Download The Tourism Geography of North America

The Tourism Geography of
North America
Learning Objectives
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7.
Describe the major physical features and climates of North America and
understand their importance for tourism
Appreciate the scale and characteristics of domestic tourism in the USA
and Canada
Understand the importance of the USA and Canada as tourist-generating
countries
Appreciate the significance of the conservation movement in North
America and the importance of the national park system in particular to
tourism
Be aware of the cultural diversity of the USA and Canada
Recognise the importance of transport in the development of the tourism
industry
Demonstrate a knowledge of the tourist regions, resorts, business centres
and tourist attractions of North America.
North America: Introduction
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Physical setting
Natural resources
Demand
Climate
Natural and man-made attractions
USA
• Leading destination
• Devolved tourism administration
• Demand
– Inbound
– Outbound and domestic
• Supply
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Public sector
Private sector
Transport
Accommodation
USA: North East
• New England
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Cape Cod
Newport
Salem
Boston
• Middle Atlantic
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New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Washington
• Northern
Appalachians
– Upstate New York
– Pennsylvania
• Coastal Resorts
USA: The South
• Character
• A climate characterised by long sultry summers, short mild winters and
abundant rainfall
• The importance given by Southerners to the American Civil War (18611865), in which the Confederacy, made up of eleven slave-holding
states was defeated in its attempts to secede from the USA
• The presence of a large Black minority, who for a century after the
Civil War continued to suffer from many forms of discrimination
• A lifestyle which is more traditional, family-orientated, and religionbased than other regions of the USA. The strength of fundamentalist
Christianity explains the use of the term ‘Bible Belt’ for much of the
region
• An economy in which areas of dynamic growth and prosperity – the socalled ‘New South’ – contrast with pockets of rural poverty.
USA: The South
• Character:
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Large areas of forest, particularly in the Southern Appalachians
The wetlands of the coastal plains, such as the Okefonokee Swamp in southern
Georgia, and the bayous of the Mississippi Delta, that provide a unique refuge
for wildlife
A number of large man-made lakes providing facilities for water sports. These
are a legacy of the hydro-electric power projects carried out by the federal
government to boost the region’s economy, following President Roosevelt’s
New Deal in the 1930s
The abundance of golf courses, particularly in the hilly, well-wooded
Piedmont zone between the Appalachians and the coastal plains. Pinehurst in
North Carolina and Augusta in Georgia are the most popular golfing resorts
The barrier islands of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts provide many fine beaches.
Some have been developed as resorts – Hilton Head Island is one example while others such as Cape Hatteras and Cumberland Island are preserved from
development by federal and state governments
USA: The South
• Virginia
• South East
– Atlanta
– Savannah/Charleston
• Southern
Appalachians
– Nashville
– Memphis
• Deep South
– New Orleans
– The Ozarks
USA: Resources
• Texas
– Dallas
• California
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Los Angeles
San Francisco
San Diego
Santa Barbara
Theme Parks
• North West
– Oregon
– Washington
• Alaska
• Hawaii
Canada
• Demand
– Inbound
– Outbound and domestic
• Supply
– transport
Canada: Resources
• Ontario
– Toronto
– Ottawa
– Niagara
• Quebec
– Montreal
– Quebec City
• Atlantic Provinces
– Newfoundland
– St. Pierre and
Miquelon
– Prince Edward Island
– Nova Scotia
– New Brunswick
Canada: Resources
• Prairies
– The West
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Banff National Park
Jasper National Park
Calgary
Edmonton
• British Colombia
– Vancouver
– Victoria
• The North
– Yukon
– North West territories
– Nunavut
• Greenland
USA: Florida
• Character:
– The scale of its tourism
industry, with a constant flow
of visitors all year round
– Retired people from the
northern states make up a high
percentage of its population
– The influx of Cuban
immigrants to southern Florida
since 1960, who have largely
made Miami a Spanishspeaking city and effectively
the financial centre of Latin
America
• Resources:
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Miami
Fort Lauderdale
Miami Beach
Florida Keys
Theme Parks
USA: West and Mid West
• Mid West
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Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago
Indianapolis
• West
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High Plains
Rocky Mountains
Grand Canyon
Las Vegas
Santa Fe
Salt Lake City