Analysis of Tourism in Amsterdam - Essay Example

AMSTERDAM TOURISM Introduction Tourism is an important human activity that describes the travel meant for leisure, recreation, religious, business or family purposes. In most cases, the travelling is meant for a short duration, which in most cases, is the time that is set aside from the normal activities of life (Sharpley 2006, 14). In many cases, tourism activities are associated with travelling in many parts of the world, however, it also includes traveling to different places in the same country for either of the above reasons. According to the definition by World Tourism Organisations, tourists are people that travel to and stay in different places that are not their usual environment for a period that exceeds one year for reasons of business, leisure and other reasons altogether (Sharpley 2006, 16). Currently, tourism has become an important and famous global activity undertaken by people during their leisure. In fact, tourism has become one of the leading sources of income in many countries that have created sustainable systems and structures to attract people to view and experience the tourism potential of their countries. During the economic recession in the late 2000s, tourism is one of those industries that were adversely affected, this was during the better part of 2008 until the better part of 2009. Additionally, the outbreak of some of the deadliest diseases affects the tourism industry as people reduce their travelling for leisure or business purposes. Other activities like terrorism also play an important part in influencing people’s travel patterns and behavior across the world (Thompson & Travlou 2007, 48). countries that have enough and varied sceneries stand a better chance to attract people from different parts of the world. This paper examines the tourism potential of Amsterdam City in the Netherlands. It focuses on the internal and external factors influencing the city’s tourism potential. Amsterdam Amsterdam is one of the most populous, as well as the capital of Netherlands. The status of Amsterdam as the capital of Dutch has been provided for in the Netherland’s constitution (Catling 2006, 18). Amsterdam, as the capital of Dutch has a population of approximately 813,562 people in the city-proper. The city’s urban region has about 1, 112, 165 people, while the larger metropolitan area comprises of 1, 575, 263. Amsterdam city is strategically located in the heart of Europe, making it one of the most important tourism in Europe. In fact, the city has often been described as alpha city of the world according to the globalisation and world cities (GaWC), which is a study group (Catling 2006, 18). By fact that the city is highly cosmopolitan, it has become the cultural capital city of the Dutch Country (Boissevain 2004, 23). For this reasons, many learning institutions have established their headquarters in Amsterdam to take advantage of the large populations and the highly developed social and economic infrastructure, which enhances the effective practice of these activities. Tourism in Amsterdam In terms of the city’s tourism potential, Amsterdam city ranks among the top cities that receive visitors from different places across the globe. In fact, the city receives approximately 4.6 million people annually; this number does not include the 16 million people in tripper visits annually. The number of visitors to the Dutch capital has increased significantly in the past few decades because of the globalisation and increase in world tourism needs. Amsterdam boost of international and excellent hotels and restaurants, most of which are found in the heart of the city. Most of the 4 and 5 star hotels in Amsterdam makes up to 42 % of all the beds available, as well as 41% of all the overnight accommodation in Amsterdam (Boissevain 2004, 24). In 2006, the rate of occupation was placed at 78 %, which was an 8 % increase from that of 2005. Most of the tourists in the Amsterdam city originate from the European countries, making up to 74 % of all the city’s tourists. Besides, Europe, the city also gets many tourists who come from other countries, with the United States making up to 14% of all the non-European tourists. In Amsterdam, it is important to note that certain years often have certain themes that are specially designed to attract tourists. For instance, in 2006, the city designed on “Rembrandt 400” as the theme for the year, which led to an increase in the number of tourists that visited the city. This theme was so that the city would take part in celebrating the birthday of Rijn Rembrandt, which was his 400th. During these special years, some hotels and restaurants provide special arrangements and activities that are to take place the whole year. Additionally, they make special discounts for people in order to increase the number of visitors and their stay in the hotels. During these years, on average, the visitors in the four main campsites in Amsterdam range from between 12, 000 and 65, 000. Motivations of tourists in Amsterdam From the foregone discussion, it is evident that the number of tourists in Amsterdam has increased significantly in the past few decades. While some for business and diplomatic reasons, the number of those coming for leisure has increased significantly, illustrating and underlying the image of Amsterdam as an important tourism destination in Europe (Thompson & Travlou 2007, 49). This increasing number has influenced a research on the particular motivations that people tend to have when they visit Amsterdam. It is important to note that tourism in itself describes a series of social patterns and behavior that takes place special settings chosen by the people participating in the process. In this case, the work of the environment is to provide the stage or backdrop of this activity. In other words the particular environment chosen becomes the focal point, prompting the need for people to travel and experience the attributes or characteristics making up the particular environment. Many scholars have been developing a curiosity to understand the relationship between some of the environmental variables and the motivation for people to travel to the same places. In this analysis, some of the researches that have been conducted so far suggest that different types of environments please and satisfy various people. In this case, it may not be easy to suggest particular motivating factors for people in all the places they visit because of the existing different in peoples preferences and choices for different settings. In one of the studies about motivations for people visiting certain places for their tourism functions, a five-phase model of conceptualization has been given as holding the need for recreation among people that travel to Amsterdam and other places globally (Tribe 2006, 16). One of the motivations is anticipation, which includes thinking of the planning process for the trip. Some people like to enjoy the planning process because they easily decide on the things to include and focus on to ensure a safe and adventurous journey. The second factor includes the travel done to the particular site. Travelling and enjoying the adventures on the way are the actual motivations why people want to move from one place to another. Travelling to Amsterdam is a fun and exciting journey that many people want to enjoy whenever they move to and around Amsterdam. The third behavior that enhances people’s travel decisions is the action-behavior that happens in site. For instance, in Amsterdam, people travel to parks and other sceneries for various reasons. Many people like to take pictures of animals and other beautiful scenes for fun, they want to share them to their friends in social networking sites and other platforms where others can see it. The final factor is the travel back to homes and other places of origin. The adventures in this case are similar to those experiences when travelling to the site. Factors influencing tourism in Amsterdam (Zimmerman, 2010) The Internal Environment in Amsterdam The internal environment for any country or city plays an important role in influencing the tourism potential of that city. For instance, a city that aims at increasing and enhancing its tourism potential has to invest in state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure that attract people to those places (Waag Society‟s Parq 2009, 51). The city or country has to ensure that it has created reliable transport infrastructure so that people visiting that place for their tourism and other functions can enjoy faster and refillable means of transport and movement. Amsterdam has done massive investments in its internal factors so that tourists and other people visiting the city can enjoy their stay and experience in the city. The city has a reliable transport infrastructure includes electric trains that facilitates faster mobility within and outside. In addition, the classic airports make it possible for large commercial planes to land and take off safely in the environment. Most of the hotels and restaurants in Amsterdam are located at the centre of the town, something that makes it easy for people visiting the city to enjoy easy accommodation. Most of the hotels in the city have embraced technology, making it easy for their customers to enjoy faster services when booking and interacting with the hotel staff over various services. One of the areas that have been causing an increase in the number of tourists visiting Amsterdam has been the Rosse Buurt, which is also known as Walletjes or De Wallen. Prostitution activities have been legalized in this specially designated and legalized section. In fact, this section makes up the largest and most famous red-light district in Amsterdam. The fame of this city have made its adjacent regions to be famous with tourism activities, most of whom are motivated by sex tourism. This city has state-of-the-art infrastructure that make it easy for the people to enjoy fast movement and travel across the Amsterdam city. The city has well networked roads and places that have many small rooms. A single room that is rented by commercial sex workers enables them to render their services behind special glass doors or windows or with red lights that are creatively illuminated. External environments One of the factors that have added impetus to the tourism potential of Amsterdam is its strategic location in Europe. Amsterdam, the capital of Netherlands is found to the western parts of the country. River Amstel, which is one of the biggest rivers in the Holland end in the city, connecting to many other canals that finally end in IJ. In terms of location, Amsterdam city is located just 2 metres below the sea level. The area that surrounds Amsterdam comprises of very large polders that many people want to come and see and learn how the land was reclaimed and put back into active use (Waag Society‟s Parq 2009, 55). Amsterdamse Bos also surround it, which is a planted forest, located to the southwest of the city. The long and famous North Sea Canal has linked Amsterdam City effectively to North Sea. All this geographical features have made it possible for the city to have such a distinctive outlook that has made the city to have such a distinct scenery. Amsterdam city has become highly urbanized and an important metropolitan area in Netherlands. The city is located on the expansive 219.4 kilometres of land, which necessitates its population. The city has used most of this land to create excellent infrastructure that has contributed to the attractiveness of the city. Climate of the region Amsterdam city has a certain oceanic climate that attracts many people to it from various parts of the world. This has been largely influenced by the city’s nearness to the west and North Sea, where it experiences westerly winds. Summers and Winters in Amsterdam city are often considered mild, although in some instances, they are sometimes a bit cool. Amsterdam and the entire province of North Holland lie in the zone of USDA Hardiness. Most of the frosts happen in most of the dry spells that come with the northeasterly and easterly winds that mostly originate from the deep within the continent of Europe. Amsterdam city is surrounded by three large sources of water, which makes the city to have an important heat-island effect that many people enjoy whenever they visit Amsterdam. The conducive climate in Amsterdam attracts many people to the city, most of whom are often running away from the cold winters and hot summers in their respective countries. Compared to many countries, the summers in Amsterdam are often warm but on some occasions, they become slightly hot. Multicultural Environment Besides the climate that many people enjoy in their tourism activities in Amsterdam, the city also enjoys from a diverse multicultural environment that is necessitated by many people that come to the city from different parts of the world (Nell & Jan 2009, 27). By having different people from different parts of the world, Amsterdam has created itself as an important cultural centre. Many people that travel from to the city fancy interacting with people from these places in order to learn about their different cultural activities. In different years, the city often organizes for cultural festivals where people from the different societies represented in the city gets a chance to display their cultural diversity (Nell & Jan 2009, 28). The occasions are very interactive and attractive something that makes many people to book their places in advance in preparation for the ceremonies that are often advertised in advance worldwide. Conclusion Many countries in the world have realized the importance of tourism in their countries. They have moved on to create various structures that attract people to see these places and enjoy their scenic beauty. Many large cities like Amsterdam have benefited from this human activity by creating parks, cultural heritage and other essential facilities that people travel to see and enjoy. Tourism has become an important human activity that has been used to facilitate various macroeconomic policies in the country. In this case, the activity has been effective in the provision of employment opportunities either directly or indirectly. In addition, it has led to improvement of transport and other kinds of infrastructure that enhances effectiveness and efficiency in movement of people from one part to another (Williams 2004, 54). By having this realization, Amsterdam has positioned itself effectively to benefit from the tourism potential that has been among its main sources of income. Through its tourism potential, Amsterdam has managed to facilitate different kinds of interactions between people, who come from all parts of the world. The city has managed to create special centres for people that come from certain parts of the world so that they can always display their cultural prowess during the special seasons when the city plans for such occasions. Recommendation It is important to realize that Amsterdam city, which is the capital of Netherlands, has been effective in ensuring that it develops its potential to take advantage of the increasing numbers of people from different parts of the world that have visiting the country for tourism and other important functions. From the increasing numbers, the city needs to incorporate various programs by which these people have repeated visits to the city. On this note, it is important to note that many other cities of the world have been trying their best in order to enhance their tourism potential and abilities. In this case, the city should consider some of the things that can enhance repeated visit from the people that come to this city. The city planers should try t undertake some research into some of the factors that attract people to other world-class cities and develop the same facilities in Amsterdam. This way, they will manage to ensure that the city positions itself as the first class tourism destination in the world. By so doing, the city will benefit immensely from the revenue emerging from the tourism activities in the city as shown by the increasing number of people that have been visiting the country in the recent years. Bibliography Boissevain, J. 2004. Contesting the foreshore tourism, society and politics on the coast. Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam. Catling, C. 2006. Amsterdam (2nd Ed). Thomas Cook, Peterborough. Nell, L. & Jan R. 2009. Ethnic Amsterdam Immigrants and Urban Change in the Twentieth Century. Amsterdam University press. Amsterdam. Sharpley, R. (2006). Travel and tourism. Sage, London. Thompson, C.W. & Travlou, P. (2007). Open Space: People Space. Taylor and Francis, New York. Tribe, J. (2006). The Truth about Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 360-381 Waag Society‟s Parq 2009. The Community Park as Shared Media Space. Project Waag. Viewed 18 November 2014. Williams, S. 2004. Tourism: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences. Routledge, New York. Zimmerman, K. 2010. Amsterdam (7th Ed). Lonely Planet, Footscray, Vic. Read More