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Tolkien tourism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Many of the locations where parts of the movies were filmed have become destinations for curious travellers. However, since many of the most famous locations were on public lands (and the rules of use for the filming stipulated that the sites be returned to their natural state), only a few, like "Hobbiton" in Matamata retain any traces of the film sets. Tolkien tourism is a phenomenon of fans of The Lord of the Rings fictional universe travelling to sites of film- and book-related significance. It is especially notable in New Zealand, site of the movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, where it is credited as having raised the annual tourism numbers. Contents 1 Origins 2 In New Zealand 2.1 Economic effects 3 The Hobbit filming 4 South Africa and the United Kingdom 5 See also 6 References Origins The three films (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) based on the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien were shot in various locations throughout New Zealand, and many of these locations have been preserved and altered to encourage the tourism that makes up a significant portion of the country’s economy. Tourists sometimes travel dressed as characters from the books or films, indulging in what is known throughout fandom as cosplay.[citation needed] Avid fans traveling to both well-known and obscure locations related to The Lord of the Rings are referred to as Tolkien tourists. In New Zealand Welcome to Hobbiton, Matamata sign New Zealand is in a unique position to capitalize on its scenery. Tolkien tourist attention is less geared towards visiting New Zealand's national parks and more focused on scenery that was used as back drops in movies. For example, Mount Olympus, dramatic pillars of rock carved out by nature and time, sits in Kahurangi National Park near Nelson in a remote corner of the South Island. Since it featured in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mount Olympus has become a spot for Tolkien tourists.[citation needed] Film NZ—the national film promotion board—advertises that New Zealand offers an English-speaking, largely nonunion work force, along with a kaleidoscope of urban and rural landscapes. "Experience New Zealand, Home of Middle Earth," urges Tourism New Zealand's Web site,[1] and once tourists get there, they are invited to find film locations around New Zealand with a free "Middle Earth map." Currently New Zealand is negotiating with Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema, the films' producers, to construct a permanent Lord of the Rings museum for some of the 40,000 props and costumes now warehoused in New Zealand.[2] Jan Howard Finder, the science fiction writer, has organized special hostel-based tours of New Zealand to see places filmed in Lord of the Rings.[3] Mount Ngauruhoe served as Mount Doom in the movies. Economic effects The annual tourist influx to New Zealand grew 40%, from 1.7 million in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2006, which some have attributed to be to a large degree due to The Lord of the Rings phenomenon.[4] 6% of international visitors cited the film as a reason for traveling to the country.[5] "You can argue that Lord of the Rings was the best unpaid advertisement that New Zealand has ever had", said Bruce Lahood, United States and Canadian regional manager for Tourism New Zealand.[4] An article published by The New York Times contradicts Lahood, stating that New Zealand subsidized the movie trilogy with $150 million.[5] The Hobbit filming Many experts and New Zealanders are hoping for a renewed Tolkien effect because The Hobbit was also filmed in New Zealand.[6] Whether or not this was vitally important to New Zealand's tourism industry was a big debating point during short-lived fears that industrial disputes could make the film production occur outside of the country. The government of New Zealand also saw some criticism for increasing movie subsidies and creating laws tailored for US movie companies, solely out of fear of losing the production. Some have subsequently called the price $25 million (in further financial subsidies and specific laws made for the producers benefit) that New Zealand had to pay to retain the movie 'extortionate' and argued that the discussion had occurred in a climate of 'hyperbole and hysteria'.[7] An even higher price of at least $109 million has also been cited.[5] South Africa and the United Kingdom Tolkien tourism has also existed to a lesser extent independent from the Jackson movies. Most notable are the following destinations: Oxford, United Kingdom: aside from the colleges where Tolkien taught, the pubs he and the Inklings frequented and his former homes, The Tolkien Society organizes the Oxonmoot in one of the colleges September each year. In 1992 the centennial was also celebrated in Oxford. Birmingham, United Kingdom: in 2005, The Tolkien Society hosted Tolkien 2005 at Aston University in the city where Tolkien lived and taught for many years to celebrate The Lord of the Rings 50th anniversary. Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa: Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein on 3 January 1892. The Bank of Africa building site has been recovered (a commemoration plaque used to be on the new building on the lot but this was later moved elsewhere due to theft risk), the grave of Tolkien's father has been recovered and a new tombstone erected. In addition, the Anglican church where Tolkien was baptized still stands, inclusive of the baptism font. Tolkien's father's last will and testament (written in Dutch) can also be read at one of the municipal offices. The National Afrikaans Literary Museum also has a number of copies of Die Smid van Groot-Wootton, the only book by Tolkien translated in Afrikaans. 0 MORE How Space Tourism Could Help Save Planet Earth A “Blue Marble” image of the Earth taken from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA's Earth-observing satellite — Suomi NPP. This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on Jan. 4, 2012. Credit: NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring SAN MATEO, Calif. — Opening spaceflight up to the masses could help spark a global conservation ethic that stems the tide of environmental destruction on Earth, NASA's science chief says. Seeing our fragile Earth hanging alone in the blackness of space tends to be a life-altering, or at least perspective-changing, experience. If more people around the world are treated to that unforgettable sight, humanity might handle the planet with a bit more care, said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Ultimately, my vision is that lots of people get to go to space," Grunsfeld said here Saturday (May 18) at Maker Faire Bay Area, a two-day celebration of DIY science, technology and engineering. "If we get more people, we'll have folks who can articulate a view of the Earth that leads to more people who want to keep the Earth a nice place to live." [Classic Views of Earth from Space (Photos)] Our changing planet NASA science chief John Grunsfeld talks to an aspiring young space scientist after talking at Maker Faire Bay Area on May 18, 2013. NASA science chief John Grunsfeld talks to an aspiring young space scientist after talking at Maker Faire Bay Area on May 18, 2013. Credit: SPACE.com/Mike Wall Grunsfeld is a former NASA astronaut who flew on five space shuttle missions from 1995 to 2009, including three that serviced the space agency's iconic Hubble Space Telescope. He said the view looking down changed dramatically from his first flight to his last. "The Earth looks totally different now," Grunsfeld said. "We are very visibly and significantly modifying the surface of the Earth, modifying the atmosphere. You can see that easily from space." Back in the 1960s, Apollo astronauts noted that national borders aren't visible from space. But this inspiring observation, which lent some much-appreciated perspective at the height of the Cold War, is no longer true, Grunsfeld said. "It looks like a Rand McNally map. You can see where there's rich countries and poor countries," he said. "You can see where people have agriculture and irrigation and where people don't. It's very clear." The planet's shrinking pockets of wilderness are also clearly visible, Grunsfeld said. "You can see the boundaries of national parks," he said. "They look like somebody's drawn a dark line around them, with trees inside and nothing outside. It's really very striking." Earth Quiz: Do You Really Know Your Planet? You live here, so we figure you ought to be well grounded in Earth facts. But you might find these questions a little tough and tricky. Good luck! Start the Quiz The image of Earth in space like a blue marble highlighted the planets fragility and the beauty of Earth. 0 of 10 questions complete Spaceflight opening up soon? To date, about 530 people have flown in space, most of them NASA astronauts or Soviet/Russian cosmonauts. But the list could soon start getting much longer. Virgin Galactic's suborbital SpaceShipTwo made its first rocket-powered test flight last month, and the six-passenger vehicle may start flying paying customers later this year or in 2014, company officials have said. About 580 people have put deposits down for a seat, signing on to pay a total of $200,000. And SpaceShipTwo isn't the only game in town. Another suborbital craft, XCOR Aerospace's Lynx rocket plane, could be operational by about the same time as Virgin's vehicle. XCOR is charging $95,000 per seat for a ride on the two-seat Lynx. The suborbital flights envisioned by SpaceShipTwo and Lynx will be much different, and much briefer, than an orbital mission aboard the International Space Station or NASA's now-retired space shuttle. But suborbital space travelers will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see a black sky and the curvature of the Earth, officials with Virgin Galactic and XCOR say. Orbital space tourism is already a reality, but the list of spaceflyers is very short. Since 2001, seven different paying customers have flown to the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz capsules, plunking down tens of millions of dollars for the privilege. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookor Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com. Editor's Recommendations Space-y Photos from Maker Faire Bay Area 2013 Now Boarding: The Top 10 Private Spaceships 8 of the World's Most Endangered Places Madagascar This island off the east coast of Africa is home to 21 million people. According to the nonprofit Conservation International, it's also home to eight unique plant families, four unique bird families, and five unique primate families, including 50 species of lemur found nowhere else on the planet. Thanks to cattle grazing, logging and slash-and-burn agriculture, only 17 percent of Madagascar's original vegetation remains. In addition, invasive species have devastated local flora and fauna. As recently as May, the conservation agency BirdLife International declared the Alaotra Grebe, a black-and-yellow water bird, extinct. The species succumbed to the combined threats of fishermen's nets and non-native carnivorous fish. Borneo This lush rainforest island, divided between Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, is home to the endangered Bornean orangutan, the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, and about 1,000 pygmy elephants that are unique to the island. The area's biodiversity is enormous: Between July 2005 and September 2006 alone, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 52 new species of plants and animals were discovered in the Borneo rainforest. Unfortunately, the rainforest itself is under threat. According to a 2005 WWF report, Indonesian Borneo lost more than 1.21 million hectares of rainforest per year between 1997 and 2000. (One hectare is about 2.5 acres.) Illegal logging, forest fires and the development of palm oil plantations are to blame. Meanwhile, according to the same report, the illegal trade of protected wildlife is a billion-Euro-a-year business in Indonesia. The orangutan is particularly prized: A 2003 survey by wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC found that in just one month, Indonesian officials confiscated 30 orangutans from would-be wildlife dealers. Micronesia and Polynesia Called the "epicenter of the current global extinction," by Conservation International, this smattering of more than 4,000 South Pacific islands is at risk from both local human activity and global climate change. Humans settled on these islands between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago. Since then, thousands of bird species have gone extinct, according to a 1989 review in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Hunting and agriculture helped usher these species into extinction, but invasive species played a major role. One of the worst offenders, according to a 1992 study in the journal Oryx, is the common rat, which preys on birds and reptiles alike. While invasive species ravage the islands from the inside, global warming threatens from without. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a one-meter rise in sea level would submerge more than 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) of the 100-square mile (257-square kilometer) island of Tongatapu, Tonga. The surging ocean waters from a typical tropical storm would swamp an additional 27 square kilometers. Other low-lying islands face similar fates. Arizona, New Mexico and the Chihuahuan desert: Sky Islands Islands are especially vulnerable to threats thanks to their isolation. Species that evolved in a closed island environment may not be able to adapt when their habitat changes. But not all islands are surrounded by water. In Arizona, New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico, mountain peaks reach thousands of feet above the desert floor. In the cooler microclimates at the tops of these "island" peaks, pockets of biodiversity thrive. Half of the bird species in America make their homes here, according to the Sky Island Alliance. So do 104 mammals, including jaguars, ocelots and javelinas. Human encroachment threatens these habitats, but global warming and drought may be the death knell for sky islands. As temperatures rise, the mountain slopes become more and more arid, backing peak-dwelling species into an ever-shrinking corner. Normal drought cycles combined with climate change could worsen the problem by spawning decades-long droughts, University of Arizona researcher Thomas Swetnam told NPR in 2007. "The effects of global warming might be a trigger to those sorts of extended drought periods," he said. The Mediterranean Basin The ring of shoreline surrounding the Mediterranean Sea has been teeming with humans for at least 8,000 years. It may seem strange to think of such a populated area as endangered, but the shores of the Mediterranean are home to 22,500 plant species, four times more than the rest of Europe combined, according to Conservation International. Half are found nowhere else in the world. Though tourism supports a significant chunk of the area's economy, the development of coastlines meant to lure in vacationers threatens the native flora. Deforestation, fires and grazing have destroyed the vegetation in 95 percent of the Mediterranean Basin. The area is also home to the Iberian lynx and the Mediteranean monk seal, the most threatened cat and seal species on the planet, respectively, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Only about 500 monk seals, and as few as 150 Iberian lynxes, survive in the wild. The Tropical Andes This chain of mountains stretches down the west coast of South America from Bolivia to Chile. It is home to one-sixth of all plant life on Earth on just one percent of the planet's landmass. More than 660 amphibian species call the tropical Andes home; in 2004, 450 of those were listed as threatened by the IUCN. The critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey, once thought extinct, roams in the moist cloud forests of the Andes, as does the only bear in South America, the spectacled bear. The Andes are rich in biodiversity, but they're also rich in resources. Oil and gas have been discovered in the region, and companies are building roads and pipelines through sensitive areas, according to Conservation International. Hydroelectric dams threaten river ecosystems. And deforestation caused by agriculture, particularly coffee plantations, leaves native birds without a habitat, though conservation groups are working with local farmers to promote shade-grown coffee and end clear-cutting. Antarctica Antarctica is known for its high, frigid desert, where winter temperatures regularly dip as low as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius). But the seemingly barren continent's coastline is actually rich with marine life, including penguins, seabirds, seals and whales. Even the darkest depths of the Weddell Sea off western Antarctica are a treasure trove of life: A survey of the Weddell Sea, published in the journal Nature in 2007, found more than 700 new species, including sea spiders, carnivorous sponges and octopi. The twin threats of global warming and overfishing threaten Antarctica's biodiversity. A 2008 report commissioned by WWF warned that if global temperatures rise 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial averages, sea ice in the Southern Ocean could shrink by 10 to 15 percent. If that happens, ice-dependant species will lose habitat and food sources. Already, experts warn that overfishing of krill, the shrimp-like basis of the Antarctic food chain, could threaten the entire ecosystem. Managing krill fisheries is crucial, executive secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Denzil Miller told the New York Times in 2005. "We've got to get this one right," he said, "because if we don't there's a whole lot of dominoes that follow afterwards that just looks too horrendous to contemplate." The Arctic The Arctic is ground zero for climate change. Temperatures there have warmed almost twice as much as the global average, likely due to melting sea ice, according to an April 2010 study published in Nature. The melting ice is bad news for the Arctic's large mammals. According to the 2004 Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, polar bears could be extinct by 2100 if the Arctic seas no longer stay frozen all summer. Caribou and reindeer could lose foraging areas as warming changes vegetation on the tundra. And sea-level rises could destroy almost half of the nesting areas of some migratory birds. But Arctic warming isn't just bad for the organisms living there. As reflective ice melts, the ocean surface may absorb more solar energy, raising ocean temperatures and starting a feedback loop the melts the remaining ice faster. Changes in ocean salinity could destabilize ocean currents. And melting permafrost could release carbon into the atmosphere, creating another feedback loop that warms the planet even further. In other words, the changes in the Arctic aren't just the result of global climate change. They can also cause it. 10 of 10 Ads by Revcontent From The Web Hitler's Deathbed Confession Hidden for 70 Years Natural Health Response Judetul Brasov Homeowners Get $4,264 Back Thanks To New Bill Financial Patrol 1 million people LOVE this language learning app! The Babbel Magazine New Millionaire from Romania Joined This Program 1 Year Ago Beselfmade This is the No.1 Reason Why You Loosing Your Hair (do This Daily) Regrow Hair Protocol Faceți bani fără a fi necesară experiența Bani Rapid 1 of 10 Intro Credit: dreamstime Intro Ranking the world's most endangered places isn't easy. Humans have encroached upon nearly every habitat on the planet, and climate change threatens places from coastlines to glaciers worldwide. But some threatened spots would be a particularly devastating loss to the planet's biodiversity. Here are eight places that could disappear, taking with them thousands of species of plants and animals: 2 of 10 Madagascar Credit: NASA/Brian Montgomery, Robert Simmon, and Reto Stöckli/MODIS science team Madagascar This island off the east coast of Africa is home to 21 million people. According to the nonprofit Conservation International, it's also home to eight unique plant families, four unique bird families, and five unique primate families, including 50 species of lemur found nowhere else on the planet. Thanks to cattle grazing, logging and slash-and-burn agriculture, only 17 percent of Madagascar's original vegetation remains. In addition, invasive species have devastated local flora and fauna. As recently as May, the conservation agency BirdLife International declared the Alaotra Grebe, a black-and-yellow water bird, extinct. The species succumbed to the combined threats of fishermen's nets and non-native carnivorous fish. 3 of 10 Borneo Credit: dreamstime Borneo This lush rainforest island, divided between Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, is home to the endangered Bornean orangutan, the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, and about 1,000 pygmy elephants that are unique to the island. The area's biodiversity is enormous: Between July 2005 and September 2006 alone, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 52 new species of plants and animals were discovered in the Borneo rainforest. Unfortunately, the rainforest itself is under threat. According to a 2005 WWF report, Indonesian Borneo lost more than 1.21 million hectares of rainforest per year between 1997 and 2000. (One hectare is about 2.5 acres.) Illegal logging, forest fires and the development of palm oil plantations are to blame. Meanwhile, according to the same report, the illegal trade of protected wildlife is a billion-Euro-a-year business in Indonesia. The orangutan is particularly prized: A 2003 survey by wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC found that in just one month, Indonesian officials confiscated 30 orangutans from would-be wildlife dealers. 4 of 10 Micronesia and Polynesia Credit: dreamstime Micronesia and Polynesia Called the "epicenter of the current global extinction," by Conservation International, this smattering of more than 4,000 South Pacific islands is at risk from both local human activity and global climate change. Humans settled on these islands between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago. Since then, thousands of bird species have gone extinct, according to a 1989 review in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Hunting and agriculture helped usher these species into extinction, but invasive species played a major role. One of the worst offenders, according to a 1992 study in the journal Oryx, is the common rat, which preys on birds and reptiles alike. While invasive species ravage the islands from the inside, global warming threatens from without. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a one-meter rise in sea level would submerge more than 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) of the 100-square mile (257-square kilometer) island of Tongatapu, Tonga. The surging ocean waters from a typical tropical storm would swamp an additional 27 square kilometers. Other low-lying islands face similar fates. 5 of 10 Arizona, New Mexico and the Chihuahuan desert: Sky Islands Credit: dreamstime Arizona, New Mexico and the Chihuahuan desert: Sky Islands Islands are especially vulnerable to threats thanks to their isolation. Species that evolved in a closed island environment may not be able to adapt when their habitat changes. But not all islands are surrounded by water. In Arizona, New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico, mountain peaks reach thousands of feet above the desert floor. In the cooler microclimates at the tops of these "island" peaks, pockets of biodiversity thrive. Half of the bird species in America make their homes here, according to the Sky Island Alliance. So do 104 mammals, including jaguars, ocelots and javelinas. Human encroachment threatens these habitats, but global warming and drought may be the death knell for sky islands. As temperatures rise, the mountain slopes become more and more arid, backing peak-dwelling species into an ever-shrinking corner. Normal drought cycles combined with climate change could worsen the problem by spawning decades-long droughts, University of Arizona researcher Thomas Swetnam told NPR in 2007. "The effects of global warming might be a trigger to those sorts of extended drought periods," he said. 6 of 10 The Mediterranean Basin Credit: dreamstime The Mediterranean Basin The ring of shoreline surrounding the Mediterranean Sea has been teeming with humans for at least 8,000 years. It may seem strange to think of such a populated area as endangered, but the shores of the Mediterranean are home to 22,500 plant species, four times more than the rest of Europe combined, according to Conservation International. Half are found nowhere else in the world. Though tourism supports a significant chunk of the area's economy, the development of coastlines meant to lure in vacationers threatens the native flora. Deforestation, fires and grazing have destroyed the vegetation in 95 percent of the Mediterranean Basin. The area is also home to the Iberian lynx and the Mediteranean monk seal, the most threatened cat and seal species on the planet, respectively, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Only about 500 monk seals, and as few as 150 Iberian lynxes, survive in the wild. 7 of 10 The Tropical Andes Credit: NASA/Jesse Allen The Tropical Andes This chain of mountains stretches down the west coast of South America from Bolivia to Chile. It is home to one-sixth of all plant life on Earth on just one percent of the planet's landmass. More than 660 amphibian species call the tropical Andes home; in 2004, 450 of those were listed as threatened by the IUCN. The critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey, once thought extinct, roams in the moist cloud forests of the Andes, as does the only bear in South America, the spectacled bear. The Andes are rich in biodiversity, but they're also rich in resources. Oil and gas have been discovered in the region, and companies are building roads and pipelines through sensitive areas, according to Conservation International. Hydroelectric dams threaten river ecosystems. And deforestation caused by agriculture, particularly coffee plantations, leaves native birds without a habitat, though conservation groups are working with local farmers to promote shade-grown coffee and end clear-cutting. 8 of 10 Antarctica Credit: British Antarctic Survey Antarctica Antarctica is known for its high, frigid desert, where winter temperatures regularly dip as low as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius). But the seemingly barren continent's coastline is actually rich with marine life, including penguins, seabirds, seals and whales. Even the darkest depths of the Weddell Sea off western Antarctica are a treasure trove of life: A survey of the Weddell Sea, published in the journal Nature in 2007, found more than 700 new species, including sea spiders, carnivorous sponges and octopi. The twin threats of global warming and overfishing threaten Antarctica's biodiversity. A 2008 report commissioned by WWF warned that if global temperatures rise 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial averages, sea ice in the Southern Ocean could shrink by 10 to 15 percent. If that happens, ice-dependant species will lose habitat and food sources. Already, experts warn that overfishing of krill, the shrimp-like basis of the Antarctic food chain, could threaten the entire ecosystem. Managing krill fisheries is crucial, executive secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Denzil Miller told the New York Times in 2005. "We've got to get this one right," he said, "because if we don't there's a whole lot of dominoes that follow afterwards that just looks too horrendous to contemplate." 9 of 10 The Arctic Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The Arctic The Arctic is ground zero for climate change. Temperatures there have warmed almost twice as much as the global average, likely due to melting sea ice, according to an April 2010 study published in Nature. The melting ice is bad news for the Arctic's large mammals. According to the 2004 Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, polar bears could be extinct by 2100 if the Arctic seas no longer stay frozen all summer. Caribou and reindeer could lose foraging areas as warming changes vegetation on the tundra. And sea-level rises could destroy almost half of the nesting areas of some migratory birds. But Arctic warming isn't just bad for the organisms living there. As reflective ice melts, the ocean surface may absorb more solar energy, raising ocean temperatures and starting a feedback loop the melts the remaining ice faster. Changes in ocean salinity could destabilize ocean currents. And melting permafrost could release carbon into the atmosphere, creating another feedback loop that warms the planet even further. In other words, the changes in the Arctic aren't just the result of global climate change. They can also cause it. Can Space Tourism Save Earth? Opening spaceflight up to the masses could help spark a global conservation ethic that stems the tide of environmental destruction on Earth. By DNews May 21, 2013 1:26 PM EDT Opening spaceflight up to the masses could help spark a global conservation ethic that stems the tide of environmental destruction on Earth, NASA's science chief says. Seeing our fragile Earth hanging alone in the blackness of space tends to be a life-altering, or at least perspective-changing, experience. If more people around the world are treated to that unforgettable sight, humanity might handle the planet with a bit more care, said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. PHOTOS: When Virgin Galactic Broke the Speed of Sound "Ultimately, my vision is that lots of people get to go to space," Grunsfeld said on Saturday (May 18) at Maker Faire Bay Area, a two-day celebration of DIY science, technology and engineering. "If we get more people, we'll have folks who can articulate a view of the Earth that leads to more people who want to keep the Earth a nice place to live." Our Changing Planet Grunsfeld is a former NASA astronaut who flew on five space shuttle missions from 1995 to 2009, including three that serviced the space agency's iconic Hubble Space Telescope. He said the view looking down changed dramatically from his first flight to his last. "The Earth looks totally different now," Grunsfeld said. "We are very visibly and significantly modifying the surface of the Earth, modifying the atmosphere. You can see that easily from space." Back in the 1960s, Apollo astronauts noted that national borders aren't visible from space. But this inspiring observation, which lent some much-appreciated perspective at the height of the Cold War, is no longer true, Grunsfeld said. PHOTOS: Dragon's Bounty: SpaceX Mission Complete "It looks like a Rand McNally map. You can see where there's rich countries and poor countries," he said. "You can see where people have agriculture and irrigation and where people don't. It's very clear." The planet's shrinking pockets of wilderness are also clearly visible, Grunsfeld said. "You can see the boundaries of national parks," he said. "They look like somebody's drawn a dark line around them, with trees inside and nothing outside. It's really very striking." Spaceflight Opening Up Soon? To date, about 530 people have flown in space, most of them NASA astronauts or Soviet/Russian cosmonauts. But the list could soon start getting much longer. Virgin Galactic's suborbital SpaceShipTwo made its first rocket-powered test flight last month, and the six-passenger vehicle may start flying paying customers later this year or in 2014, company officials have said. About 580 people have put deposits down for a seat, signing on to pay a total of $200,000. And SpaceShipTwo isn't the only game in town. Another suborbital craft, XCOR Aerospace's Lynx rocket plane, could be operational by about the same time as Virgin's vehicle. XCOR is charging $95,000 per seat for a ride on the two-seat Lynx. VIDEO: Space Tourist Fears The suborbital flights envisioned by SpaceShipTwo and Lynx will be much different, and much briefer, than an orbital mission aboard the International Space Station or NASA's now-retired space shuttle. But suborbital space travelers will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see a black sky and the curvature of the Earth, officials with Virgin Galactic and XCOR say. Orbital space tourism is already a reality, but the list of spaceflyers is very short. Since 2001, seven different paying customers have flown to the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz capsules, plunking down tens of millions of dollars for the privilege. More from SPACE.com: Space-y Photos from Maker Faire Bay Area 2013 Now Boarding: The Top 10 Private Spaceships 8 of the World's Most Endangered Places This article was originally published on SPACE.com. Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, Expedition 29 commander, uses a still camera to photograph the topography of a point on Earth from a window in the Cupola of the International Space Station in 2011. Space Station Astronauts Log One Million Photographs April 4, 2012 -- Two Russian spacecraft -- a Soyuz and Progress cargo ship -- hang above the Earth, docked to the International Space Station (ISS) while green wisps of auroral activity complete the scene. On any average day, this photograph would be a beautiful reminder of the serenity of space and the ingenuity of mankind. But this isn't any "average" photograph. This is the one millionth photograph taken by astronauts and cosmonauts on board our orbiting outpost. This photo, along with an understated tweet from NASA astronaut Don Pettit, was posted on March 27: "1 millionth ISS photo. Part of time lapse series. Not sure who took it, Dan Burbank or myself. We can't remember pic.twitter.com/MjnkRm2S". In an email to The Atlantic, astronaut Ron Garan explained the details behind this one-millionth photo: "Almost every photo of the Earth is taken in what little free time the crew has (in our off-duty time). The crew does that because it really is enjoyable to share the view of our Earth with the public and we understand that we have a responsibility to do that." As the space station's astronauts have become more connected with Earth via social media platforms like Twitter, some incredible shots of space and life aboard the ISS have been shared with the world. Here are a few of the Discovery News editors' favorites from the "first million ISS photos" we have featured on the site. The AMS During the final shuttle mission to the ISS, NASA spacewalker Ron Garan, took an exterior shot of the ISS and the recently delivered Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) in the foreground. MORE: An Astronaut-Eye View of the Space Station 15 Sunsets Every day, the astronauts aboard the ISS see 15 sunrises and 15 sunsets. Here's one sunset that Ron Garan witnessed in 2011. MORE: An Awe-Inspiring Space Station Odyssey Endeavour Undocks, Leaves Cupola After installing new windows for the ISS -- the cupola pictured left -- shuttle Endeavour undocked and headed home in February 2010. MORE: Endeavour Undocks, Begins Journey Home Making Space Music NASA's Stephen Robinson plays his guitar in the bay of the newly installed cupola in February 2010. MORE: This Is What It's All About Colorful Aurora As solar activity intensifies, ISS astronauts have a ringside seat of the stunning auroral displays in the Earth's atmosphere. This September 2011 technicolor display highlights the different atmospheric elements reacting to the bombardment of solar plasma. MORE: Space Station Watches Technicolor Aurora Erupt Snaking Aurora Another beautiful auroral scene captured by an ISS astronaut in June 2010 over the southern hemisphere. The green color is caused by the excitement of atmospheric oxygen. MORE: Spectacular Aurora Ribbon Photographed by Astronaut Space Meteor! In this stunning photograph by NASA astronaut Ron Garan, a single Perseid meteor was captured as the piece of comet dust slammed into the Earth's atmosphere in August 2011. MORE: Astronaut Photographs Perseid Meteor... From Space Comet Lovejoy On Dec. 21, 2011 NASA astronaut Dan Burbank photographed the dazzling comet Lovejoy as it hung above the Earth's horizon. This photo was taken only a few days after its close encounter with the sun. The green haze in the photo is known as "airglow." MORE: Astronaut Photographs Comet Lovejoy... From Space Hurricane Irene In August 2011, Hurricane Irene ravaged the U.S. East Coast. From their vantage point, astronauts aboard the ISS have an unparalleled view of our planet, so events like Irene can be closely monitored. It is for this reason why there is an extensive Earth observation program of which ISS astronauts have a large part to play. MORE: Hurricane Irene from Space Spacewalking NASA's spacewalking astronaut Mike Fossum points at the camera as he removes a failed ammonia pump module from the ISS during the final shuttle mission to the station in July 2011. eneral Information: Launched in Brussels on October 2008, the European Alliance for Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (EARTH) is the first European Network created by experts of responsible tourism. The non-profit association (ASBL) is composed by private organizations based in 7 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain). EARTH has one main goal: transform and unite Europe in “One Europe for Responsible Tourism”. The network brings to life the principles of sustainability, fairness and solidarity in the tourism field, by promoting the exchange of good practices, experience and knowledge among its members. There is a Board of directors composed by 7 persons and the coordinator of the network. EARTH has the member's memberships as only income and tries to participate to European projects as external expert. EARTH organizes meetings and participates regularly to European events. The action of the network is European. EARTH is supporting the activity of its members and is doing a great job of tourism watch at the European, National and International level for its members. Apart from its members, EARTH has partners as European networks (International Organisation of Social tourism, NECSTouR, The European Institute of Cultural routes, AREMDT network...). Mission and Objectives: Sharing good practices along with tools available to both small and micro-enterprises for a sustainable and competitive tourism. Supporting the EARTH network as a medium to convey to its Members the core vision of the European Agenda on responsible and competitive tourism. Approving and implementing a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) system. Main Projects / Activities: Raising travelers awareness about the principles of responsible tourism and good practices during their travel; Cooperating with conventional tourism agencies to raise their awareness about the principles of responsible tourism Cooperating with local authorities, public institutions at European, national and local level, agencies, schools and universities, research centers and other Tourist Operators, in defining tourism development policies based on the principles of sustainable development and responsibility Coordinating the activities of its Members encouraging the mutual exchange of good practices. Participating in projects involving international cooperation; Improving the quality of trips from an ethical viewpoint, through the adoption of good practices inspired by the principles of responsible tourism; Ensuring collaboration among responsible tourism operators and communities in the South of the world and their Organizations; Promoting the concept of responsible tourism through publications, information and awareness campaigns, meetings and conferences, participating in the international debate on tourism policies; Training tourist operators following the principles of responsible tourism, through the organization of courses and seminars in Universities and schools and by encouraging hosting placement periods; Supporting the activities of tour operators, travel agencies and associations specializing in responsible tourism, notably by participating in events and projects such as trade fairs, scholarships and other public initiatives and by assisting in collaborative relations. How can you contribute to the Network in your country?: We could organize and participate to meetings. We could represent the FAL at the European level. We could play a role of center of knowledge of the European level. We could transfer to our contacts and network the information and the news coming from FAL. Why do you want to join the ALF Network?: EARTH is very enthusiastic about joining FAL because we do believe in the same values and we are willing to amplify our network and our contacts. We are looking for new projects, new collaboration in order to share our experience, our knowledge and to support the principles of responsible tourism. Mauritius Chic beach resorts & Black River Gorges Tenerife Teide volcano, Carnaval & beach resorts Seychelles Mahé island, beaches & coral reefs Marrakesh Shop-filled medina & Koutoubia Mosque Cape Town Table Mountain, Robben Island & beaches Cairo Egyptian Museum, Sphinx & Giza pyramids Lanzarote Beaches & Timanfaya's volcanic landscape Gran Canaria Beach resorts, golf & Las Palmas shops Fuerteventura Canary Island with beaches & surfing Johannesburg Apartheid Museum & Constitution Hill Casablanca Mauresque buildings & Hassan II Mosque Unguja Beaches, safaris, kitesurfing, honeymoon, and snorkeling Kruger National Park Immense South African game reserve Nairobi Kenyan capital & safari departure point Maasai Mara Wildebeest migration & Maasai villages Luxor Karnak Temple & Valley of Kings tombs Hurghada Giftun Island diving & beach resorts Madeira Island Hiking, whale watching, gardens, wine, and sailing Agadir Crescent beach, golf & Souk El Had Fes Fes El Bali medina & al-Karaouine Mosque Victoria Falls Victoria Falls & Zambezi National Park La Palma Volcanoes & Santa Cruz de la Palma port Durban Golden Mile, Addington Beach & surfing Djerba Beach resorts & Houmt Souk's fort Alexandria Bibliotheca library, museums & ruins La Gomera Garajonay Park jungle & volcanic valleys Mombasa Safaris, beaches, seaside resorts, maasai, and honeymoon Serengeti National Park Annual migration & Grumeti River Tangier Hillside medina & Dar el Makhzen Ngorongoro Conservation Area “Big 5” game & ancient Olduvai Gorge Okavango Delta Moremi Game Reserve & Okavango River Funchal Madeira wine cellars & Sé Cathedral Las Palmas Gran Canaria capital, beaches & shopping Sal Beaches & Pedra de Lume salt lake Tunis Historic medina, Carthage ruins & Bardo Teide National Park Vast World Heritage park with volcano Arusha Mt. Kilimanjaro & Serengeti safaris Rabat Hassan Tower minaret & a royal kasbah Addis Ababa Capital with famed fossils & big market Dakar Capital & port city with slavery museum Dar es Salaam Fish markets, crafts & Bongoyo beaches Giza Ancient Egyptian pyramids & Great Sphinx Essaouira Port city with a beach & a walled medina Port Elizabeth Donkin Heritage Trail & beaches Windhoek Heroes’ Acre memorial & Christus Church Lagos Victoria Island, beaches & Freedom Park Kampala Hilly capital city home to Uganda Museum Aswan Philae temples & the Unfinished Obelisk Search Results Tourism in Africa - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Africa Tourism is an important economic sector for many countries in Africa. The four countries that benefit the most from tourism are Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and South ... ‎Tourism in Africa · ‎Tourism by Arrivals · ‎Tourism by Receipts · ‎Notes Africa 2017: Best of Africa Tourism - TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g6-Africa-Vacations.html Africa Tourism: TripAdvisor has 5880629 reviews of Africa Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Africa resource. Africa Tourism Monitor 2015: Tourism in Africa is on the rise, but has ... https://www.afdb.org › Home › News & Events Jan 12, 2016 - For the third year running, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has published the Africa Tourism Monitor, an annual report on the tourism ...Tourism in Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A tourist in Kenya in 2005 Tourism is an important economic sector for many countries in Africa. The four countries that benefit the most from tourism are Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and South Africa. A second category includes the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. Contents 1 Tourism in Africa 2 Tourism by Arrivals 3 Tourism by Receipts 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links Tourism in Africa The continent of Africa can be divided into three groups relative to tourism: those countries with a developed tourism industry; those with a developing industry; those that would like to develop a tourism industry. Countries like Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia have a successful tourism industry. Countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Mauritius can be considered as countries that have steady and consistent income from tourism. Countries like Tanzania, Algeria and Burundi are countries that have little to no economic benefit from tourism, but would like to see it expand.[citation needed] The successful countries in tourism are thriving due to a variety of factors. Countries like Morocco and Tunisia benefit from their beautiful beaches and their relative proximity to Europe. Tourism in Egypt is based on the rich history of Ancient Egypt, pyramids and artifacts. South Africa and Kenya benefit from wild safari expeditions, attracting tourists to see the wildlife of Africa. Tourism by Arrivals All of the data presented here is from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and from "Reviewing Africa in the Global Tourism Economy."[1] The following table shows the number of arrivals in each country: Arrivals.svg Country[a] Arrivals (2005) Algeria 1,443,000 Angola 210,000 Botswana 1,559,000 Burundi 148,000 Cameroon 210,000 Cape Verde 198,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo 61,000 Djibouti 30,000 Egypt 8,244,000 Eritrea 83,000 Gambia 111,000 Guinea 45,000 Lesotho 304,000 Mali 143,000 Mauritius (2010) 934,827[2] Morocco 5,843,000 Réunion 409,000 São Tomé and Príncipe 11,000 Senegal 769,000 Seychelles 129,000 Sierra Leone 40,000 South Africa 7,518,000 Swaziland 839,000 Togo 81,000 Tunisia 6,378,000 Uganda 468,000 Zimbabwe 1,559,000 Tourism by Receipts The following map and data depict the income from tourism in US dollar equivalent: Receipts2.svg Country[b] Receipts (2005) in US$ Botswana 562,000,000 Burundi 2,000,000 Cape Verde 123,000,000 Egypt 6,851,000,000 Eritrea 66,000,000 Kenya 879,000,000 Lesotho 30,000,000 Malawi 26,000,000 Morocco 4,617,000,000 Mozambique 130,000,000 Namibia 348,000,000 Reunion 384,000,000 Seychelles 192,000,000 Sierra Leone 83,000,000 South Africa 7,327,000,000 Sudan 89,000,000 Tanzania 796,000,000 Tunisia 2,063,000,000 Uganda 468,000 Zimbabwe 1,559,000 Notes No data is available for Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. No data is available for Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Togo, Swaziland and Zambia.Africa Tourism Monitor 2015: Tourism in Africa is on the rise, but has not yet reached its full potential 12/01/2016 Share | For the third year running, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has published the Africa Tourism Monitor, an annual report on the tourism industry in Africa. This year’s report, a joint publication by the AfDB, New York University’s Africa House and the Africa Travel Association (ATA), is entitled “Unlocking Africa’s Tourism Potential”. The report offers a comprehensive overview of the tourism sector in Africa, focusing on both opportunities and challenges. It features facts, figures and contributions from key tourism players across the continent, with tour operators, experts and industry representatives shedding light on key issues via a series of case studies. Strong growth reflected in figures One of the key findings of the report, as indicated in its introduction, is that the tourism sector in Africa is growing. In 2014, a total of 65.3 million international tourists visited the continent – around 200,000 more than in 2013. Back in 1990, Africa welcomed just 17.4 million visitors from abroad. The sector has therefore quadrupled in size in less than 15 years. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Africa’s strong performance in 2014 (up 4%) makes it one of the world’s fastest-growing tourist destinations, second only to Southeast Asia (up 6%). Africa’s top 3 tourist destinations in 2014 Two North African countries top the list of most-visited countries in Africa. Egypt experienced the strongest growth in the sector in 2014, with 454,000 more international arrivals than in 2013, an increase of 5% in just one year. Second on the list is Morocco, which once again recorded more than 10 million incoming international tourists in 2014 – an increase of 236,000 when compared with the previous year. In third place is Côte d’Ivoire, in West Africa. The country is experiencing a strong economic recovery. Although it recorded “only” 91,000 more international arrivals in 2014 than in 2013, this figure represents a 24% rise in just 12 months. This double-digit growth provides yet further evidence of the country’s vast tourism potential. This influx of tourists means more money coming into the continent. In 2014, Africa recorded US $43.6 billion in revenue. According to the UK’s World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the international tourism sector now accounts for 8.1% of Africa’s total GDP. More tourists also mean more jobs. Across the continent, there are around 20 million people working directly or indirectly for the tourism industry. This means that the sector accounts for 7.1% of all jobs in Africa. Jobs supported by the sector include guides, hotel staff, interpreters, aviation staff and small businesses. Yet the economic impact of tourism extends beyond job creation. The hospitality sector is experiencing particularly rapid growth and is expanding into new countries such as Mauritania, which have, until now, remained largely on the fringes. According to the report, it is Sub-Saharan Africa, rather than North Africa, that is benefiting most from the expansion of hotel chains and the corresponding increase in the number of available rooms. Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, comes top of the rankings in this respect, followed by Egypt and Morocco. However, the biggest hotel development project in Sub-Saharan Africa can be found in Equatorial Guinea, in the Grand Hotel Oyala Kempinski, which, when complete, will feature 451 rooms. A wealth of attractions and initiatives Africa boasts a rich variety of attractions that draw in tourists from around the world. The continent has a wealth of archaeological sites and historic monuments, such as pyramids (Egypt), cave churches (Ethiopia), Robben Island (South Africa), Gorée Island (Senegal) and cave paintings (Tassili N’Ajjer in Algeria and Tsodilo in Botswana). It is also a place of stunning landscapes and scenery, boasting attractions such as Victoria Falls, the Sahara, Namib and Kalahari deserts, picturesque coastlines, mountains, plains, tropical rainforests and bush ecosystems – home to exceptional plants and wildlife and flourishing small businesses. Recent years have seen the launch of numerous initiatives, across the continent, to attract more tourists. The report is particularly complimentary about recent simplifications to the visa system and regional cooperation mechanisms, including the introduction of the e-visa and the single visa scheme, enabling tourists to visit all Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states using just one visa. Other examples include the “KAZA” (Kavango Zambezi) common tourist visa developed by Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the single visa covering three countries (Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda) launched by the East African Community (EAC) in February 2014. According to the report, these visa simplification schemes and initiatives could boost tourism revenue and job creation by between 5% and 25%. Vast potential yet to be fully exploited Transport infrastructure and services is one of the key constraints limiting growth of the tourism sector. As the report indicates, “Journeys in the African continent are not always seamless”. In fact, it is more difficult – and more expensive – to travel across Africa than to get there from Europe, America or the Middle East. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) launched its Tourism Action Plan back in 2004, with a view to developing sustainable tourism. This followed the ratification, in 2000, of the Yamoussoukro Decision (named after the city in Côte d’Ivoire where it was adopted in 1999), which aimed to open up the continent’s aviation sector to competition. More than a decade on, however, neither initiative has been fully implemented. Yet effective application of the Yamoussoukro Decision, also known as “Open Skies for Africa”, would alone create 155,000 new jobs and contribute US $1.3 billion to the continent’s GDP. The report also points to other barriers to tourism sector development in Africa, including a lack of dedicated incentive policies, the need for closer regional cooperation, weaknesses in infrastructure and security problems. Security issues have posed a particular problem for the sector since 2013, especially in North Africa, Mali and coastal regions of Kenya. The report indicates that, of the 80 countries for which travel warnings were issued by the US State Department, 30 were located in Africa. Moreover, although the 2013-2014 Ebola virus outbreak only affected West Africa, it created a climate of fear that spread to many other countries on the continent – even those far from the source of the outbreak. Many of Africa’s iconic species – animals that attract tourists from across the globe – are on the brink of extinction. According to the report, poaching and the illegal trade in protected species have reached unprecedented levels. The authors call on African countries to recognise the economic value of their wildlife and to strengthen data production capacities in this area. The report goes on to explain that, as well as their effect on the economy, these illegal activities also have a damaging impact on biodiversity. Although international tourism is on the rise in Africa, the continent currently accounts for just 5.8% of the world’s incoming tourists and 3.5% of global revenue in the sector. As such, the sector still has vast untapped potential – potential that, if exploited, could kick-start rapid economic growth. Download a copy of Africa Tourism Monitor 2015 here. For more in-depth facts and figures and a more detailed overview, including infographics, visit Tourism Data for Africa, an online portal developed by AfDB, New York University’s Africa House and ATA.Top 10 tourism-ready countries in Africa 05 Jun 2015 Tiffany Misrahi Community Lead, Aviation & Travel Industries, Global Leadership Fellow, World Economic Forum LLC Latest Articles Italy may have a struggling economy but its people are the healthiest in the world Rosamond Hutt 18 Apr 2017 Your phone's fingerprint lock might not be as secure as you think Hallie Kapner 18 Apr 2017 Why reducing inequality could be a matter of survival Kaushik Basu 18 Apr 2017 More on the agenda Further reading arrow This article is part of the World Economic Forum on Africa 2015 With a projected growth of 4.9% in and accounting for nearly 9% of the continent’s GDP, Africa’s travel and tourism industry has incredible potential to help generate growth, create jobs and enable development. Which country is best positioned to benefit most from travel and tourism? The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 answers this question. It ranks countries on the basis of factors and policies that are currently in place to enable the sustainable development of the sector. The report is also a tool to help countries adapt their policies so that they can achieve their travel and tourism potential. This year’s most competitive countries in sub-Saharan Africa are: travel Looking at the results, you will see that South Africa is leading the way, ranking 48th globally and toping the African region, thanks in part to its relatively good infrastructure compared to neighbouring countries. South Africa is still reaping the benefits of the 2010 World Cup, with several sports stadiums that can host significant entertainment events. South Africa also ranked relatively high due to its efforts to reduce red tape and encourage business development in the tourism industry. While it is clear that Africa has enormous potential with its rich natural and cultural resources, it is still for the most part in the early stages of development for travel and tourism. Its challenges are not linked to its incredible resources, but rather to broader and longstanding issues facing the continent such as infrastructure, health and hygiene and security. Even though Africa received relatively strong results on issues relating to sustainability, the continent should keep sustainability as a central element as they develop. Indeed, deforestation and the loss of habitat and wildlife could become a serious issue for Africa’s tourism industry going forward. The majority of countries in the region realize tourism’s potential role as an economic opportunity and development catalyst, and have drafted strategic plans. But, the implementation of those plans across countries varies significantly. So what can be done? Aside from investing in its broader issues including infrastructure, hygiene and security, the African continent could focus on two elements, among others, relating specifically to travel and tourism policies. The first is travel facilitation. In effect, most countries in the region still have significant travel restrictions, and in some cases, such as that of South Africa, there are even discussions of tightening visa policies. Overall, Africa requires a traditional visa prior to departure from 58% of the world’s population. At the same time, it has the highest percentage of countries whose visitors are able to obtain a visa on arrival (31%). This figure varies across regions. For instance, Central African nations require 91% of the world’s population to get a traditional visa – the highest in the African sub-region. On the other hand, East Africa has the lowest requirements in the world; only 31% of the world’s population is required to have traditional visas. Still, some recent policy changes show a will to make progress. For example, the 15 members of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have introduced a visa policy that enables free movement of people across member states. Such moves to facilitate travel itineraries that take in more than one country will prove an attraction to international tourists. International cooperation will also be critical in transforming intra-African connectivity. If you have ever traveled in Africa you’ll know that getting around the continent can be a challenge, often requiring connecting flights from Europe or the Middle East. Although many air markets between Africa and countries outside the continent have been liberalized, the majority of intra-African aviation remains largely closed, due to restrictive bilateral agreements. A recent report from IATA highlights the benefits of enhancing air connectivity in Africa, noting for instance that a liberalization agreement between South Africa and Kenya in the early 2000s led to a 69% rise in passenger traffic. Similarly, Ethiopia’s numerous bilateral agreements have supported Ethiopian Airlines in becoming one of the largest and most profitable airlines in South Africa. By building on their competitive advantages and tackling their challenges head on, African nations will hopefully be able to achieve their full travel and tourism potential. The World Economic Forum on Africa 2015 takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 3-5 June. Author: Tiffany Misrahi, Community Manager, Travel & Tourism Industries, World Economic Forum Image: Sun City is nestled in the hills of the Bafokeng nation, 120 km (81 miles) north of Johannesburg. REUTERS/Thomas White Share WASHINGTON, October 3, 2013—A new World Bank report, “Tourism in Africa: Harnessing Tourism for Improved Growth and Livelihoods,” says that African countries can compete with other tourist-rich regions of the world if they can effectively plan for and integrate tourism into their economies. Countries around the world have benefited from tourism as international global arrivals have grown. For example, from 1980 to 2000 arrivals in the Asia Pacific grew from 8% to 22% contributing to economic growth and improved livelihoods. During the same period, Africa’s market share for global tourism grew from 3% (1980) to 5% (2010). To close this gap, the report calls on African governments and the private sector to work together to address obstacles such as land access and visa regulation to expand tourism opportunities, transform business climates and energize job creation, especially for women and youth. “Africa’s mountains, savannahs and rivers, and cultural events such as music, dance and festivals are far above the natural assets found in other regions,” says Iain Christie, one of the report’s co-authors. “With these natural attributes, tourism can play an enormous role in development. But to do so it must be integrated into each country’s economy and government structure and be seen as a benefit by everyone, from the president, to the ministers to the general population.” “Tourism in Africa” is the first World Bank report to comprehensively examine tourism throughout SSA and to recommend practical, evidence-based measures to unleash the sector’s economic and development power across the continent. It shows how Botswana, Cape Verde, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania among other countries have high potential for tourism expansion over the next five years, and argues that many SSA countries are on the verge of tourism success. A powerful development path Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of the world economy, and tourism in Africa is ripe for development, the report notes. For example, the number of tourists arriving in SSA has grown over 300% since 1990, with 2012 marking a high of 33.8 million tourists who visited the region. Income generated from tourism has also climbed: Receipts from hotels, tours and other attractions in 2012 amounted to over US$36 billion and directly contributed just over 2.8% to the region’s GDP, according to the report. This boost in tourism is occurring just as economic growth is exploding across the African continent. Over the last five years, real GDP rose an average 4.9% – faster than the 3% global average. As a result of the recent economic good health in SSA countries, global hotel chains are poised to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in Africa over the coming years to meet rising demand from both international tourists and the continent’s own fast-growing middle class, the report notes. “Africa is an important emerging growth market and despite political uncertainty in parts of the region, we continue to see demand for growth of all of our brands throughout the continent,” says Hassan Ahdab, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Vice-President and Regional Director of Operations for Africa & Indian Ocean region. “Starwood will increase its African portfolio by nearly 30% with 12 new hotels set to open over the next three years, adding nearly 3,000 guest rooms to the continent and creating thousands of local employment opportunities.” Current constraints At the same time, the expansion of tourism in SSA faces a number of obstacles. Issues such as land ownership and availability, and how land rights are transferred, are central to business and tourism development. Other constraints such as access to finance for investors, taxes on tourism investments, low levels of tourism skills among Africa’s population, lack of security, safety and high crime, and bureaucratic processes are present in varying degrees in SSA countries. The report provides steps to overcome each of these obstacles. Creating a path for growth To understand better which SSA destinations are the highest performers and why, the report presents a typology of destinations, which ranks the 48 SSA countries by level of tourism development, ranging from pre-emergent (those countries recovering from or engaged in civil war) to consolidating (countries with relatively mature tourism sectors), and provides recommendations appropriate for countries at each stage of tourism development. The report shows how countries that are scaling-up tourism need to invest in promotion and marketing, should take steps to enhance their image, and should provide incentives to investors, while those counties working to deepen their success need to diversify their tourism offerings, address seasonality, and manage growth strategically. Learning from success The report presents 24 tourism case studies from a wide range of destinations, dating from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, each chosen to illustrate a particular challenge or success and the effects of certain planning decisions. The cases illustrate good practice and lessons learned from countries that promoted tourism as a source of growth and poverty alleviation. They include large projects based on broad-scale land development (such as Turkey’s South Antalya) or citywide programs (such as Cancún or Dubai), cases that focus on specific activities (nature conservancies in Namibia, mountaineering in Kenya), and smaller cases that are typically individual islands, resorts or activities (such as Nihiwatu, Indonesia, or Jungle Bay, Dominica). The report describes SSA’s many tourism successes and urges governments to form alliances with the private sector—and the private sector to partner with government at local, regional and national levels. Together they can plan and develop tourism infrastructure, increase transparency in land ownership and create a business-friendly environment for tour operators and other companies. When sustainably managed, tourism fuels economic transformation, accelerates reform, triggers infrastructure improvements, and empowers women and minorities in countries throughout Africa.United States of AmericaDestinations New York City Statue of Liberty, skyscrapers & culture Las Vegas The Strip, casinos & gourmet dining Los Angeles Hollywood, Venice beach & the Lakers San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars & fog Grand Canyon National Park Mile-deep landmark with panoramic vistas Orlando Walt Disney World & Universal Studios Miami South Beach, art deco & Little Havana Chicago Willis Tower, the Cubs & deep-dish pizza Washington, D.C. U.S. capital & home to the Smithsonian Boston Freedom Trail, Red Sox & clam chowder Maui Haleakala volcano & beaches San Diego Beaches, U.S. Navy & the San Diego Zoo Seattle Space Needle, Starbucks & Puget Sound Yellowstone National Park Rivers, canyons & Old Faithful geyser Hawaii Volcanoes, beaches, Kohala Coast resorts New Orleans Mardi Gras, jazz music & streetcars Oahu Honolulu, Waikiki Beach & Pearl Harbor Yosemite National Park Tunnel View, El Capitan & giant sequoias Kauai Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Bay & Ke’e Beach Key West Duval Street, Mallory Square & Hemingway Atlanta Coca-Cola, Buckhead & Martin Luther King Houston NASA’s Space Center & major museums Philadelphia Liberty Bell & Independence Hall Honolulu Hawaiian capital famed for Waikiki Beach Dallas Historic Dealey Plaza & many art museums Denver "Mile High City" with museums & stadiums Phoenix Golf, desert spas & Camelback Mountain Portland Green city with quirky, vibrant culture Sedona Cathedral Rock, canyons & art galleries Nashville Grand Ole Opry & Johnny Cash Museum Niagara Falls Casinos, waterfalls, caves, haunted house, and canyons San Antonio Texan city with the Alamo & River Walk Long Island Jones Beach, Montauk Point & Hamptons Fort Lauderdale Beaches, boating & The Strip Tampa Busch Gardens, museums & nearby beaches Anaheim Disneyland & Colony Historic District Myrtle Beach Beach, boardwalk, golf & variety shows Salt Lake City Capital city with Mormons’ Temple Square Charleston Fort Sumter & pre–Civil War buildings Savannah Forsyth Park & pre-Civil-War sites Everglades Waterway Trail, gators & airboat tours Austin Live music, LBJ Library & Zilker Park Lake Tahoe Ski resorts, beaches & Emerald Bay Park Memphis BBQ, Beale Street & Elvis' Graceland St. Louis Gateway Arch, Mississippi River & blues Branson Live shows, theme parks, Table Rock Lake Napa Valley AVA Wineries, hot springs & Napa Wine Train Palm Springs Resorts, spas & Palm Canyon Drive shops Ad Visit & Explore Montana - Your Time Is Right Now - visitmt.com‎ Adwww.visitmt.com/Travel‎ A Place of Unlimited Possibilities. Don't Wait to Discover Montana for Yourself! Search Results Tourism in the United States - WikipediaTourism in the United States is a large industry that serves millions of international and domestic tourists yearly. Tourists visit the US to see natural wonders, cities, historic landmarks, and entertainment venues. Americans seek similar attractions, as well as recreation and vacation areas. Tourism in the United States grew rapidly in the form of urban tourism during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By the 1850s, tourism in the United States was well established both as a cultural activity and as an industry. New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, all major US cities, attracted a large number of tourists by the 1890s. By 1915, city touring had marked significant shifts in the way Americans perceived, organized, and moved. Democratization of travel occurred during the early twentieth century when the automobile revolutionized travel. Similarly air travel revolutionized travel during 1945–1969, contributing greatly to tourism in the United States. Purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services by international visitors traveling in the United States totaled $10.9 billion during February 2013.[1] The travel and tourism industry in the United States were among the first commercial casualties of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a series of terrorist attacks on the US. Terrorists used four commercial airliners as weapons of destruction, all of which were destroyed in the attacks. In the US, tourism is either the first, second, or third largest employer in 29 states,[which?] employing 7.3 million in 2004, to take care of 1.19 billion trips tourists took in the US in 2005. As of 2007, there are 2,462 registered National Historic Landmarks (NHL) recognized by the United States government. As of 2016, Orlando is the most visited destination in the United States. Tourists spend more money in the United States than any other country, while attracting the second-highest number of tourists after France.[2] The discrepancy may be explained by longer stays in the US.[2] Contents 1 19th century 2 Early tourism 3 Late 20th century 4 21st century 5 Attractions 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 19th century The rise of urban tourism in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries represented a major cultural transformation concerning urban space, leisure natural activity and as an industry.package tours did not exist until the 1870s and 1880s, entrepreneurs of various sorts from hotel keepers and agents for railroad lines to artists and writers recognized the profit to be gained from the prospering tourism industry.[3] The rise of locomotive steam-powered trains during the 1800s enabled tourists to travel more easily and quickly.[4] In the United States 2,800 miles (4,500 km) of track had been completed by 1840, by 1860 all major eastern US cities were linked by rail, and by 1869 the first trans-American railroad link was completed.[5] Yosemite Park was developed as a tourist attraction in the late 1850s and early 1860s for an audience who wanted a national icon and place to symbolize exotic wonder of its region.[3] Photography played an important role for the first time in the development of tourist attractions, making it possible to distribute hundreds of images showing various places of interest.[3] New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, all major US cities, attracted a large number of tourists by the 1890s.[6] New York's population grew from 300,000 in 1840 to 800,000 in 1850.[7] Chicago experienced a dramatic increase from 4,000 residents in 1840 to 300,000 by 1870. Dictionaries first published the word 'tourist' sometime in 1800, when it referred to those going to Europe or making a round trip of natural wonders in New York and New England. The absence of urban tourism during the nineteenth century was in part because American cities lacked the architecture and art which attracted thousands to Europe. American cities tended to offend the sensitive with ugliness and commercialism rather than inspire awe or aesthetic pleasure.[8] Some tourists were fascinated by the rapid growth of the new urban areas: "It is an absorbing thing to watch the process of world-making; both the formation of the natural and the conventional world," wrote English writer Harriet Martineau in 1837.[9] The Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts was one of many similar institutions classed as tourist attractions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As American cities developed, new institutions to accommodate and care for the insane, disabled and criminal were constructed. The Hartford, Connecticut American School for the Deaf opened in 1817, Ossining, New York state prison (now known as Sing Sing) in 1825, the Connecticut State Penitentiary at Wethersfield in 1827, Mount Auburn Cemetery in 1831, the Perkins School for the Blind in 1832, and the Worcester State Hospital in 1833.[10] These institutions attracted the curiosity of American and foreign visitors. The English writer and actress Fanny Kemble was an admirer of the American prison system who was also concerned that nature was being destroyed in favor of new developments. Guidebooks published in the 1830s, 40s and 50s described new prisons, asylums and institutions for the deaf and blind, and urged tourists to visit these sights.[11] Accounts of these visits written by Charles Dickens, Harriet Martineau, Lydia Sigourney and Caroline Gilman were published in magazines and travel books.[11] Sigourney's Scenes in My Native Land (1845) included descriptions of her tour of Niagara Falls and other places of scenic interest with accounts of her visits to prisons and asylums.[11] Many visited these institutions because nothing like them had existed before.[12] The buildings which housed them were themselves monumental, often placed on hilltops as a symbol of accomplishment.[12] Early tourism By 1915, city touring had marked significant shifts in the way Americans perceived, organized and moved around in urban environments.[6] Urban tourism became a profitable industry in 1915 as the number of tour agencies, railroad passenger departments, guidebook publishers and travel writers grew at a fast pace.[6] The expense of pleasure tours meant that only the minority of Americans between 1850 and 1915 could experience the luxury of tourism.[6] Many Americans traveled to find work, but few found time for enjoyment of the urban environment. As transportation networks improved, the length of commuting decreased, and income rose.[6] A growing number of Americans were able to afford short vacations by 1915. Still, mass tourism was not possible until after World War II.[6] During the nineteenth century, tourism of any form had been available only to the upper and middle classes. This changed during the early twentieth century through the democratization of travel. In 1895, popular publications printed articles showing the car was cheaper to operate than the horse.[13] The development of automobiles in the early 1900s included the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908. In 1900, 8,000 cars were registered in the US, which increased to 619,000 by 1911.[14] By the time of the Model T's introduction in 1908, there were 44 US households per car.[14] Early cars were a luxury for the wealthy, but after Ford began to dramatically drop prices after 1913, more were able to afford one.[15] The development of hotels with leisure complexes had become a popular development during the 1930s in the United States.[16] The range of "club" type holidays available appealed to a broad segment of the holiday market.[16] As more families traveled independently by car, hotels failed to cater to their needs.[16] Kemmons Wilson opened the first motel as a new form of accommodation in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952.[16] The Art Deco district of South Beach in Miami, Florida was developed during the 1930s. Although thousands of tourists visited Florida during the early 1900s, it was not until after World War II that the tourist industry quickly became Florida's largest source of income.[17] Florida's white sandy beaches, warm winter temperatures and wide range of activities such as swimming, fishing, boating and hiking all attracted tourists to the state. During the 1930s, architects designed Art Deco style buildings in Miami Beach.[18] Visitors are still attracted to the Art Deco district of Miami.[18] Theme parks were soon built across Florida. One of the largest resorts in the world, Walt Disney World Resort, was opened near Orlando, Florida in 1971.[19] In its first year, the 28,000-acre (110 km2) park added $14 billion to Orlando's economy. Late 20th century The Douglas DC-4 was one of the first airliners in the United States used for commercial flights. The revolution of air travel between 1945 and 1969 contributed greatly to tourism in the United States. In that quarter century, commercial aviation evolved from 28-passenger airliners flying at less than 200 mph (320 km/h) to 150-passenger jetliners cruising continents at 600 mph (970 km/h).[20] During this time, air travel in the US evolved from a novelty into a routine for business travelers and vacationers alike. Rapid developments in aviation technology, economic prosperity in the United States and the demand for air travel all contributed to the early beginnings of commercial aviation in the US.[20] During the first four decades of the twentieth century, long-haul journeys between large American cities were accomplished using trains. By the 1950s, air travel was part of everyday life for many Americans.[20] The tourism industry in the US experienced exponential growth as tourists could travel almost anywhere with a fast, reliable and routine system.[20] For some, a vacation in Hawaii was now a more frequent pleasure. Air travel changed everything from family vacations to Major League Baseball, as had steam-powered trains in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.[20] By the end of the twentieth century, tourism had significantly grown throughout the world. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO, 1998) recorded that, in 1950, arrivals of tourists from abroad, excluding same-day visits, numbered about 25.2 million.[21] By 1997, the figure was 612.8 million. In 1950 receipts from international movements were US$2.1 billion, in 1997 they were $443.7 billion.[21] 21st century The travel and tourism industry in the United States was among the first commercial casualties of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a series of terrorist attacks on the US. Terrorists used four commercial airliners as weapons of destruction, all of which were destroyed in the attacks with 3,000 casualties.[22] In the first full week after flights resumed, passenger numbers fell by nearly 45 percent, from 9 million in the week before September 11 to 5 million.[22] Hotels and travel agencies received cancellations across the world. The hotel industry suffered an estimated $700 million loss in revenue during the four days following the attacks.[22] The situation recovered over the following months as the Federal Reserve kept the financial system afloat. The U.S. Congress issued a $5 billion grant to the nation's airlines and $10 billion in loan guarantees to keep them flying.[22] In the US, tourism is either the first, second or third largest employer in 29 states, employing 7.3 million in 2004, to take care of 1.19 billion trips tourists took in the US in 2005.[23] The US outbound holiday market is sensitive in the short term, but possibly one of the most surprising results from the September 11, 2001 attacks was that by February 2002 it had bounced back. This quick revival was generally quicker than many commentators had predicted only five months earlier.[24] The United States economy began to slow significantly in 2007, mostly because of a real-estate slump, gas prices and related financial problems.[25] Many economists believe that the economy entered a recession at the end of 2007 or early in 2008.[25] Some state budgets for tourism marketing have decreased, such as Connecticut which is facing soaring gas prices.[26] 100 million tourists visited Florida in 2015, a record for the nation.[27] Attractions Main article: Tourist attractions in the United States Today, there exists a wide range of tourist attractions in the United States such as amusement parks, festivals, gambling, golf courses, historical buildings and landmarks, hotels, museums, galleries, outdoor recreation, spas, restaurants and sports. Number of non-immigrant admissions for tourist and business purposes into the United States in fiscal year 2015 United States Over 2 million admissions Over 1 million admissions Over 500 thousand admissions Over 250 thousand admissions Over 100 thousand admissions Over 15 thousand admissions Under 15 thousand admissions Highest number of non-immigrant admissions for tourists and for business purposes into the United States in fiscal year 2014 and 2015 was from the following countries (listed over 700,000 admissions):[28][29] Country FY2015 FY 2014 Mexico Increase 19,175,345 Increase 18,889,281 Canada Increase 11,671,122 Increase 11,289,743 United Kingdom Increase 4,691,874 Increase 4,549,934 Japan Decrease 3,750,667 Decrease 3,933,941 Brazil Increase 2,383,822 Increase 2,275,588 China Increase 2,309,654 Increase 2,001,302 Germany Decrease 2,208,145 Increase 2,283,086 France Decrease 1,915,725 Increase 1,966,335 South Korea Increase 1,742,422 Increase 1,576,328 Australia Increase 1,399,615 Increase 1,389,358 Italy Decrease 1,229,115 Increase 1,282,485 India Increase 1,175,153 Increase 1,111,738 Spain Decrease 953,969 Increase 955,737 Colombia Increase 928,424 Increase 924,916 Argentina Increase 765,576 Increase 730,089 Netherlands Decrease 749,826 Increase 766,936 Venezuela Decrease 745,097 Increase 744,666 Sweden Decrease 682,178 Increase 751,455 Total (worldwide) Increase 69,025,896 Increase 67,519,113 [show]Statistics of American Samoa 2014[30] [show]Statistics of Guam[31] [show]Statistics of Northern Mariana Islands[32] See also Visa policy of the United States Ecotourism in the United States List of World Heritage Sites in the United States Welcome centers in the United States References INTERNATIONAL VISITORS SPEND $14.3 BILLION IN FEBRUARY 2013, UP 5 PERCENT FROM FEBRUARY 2012, April 15, 2013, retrieved April 19, 2013 "France learns to speak 'touriste'". Associated Press. Sears, John F. (1989), Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century, University of Massachusetts Press, p. 123, ISBN 1-55849-162-7 "Summer Travel" (PDF), The New York Times, July 19, 1868, retrieved October 22, 2013 Standeven, Joy; de Knop, Paul (1999), Sport Tourism, Human Kinetics, p. 20, ISBN 0-87322-853-7 Cocks, Catherine (2001), Doing the Town: The Rise of Urban Tourism in the United States, 1850-1915, University of California Press, pp. 6–7, ISBN 0-520-22746-8 Cocks 2001, pp. 6–7 Cocks 2001, p. 11 Sears, C.; Davis, T.; Guydish, J. (Jan 2002), "Effects of treatment history and centralized intake on drug treatment outcomes.", Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 34 (1): 87–95, doi:10.1080/02791072.2002.10399940, ISSN 0279-1072, PMID 12003118 Sears, John F. 1989, p. 11 Sears, John F. 1989, p. 89 Sears, John F. 1989, p. 90 Lay, M. G.; Vance, James E. (1992), Ways of the World: A History of the World's Roads and of the Vehicles That Used Them, Rutgers University Press, p. 174, ISBN 0-8135-2691-4 Lay & Vance 1992, p. 170 Lay & Vance 1992, p. 180 Standeven & de Knop 1999, p. 31 Viele, John (1996), The Florida Keys: A History of the Pioneers, Pineapple Press, p. 135, ISBN 1-56164-101-4 Cerwinske, Laura; Kaminsky, David (1981), Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach, Rizzoli, ISBN 0-8478-0345-7 Grant, Kim; Penland, Paige R. (January 2003), Florida (3rd ed.), Lonely Planet Publications, p. 27, ISBN 1-74059-136-4 Yenne, Bill (2005), Classic American Airliners, Zenith Imprint, p. 8, ISBN 0-7603-1931-6 Ryan, Chris (2003), Recreational tourism: Demand and Impacts, Channel View Publications, p. 18, ISBN 1-873150-56-3 Mak, James (2003), Tourism and the Economy: understanding the economics of tourism, University of Hawaii Press, p. 193, ISBN 0-8248-2789-9 Parks, Janet B.; Jerome, Quaterman; Lucie, Thibault (2007), Contemporary sport management, Human Kinetics, p. 142, ISBN 0-7360-6365-X Ryan 2003, p. 28 Leonhardt, David (2008), "United States Economy", New York Times, retrieved May 19, 2008 Levy, Harlan J. (May 18, 2008), "Trying to Sell Europeans stuff", The New York Times, retrieved May 19, 2008 Day, Ashley (March 6, 2016). "Florida shines brightly in spring". USA Today/Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 3U. Retrieved March 6, 2016. 2014 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics Yearbook of Immigration Statistics 2015 Statistical Yearbook 2014 pages 91-92 Data for arrivals by air only [1] External links United States of America travel guide from Wikivoyage Office of Travel and Tourism Industries Discover America - The Official Travel and Tourism Website of the United States. Receptive Services Association of America [show] v t e Tourism in North America [show] v t e United States articles Categories: Tourism in the United StatesTourism in North America Tourism statistics Jump to: navigation , search Data from November 2015. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database. Planned article update: April 2017. Table 1: Tourism trips of residents (aged 15 years or more), 2014 Source: Eurostat (tour_dem_tttot) and (tour_dem_ttq) Table 2: Tourist accommodation establishments, 2014 Source: Eurostat (tour_cap_nat) and (tour_occ_ninat) Figure 1: Number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, EU-28, 2004–14 (1) (billion nights spent by residents and non-residents) Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninat) Table 3: Top 10 Member States of origin for outbound holidays, 2014 (million nights spent abroad by residents of the country) Source: Eurostat (tour_dem_tntot) Figure 2: Country of origin for outbound tourism trips, 2014 (average nights spent abroad per inhabitant aged 15 years or more) Source: Eurostat (tour_dem_tntot) and (demo_pjanbroad) Figure 3: Tourism destinations — nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, 2014 (1) (million nights spent in the country by non-residents) Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninat) Table 4: Top 10 tourism destinations — nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, 2014 (million nights spent in the country by non-residents) Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninat) Figure 4: Tourism intensity, 2014 (nights spent by residents and non-residents at tourist accommodation establishments per inhabitant) Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninat) Table 5: Travel receipts and expenditure in balance of payments, 2010–14 Source: Eurostat (bop_c6_q), (bop_eu6_q) and (nama_10_gdp) This article provides information on recent statistics in relation to tourism in the European Union (EU). Tourism plays an important role in the EU because of its economic and employment potential, as well as its social and environmental implications. Tourism statistics are not only used to monitor the EU’s tourism policies but also its regional and sustainable development policies. In 2012, one in ten enterprises in the European non-financial business economy belonged to the tourism industries. These 2.2 million enterprises employed an estimated 12.0 million persons. Enterprises in industries with tourism related activities accounted for 9.0 % of the persons employed in the whole non-financial business economy and 21.9 % of persons employed in the services sector. The tourism industries' shares in total turnover and value added at factor cost were relatively lower, with the tourism industries accounting for 3.6 % of the turnover and 5.5 % of the value added of the non-financial business economy. Contents 1 Main statistical findings 1.1 Tourism — demand and supply 1.2 Nights spent by tourists travelling abroad 1.3 Top destinations in the EU 1.4 Economic aspects of international travel 2 Data sources and availability 3 Context 4 See also 5 Further Eurostat information 5.1 Publications 5.2 Main tables 5.3 Database 5.4 Dedicated section 5.5 Methodology / Metadata 5.6 Source data for tables and figures (MS Excel) 5.7 Other information 6 External links Main statistical findings Tourism — demand and supply Residents (aged 15 and above) from within the EU-28 made an estimated 1.2 billion tourism trips in 2014, for personal or business purposes. Short trips (of one to three nights) accounted for more than half (57.4 %) of the total number of trips made (see Table 1), while three quarters (74.9 %) of all trips made were to domestic destinations, with the remainder abroad. In some EU Member States, over half of the total number of tourism trips made in 2014 were to destinations abroad; this was the case for Luxembourg, Belgium, Malta and Slovenia (as well as Switzerland). However, 10.0 % or less of the trips taken by residents of Romania, Spain and Portugal were abroad. These figures appear to be influenced by both the size of the Member States and their geographical location (smaller and more northerly countries tended to report a higher propensity for their residents to travel abroad). It is estimated that some 61.1 % of the EU-28’s population aged 15 or over took part in tourism for personal purposes in 2012 (aggregates for 2013 and 2014 not yet available), in other words they made at least one tourist trip for personal purposes during the year. Again, large differences can be observed between the EU Member States, as this participation rate ranged from 25.1 % in Romania (data for 2013) to 88.5 % in Finland. From the supply perspective, it is estimated that there were just over 570 thousand tourist accommodation establishments active within the EU-28 in 2014 and that together they provided nearly 31 million bed places (see Table 2). Nearly one third (32.2 %) of all the bed places in the EU-28 were concentrated in just two of the EU Member States, namely France (5.1 million bed places) and Italy (4.8 million bed places), followed by the United Kingdom (data are for 2013), Spain and Germany. During recent years, the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments has generally shown an upward trend (see Figure 1). However, there was a short-lived downturn in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in 2008 and 2009 as a consequence of the financial and economic crisis: the number of tourism nights in the EU-28 fell by 0.6 % in 2008 and by a further 2.1 % in 2009. In 2010, however, the number of nights spent increased by 4.7 % and this positive development continued, with growth of 3.3 % in 2011, 4.3 % in 2012 and 2.1 % in 2013. In 2014, the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in the EU-28 reached a peak of 2.7 billion nights, up by 1.8 % compared with 2013. Nights spent by tourists travelling abroad EU-28 residents spent an estimated 2.6 billion nights abroad on tourism trips in 2014 (see Table 3). German residents spent 730 million nights on trips outside of Germany in 2014, while residents of the United Kingdom spent 564 million nights abroad (data are for 2013); residents from these two EU Member States accounted for more than half (50.4 %) of the total number of nights spent abroad by EU-28 residents. When taking into account a country’s size in terms of its population, Luxembourg was the EU Member State whose residents spent the most nights abroad per inhabitant (an average of 24.6 nights in 2014), followed by Cyprus (20.3). At the other end of the spectrum, residents of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece spent, on average, less than one night abroad in 2014 (see Figure 2). Top destinations in the EU In 2014, Spain was the most common tourism destination in the EU for non-residents (people coming from abroad), with 260 million nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments, or 21.5 % of the EU-28 total (see Figure 3 and Table 4). Across the EU, the top four most popular destinations for non-residents were Spain, Italy (187 million nights), France (131 million nights) and the United Kingdom (105 million nights, data for 2013), which together accounted for more than half (56.6 %) of the total nights spent by non-residents in the EU-28. The least common destinations were Luxembourg and Latvia; the effect of the size of these Member States should be considered when interpreting these values. The number of nights spent (by residents and non-residents) can be put into perspective by making a comparison with the size of each country in population terms, providing an indicator of tourism intensity. In 2014, using this measure, the Mediterranean destinations of Malta, Cyprus and Croatia, as well as the alpine and city destinations of Austria were the most popular tourist destinations in the EU-28 (see Figure 4); Montenegro (data are for 2012) and Iceland (data for 2013) were also popular destinations using this measure of tourism intensity. Economic aspects of international travel The economic importance of international tourism can be measured by looking at the ratio of international travel receipts relative to GDP; these data are from balance of payments statistics and include business travel, as well as travel for pleasure. In 2014, the ratio of travel receipts to GDP was highest, among the EU Member States, in Croatia (17.2 %), Malta (14.4 %) and Cyprus (12.3 %), confirming the importance of tourism to these countries (see Table 5). In absolute terms, the highest international travel receipts in 2014 were recorded in Spain (EUR 49.0 billion) and France (EUR 43.2 billion), followed by the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany (all three recording receipts of EUR 33–35 billion). Germany recorded the highest level of expenditure on international travel, totalling EUR 70.3 billion in 2014, followed by the United Kingdom (EUR 47.8 billion) and France (EUR 36.7 billion). Spain was the EU Member State with the highest level of net receipts from travel in 2014 (EUR 35.4 billion), while Germany recorded the biggest deficit (EUR -37.6 billion). Data sources and availability Tourism, in a statistical context, refers to the activity of visitors taking a trip to a destination outside their usual environment, for less than a year. It can be for any main purpose, including business, leisure or other personal reasons other than to be employed by a resident person, household or enterprise in the place visited. Tourism statistics are currently limited to at least one overnight stay; as of reference year 2014, outbound same-day visits are also covered by official European statistics. A system of tourism statistics was established in Council Directive 95/57/EC of 23 November 1995 on the collection of statistical information in the field of tourism. This legal basis requires EU Member States to provide a regular set of comparable tourism statistics. In July 2011, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted a new Regulation 692/2011 concerning European statistics on tourism and repealing Council Directive 95/57/EC; this came into force for reference year 2012. Tourism statistics in the EU consist of two main components: on the one hand, statistics relating to capacity and occupancy of collective tourist accommodation; on the other, statistics relating to tourism demand. In most EU Member States, the former are collected via surveys filled in by accommodation establishments, while the latter are mainly collected via traveller surveys at border crossings or through household surveys. Statistics on the capacity of collective tourist accommodation include the number of establishments, the number of bedrooms and the number of bed places. These statistics are available by establishment type or by region and are compiled annually. Statistics on the occupancy of collective tourist accommodation refer to the number of arrivals (at accommodation establishments) and the number of nights spent by residents and non-residents, separated into establishment type or region; annual and monthly statistical series are available. In addition, statistics on the use of bedrooms and bed places (occupancy rates) are compiled. Statistics on tourism demand are collected in relation to the number of tourism trips made (and the number of nights spent on those trips), separated by: destination country; purpose length of stay; accommodation type; departure month; transport mode; expenditure. The data are also analysed by the sociodemographic characteristics of the tourist: sex; age group; educational attainment level; household income; activity status. Data from a range of other official sources may be used to study tourism. These statistics include: structural business statistics (SBS) and short-term business statistics (STS) which may be used to provide additional information on tourism flows and on the economic performance of certain tourism-related sectors; data on employment in the tourism accommodation sector from the labour force survey (LFS), analysed by working time (full/part-time), working status, age, level of education, sex, permanency and seniority of work with the same employer (annual and quarterly data); data on personal travel receipts and expenditure from the balance of payments; transport statistics (for example, air passenger transport). Context According to a United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) publication titled ‘Tourism highlights’, the EU is a major tourist destination, with five of its Member States among the world’s top 10 destinations in 2014. Tourism has the potential to contribute towards employment and economic growth, as well as to development in rural, peripheral or less-developed areas. These characteristics drive the demand for reliable and harmonised statistics within this field, as well as within the wider context of regional policy and sustainable development policy areas. Tourism can play a significant role in the development of European regions. Infrastructure created for tourism purposes contributes to local development, while jobs that are created or maintained can help counteract industrial or rural decline. Sustainable tourism involves the preservation and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, ranging from the arts to local gastronomy or the preservation of biodiversity. In 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication titled ‘A renewed EU tourism policy: towards a stronger partnership for European tourism’ (COM(2006) 134 final). It addressed a range of challenges that will shape tourism in the coming years, including Europe’s ageing population, growing external competition, consumer demand for more specialised tourism, and the need to develop more sustainable and environmentally-friendly tourism practices. It argued that more competitive tourism supply and sustainable destinations would help raise tourist satisfaction and secure Europe’s position as the world’s leading tourist destination. It was followed in October 2007 by another Communication, titled ‘Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism’ (COM(2007) 621 final), which proposed actions in relation to the sustainable management of destinations, the integration of sustainability concerns by businesses, and the awareness of sustainability issues among tourists. The Lisbon Treaty acknowledged the importance of tourism — outlining a specific competence for the EU in this field and allowing for decisions to be taken by a qualified majority. An article within the Treaty specifies that the EU ‘shall complement the action of the Member States in the tourism sector, in particular by promoting the competitiveness of Union undertakings in that sector’. ‘Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination — a new political framework for tourism in Europe’ (COM(2010) 352 final) was adopted by the European Commission in June 2010. This Communication seeks to encourage a coordinated approach for initiatives linked to tourism and defined a new framework for actions to increase the competitiveness of tourism and its capacity for sustainable growth. It proposed a number of European or multinational initiatives — including a consolidation of the socioeconomic knowledge base for tourism — aimed at achieving these objectives. See also All articles on tourism statistics Tourism statistics at regional level Tourism trips of Europeans (online publication) Further Eurostat information Publications Recent Eurostat publications on tourism Main tables Tourism (t_tour) Database Tourism (tour) Dedicated section Tourism Methodology / Metadata Annual data on trips of EU residents (ESMS metadata file — tour_dem_esms) Capacity and occupancy of tourist accommodation establishments (ESMS metadata file — tour_occ_esms) Methodological manual for tourism statistics Source data for tables and figures (MS Excel) Excel.jpg Tourism statistics: tables and figures Other information Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism (Communication from the European Commission, October 2007) Projects and studies, see Methodology for tourism statistics and Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) External linksAntarcticaDestinations Deception Island Hot springs, penguins, whales, and volcanoes King George Island Penguins Snow Hill Island Emperor penguin and penguin Ross Island Walking Livingston Island McMurdo Station Anvers Island Palmer Archipelago Villa Las Estrellas Ads Tourism In Antarctica - Unspoiled Humpback Heaven - polarholidays.com‎ Adwww.polarholidays.com/tourism/Antarctica‎ Magnificent, magical, memorable cruises. 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