Destination Geography

Tourism and
Geography in
the Americas
(2)
Central America
incl. The Caribbean Islands
 See Handout....
 Fill in all the countries and familiarise yourself with the names
and locations....
Central America incl. The Caribbean Islands
 Central America
incl. The Caribbean Islands

 May or not include Mexico, depending on what you read

 Central America – Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama is distinctly
apart from its bigger, more well-known American
neighbours...

 Spanish is the national language in all of the above,

except Belize (English)
 All have a colonial past...

 Mexico, Costa Rica and to a lesser extent Panama are the

only countries of real interest to us regarding tourism.....
 Project – 100% Continuous Assessment
 This week
 Carry on section on The Americas.
 Include the map (which you have filled in) of Central America
 Write a paragraph about 5 famous attractions in the region (include
picture of each)

 Research each of the following destinations in Central America in detail;

 Call it... Spotlight on;
o Mexico
o Cuba
o Costa Rica
o The Bahamas
 1.5 pages on each – Cover demographics/ geography, politics,
tourism information and attractions.
• Know the information by the end!
• Format should be the same as outlined. Arial, 1.5 etc.
BA Travel & Tourism Mgt.
Costa Rica
 The success story of Central America including a
burgeoning tourism industry
 Excellent tourist facilities... Stable prosperous economy
 Big emphasis on eco-tourism and family holidays
 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (National Park)
 Capital – San Jose (330,000)... Total Population 1. 5 million
 Language
• Spanish
 Check it out.... www.visitcostarica.com

 Costa Rica is a tropical country, fairly close to the equator. Although in the
mountains above 2,000 meters you get much cooler temperatures, the average
annual temperature for most of the country lies between 21.7°C and 27°C
 The nation's climate is classically divided into two major seasons: rainy and dry.
The dry season runs from January through May and the rainy season from May
to November and December.
Panama
 Wavers between anti- and pro- American sentiment and between
substantial tourism and no tourism!
 Political situation directly related to tourism
 Panama City
 Panamas most impressive destination and a popular cruise stop....
 History influenced by the Spanish. Indians, pirates....
 Panama Canal
 Joins the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. One of the largest and
most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken
 Had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans,
replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and
Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. The first attempt
to construct a canal began in 1880 under French leadership. After this
attempt failed and 21,900 workers died, the project of building a canal
was completed by the United States in the early 1900s, with the canal
opening in 1914. The building of the 77 km canal was plagued by
problems, including disease and landslides. By the time the canal was
completed, a total of 27,500 workmen are estimated to have died in the
French and American efforts.
 Since opening, the canal has been enormously successful, and
continues to be a key conduit for international maritime trade.
 Mexico
 (See handout)

 Estimated population of 109 million, it is the 11th most

populous country in the world
 Member of the OECD since 1994, Mexico is firmly
established as an upper middle-income country
 However, strong divide between rich and poor. Also, issues with
drugs and violence

 Mexico City - Guadalajara

 Mexico - Tourism
 Mexico – Very bio-diverse country (huge range of different
species)
 Country split by the tropic of cancer – Two different climates
north and south
 Very mountainous country...
 Huge tourism industry (7th most popular)
 Ancient ruins, colonial past, coastal climate, unique culture
(fusion)
 U.S. is the main market – Domestic tourism also strong
Caribbean Islands
 *Once called the West Indies – Still a cricket team under this name
 We will discuss, Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas
and Barbados
 The region also includes Haiti, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Caymans
Islands and dozens of other islands...
 How to get there?
 Via major US and Caribbean airlines, cruises, chartered boats
etc.
 Miami, Florida is the major international gateway to the Caribbean...
 Year round destination
 Christmas to April is peak season...
 Summers hot and humid and often characterised by fierce hurricanes
 The whole region is characterised by a relaxed pace of life
Caribbean Islands
 What motivates visitors to the Caribbean?
 What’s not to like about a tropical holiday?
 The weather is always warm
 Huge array of cultural experiences
 The number one cruising destination in the world
 Diving, fishing, yachting etc.
 Most destinations within a 3 hour flight from the USA
 ‘Potential’ Market of 300 million people
 Nightlife and gambling destination
 Jamaica
 What do we know about Jamaica?
 Due south of Cuba, widely varied terrain...
 From a tourism perspective it mixes the good with the bad
 Major Caribbean Destination: Reggae music, Jungle waterfalls, sweeping
beaches etc
 However also, crime, drugs, poverty..... Voodoo!!
 Population; 2,800,000 estimate
 Capital City; Kingston (650,000)

 Tourism and mining are its two largest foreign earning markets
 Cruise tourism/ resort tourism/ activity breaks
 Dunns River Falls – Most famous attraction...
Cuba
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLeqf0OpzTg
 Cuba (Population – 11,500,000 estimate)
 Capital City – Havana (2,400,000 estimate) Largest city in the
Caribbean
 Country with a very unique history and present.
 Divides opinion strongly

 Do some research...Draw your own conclusions

 Issues related to tourism??
 Puerto Rico is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the
United States located in the north Eastern Caribbean, east of the
Dominican Republic.
 Population; 4 million approximately
 Vibrant, modern, bilingual, multicultural society, one that has been
moulded by Spanish, African, Indian and U.S. influences
 Capital: San Juan (Pop. 420,000)... Very historic city
 American so no need to worry about immigration & customs
 Lush countryside/ culturally rich
 Preponderance of gambling casinos!
 El Yunque is a 29,00 acre rain forest

 Both Spanish and English are the official languages

 Local currency is the U.S. Dollar
The Bahamas
 The Bahamas, is an English-speaking country consisting of
29 islands and plenty of rocks!
 Located in the north of Cuba and southeast of the United
States of America.
 Population of 330,000. Capital City; Nassau.
 It remains a Commonwealth realm??
The Bahamas
The Bahamas
 Tropical location, only 50 miles south of Florida
 Tourism industry employs directly or indirectly about 50
percent of the Bahamian workforce and accounts for
approximately half of the country's GDP...
 Destinations;
 Paradise Island – Resort Destination incl. Atlantis Mega
Resort, gambling etc. (sometimes known as the Bahamian
Riviera)
 Bimini – Made famous by the English writer Ernest
Hemmingway
 The Out Islands – Cruising, fishing, yachting etc.
Barbados
 Attracting tourists for centuries unlike the other Carribean
islands...
 Population – 279,000
 Parliamentary democracy – Member of the Commenwealth but
independent since 1966
 Capital – Bridgetown
 Barbados wears its British links prominently and will appeal to those
seeking a calm, prosperous environment, along with the attractions of
some of the other Carribean islands