Examine ways of managing the negative impacts of tourism’s rapid growth in some urban environments.

Examine the advantages and disadvantages of the site used for one or more festivals.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 1 markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials).

The rapid growth of tourism in cities of cultural/historical importance has resulted in increased physical, economic and social stress for both residents and visitors. This may decrease the quality of life and make the city a less desirable place to visit. Management strategies need to be implemented for a more sustainable future and to increase site resilience. Credit should be given where “rapid” is implied but not necessarily explicitly stated.

Possible applied themes (AO2) demonstrating knowledge and understanding (AO1):

• Negative impacts of urban tourism include overcrowding/reduction in perceptual and physical carrying capacities, increased pollution, and congestion.
• Management strategies may be at different scales, from local to national and international.
• Strategies for both visitors and residents.
• Strategies include restricting access (eg, Venice), reducing vehicular traffic, pedestrianization, bicycles.
• Encourage localization, and reduce the power of TNCs.
• Improving infrastructure, such as water supply and waste disposal.
• Restricting ownership and letting policies (housing strategies).
• Improved education of visitors and residents.

Good answers may be well structured (AO4) and may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) that examines conflicts between, and the power and perception of, different stakeholders (residents, tourists, TNCs, governments). Management strategies may vary spatially, and at different scales, for a sustainable future.

For 5–6 marks, expect some weakly evidenced outlining of one or two management strategies dealing with rapid urban tourist growth.

For 7–8 marks, expect a structured account that includes:

• either an evidenced explanation of two or more management strategies dealing with impacts of the rapid growth of tourism in urban environments
• or a discursive conclusion (or ongoing evaluation) grounded in geographical concepts and/or perspectives.

For 9–10 marks, expect both of these traits.

Award up to a maximum of [4] if a non-urban environment is used eg Machu Pichu.

Marks should be allocated according to the Paper 1 markbands (available under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials).

Festivals are increasingly important as a leisure and tourist activity. A wide variety of different festivals are held in many different locations, attracting large numbers of visitors. They may be in urban or rural areas, and range from large open-air music or sporting festivals to smaller, more intimate, literary and artistic festivals. Site is an important factor when choosing the location of a festival.

Possible applied themes (AO2) demonstrating knowledge and understanding (AO1):

• Site factors will vary according to the type of festival, its duration, and numbers of participants.
• Site factors might include area/size (may affect carrying capacity).
• Geology and soils, relief and drainage.
• Provision of water supply, food, and disposal of waste.
• Accessibility of the site (may be important for large festivals) – affects sphere of influence and catchment area.
• Urban or rural (will vary with the nature of the festival).
• Landscape/scenery (might be important for literary/artistic festivals).
• Proximity to settlements (noise pollution).

Good answers may be well structured (AO4) and may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3) that examines accessibility and different scales – some festivals attract millions, others hundreds. Disadvantages could be based around a stakeholder analysis, including different power perspectives. Another approach is to look at the advantages of places that are very well connected compared with other places, thereby allowing interaction.

For 5–6 marks, expect some weakly evidenced outlining of advantages and/or disadvantages of one or more festival sites.

For 7–8 marks, expect a structured account that includes:

• either an evidenced explanation of the advantages and disadvantages (do not expect balance) of one or more festival sites
• or a discursive conclusion (or ongoing evaluation) grounded in geographical concepts and/or perspectives.

For 9–10 marks, expect both of these traits.

There were some good responses although many were often descriptive rather than explanatory. Too many considered non-urban areas like Machu Picchu or whole countries, but Venice, Oxford and Barcelona were the popular urban case studies. Weaker candidates did not focus on the management of negative impacts and turned their responses into an evaluation of tourism in Venice rather than a focus on the question.

Many candidates lost marks by misreading the question. The emphasis was on the site rather than the festival itself and many wrote answers simply describing the benefits and disadvantages of the festival itself. There were a good range of case studies used, with Glastonbury the most popular, but the best responses used other or local examples, for example, Port Fairy folk festival, Victoria; Burning Man, Nevada; Enga cultural show in Papua New Guinea.