The Appeal of Urban Tourism - Essay Example

The Appeal of Urban Tourism: A Critical Review The Appeal of Urban Tourism: A Critical Review tourism has become increasingly popular in recent years, and this particularly sudden increase and appeal of urban tourism is one of understandable question, in regards to proper reasoning as to the sudden surge of popularity in this matter. In order to fully understand the explanations as to why urban tourism has become so popular, especially recently for that matter, specific European cities of particular popularity in regards to tourism must be taken and thoroughly addressed in regards to the reasons for their popularity, what features and qualities they have, as well as any and all other key elements in relation to this. The chosen cities are as follows: 1. Madrid 2. Amsterdam 3. Paris 4. London 5. Malaga 6. Rome 7. Venice By thoroughly investigating into these seven European cities and the reasons behind the sudden surge of interest in urban tourism in this area, we can come to a clearer and more knowledgeable understanding on this issue. The aim of this paper is to discuss all of this, as well as the factors in relation to this, in order to bring the reader to a more intellectual point of view on the subject at hand. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Madrid Madrid is the capital and in fact the largest city in all of Spain, and is located on the river Manzanares in the center of the country. Because of its central location and high altitude, the climate of Madrid is characterized by warm dry summers and cool winters. The population of the city is estimated at roughly 3.2 million, with the urban area population estimated at approximately 5 million. Madrid is an incredibly popular city in Europe, highly in regards to the vast array of tourist attractions and nightlife which are available in the city. Madrid is considered to be among the top European destinations concerning art museums. In Madrid can be found the following three most important art museums, which are: Prado Museum (the most popular Golden Triangle of Art member which is known for such highlights as Diego Velazquez's Las Meninas and Francisco De Goya's La Maja Vestida and La Maja Desnuda. Thyssen Bornemisza Museum (established from a private mixed collection) Reina Sofia Museum (Modern art museum where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs) Madrid is also highly noted for its nightlife, and is famous for its discotheques. Bilbao, Tribunal, Alonso Martinez, in the geographical center, Moncloa on the west end, are populous night places, Sol and Huertas in the historic center, and quite abundant with tourists by day and night (especially Huertas). "Also popular is the practice of meeting in parks or streets with friends and drinking together (called 'botellion', from 'botella', bottle), but from a few years back drinking in the street is sanctioned with a fine and now young madrilenos drink together all around the city instead of in some well known places." (Wikipedia, 2006). In regards to transportation in and around Madrid, the city is served by Barajas International Airport; current passenger volumes for this airport range upwards of 40 million passengers per year, putting it in the top 20 busiest airports in the world. There is also the national railway system, Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Espanoles (Renfe) which operates the vast majority of Spain's railways. As well, there is the metro - the Madrid Metro in this case - which, serving the city's population of some five million, is easily one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world. Madrid is a city of great monuments, whose highlights include such things as the medieval center dating back to the Habsburg Empire and the Prado Museum; however, Madrid is not just a cultural destination, and its lively metropolis is filled with many pubs, cafes, discotheques and nightclubs which are open late into the night. Amsterdam This city's title is highly recognizable and yet surprisingly enough there are only few people who actually understand the great depth of the city itself. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, and lies on the banks of two bodies of water: the IJ bay and the Amstel river. Amsterdam enjoys a moderate temperate climate, with winters being usually mild and above freezing, and summers comfortably warm but seldom hot. "Typical weather ranges from a little around freezing in the depths of winter, though usually with little snow, to typically pleasant sunny days of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius in the summer. Spring and autumn are pleasant, but can be wet (100+ mm of rain per month)." (Pemberton, n.d.). With an estimated population of 1.5 million, Amsterdam has one of the largest historic city centers in Europe, which dates largely from the 17th century, the Golden Age of the Netherlands, of which it was the focal point. According to legend, Amsterdam was founded as a fishing village in the 13th century, by two Frisian fisherman who landed on the shores of the Amstel in a small boat with their dog. Amsterdam is well known for its many outstanding attractions and museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, the Anne Frank House, and as well for its world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest, whose home base is the Concertgebouw. Amsterdam is an unusual city in that it has all the advantages of a big city - culture, history, food, entertainment, good transport - with relatively few of the disadvantages: it is physically small, beautiful, relatively quiet, and largely thanks to the canals, has relatively little traffic. In regards to transportation in and around the city, Amsterdam has incredible public transportation facilities. There are numerous trams, and an offering of varied facilities for cyclists, like special bike lanes, and even traffic lights specifically for cyclists. Paris Paris is the capital and in fact the largest city in all of France. It is a leading global cultural, business and political center and is renowned for its defining neo-classical architecture as well as for its significant influence in fashion and the arts. The city has a population of an estimated 2 million, but over the last century has grown well beyond those boundaries. In fact today, the Paris urban area has an estimated population of 9.9 million, and the Paris metropolitan area was at 11.5 million in 1999. (INSEE, 2006). Paris has a climate with a 'lack of extremes', in that the climate is very mild with the highest average being only 23C and same for the lowest of average low being only 1C. The city of Paris is filled with numerous museums, monuments, cafes, and nightlife. The Louvre is one of the largest and most famous museums, and houses many works of art, such as the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and the Venus De Milo statue. As well included in this are works by Pablo Picasso and Rodin, while the artistic community of Montparnasse is chronicled at the Musee de Montparnasse. There is also a vast array of notable districts and historical centers located in Paris, such as the Place de la Bastille, Place de la Concorde, La Defense, Les Halles, Faubourg Saint-Honore, and Avenue Montagne - to name a few. In regards to the transportation available in Paris, the city is served by two principal airports: first there is the Orly Airport, which is south of Paris, and then as well there is the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in nearby Roissy-en-France, which is one of the busiest in all of Europe. Paris is in fact the head of barge and ship navigation on the Seine and is the fourth most important port in all of France (after Marseille, Le Havre, and Dunkerque). Then there is the city's subway system, the Metro, which was opened on July 19, 1900, its first line being from Porte de Vincennes to Porte Maillot. Included in the Metro are 368 stations, 87 of which are interchanges between lines, as well as a total of 3500 cars which transport roughly 6 million people per day, while the system itself employs 15,000 employees. In fact, every building in Paris is within 500 meters of a metro station. London London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England as well, and is the most populous city in the European Union. London is considered to be one of the most major cities in regards to such things as business, politics, and culture. "It is a leader in international finance, politics, education, culture, communications, entertainment, fashion and the arts and has considerable influence worldwide. It is widely regarded as one of the world's major global cities, and has been an important settlement for nearly two millennia." (Wikipedia, 2006). With an estimated population of nearly 8 million people, the city of London has an extremely cosmopolitan population, which draws from a diverse range of peoples, cultures, and religions, speaking over 300 different languages. London has a rather temperate climate with regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year, and snow is uncommon, particularly because of the fact that heat from the urban area can make the actual city of London much hotter than its surroundings. London boasts an incredible vast and varied array of tourist attractions and glorious scenery and historical sections, including such iconic landmarks as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace among its many attractions, along with famous institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery. Being one of the most visited cities on Earth, London is full of many tourist attractions. Malaga The city of Malaga is located in Andalusia, Spain, on the Costa del Sol coast of the Mediterranean. With an estimated population of a little over 1 million people, Malaga ranks in as the fifth largest metropolitan area in Spain. It was the Phoenicians who founded the city of Malaga, in about 1000 BE. One of the most touted facts about Malaga is its mild weather, making the city an ideal destination for holiday makers throughout the summer and winter months. At its hottest during the summer months, temperatures rarely fall below 30C, whereas the typically mild winters boast daily highs around 20C; even at night the low rarely falls below 10C. In regards to transportation, the city is served by Malaga Airport, and the main rail station is Malaga-Renfe which is also connected with Madrid Atocha by Talgo 200. The EMT (Empresa Malaguena de Transportes) is the city's extensive network of public buses. There is also a useful nightbus service across the city. There are also two train lines in Malaga, the C1 and the C2; the C1 runs from the centre out to the west of Malaga, along the Costa del Sol to Fuengirola, and the C2 which runs island to Alora. Taxis in Malaga are everywhere, and there are now plans to build a Metro network (both over and underground) with at least 2 lines to start with but work on it is not due to begin until 2007 at the very earliest. There are numerous popular tourist attractions in Malaga, with the top ones being: La Alcazaba, Gibralfaro, the Roman Theatre, Tivoli World, The Cathedral, Santiago Church, and the Malaga Bullfighting Ring - to name a few of the many. Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and is located across the confluence of the Tiber and Aniene rivers. The Vatican City, which is a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope. With a population of an estimated 3 million people, Rome is the largest city and commune in Italy. The city's history goes back nearly 2,800 years, "during which time it has been the seat of ancient Rome, and later the Papal States, Kingdom of Italy and Italian Republic (modern Italy). Rome is also called 'la Citta Eterna' (the Eternal City)." (Wikipedia, 2006). The climate in Rome is relatively moderate; spring and summer are considered to be the best times to visit the city of Rome, as the weather is warm and generally quite sunny. The weather here can prove unpredictable from November to February, when Rome is at its most quiet, although it is generally fairly mild, there can be heavy rain and occasional icy winds. There are numerous ancient buildings and historical sites located in Rome, such as: Ara Pacis, Baths of Caracalla, Baths of Diocletian, Catacombs of Rome, Circus Maximus, Forum Romanum, Imperial forums, Colosseum, Curia Hostilia, Cloaca Maxima, Palantine Hill, Pantheon, and Trajan's Column - to name a few. Some modern buildings and monuments which are located in Rome include: Capitoline Hill, Palazzo Farnese, Piazza Venezia, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Villa Farnesina. As for places of worship and other important churches, there is an incredulous array, and the Great Synagogue of Rome and the Great Mosque of Rome and Islamic Cultural Center are also located in Rome. As for transportation, Rome has an intercontinental airport named Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport - FCO, but which is more commonly known as Fiumicino, which is also Italy's chief airport, and the Giovan-Battista Pastine international airport (which is commonly referred to as Ciampino Airport). There are numerous airports, trains, metros and subways, buses, and an overwhelming number of cabs and taxis in Rome; the choices of transportation are basically endless. The Rome Metro is part of an extensive transport network made of a tramway network, several suburban and urban lines in and around the city of Rome, plus an 'express line' to Fiumicino Airport. "Whereas most FS-Regionale lines (Regional State Railways) do provide mostly a suburban service with more than 20 stations scattered throughout the city, the Roma-Lido (starting at Ostiense station), the Roma-Pantana (starting nearby Termini) and the Roma-Nord (starting at Flaminio station) lines offer a metro-like service." (Wikipedia, 2006). Venice Venice is the capital of the region of Veneto and with an estimated population of nearly 2 million, the city itself stretches across numerous small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. In regards to the climate of Venice, spring and summer are considered to be the most optimum times to visit the city, as the weather is warm and generally quite sunny, although the tourist season runs throughout the year. Venice is in fact at its busiest during July and August and it can be extremely hot and humid at this time of the year, with occasional afternoon thunderstorms. "At the end of the high season, the mild weather often continues, and days may be warm and clear - or alternatively they can be cold, damp and foggy. The best months for sightseeing are March to June, September and October when the city is not too hot and the weather is generally pleasant." (World Guides, 2006). The city itself is divided into the six districts of Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro (including the Giudecca), Santa Croce, San Marco and Castello (including San Pietro di Castello and Sant'Elena). From this review, we can see that Europe altogether is an incredibly populous and infamous location for tourism, and the statistics regarding tourism in these seven previously discussed urban areas explain the reasons behind the sudden increase in urban tourism figures. Bibliography INSEE. (2006). Government of France. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://www.recensement.insee.fr/RP99/rp99/wr_page.affichep_id_nivgeo=M&p_id_loca=001&p_id_princ=POP1&p_theme=ALL&p_typeprod=ALL&p_langue=FR Paris. (1994). Paris. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://www.paris.org/ Pemberton, S. (n.d.). The Internet Guide to Amsterdam. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://homepages.cwi.nl/steven/amsterdam.html Property. (2006). Spain. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://www.propertysalespain.co.uk/malaga_weather.htm Rome. (2006). Rome. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://www.rome.world-guides.com/weather.html Wikipedia. (2006). Madrid. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid#Tourist_attractions World Guides. (2006). Venice. Retrieved May 24, 2006, from http://www.venice.world-guides.com/weather.html Read More