Unit4  Tourist Resources (I)

TextA  WhatNature Bestows upon Us

Touristattractions can be categorized in various ways, for example, Gunn (1988),organized them into touring circuit (short-stay) attractions and focused(longer-stay) attractions, based on two types of tourism: those that satisfytouring markets for travelers on tours involving many separate location stopsand those at or near longer stay destinations. Lew (1987) reviewed the researchmethods used in the study of tourist attractions and the tourist attractivenessof places and concluded that most studies can be classified into one or more ofthe three general perspectives: the ideographic(文字上的) listing, theorganization, and the tourist cognition(认知) ofattractions. However all these approaches make comparisons of attractions ontheir historical, locational and valuational aspects. A common system ofclassification is to establish the major categories of: (1)Natural attractionsthat are based on features of the natural environment; (2)Cultural attractions thatare based on man's activities; and (3)Special types of attractions that areartificially created.

Naturaltourist attractions may include the following:

Climate: Awarm, sunny, dry climate is typically considered desirable by most tourists,especially those from cold winter areas, and particularly when associated withother attractions such as beach, marine and mountain areas that provideopportunities for recreation activities. Certain kinds of health resorts arealso often located in warm, sunny and dry climate areas. Some types of populartourist activities such as snow skiing and tobogganing(坐雪橇滑行) require cold weather and snow, butpreferably still clear skies.

ScenicBeauty: The overall natural scenic beauty of an area may be a major motivationto visit there, especially when conservation measures have been applied tomaintain the cleanliness and natural character of the environment. Attractiveand interesting agriculture landscapes such as the rolling green fields ofBritain and the terraced rice fields(梯田) ofChina can also be considered places of scenic beauty. Associated with areas of scenicbeauty are activities such as pleasure driving with stops at scenic viewpoints, hiking, picnicking, camping and wildlife viewing. Remote scenic areasmay offer opportunities for adventure-oriented tourists engaging in activitiessuch as river rafting, rock climbing, and long-distance trekking(乘牛车旅行).

Beaches andMarine Areas: Blue seawater with beautiful sand beaches and associated marineareas for sunbathing, swimming, boating, wind and board surfing, water skiing, parasailing(帆伞运动), snorkeling(带呼吸管潜泳) and scuba diving, sportfishing, and other water recreation activities are major attractions in manyparts of the world. These features attract both general interest tourists whoare seeking relaxation and recreation as well as special interest tourists whoengage in such activities as scuba diving and sport fishing. Much of thetourism developed in the Caribbean(加勒比海),Mediterranean(地中海),Pacific islands, and Indian Ocean islands regions is based onbeach and marine tourism combined with a warm, sunny climate.

Flora andFauna: Unusual and interesting flora and fauna can be very importantattractions, especially when combined with scenic landscapes. Outstandingexamples of flora and fauna as attractions are the game parks of East Africaand South Asia and the redwood parks of California, which attract tourists fromthroughout the world. In addition to general interest tourists visiting theseplaces are those with special interests, such as bird watchers and amateurbotanists(植物学家). Controlledhunting of wildlife can be an attraction in some places. Zoos, aquariums(水族馆) and botanic gardens are specializedflora and fauna features and, if well developed and maintained, can be majorinternational attractions, such as San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park inCalifornia. These can also be important in assisting the conservation ofendangered species and conducting biological research. A modern concept for zoodevelopment is to provide a natural environment for the animals, and the nightsafari park(野生动物公园), whereanimals can roam in a natural habitat and visitors view them from vehicles.

SpecialEnvironmental Features: Special environmental features such as high mountains,usual geographical formations, caves, geysers(间隙喷泉), hotsprings, and mild forms of volcanic activities are important attractions forboth general sightseeing and special interest tourists. Activities associatedwith special environmental features include, for example, mountain and rockclimbing, spelunking (cave exploration), and development of health spas focusedon hot mineral water springs. Large caves such as Mammoth Cave(马莫斯洞穴) and Carlsbad Caverns(卡尔斯巴德洞穴) in the USA attract millions ofvisitors each year. Mountain climbing in the Himalayas is a major specializedattraction and an important source of income for the countries involved.

Parksand Conservation Areas: Important natural areas and their flora and faunashould be designated(指明) withsome type of conservation status, such as national or regional park, naturereserve, or wildliferefuge. The IUCN(国际自然保护和自然资源联合会) hasspecialized categories andcriteria for establishment of parks andconservation areas. However, the concept of national parks varies amongcountries, depending on the local situation. For example, in the USA and Canadanational parks must be in public ownership with little or no architectureallowed except for visitor facilities, while in the UK, parks may includeprivate lands, agricultural activities and villages, but with development andpublic access controlled. (835words)

 

Exercises:

A. Readthe passage and answer the following questions.

1. How did Gunn classify touristattractions in 1988?

2. What are the general perspectivesused in the study of tourist attractions according to Lew?

3. How many categories do a commonsystem of classification to toursit attractions according to the passage? Andwhat are they?

4. What may natural tourist attractionsinclude according to the passage?

5. Which types of popular touristactivities require cold weather and snow?

6. What activities can you do when youare visiting Beaches and Marine Areas?

7. What is the modern concept for zoodevelopment according to the passage?

8. What are the differences on theconcept of national parks between the USA and the UK?

 

B.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1.Gunn(1988), organized them intotouring circuit (short-stay) attractions and focused (longer-stay) attractions,based on two types of tourism:

2. A common system of classification isto establish the major categories of: (1)Natural attractions that are based onfeatures of the natural environment; (2)Cultural attractions that are based onman's activities; and (3)Special types of attractions that are artificiallycreated.

3. In addition to general interesttourists visiting these places are those with special interests, such as birdwatchers and amateur botanists(植物学家).

4. Special environmental features suchas high mountains, usual geographical formations, caves, geysers(间隙喷泉),hot springs, and mild forms of volcanic activities are important attractionsfor both general sightseeing and special interest tourists.

5. In the USA and Canada national parksmust be in public ownership with little or no architecture allowed except forvisitor facilities, while in the UK, parks may include private lands,agricultural activities and villages, but with development and public accesscontrolled.