The vistometric technique of landscape evaluation: its application in a study of the Syrian tourist industry

Abstract

To provide the context for an examination of Syria's tourist industry and as a means of identifying the lines along which her tourist industry should be developed, general issues relating to tourism and tourist development are first discussed. The magnitude of world tourism and of the flows of tourists and tourist receipts between developed and underdeveloped regions are investigated and a discussion of tourism's costs and benefits to developing countries concludes that many of the costs can be avoided by the establishment in tourist destination areas of saturation levels for the industry, that is, of maximum acceptable levels of tourist development. It is recognized, however, that methods for determining such levels are virtually non-existent. The development of Syria's tourist industry over the last 15 years is then analyzed and the overriding influence of political events on this development illustrated. The study turns next to the question of Syria's tourist potential. Touring, seaside resort tourism, and estivage tourism are identified as the most important types of tourism which Syria can expect to cater for in the future, the basic resources required by each of these three types of tourism are identified, and existing methods for the evaluation of these resources reviewed. The regional geography of north west Syria is then examined as a prelude to an investigation of this area's tourist potential, it being impossible in a limited scale study such as this to investigate the tourist potential of the whole of Syria, and it is concluded that the major role of an expanded tourist industry in this region should be the provision of employment. The area's tourist potential is then examined using the Potential Surface Technique employing, within the framework of this technique a new method of landscape evaluation the validity of which is demonstrated by field tests. The role of landscape in determining the tourist potential of the study area is examined and it is concluded that this potential is great enough to allow an expansion of tourism on a scale sufficient to make a significant contribution to the fulfilment of the study area's future employment needs.