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.