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Tourist Attractions and Theme Parks Page 1 of 3

IV. LESSON PROPER

Based on the preliminary activities, what did you notice about it?
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CONGRATULATIONS!
You may now proceed to the lesson.

The Nature and Scope of Tourist Attractions

• This are the major components of the tourism industry that function as main motivators for
travel. Without attractions that draw tourists to destination, there will be little need for other
tourist services such as transportation, lodging, food distribution, and others. The natural
attraction, entertainment attractions, events, and recreation are including in the extensive
list of attractions that brings the tourists to a destination area.
• Heritage attractions – such as the prehistoric and archaeological sites appeal to those who
want to learn about ancient and contemporary civilizations. The ancient monuments of
Egypt, Greece, Israel, turkey, Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Peru.
• Recreation attractions – Those who seek exciting adventures. These attractions provide
access to indoor and outdoor facilities where tourists can participate in sports an other
recreational activities such as bowling alleys, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, ski resort,
biking trails, bicycle paths and, marinas.
• Commercial attractions – are retail operations which deal with gifts, handicrafts, souvenirs,
and art. Recent surveys show that shopping is the principal activity of both domestic and
international visitors.
• Industrial attractions – This are the wineries and breweries have long been tourist
attractions. factory tours have increase and manufacturers have developed elaborate
facilities to manage tourists.
• Modern cities that are rich with cultural treasures also attract millions of visitors every year.
Because of this, sightseeing tours which make the city attractions accessible are provide.
Theaters, museums, zoos, aquariums, cultural arts, festivals, shopping, and dining are
some of the sites and activities that appeal to tourists.
The Evolution of Tourist Attractions
• They considered a modern creation. The evolution of tourism depended on the existence
and development of attractions. as far back as the Roman Empire, travelers went to Egypt
to see the pyramids. Later, the Grand Tour routes were around the major cultural
attractions of Europe.
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Tourist Attractions and Theme Parks Page 2 of 3

SELECTION OF THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR THEME PARKS

Approximate
Year Visitor Nos.
Country
Opened in 2014
(million)
1896 Black Pleasure Beach UK 6.5
1951 De Eheling Netherlands 3.5
1955 Disneyland, Anaheim USA 13
1964 Universal Studios, Hollywood USA 5
1971 Magic World, Orland USA 1
1977 Ocean Park Hongkong 3
1982 EPCOT, Orlando USA 9
1983 Tokyo Disneyland Japan 13
1989 Lotte World, Seoul South Korea 8
1990 Universal Studios, Japan USA 7
1992 Disneyland, Paris France 10
2001 Universal Studios, Japan Japan 7
2001 Disney California Adventures USA 5.5
• The United States of America considered to be the pioneer in the development of theme
parks. The fist theme park was Disneyland created by Wait Disney in Anaheim, California
in 1355, which attracted four million visitors in its first year of operation. The Disney vision
is to create a magical place where children and parents could enjoy. Disney’s second
larger resort, the Wait Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is now the World’s, most visited
tourist destination. The development of the attraction sector is not only concerned with
theme parks; since the 1980, there has been a rapid growth in all types of attraction from
country houses to industry related visitor centers.
Definition of Attractions
• According to Pearce (2001), a tourist attraction named site with a specific human or
natural feature which is the focus of visitor and management attention. On the other hand,
Swarbrooke (2001) defines attractions as single units; individual sites or very small,
delimited geographical units based on a single feature. Destinations are different from
attractions together with the support services required by tourists.
CLASSIFICATION OF ATTRACTIONS
• Attractions may be classified according to its features such as its core product.
Attractions can be grouped as”
1. Historic houses
2. Museums and galleries
3. Wildlife attractions
4. Castles
5. Botanical gardens
6. Stream railways
7. Visitors centers
8. Country parks
9. Leisure parks
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• Physical environment
Attractions may be located in the:
1. Natural environments such as forests, mountains, and national parks.
2. Built environment which are not originally designed for visitors but are adapted as
attractions due to its increasing popularity among people, such as historic houses,
workplaces, steam railways, and castles.
3. Built environment and designed for visitor purposes such as visitor centers and leisure
• Ownership – These are owned and managed by organizations, trusts, and individuals
working in the pubic, private and not for profit sectors. State involvement in attractions
funding is shown in Europe, Canada, and Singapore.
• Admission policy - Some attractions charge admission fees while others are free to the
public. Attractions operated by membership subscription organizations allow members
free entry. Voluntary donations are requested in other attractions such as churches and
cathedrals.
• Appeal – Attractions may appeal to a local market, regionally, nationally, or
internationally. Domestically tourists usually dominate the market for tourist attractions.
however, there are different types of attraction that appeal to different types of tourists.
• Size and Capacity – Attractions differ in land coverage. Some are housed in small
buildings, while others several hectares. Attractions designed for mass tourists are able to
receive a large number of visitors.
• Degree of Performance – Built tourists attraction are usually attractions with a high
degree of performance. Events and festivals have a short duration.
• Number of Visitors – Tourists attractions receive varying visitor numbers. Some
attractions regularly record approximately more than 500, 000 visitors while others attract
smaller number of travelers.
Amusement Parks and Theme Parks
• Amusement park and theme park are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and
rides and other events in a specific location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people.
An amusement park is more elaborate than a simple city park or playground because it
provides attractions to people of all ages.
• Amusement parks evolved in Europe from fairs and pleasure gardens which were
established for the people’s recreations. The oldest amusement park in the world is
Bakken which was opened in 1583 at Klampenborg, North of Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Theme park is often used as a synonym for amusement park. A theme park is a distinct
type of amusement park which promotes a specific theme or exclusive set of themes.
Disneyland in Anaheim, California is considered as the first theme park.
• Theme park trips are ideal for family vacations, including children below 19 years old.
Theme park travelers usually fly to their destinations and rent a car once they arrive. They
engage in various activities such as shopping, and visiting historical places, museums and
beaches.