Unit 1 Identifying and Categorizing visitor attractions

Overall, there are 13 types of attractions
1. Natural
2. Man-made
3. National Parks
4. Heritage
5. Leisure, Sports and Recreation
6. Themed Parks
7. Entertainment centre
8. Farms
9. Gardens
10. Wildlife
11. Historic Houses and Monuments
12. Special Interest
13. Cultural

Natural
- The main spring that drives people to travel.
- For example. Sahara Desert, Ice Caps in Greenland, Great Lakes of North America, foothills of the Himalayas.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, City Bird Sanctuary in Likas.

Man-made
- Purpose is to provide education, fun and entertainment.
- For example. Free Entry (Free of Charge): Museums. Charge admission: Theme Parks
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, City Mosque in Likas.

National Parks
- Reserve land owned by government.
- Protected from human development (eg.buildings) and pollution (eg.factory)
- Located in a place that largely undeveloped.
- Endangered animals can be found, plants and ecosystems, biodiversity or unusual geological features.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Kinabalu National Park in Kundasang.

Heritage
- Describe as an attraction which aims for the ‘time in the past’.
- To promote themselves, museums in villages, town and cities have attached the word ‘heritage’ to attract tourist.
- Heritage attraction cannot change much because they need its original.
- For example, culture and tradition (eg. Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Bajau, …)
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Monsopiad Cultural Village.

Leisure, Sports and Recreation
- Badminton court, gymnasium, swimming pool.
- Pubs, discos, bars and restaurant.
- Fitness centre, spa.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Any hotels.

Themed Parks
- An amusement park that has themed attractions. Food, costumes, entertainment, retail stores or rides.
- Provide outdoor activities (roller coaster rides, live entertainment, shops and refreshments).
- For example, Disneyland by the theme of Walt Disney.
- Always remember that Themed Park and Fun Fair are not the same.
- Theme Park only pay once in a price during the admission.
- Fun Fair need to pay in everything that you want to play but the admission is free.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Water World Theme Park in Taman Tun Fuad Stephens.

Entertainment Centre
- Nightclubs, discos, concert halls, theatres, arenas, and opera houses.
- The bigger the venue, the greater the attraction.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, The Whole KK

Farms
- The Public is keen to experience the life on a working farm.
- Farming includes raising crops and animals.
- Although it is only a farm but attracted millions of tourist each year.
- For example, Butterfly farm
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, De Villa Orchid Farm in Inanam.

Gardens
- Many country houses, palaces and castles have beautiful grounds the attract millions of visitors each year.
- Privately owned a garden as garden centre which become highly popular venues for public
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Mountain Garden at Mount Kinabalu.

Wildlife
- Getting more and more popular in tourism. There are 3 kinds!

- Zoos
+ Wild animals are kept in here for exhibition to the public. Zoo means Zoological garden.
+ Normally private owned and exhibit their wildlife to raise funds to stay in business.
+ Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Lok Kawi Zoo in Penampang.

- Safari Parks
+ Allow animals to wander free in much wider enclosure or countryside area. Can view the animals safely
+ Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Kinabalu Park Safari.

- Wildlife Sanctuaries
+ Special reserved for the breeding endangered species. Used to educate the public about the animals.
+ Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Tabin Wildlife in Lahad Datu.

Historical Houses and Monuments
- Ancients’ places, Memorial places, stately home.
- For example, Tower of London.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Tugu Peringatan Kota Kinabalu.

Special Interest
- Medical Tourism
+ Travel to a foreign country for medical.
+ The best is when tourist can do medical tourism while traveling because can pay less.
+ Best location for medical tourism is Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
+ Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Spa in Hotels maybe?

- Eco Travel
+ Green travel, responsible travel, sustainable tourism, and ecotourism.
+ Example available in Kota Kinabalu, “Save our planet” and “Go Green”.

- Nudist Travel
+ Nude vacations, Naturist travel, or Nakations by doing all kinds of things all without clothes.
+ Mostly available in Germany, France, Canada, UK and US.
+ The reason people want to go there because of the health, equality, and closeness with nature.
+ Not available in Kota Kinabalu.

- Adventure Travel
+ Getting outside and experiencing the world in an active way.
+ Activities: Hiking, trekking, walking, cycling, kayaking, snowshoeing, rafting, bungie jumping and horseback riding.
+ Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Water rafting at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?

- Dark Tourism
+ Travel to sites associated with death and suffering; violent death.
+ Example, Ground Zero in New York (natural and man made) or Africa of the Poverty.

Cultural
- Country or region’s culture, especially its arts.
- Focuses on traditional communities who have diverse customs, unique form of art and so on.
- Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, historic or large cities, and museums.
- Showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (eg.festivals), their values and lifestyle.
- Example available in Kota Kinabalu, Monsopiad Cultural Village.