travel and tourism cgg30 lesson 2, page introduction · 2019. 12. 7. · travel and tourism cgg3o...

Travel and Tourism CGG30 Lesson 2, page 1

Introduction This lesson introduces you to the geographical concept of regions and the various ways that

regions can be defined. Following this introduction, you will look at the characteristics of a

tourist region. You will learn about the five specific tourist regions in the world recognized by

the World Tourism Organization , as well as other examples of tourist regions. You will begin

the process of researching tourism by examining a region in your own province of Ontario.

What You Will Learn

After completing this lesson, you will be able to

• explain the geographic concept of a region

• analyze how availability of transportation influences tourist reg10ns

• explain how regions are defined by natural and human characteristics

• identify different types of regions

• analyze the major natural, cultural, economic, and political characteristics of selected

tourist regions

• compare travel and tourism characteristics for different tourist regions, including city-

centred regions

• use geographic inquiry to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize information

• gather geographic information from secondary sources (the Internet and travel guides)

• gather geographic information from road maps

• use road maps to clarify geographic information and relationships

Travel and Tourism CGG3O Lesson 2, page 3

Regions: How Geographers

Organize Space

Types of Regions

Geographers are interested in describing the Earth and understanding how its different

parts interact. The Earth is a big place and understanding it can be an overwhelming

task. Geographers therefore use certain techniques to make their task easier. One of

those techniques is to organize space into regions. A region is an area of the Earth's

surface that can be defined according to one or more characteristics.

Single-Factor Regions

Canada is divided into 13 political regions called provinces and territories. One human

characteristic used to define these regions is the government. Since only one

characteristic is used to define the region, this type of region is called a single-factor

region. These regions have very distinct boundary lines that can be drawn on a map.

An example of a single-factor region that uses a natural characteristic is a drainage

basin. A drainage basin is the land that drains into a particular body of water. The

continent of North America is divided into five oceanic drainage basins. Like provinces

and territories, drainage basins have distinct boundary lines that are easy to identify.

The boundary lines of ocean drainage basins are called continental divides. Logan

Pass is on the continental divide in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. On one side of

Logan Pass, the rivers flow toward Hudson Bay; on the other side, they run to the Pacific

Ocean. (See photo of Logan Pass below)

The drainage basins of Canada can be viewed at the Canadian Atlas Online

(discussed below).

Lesson 2, page 4 Travel and Tourism CGG30

Multi-Factor Regions

Sometimes a region is defined by many factors. For example, a number of natural

characteristics such as climate, landforms, and natural vegetation are used to define

ecozones. Ecozones are an example of multi-factor regions.

Transition Zones

Unlike political regions or drainage basins, ecozones do not

have distinct boundaries. The various characteristics that define ecozones gradually change,

so the boundaries of ecozones are sometimes indistinct. Transition zones can be identified

that have some of the characteristics of one neighbouring region and some characteristics of

another neighbouring region.

An example of a transition zone exists in the vegetation of central Ontario. In the

southernmost part of Ontario, the natural vegetation consists of broad-leaved, or deciduous,

trees. In northern Ontario, the natural vegetation consists of evergreen, or coniferous, trees.

Between these two types of natural vegetation is a transition zone called the mixed-wood

forest. Both the deciduous forest and the mixed-wood forest are part of the same ecozone

known as the Mixed-Wood Plains.

Homogeneous Regions

The word "homogeneous" means "the same throughout." In a homogeneous region, you can

expect that the defining characteristic does not change from one part of the region to

another. Single-factor regions with distinct boundaries, such as drainage basins, are usually

homogeneous. An ecozone in which there is a transition in vegetation through the region is not

homogeneous.

Functional Regions

A functional region is defined by a common activity or function that occurs within the

region. Ecozones are functional regions because there are common human activities within an

ecozone. For example, the Mixed-Wood Plains of southern Ontario are characterized by

intense agriculture, manufacturing, and urban centres.

Your Notes:

Multi-Factor Region:

Transition Zone:

Homogeneous Regions:

Functional Regions:


Macro-regions

When regions cover large areas of the Earth's surface, they are known as macro-regions.

Macro-regions can usually be subdivided into smaller regions. For example, ocean drainage

basins are macro-regions, but many different rivers run into the same ocean.

Micro-regions At the smallest size, the regions are known as micro-regions.

River drainage basins would form subregions. In turn, streams run into rivers. The stream

drainage basins would form small micro-reg10ns.

Table 1 will help you organize all the different terms and their relationship to one another.

Table 1: Various Types of Regions

Single-Factor Region Multi-Factor Region

Based on one characteristic Based on many factors

Example: drainage basin Example: ecozone, based on climate,

vegetation, soils, landforms

Micro-region Macro-region Micro-region Macro-region

Smallest unit of Largest unit of Smallest unit of Largest unit of land land land land

Example: stream Example: oceanic Example: small Example: large drainage basin drainage basin pond ecosystem continental biome

Homogeneous Region

Functional Region Characteristic of the region is the

Region is based on a common activity same throughout

• often has transition zones• distinct boundaries


Glossary of Key Terms

region: area of the Earth's surface that can be defined based on one or more characteristics.

single-factor region: region defined by one characteristic.

drainage basin: land that drains into a particular body of water. It is an example of a

single-factor region.

continental divide: boundary line of an ocean's drainage basin.

multi-factor region: region defined by more than one characteristic.

transition zone: area near the boundary of a region where the characteristics change.

homogeneous region: region in which the defining characteristics do not change from one

part of the region to another.

functional region: region defined by a common activity or function.

macro-region: region that covers a large part of the Earth's surface, such as a continent.

micro-region: region that covers a very small area, such as a neighbourhood.

Canadian Atlas Online

The Canadian Atlas will be a very useful resource for this course. There are two online

versions of this atlas available through the Internet. To find the first one, use a search engine such

as Google. (The URL is www.google.ca) Enter "Royal Canadian Geographical Society" in the

search box. From the home page of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, you should

find the Canadian Atlas Online. A hyper link will bring you to the atlas. Look for the title

"Water, water everywhere." If you click on the arrow, it should bring you to a map of Canada's drainage basins. If a different page appears, look for a pull-down menu (it could be under the title "Basics") which lists "Drainage basins." Click on it and read the information about the map.


Support Questions

4. Examine the map of drainage basins on Canadian Atlas

Online. Identify the names of the five drainage basins inCanada.

Example: Gulf of Mexico

Drainage basin 1: _________________ _

Drainage basin 2: _________________ _

Drainage basin 3: _________________ _

Drainage basin 4: _________________ _

5. Which drainage basin is the largest?

6. Click on the map and a larger version will appear. Thismap is interactive and shows the direction that water flowstoward the oceans. It will also identify various rivers if youmove your cursor over the rivers.

Identify three river basins that form subregions in theHudson Bay drainage basin.

Example: Nelson

River basin 1:------------------

River basin 2: ------------------

River basin 3: _________________ _

7. A map of Canada's ecozones can be viewed at a number ofsites on the Internet . Use a search engine and type the keywords "ecozones of Canada."

a) What is the URL of the site? _________ _


b) How many terrestrial ecozones are there in Canada?

c) List five terrestrial ecozones in Canada:

Example: Arctic Cordillera

Terrestrial ecozone 1:------------

Terrestrial ecozone 2: ___________ _



Terrestrial ecozone 5:------------

8. A pizza company has a central telephone number and

advertises delivery within half an hour or the pizza is free.

In order to meet the half-hour deadline, the pizza company

has delivery zones that are supplied by local franchises.

How would you classify these local delivery zones? Would

they be

a) macro-regions or micro-regions? _________ _

b) single-factor or multi-factor? ________ �--

c) homogeneous or functional? ___________ _


Tourist Regions The World Tourism Organization is an agency of the United Nations that promotes global

tourism in order to encourage economic development and international understanding. The

World Tourism Organization divides the world into six macroregions for tourism purposes.

Examine the maps below. You will notice that the world tourism regions are loosely based on

continents, although the Middle East region includes countries in both Africa and Asia, and

the region of Europe includes countries that are actually in Asia. How then are these regions

organized? Each region functions as a separate tourist market. Within each region there are

common historical and cultural characteristics. For example, many people throughout the

Middle East share a common language (Arabic) and religion (Muslim). They can

therefore share marketing strategies to attract tourists.

Subregions

Each of the global macro-regions can be divided into smaller subregions. For example,

within the Americas, the Caribbean functions as a distinct subregion. Known for its beaches

and relaxed atmosphere, the Caribbean is a popular tourist destination for people from

North America who want to get away during the cold winter months. Cruise-ship companies

often highlight a number of Caribbean islands in their packages. A history of struggle

between European nations for control of the region left neighbouring islands with different

official languages. Spanish, English, French, and Dutch are all spoken here. Distinct music,

food, and festivals can be found on each island.

Travel and Tourism CGG30-A Lesson 2, page 11

Tourists are attracted to the natural parks that protect herds of wildlife such as zebras,

wildebeest, elephants, and various wild cats. A safari (journey to see wildlife) to Serengeti

National Park in Tanzania is a highlight of a vacation in East Africa. Along the coast of the

Indian Ocean, tropical beaches attract tourists from Europe, just as the Caribbean attracts

North Americans.

Micro-regions

Tourist micro-regions are the smallest divisions that attract tourists. As you learned in

Lesson 1, tourists are travellers who spend more than 24 hours in a region, so there need to

be enough attractions to keep a tourist occupied for that time. A tourist micro-region may be

as small as a single neighbourhood. Toronto, a city known for its diversity of cultures,

contains many ethnic districts. Chinatown, around the intersection of Spadina and Dundas,

and Bloor West Village in the west end of the city are examples of neighbourhoods that

might form the focus of a tourist's visit for a full day, particularly when special events or

festivals are held.

In New York City, people are especially attracted to the island of Manhattan. Famous

buildings such as the United Nations, Empire State Building, Macy's Department Store, and

areas such as the former site of the World Trade Center, Times Square, and Broadway

attract many visitors. A tourist could easily spend a week exploring the small area of

Manhattan Island but could also get around to most of the attractions in a day on the

extensive subway system.

In other micro-regions, the tourist region extends to outlying areas around the city. For

example, the capital of British Columbia, Victoria, is another popular tourist destination.

An excellent transportation system makes it easy for tourists to visit surrounding

communities that can be reached in a short time by car or bus. An example is Butchart

Gardens, a 55-acre floral display 21 km north of the city

Generally, the size of a micro-tourist region depends on the

number of attractions available, and the ease with which tourists can reach the attraction

from their accommodations.

Support Questions

9. Find a picture of a festival in Bloor West Village, a famous building in Manhattan, and

a transportation system in Victoria, BC.

10. Name the macro-regions identified by the World Tourism (5 total)

Organization.

Example: Middle East


10. Identify two factors that are used to identify these tourist

reg10ns.

Example: shared marketing strategies

•

•

11. How would you define the micro-region in which you live?

Hint: Think about the smallest area that would keep a

tourist occupied for 24 hours.

12. What is a major tourist attraction within your micro

region?

Hint: Think of something that is most likely to attract

tourists long enough that they might spend more than 24

hours.


Maintaining a Personal Atlas

In this course, you will learn about regions all over the world. In order to keep track of these many regions, it will be important to

develop a personal atlas. Search the internet for "outline maps" and print copies of an unlabelled world map.

Then use the world map to label large regions when you study them. On a separate sheet of paper or on the back of the map, write down one important concept you have learned about this region. For example, label the Caribbean region on the world map. On the back write: "Caribbean region: subregion of the Americas, characterized by tropical beaches and distinct cultures."

Smaller regions can be shown on the continent maps. For example, on the map of North America, identify the location of New York City. On the back you could write: "New York City: Manhattan functions as a distinct micro-tourist region."

In this way, you will be able to keep track of the places you are studying. The notes on the back of the map will also provide a summary of the most important ideas you are learning. Your personal atlas does not have to be handed in, but it will be a very valuable tool for reviewing at the end of the unit as well as at the end of the course.

Show your teacher before you continue.


Researching Regions of Ontario

The government of Ontario promotes tourism to the province in a number of ways. Tourist offices are located at many border crossings.

Free road maps and travel brochures are available at these offices. A free road map can also be obtained by calling toll free to 1-800-ONTARIO, or go the Ontario Ministry of Transportation home page (www.mto.gov.on.ca) and type "Ontario road map" in the search box to get to 19 maps that can be downloaded and printed. (It is strongly suggested that you get a road map of Ontario.) The government also maintains a tourism Web site at www.ontariotravel.net. This site provides a wealth of information about tourism in Ontario. For example, Ontario is divided into seven tourist regions. Hyperlinks take you to information about each of these regions, including maps and links to smaller microregions. Explore the site further to discover points of interest and places to stay.

Remember that you can obtain additional information about places in these regions by doing a key word search using a search engine. If you are interested in camping, for example, you could search "camping in Ontario" or "Ontario provincial parks."

Using an Ontario Road Map

The road map of Ontario has a settlement index where you can find your home town. The index will tell you where to find your home town on the map. For example, if the index says that your town is located at C5, look along a side of the map for the letter C and along the top or bottom for the number 5. Read down and across to the point where the number and letter cross and you should find your community in the vicinity ofX.


1 2 3 4 5

A A

8 8

C X C

D D

E E

1 2 3 4 5

The road map can also be used to determine distances. The

map includes a table called a distance triangle. It estimates the

distances between communities in Ontario to the nearest five

kilometres. For example, in the following sample, the distance

between Thunder Bay and Toronto is 1375 km.

590 1270 1160 255

770 1480 1375 470

785 680 335

300 1015

910


If the community you are visiting is not on the distance triangle, there is another way to calculate the distance. Find a community on the distance triangle that is near the community you want to visit. For example, if you want to travel from Thunder Bay to Marathon, use the distance triangle to find how far it is from Thunder Bay to Terrace Bay. The distance triangle says it is 215 km. On the map, you will notice a red star at Terrace Bay and a second red star at Marathon. A red number between these two stars indicates the road distance is 78 km. Therefore, the distance from Thunder Bay to Marathon is 215 + 78 = 293 km (approximately).

Thunder Bay

Toronto

Support Questions

13. What is the distance between the following communities?

Example: Toronto and Wawa = 910 km

a) Toronto and Timmins? ____________ _

b) Toronto and Marathon? ___________ _


14. Using the examples in Support Question 13, calculate the

time it would take to make these journeys if you were

travelling an average of 100 km/h.

910km Example: Toronto to Wawa = ----

100 km/h

= 9.1 hours

a) Toronto to Timmins=

b) Toronto to Marathon=

Planning a Vacation

Many people do some planning before they go on vacation. The

following example shows the plans of someone who lives in

Toronto and is travelling to Sault Ste. Marie.

Be sure to read it so that you can correctly answer the Key

Question for this lesson.

Note: All of the information in the example was obtained

through the Ontario Travel Web site www.ontariotravel.net and

its hyperlinks, and the Ontario road map.


A Trip from Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie

a)

Your community and Toronto (in the Greater Toronto Tourist Region)

region

Region of Ontario you have Northern Ontario Tourist Region. Northern

chosen to visit Ontario can be divided into subregions. The trip I

am planning is to the Algoma County subregion.

Location within the region Sault Ste. Marie

that will be the central

point for your vacation.

There should be at least

four attractions within a two-hour (160 km) drive.

Tip: The location is likely a

city or town

Identify a specific place Accommodations are planned in Pancake Bay

where accommodation can Provincial Park, which is approximately 70 km

be obtained during your north of Sault Ste. Marie along Highway 17. I

one-week stay. chose campsite #58 in the Hilltop Campground.

Tip: For example, a specific

hotel and its address, or the

name of a provincial park and

specific campsite

Identify a Web site or This park is described at the Ontario Parks Web

phone number to call to site at www.ontarioparks.com I english I pane.html.

confirm reservations. The site can be viewed and booked at Ontario

Parks Online Reservation Service at www.camis.

com I OP I camping I maps.asp?map=175#cdesc.

Briefly describe the This site can accommodate a small trailer, has

accommodations. electrical outlets, has partial shade, and is partly

gravel and partly grass. There is a beach nearby,

as well as a convenience station with showers and

washrooms.


b)

Major communities you would Toronto, Barrie, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie

pass through along the way

Describe the route using the To travel to Sault Ste. Marie from Toronto,

highway numbers you would you would take the following route: travel

need to follow. north on Highway 400 past Barrie. Continue

north on the 400. Eventually, the four-lane

divided Highway 400 ends and becomes the two-lane Highway 69. Continue north toward Sudbury. As you approach Sudbury, look for the junction of Highway 17. Take Highway

17 west all the way to Sault Ste. Marie.

Continue north on Highway 17 to get to Pancake Bay Provincial Park.

Calculate the distance and the Toronto to Sudbury is 390 km, Sudbury

time you would need to travel to Sault Ste. Marie is 305 km. The park is

to your destination. Assume an approximately 70 km north of Sault Ste. average speed of 80 km/h. Marie. Therefore, the entire trip is (390 +

305 + 70) or 765 km. At an average speed of 80 km/h, the trip would take (765 / 80) = 9.6

hours. With a one-hour stop in Sudbury for a meal and another 20 minutes (0.4 hours) in Sault Ste. Marie to fill up with gas, the entire

trip should take approximately 11 hours.

c)

Attraction #1 Pancake Bay Provincial Park itself is one of the attractions. The park Web site describes the beach as one of the finest in North America, with 3.2 km of fine sand. Park naturalists run a natural heritage program during the summer. There are trails through forests and wetlands where a variety of animals can be seen, including up to 200 different species of birds.

Source www.ontarioparks.com I english I pane. html

Attraction #2 From Sault Ste. Marie, our second adventure will be an all-day

wilderness excursion to Agawa Canyon. The Agawa Canyon Tour Train, run by the Algoma Central Railroad, travels 183

km from Sault Ste. Marie. There are beautiful views of forests and lakes. There is a two-hour stop in Agawa Canyon Park where four waterfalls can be viewed.

Source www.agawacanyontourtrain.com I content I tours I canyontour I

index.html

Attraction #3 In Sault Ste. Marie itself, the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre will be visited. A large number of airplanes that were used in Canada are on display. These airplanes were used especially to develop the north and to fight forest fires.

Source www.bushplane.com


Attraction #4 Lake Superior Provincial Park is north of Pancake Bay on Highway 17. A 30-minute trail takes you to Agawa Rock along

Lake Superior. At this location, there are pictographs that were

painted on the rocks by Aboriginal Peoples.

Source www.ontarioparks.com I english I lakes.html

d) Map:

travel and tourism cgg30 lesson 2, page introduction · 2019. 12. 7. · travel and tourism cgg3o...

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