Transcript tourism.g16-Travel Geo

East Asia
East Asia
• Consists of North and South Korea, the
People’s Republic of China, Japan, the
Republic of China (Taiwan), Hong Kong,
and Macau
• Greatest growth in international arrivals of
tourists in the 1980s and 1990s
• Opening of China to mass tourism in 1978
and its tourism development was the
primary reason for this rapid growth
East Asia
• Diverse region economically and
geographically
• Most successful industrialized countries of
the world (Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South
Korea)
• China’s economy is increasing the most
rapidly, however, resulting in dramatic
economic changes in country
Tourism in East Asia
• Most significant feature of tourism to East
Asia has been the opening and
development of tourism to People’s
Republic of China
• Region had one of the highest rates of
visitor increases in the 1990s, somewhat
difficult to interpret based on different data
sources
Japan
Capital :
Government
Tokyo
:
Parliamentary
democracy
Size
:
145,856 miles
Language
:
Japanese
Ethnic Division
:
Japanese
Religion :
Shintoism and Buddhism
Japan
Tourist Season
:
April through Oct
Peak Tourist Season
: Oct
Currency
:
Yen
Population
: 127.1 million (2001)
Physical Characteristics
• Series of islands extending 1,400 miles
from north to south
• Peaks of a volcanic chain known as the
Pacific “Ring of Fire” resulting in periodic
destructive earthquakes
• Hilly and mountainous terrain of threequarters of Japan limits the area that is
suitable for agriculture
Physical Characteristics
• Sufficient rainfall for agriculture on the
main islands
• Precipitation totals range from 40 inches in
the north to 100 in the south
• Sapporo on Hokkaido has hosted the
Winter Olympics
Tourism Characteristics
• Historically looked to tourism as a major
foreign income earner as it had such a
huge trade surplus in 1980s
• 1990s it has taken a more active role in
promoting inbound tourism
• Government involved with both domestic
and international tourism with offices in
many cities of the world outside of Japan
Tourism Characteristics
• 3 factors appear limit Japan’s growth form
the main generating markets of North
America and Europe 1) prime attractions
are culture, history, customs, and
traditions that appeal to a relatively narrow
segment of the long-haul tourist market 2)
language and cultural barrier that deters
some people from visiting 3) high travel
and land costs limit market demand
Tourism Characteristics
• Largest origin countries are South Korea,
Taiwan, and the US combined for about
55% visitors in 1999
• Most popular time for visitors is October,
followed by July and August
• Winter months are the slowest, and the
government desires to encourage and
promote more winter events and
conventions to level out the seasons
Tourism Characteristics
• Travel to Japan increased in the 1990s
due to the Asian Games in 1994 and
surged again during the Winter Olympics
in 1998
• Decreasing work days and increasing
prosperity of the country are beginning to
overcome the traditional cultural restraints
against taking vacations
Tourism Characteristics
• However, many Japanese still work on
their days off and refuse to take vacations
• Changing slowly, which has an important
effect on tourism
Tourist Destination and
Attractions
• Most frequently visited by the Japanese
themselves are temples and historical and
cultural places especially in the older cities
of Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara
• Eight travel regions in Japan that serve as
the major destinations for foreign visitors
• Some include Hokkaido, the northernmost
island in the Japanese archipelago
Tourist Destination and
Attractions
• Sapporo, the capital city, was the site of
the 1972 Winter Olympics
• Its annual winter carnival (Snow Festival)
is a major attraction
• Other attractions in the city are Hokkaido
University, Botanical Gardens, Historical
Museum etc.
Tourist Destination and
Attractions
• Another tourism region in Japan is Tokyo
and the surrounding region
• Many shrines and temples along with the
attractions of a great modern city
• Center of national politics, education, and
finance
• Highly westernized metropolis, retains
much of the Oriental charm
Tourist Destination and
Attractions
• Attractive to visitors because of the unique
capacity to blend the East and West, the
old and the new
• Side by side with the bustling activity of its
business sections, there remain traditional
ways and habits of old Japan interspersed
with many colorful festivities
Tourist Destination and
Attractions
• Other interesting attractions would include
the Imperial Palace, Mt. Fuji, Japan Alps,
Kansai and Nara etc.