Abstract
An understanding of recreation geography is an important factor, now and in the future, as we strive to make the best decisions to serve the public. Although the roots of recreational geography extend into the 1920s in the United States,l there are few American articles devoted to the subject. Literature pertaining to the field is mainly from British, European, and Canadian sources. How transportation, topography, and planning affect tourist destination patterns is of utmost importance to recreation geographers. Prior studies 1-13 have not reached agreement on what methods may be used for determining the effects of transportation or topography on recreational areas or their influence on maintaining the character of the region. Gearing, Swart, and Var's model 2 used several factors in determining tourist attractiveness in Turkey, including climates, relief, and roads. Their test is to be used with caution, however, because for each region to which the test is applied, the independent variables will need to be redefined. Fesenmaier and Lieber3 also conducted a study to evaluate the reliability of outdoor research and concluded that human behavior is more consistent within a person's home region. Differences observed within the parameters of demand forecasting models reflected underlying regional variations. To these authors accessibility was a very important factor in determining the popularity of a region. Var, Beck, and Loftus4 predicted that sustained expansion of the travel industry over the next few years in British Columbia would occur, and that attractiveness could serve as a measure of popularity.
Recommended Citation
Fitzwater-Dewey, Deborah A.
(1986)
"Geographical Elements Affecting Quaintness in Tourist Town Developments-Topography and Transportation,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 28:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol28/iss2/3
