Resort town

Last updated

Heiligendamm in Germany, established in 1793, the oldest seaside resort in continental Europe Heiligendamm um 1841 Salon und Badehaus, Godewind Verlag.jpg
Heiligendamm in Germany, established in 1793, the oldest seaside resort in continental Europe
Aerial view of the Cancun island, from the top of the Torre Escenicain, May 2008 Cancun001.JPG
Aerial view of the Cancún island, from the top of the Torre Escénicain, May 2008
Railway station in Tatranska Lomnica ski resort, Slovakia Tatranska Lomnica station.jpg
Railway station in Tatranská Lomnica ski resort, Slovakia

A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes the term resort town is used simply for a locale popular among tourists. One task force in British Columbia used the definition of an incorporated or unincorporated contiguous area where the ratio of transient rooms, measured in bed units, is greater than 60% of the permanent population. [1]

Contents

Generally, tourism is the main export in a resort town economy, with most residents of the area working in the tourism or resort industry. Shops and luxury boutiques selling locally themed souvenirs, motels, and unique restaurants often proliferate the downtown areas of a resort town.

In the case of the United States, resort towns were created around the late 1800s and early 1900s with the development of early town-making. [2] Many resort towns feature ambitious architecture, romanticizing their location, and dependence on cheap labor. [2]

Resort town economy

If the resorts or tourist attractions are seasonal in nature (such as a ski resort), resort towns typically experience an on-season where the town is bustling with tourists and workers, and an off-season where the town is populated only by a small amount of local year-round residents.

In addition, resort towns are often popular with wealthy retirees and people wishing to purchase vacation homes, which typically drives up property values and the cost of living in the region. Sometimes, resort towns can become boomtowns due to the quick development of retirement and vacation-based residences. [3]

However, most of the employment available in resort towns are typically low paying and it can be difficult for workers to afford to live the area in which they are employed. [4] Many resort towns have spawned nearby bedroom communities where the majority of the resort workforce lives.

Resorts towns sometimes struggle with problems regarding sustainable growth, due to the seasonal nature of the economy, the dependence on a single industry, and the difficulties in retaining a stable workforce. [5]

Economic impact of tourism

Local residents are generally receptive of the economic impacts of tourism. Resort towns tend to enjoy lower unemployment rates, improved infrastructure, more advanced telecommunication and transportation capabilities, and higher standards of living and greater income in relation to those who live outside this area. [6] Increased economic activity in resort towns can also have positive effects on the country's overall economic growth and development. In addition, business generated by resort towns have been credited with supporting the local economy through times of national market failure and depression. [2]

In a study conducted by the Urban and Regional Planning Department of Istanbul Technical University, 401 local residents in the resort community of Antalya were interviewed and asked to give their opinion on the economic impacts of tourism. Among the participants, 67% had lived in Antalya for over ten years, 66% had at least a high school degree, and 30% reported jobs that were related to tourism. [7] The results are as follows:

Perceived impact on select economic impact items (Antalya)

Economic Item% Totally agreeStandard deviation
Increase in cost of land and housing970.82
Increase in prices of goods and services970.81
More job opportunities in Antalya980.71
Better maintenance of Antalya960.86
Higher standard of roads and public facilities950.90
Increased income for local people920.94
Better appearance of Antalya861.17
More shopping opportunities851.03
Increased standard of living801.06
Economic gains for ordinary people171.12
A comic drawn for a newspaper in a resort area; it depicts elderly local residents with limited income who are used to visiting attractions nearby. 10 mile radius panel Door County Advocate.jpg
A comic drawn for a newspaper in a resort area; it depicts elderly local residents with limited income who are used to visiting attractions nearby.

More recently, resort towns have come under greater scrutiny by local communities. Instances where resort towns are poorly managed have adverse effects on the local economy. One example is the uneven distribution of income and land ownership between local residents and businesses. During tourist season, increased demand for accommodation may raise the price of land, causing a simultaneous increase in rent for local residents whose income in invariably lower than foreign residents. [6] This results in a preponderance of foreigners in the land market and an erosion of economic opportunities for local residents.

The revenues amassed from tourism typically do not benefit the host country or the local communities. Income to local communities generated by tourism are all of the expenditures accrued after taxes, profits, and wages are paid out; however, around 80% of traveler's expenditures go to airlines, hotels, and international companies, not to local businesses. [8] These funds are referred to as leakages. Tourism has also been blamed for other negative economic impacts to local communities. Although resort towns usually boast more improved infrastructure than surrounding areas, these developments usually present high costs to local governments and tax payers. [8] Reallocating government funds to subsidize infrastructure and tax breaks to firms shift available funding to local education and health services. In addition, resort towns typically do not have dynamic economies, resulting in an over dependence on one industry. Economic dependence on tourism poses particular challenges to resort towns and its local residents given the seasonal nature of the job market in some areas. [8] Local residents of resort towns face job insecurity, difficulties in obtaining training, medical-benefits, and housing.

Examples of resort towns

Grand Hotel Kurhaus in Resort architecture style, in Binz, Rugen (Germany) Kurhaus in Binz.jpg
Grand Hotel Kurhaus in Resort architecture style, in Binz, Rügen (Germany)
An aerial view of the Naantali summertown in Finland Nakyma Naantalin kirkon tornista etelaan, Naantali, 24.7.2008.jpg
An aerial view of the Naantali summertown in Finland
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Beach at Fort Lauderdale.jpg
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
A pedestrian street in Jurmala, Latvia Jurmala 2.jpg
A pedestrian street in Jūrmala, Latvia
Nusa Dua in Bali, Indonesia Nusa dua beach.jpg
Nusa Dua in Bali, Indonesia

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay village</span> Geographical area within a city that is inhabited or frequented by LGBT people

A gay village, also known as a gayborhood, is a geographical area with generally recognized boundaries that is inhabited or frequented by many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT) people. Gay villages often contain a number of gay-oriented establishments, such as gay bars and pubs, nightclubs, bathhouses, restaurants, boutiques, and bookstores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourist attraction</span> Place of interest where tourists visit

A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.

Tourism in Puerto Rico attracts millions of visitors each year, with more than 5.1 million passengers arriving at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in 2022, the main point of arrival into the island of Puerto Rico. With a $8.9 billion revenue in 2022, tourism has been a very important source of revenue for Puerto Rico for a number of decades given its favorable warm climate, beach destinations and its diversity of natural wonders, cultural and historical sites, festivals, concerts and sporting events. As Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, U.S. citizens do not need a passport to enter Puerto Rico, and the ease of travel attracts many tourists from the mainland U.S. each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Vallarta</span> City in Jalisco, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican beach resort city on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. The City of Puerto Vallarta is the government seat of the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta, which comprises the city as well as population centers outside of the city extending from Boca de Tomatlán to the Nayarit border. The city is located at 20°40′N105°16′W. The municipality has an area of 681 square kilometres (262.9 sq mi). To the north, it borders the southwest of the state of Nayarit. To the east, it borders the municipality of Mascota and San Sebastián del Oeste, and to the south, it borders the municipalities of Talpa de Allende and Cabo Corrientes.

A seaside resort is a city, town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the German Seebad. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Shore</span> Coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey

The Jersey Shore is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about 141 miles (227 km) of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south. The region includes Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, which are in the central and southern parts of the state. Located in the center of the Northeast Megalopolis, the northern half of the shore region is part of the New York metropolitan area, while the southern half of the shore region is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as the Delaware Valley. The Jersey Shore hosts the highest concentration of oceanside boardwalks in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabo San Lucas</span> City in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Cabo San Lucas, also known simply as Cabo, is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 202,694. Cabo San Lucas, together with the famous San José del Cabo are collectively known as Los Cabos. Together, they form a metropolitan area of 351,111 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in the United States</span> Industry serving international and domestic tourists

In the United States, tourism is a large industry that serves millions of international and domestic tourists yearly. Foreigners visit the U.S. to see natural wonders, cities, historic landmarks, and entertainment venues. Americans seek similar attractions, as well as recreation and vacation areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida panhandle</span> Northwest region of Florida

The Florida panhandle is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a salient roughly 200 miles (320 km) long, bordered by Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is arbitrarily defined. It is defined by its southern culture and rural geography relative to the rest of Florida, as well as closer cultural links to French-influenced Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Its major communities include Pensacola, Navarre, Destin, Panama City Beach, and Tallahassee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanya</span> District and municipality in Antalya, Turkey

Alanya, formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city, a municipality and district of Antalya Province, Turkey. It is on the southern coast of Turkey, in the country's Mediterranean Region, 133 kilometres (83 mi) east of the city of Antalya. Its area is 1,577 km2, and its population is 364,180 (2022). The city proper has 189,222 inhabitants (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Mexico</span> Overview of tourism in Mexico

Tourism in Mexico is a very important industry. Since the 1960s, it has been heavily promoted by the Mexican government as "an industry without smokestacks". Mexico has traditionally been among the most visited countries in the world according to the World Tourism Organization, and it is the second-most visited country in the Americas, after the United States. In 2017, Mexico was ranked as the sixth-most visited country in the world for tourism activities. Mexico has a significant number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with the list including ancient ruins, colonial cities, and natural reserves, as well as a number of works of modern public and private architecture. Mexico has attracted foreign visitors beginning in the early nineteenth century, with its cultural festivals, colonial cities, nature reserves and the beach resorts. The nation's temperate climate and unique culture – a fusion of the European and the Mesoamerican – are attractive to tourists. The peak tourism seasons in the country are during December and the mid-Summer, with brief surges during the week before Easter and Spring break, when many of the beach resort sites become popular destinations for college students from the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zihuatanejo</span> City in the Mexican state of Guerrero

Zihuatanejo, and/or Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, is the fourth largest city in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It was known by 18th-century English mariners as Chequetan and/or Seguataneo. Politically the city belongs to the municipality of Zihuatanejo de Azueta in the western part of Guerrero, but both are commonly referred to as Zihuatanejo. It is on the Pacific Coast, about 240 km northwest of Acapulco. Zihuatanejo belongs to a section of the Mexican Pacific Coast known as the Costa Grande. This town has been developed as a tourist attraction along with the modern tourist resort of Ixtapa, 5 km (3.1 mi) away. However, Zihuatanejo has kept its traditional town feel. The town is located on a well-protected bay which is popular with private boat owners during the winter months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vacation rental</span> Furnished dwelling for short-term stays

A vacation rental is the renting out of a furnished apartment, house, or professionally managed resort-condominium complex on a temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. The term vacation rental is mainly used in the US. Other terms used are self-catering rental, holiday home, holiday let, cottage holiday and gite.

Shoobie is a New Jersey, Delaware, and Southern California slang term for a tourist who visits the seashore for a day or summer-only residents. Shoobie is used in the Southern New Jersey coast, and resort towns in California. The term is also used to describe daytrippers on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. A similar term is benny, which is mostly used in the Monmouth County and northern Ocean County resort towns of the Jersey Shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Turkey</span>

Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean Sea coasts. Turkey has also become a popular destination for culture, spa, and health care. Since 2021, Turkey is the fourth most visited country in the world.

A hotel tax or lodging tax is charged in most of the United States, to travelers when they rent accommodations in a hotel, inn, tourist home or house, motel, or other lodging, generally unless the stay is for a period of 30 days or more. In addition to sales tax, it is collected when payment is made for the accommodation, and it is then remitted by the lodging operator to the city or county. It can also be called hotel occupancy tax in places like New York City and Texas. Despite its name, it generally applies to the same range of accommodations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean</span> Overview of tourism in the Caribbean

Tourism is one of the Caribbean's major economic sectors, with 25 million visitors contributing $49 billion towards the area's gross domestic product in 2013, which represented 14% of its total GDP. It is often described as, "the most tourism-dependent region in the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourist attractions in the United States</span> Overview of tourist attractions in the United States of America

This is a list of the most popular individual tourist attractions in the United States, lists of tourist attractions organized by subject region, and a selection of other notable tourist attractions and destinations.

Welcome centers, also commonly known as visitors' centers, visitor information centers, or tourist information centers, are buildings located at either entrances to states on major ports of entry, such as interstates or major highways, e.g. U.S. Routes or state highways, or in strategic cities within regions of a state, e.g. Southern California, Southwest Colorado, East Tennessee, or the South County region of Rhode Island. These welcome centers, which first opened on May 4, 1935 next to U.S. Route 12 in New Buffalo, Michigan, are locations that serve as a rest area for motorists, a source of information for tourists or new residents that enter a state or a region of a state, and a showcase for the state. These features make welcome centers, visitors centers, and service plazas, which are similar to welcome centers, distinct from rest areas. In Alaska and Hawaii, their unique geographical locations preclude them from having welcome centers as known in the rest of the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African American resorts</span>

During the decades of segregation in the United States, African Americans established various resorts. The resorts were self-contained commercial establishments. Varying resort accommodations included rooms for rent, meals and fine food, cocktail bars, dancing, sporting facilities, and beaches. Also in some cases entire communities were known as resort areas for African Americans. The Negro Motorist Green Book helped guide African Americans to accommodating and safe places, including Idlewild, Michigan, which was among the most well known.

References

  1. Transitions: Planning, Servicing, and Local Governance in BC's Resort Communities (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1: Best Practices Project. Government of British Columbia. December 2004.
  2. 1 2 3 Crewe, Katherine. "Chandler's Hotel San Marcos: The Resort Impact on a Rural Town." Journal of Urban Design 16.1 (2011): 87-104. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 November 2014.
  3. "Nevada Commission on Tourism". travelnevada.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. Thrane, Christer. "Earnings differentiation in the tourism industry: Gender, human capital and socio-demographic effects." Tourism Management 29.3 (2008): 514-524.
  5. "MATR News: Resort towns struggle with growth". 26 August 2004. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 TATOĞLU, Assist Prof EKREM, et al. "Resident perceptions of the impact of tourism in a Turkish resort town." Leisure Sciences (1998): 745-755.
  7. Korça, Perver. "Resident Perceptions of Tourism in a Resort Town." Leisure Sciences 20.3 (1998): 193. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Negative Economic Impacts of Tourism". United Nations Environment Programme. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013.
  9. "About St. Lawrence Gap - Otherwise Known as 'The Gap'". TotallyBarbados.com. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  10. "Tofino area is home of Canada's priciest hotel rooms". Archived from the original on 1 August 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  11. "Colombia's best beaches". 16 March 2013.
  12. Tourism Mariehamn & Mariehamn Travel Guide – Discovering Finland
  13. Naantali Tourism – Discovering Finland
  14. "to the glittering resort town along the French Riviera". Herald Scotland. 26 May 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  15. Klein Leichman, Abigail (6 June 2011). "Turning Eilat into a priority resort". Israel 21c Innovation News Service. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  16. "Manuel Belletti wins short, sharp Coppi-Bartali opener" . Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  17. "Multi-million dollar upgrade for Jamaica resort town". Caribbean360. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  18. "Sākumlapa |". Jurmala.lv. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  19. "Kurortų asociacija". www.kurortuasociacija.lt. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  20. 1 2 Resorts & Regions - visitmalta.com
  21. "Página Oficial | H. Ayuntamiento de Cancún". Cancun.gob.mx. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  22. "Queenstown New Zealand: Official Site". Queenstownnz.co.nz. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  23. "World's most exotic luxury ski resort? Hitting the slopes at Masik, North Korea". cnn.com. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  24. "Wonsan, North Korean Beach Resort, Announced By Kim Jong Un". The Huffington Post. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  25. "Health resorts offer touch of history in south-western Poland". Monsters and Critics. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  26. "Faro Holiday - Faro Travel Guide". Wordtravels.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  27. "Sochi". Mahalo.com. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  28. "Las Palmas Holiday - Las Palmas Travel Guide". Wordtravels.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  29. "Blackpool - Hotels, attractions, events, breaks, holidays, tourist information". Visitblackpool.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  30. "bosmag". Bournemouth.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  31. "Weston-super-Mare Town Guide, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK - a complete guide to Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding area - listing holtels, bed and breakfast, caravan sites, camping sites, businesses, attractions and much more". Weston super Mare. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  32. "Aspen Named Most Expensive Town in America". Fox News. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  33. "Best of Nha Trang, Vietnam with video and photos". Worldbestplaces.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2013.