Chapter 14
Destinations: Tourism
Generators
Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved
DESTINATIONS
• Travel and tourism
usually involves having a
destination in mind
• As discussed previously,
destinations go hand in
hand with travel motives
• People travel for reasons
of (1) recreation; (2)
business and; (3) to visit
friends and relatives
DESTINATIONS
Motives for pleasure travel include:
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Religion
Health
Scenic beauty
Sporting events
Culture
Entertainment
Combinations of the above
DESTINATIONS
Secondary and Primary Destinations
• Primary destinations are those that draw
tourists from great distances and are the main
reason for travel (name three)
• Secondary destinations draw people from
nearby or they stop on the way to somewhere
else (name three)
MASS MARKET TOURISM
• It was not long ago that travel (for pleasure)
was reserved for the wealthy
• While wealth still affords certain privileges,
travel is now available to the middle-class and
others
• Travel has become less expensive, more
“democratic,” and more “accessible”
• Examples include Las Vegas and Disney
PLANNED PLAY ENVIRONMENTS
• Planned play
environments are those
that are built
(temporarily or
permanently) with the
intention of attracting
tourists
• Examples include fairs
and festivals,
amusement parks,
theme parks, gaming
destinations and even
entire cities
THEME PARKS
• Amusement parks, the predecessor of theme
parks, have been in this country for over 100 years
• The oldest continually operating amusement park
in the United States is Lake Compounce in Bristol,
Connecticut, which opened in 1846
• Theme parks are a more recent development and
focus on one particular theme (Disney, LegoLand)
• Together, they draw over 340 million visitors each
year and generate more than $12 billion
INDUSTRY FACTS (FROM IAAPA)
• There are more than 600 amusement parks and
traditional attractions in the U.S. alone
• In 2007, 341 million people visited these venues
and enjoyed more that 1.5 billion “rides”
• There are approximately 300 amusement parks in
Europe
• Four of the world’s top ten most visited
amusement parks are in Asia
• The U.S. amusement industry provides jobs for
upwards of 500,000 year-round and seasonal
employees
• 28 percent of Americans surveyed visited an
amusement park last year
THEME PARKS
• While Disney World is the most well known
theme park there are others that focus on a
particular concept such as history, marine,
nature, fictional characters, etc.
• Disney, though, continues to be the leader
DISNEY
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5 major themed destinations around the world
WDW in Orlando is the largest
Hong Kong DisneyLand is the newest
The next Disney park will be in Shanghai
Revenues from Disney theme parks are in
excess of $9 billion
DISNEYWORLD
• Walt Disney World is on a scale that no other
park in the world can compete
• Disney is at once a theme park operator, hotel
provider, food service operator, nightclub and
sports provider, and club manager
• Disney employs 55,000 employees in Orlando
alone
REGIONAL THEME PARKS
• Regional theme parks operate on a slightly
smaller scale
• In most cases, they can be classified as
secondary destinations
• Six Flags is the world’s largest regional theme
park operator
• Others include Dollywood and LegoLand
GAMING AND CASINOS
• At one time, if somebody wanted to gamble
legally, they had to travel to Las Vegas (1931) or
Atlantic City (1976)
• Las Vegas is still the grand gaming destination
but tourists have many other options
• At this time, 47 states offer some sort of
legalized gambling (including lotteries)
GAMING AND CASINOS
The number and type of gaming operations
continues to grow
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Connecticut (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun)
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Midwest (riverboats)
Others?
GAMING AND CASINOS –
LAS VEGAS
• Las Vegas is still the major gaming destination
in the US
• It offers much more than gaming though and, in
recent years, has made a conscious effort to
diversify – restaurants, stage shows, shopping
and attractions
• Las Vegas attracted over 38 million visitors last
year
GAMING AND CASINOS –
LAS VEGAS
• Everything in Las Vegas seems to get bigger and
bigger
• The new MGM CitiCenter includes a 60-floor
mega resort and casino
• The ADR and occupancy rates continue to
increase
• There are over 40 golf courses
• The number of fine-dining restaurants and
celebrity chefs continues to increase
GAMING AND CASINOS –
ATLANTIC CITY
• Atlantic City operates on a much smaller scale
than does Las Vegas although it attracted 35
million visitors last year
• Visitors tend to come from the region though
(over 30% come from NYC), stay for shorter
periods and spend less
• AC is attempting to reposition itself to younger
people though by offering more services and in
a more luxurious setting
GAMING AND CASINOS –
MOHEGAN SUN
• Located on 240 acres in southeastern
Connecticut - competes with Foxwoods
• Owned by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming
Authority
• 300,000 square feet of gaming space
• Retail, dining, entertainment, 1,200 hotel
rooms
• New $740 million project is underway
SHOPPING
• Shopping has become a primary tourist activity
• Shopping areas (Michigan Avenue, Newbury
Street), Shopping Centers (St. Louis Centre,
Prudential), and Malls (West Edmonton and Mall of
America) all contribute to this tourist activity
• The largest malls are now in Asia (8 of the 10
largest malls in the world are now located in Asia)
• Golden Resources Mall (in Beijing) is the largest at
(50% larger than Mall of America)
NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS
• Natural environments include national parks, state parks,
eco resorts, etc.
• Their purpose regarding tourism is to provide an experience
different from those of “man-made” destinations
• The National Park Service preserves the natural and cultural
resources and values of the national park system for the
enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future
generations
• The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the
benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and
outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
• Fairs and festivals are driven by tradition,
culture, and economics
• They can be large (World Fairs) and small (East
Cupcake, Missouri Film Festival)
• Successful events attract both locals and
tourists and contribute to the local community