…
Stagnation
• Peak tourist numbers reached.
• Resort no longer fashionable.
EACH STAGE EXPLAINED…
Decline OR Rejuvenation
• Attractiveness continues to
decline.
• Visitors lost to other resorts / destinations.
• Resort becomes dependant on day / weekend
visitors from limited
geographical area.
• Unless efforts made to
modernise and rejuvenate
resort will continue to
decline.
Case Study
Spain –
Costa del Sol
EXPLORATION
– 1960’s only 0.4 million tourists to the Costa del Sol,
visiting for the beach holidays.
INVOLVEMENT
– 1970's numbers rose to 3 million.
– Farmland built on, infrastructure improved.
– Transition from resource based to demand based.
DEVELOPMENT & CONSOLIDATION
– 1980’s numbers rocketed to 7 million (carrying capacity
reached).
– Clubs, bars, restaurants and more hotels were built,
leading to environmental degradation.
STAGNATION
– Late 1980’s area began to stagnate, and was no
longer fashionable.
– Attractive mountainous area blocked by large
hotel developments.
– Beaches dirty from litter left by tourists.
– Polluted from excessive sewage.
– Strain on resources e.g. water
• It takes 60 000 gallons to run a luxury hotel for a day.
DECLINE OR REJUVENATION??
–
–
–
–
1990s Costa del Sol began rejuvenation.
Beaches tidied and achieved EU Blue Flag.
VAT cut to 6% to encourage tourists and businesses.
Tourism began to diversify to ecotourism and heritage
tourism.
• Development of Coto Donana national park to 'Costa
Donana’ abandoned
• Wetland area popular with rare birds
• Previous development had seen a drop in the water table
and the death of 30 000 wild birds form pesticide
contamination
SPANISH TOURISM TODAY
• Tourism spread more
inland to Madrid and
Barcelona.
• Historical & City based
tourism gains
popularity.
• Culturally diverse
areas such as Almeria
have also gained
popularity.
• Spain has not seen a decline in
tourism, but a spatial change
moving inland.
Costa Del Sol
• Make a copy of Butlers
model. (use a whole
page)
• Using the worksheet,
decide which statements
match each stage.
• Annotate your graph in
your exercise books.
• In another colour, add
detail using your Costa
Del Sol case study.