Corso di geografia turistica

Unit D1

p.173

• The traditional star classification, indicating the level and quality of services for accommodation facilities, has been superseded: the market is requesting new forms of hospitality, the provision of a wide range of services, and diverse management models. The hospitality industry has responded by diversifying the offer, which ranges from luxury ecolodges and designer resorts to tent campsites.
• Also, international hotel chains have successfully established their operating methods alongside the traditional management model of small and medium sized businesses. They have acquired many hotel facilities and obliged them to adopt their standards, and they often own several brands in order to differentiate their products. The hotelier that affiliates with them is able to count on brand know-how and take advantage of a commercial network, stronger bargaining power and an increased visibility on the market. Those travelling with them are sure to find the standard of quality and services they require, wherever they are.
• There are many international chains: among the most famous are Hilton, Accor, Marriott and InterContinental. The Best Western chain, which represents independent hotels, has a lighter model of affiliation, allowing the franchisee to maintain its own identity and autonomy. The goal is to avoid the total homogenisation of the hotels, such that they retain their own individuality.
• Tourists actually appreciate not being housed in identical hotels in all parts of the world: this explains the high popularity of hospitality in accommodation within restored country villas, aristocratic lodgings and castles, which retain traces of their history. Some examples from around the world are: the estancias (farms) in Argentina, the haciendas (country mansions of the colonial era) in Mexico, the residences of the maharajas in India, and safari lodges in the nature parks of Namibia.

Unit D2

p.179

• A vacation in a tourist resort is now a well-established formula throughout the world. The idea of spending a relaxing “all inclusive” holiday, enjoying the wonders of nature, playing sports, and devoting oneself to pleasurable activities in an environment that is also safe for children and teenagers, has for a long time won over tourists of all nationalities.
• The idea dates back to the mid-twentieth century when Club Med opened its first resort on the island of Majorca. Essential to the offer, which was designed for those who wanted to forget civilization for a few weeks, was living in the open air in contact with nature: the resorts experienced instant success. Over time the Club Mediterranean formula has evolved with the times and with demand. From tents and bungalows, the accommodation moved on to small brick buildings; the services have become increasingly comfortable and sophisticated to target the top end of the market and position Club Med as a luxury brand. Today the villages are situated in luxury developments with the maximum of comfort, and since 1989 there is also the roving Club Med, which is a village arranged on a huge sailing ship with 5 masts to attract those looking for a refined vacation with no expense spared.
• The formula, however, has been an example to others and there are now many tour operators specialising in this type of offer. In fact, the holiday resort formula hasn’t experienced a crisis and continues to guarantee care-free relaxation, child care services for all ages, practice and coaching for all kinds of sports (including sailing, tennis and horseback riding), wellness treatments, cooking classes, shows, and entertainment throughout the day.
• A number of tour operators specialise in this type of offer, amongst which there are several Italian operators.

Unit D3

p.185

• Mass tourism is losing its appeal in favour of new forms that focus on the discovery and confrontation with the reality of the locality. This is called “experience tourism” and is practiced by all those who put direct contact with the culture and identity of the place visited at the centre of their journey.
• The Internet and Web 2.0 communications have accelerated changes in this sector, enabling the active participation of users and making information accessible to all in real time. Distances are eliminated and the word of mouth network becomes a powerful tool for the dissemination of new styles and new possibilities for tourism: building a tailor-made holiday is now within the reach of everyone.
• In an ever changing scene, imaginative and whimsical trends continue to appear. Today, there are those who practice couch surfing, which involves being hosted during the stages of a journey in private homes that provide a bed or just a couch; the provision of air bed and breakfast guarantees an inflatable mattress for the tourist to use in over 7,000 locations; and, to travel without haste and make a saving, the cargo option can be chosen in a large merchant ship, which offers affordable accommodation for those who love the sea life and don’t feel the need for companionship. Camper van purists travel without stopping in areas equipped for their vehicles, and flashpackers travel with backpacks, smartphones and laptop computers to relate their experiences through social networks and blogs as they travel. Others are attracted by geocaching: a treasure hunt that uses GPS and the Internet according to rules available on a dedicated website; there are overnight stays in hotels made from decommissioned planes: and safari shopping uses low cost flights to be in the right place at the right time for the sales. Not forgetting the anti-tourism trend that promotes desolate destinations and humble accommodation, in the belief that no journey can enrich the mind.

Unit D4

p.191

• Indonesia is the largest archipelago on the planet, with more than 17,000 islands, which however still remain excluded from the geography of tourism, with the exception of Bali.
• Tourism in Indonesia is synonymous with Bali, the island that in 2010 absorbed 90% of arrivals in the archipelago. Always considered the ideal destination for honeymoons and romantic holidays, it has imposed the style of its five-star resorts on the rest of the world. The harmony that shines through in the scenes of rituals and offerings at Buddhist temples, including dances, flowers and music, have contributed to the stereotype of a heavenly place, far from the scenes of poverty and degradation in the indian areas.
• The massive influx of tourists, however, is showing disturbing effects on the ecosystem of the island: 3.5 million residents spread across an area just larger than that of the island of Elba, chaotic traffic, and paddy fields and forests transformed into building land. The authorities are trying on the one hand to decentralise a portion of the visitors to a less crowded area of the island, and on the other to turn Bali into a hub for accessing other destinations in Indonesia, taking advantage of its relative geographic centrality.
• Indonesia is definitely perceived as a dangerous destination because of terrorist attacks and the natural catastrophes that have struck it in the last decade. The tsunami in 2004 and the eruption of the Merapi volcano in 2010 tell of a land at the mercy of the forces of nature. But, if the highest number of active volcanoes on the planet is found here, it is also true that this translates into an incredible tourist resource. Thermal hot springs, forests, extraordinary landscapes, biodiversity and seabeds full of marine life, make it a prime destination for those in search of contact with wild nature.
• Environmental protection and the preservation of ways of life and traditional architecture are at the heart of the policies with which the Indonesian government aims to promote eco-friendly itineraries that would direct tour operators’ interest from Bali to other islands in the archipelago.

Unit D5

p.197

• Morocco has been a popular tourist destination for Europeans for decades, valued for its wide range of attractions, for its proximity and for its easy access; also with low cost flights.
• To consolidate the good results obtained, the accommodation sector has tried to improve, reproducing a model that has been successfully piloted in several countries, by transforming the historic and typical lodgings of the area into accommodation. In Morocco, in particular, riads have been renovated; these are traditional houses with an interior garden and a unique architecture that evokes an exotic atmosphere that is greatly appreciated by foreigners.
• In the last decades of the twentieth century, in fact, many Westerners have bought old houses to build their Moroccan retreat, far away from everyday life. For example, the famous fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent bought a property outside the capital, Marrakech, and enlarged and embellished its garden, which now contains more than 300 plant species and is open to the public.
• It was towards the end of the twentieth century that hospitality discovered the traditional houses and thus succeeded in becoming a means to attract visitors and also raise funds to restore a heritage that was often left to decay. Tourists have responded positively to the offer, preferring the more essential stay in the riad to the standardised comfort of the international hotels. Many foreigners have even bought these traditional houses and renovated them to make charm hotels.
• In the wake of this success, new hotels have been built that are defined “riad-style”, solely because they have some architectural or decorative element belonging to the traditional houses. To avoid confusion, the legislature has labelled these structures maison d’hôte, recognising their commercial activity of renting rooms and providing meals and services.