Tourism Theories and Practices

This article explores the concept of tourism and discusses Neil Leiper's Whole Tourism System model. It focuses on a local tourism experience at Sydney's Darling Harbour and a transit stopover at Sydney Harbor Bridge. The attractions, experiences, and interactions with the elements of Leiper's model are analyzed. The article concludes with a reflection on the trip and the enriching experiences at the destinations.

Running Head: TOURISM THEORIES AND PRACTICE
Tourism Theories and Practices
Name of Student:
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Author’s Note:

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TOURISM THEORIES AND PRACTICE
Table of Contents
Introduction:................................................................................................................................3
Photo 1.....................................................................................................................................4
Photo 2.....................................................................................................................................5
Photo 3.....................................................................................................................................6
Photo 4.....................................................................................................................................7
Photo 5.....................................................................................................................................8
Photo 6.....................................................................................................................................9
Photo 7...................................................................................................................................10
Photo 8...................................................................................................................................11
References:............................................................................................................................12

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Introduction:
Neil Leiper, a leading academic tourism scholar from Australia created a model of tourism
attraction systems in 1990, which came to be known as Leiper’s Whole Tourism System.
Through this system, Leiper established his concept and perception of tourism and issues, he felt
were attached with its management. The elements that he included in his model system are
tourists, generating regions, transit routes, destination regions and a tourist industry (Lamont
2009) (such as travel or hospitality). These elements are interconnected with a number of spatial
and temporal factors such as culture, economy, politics, environment and technology (Hall and
Page 2017). Leiper, through his approach tried to understand origin areas, transit regions,
destinations and their environments and flows as parts of a single, more comprehensive tourism
system instead of analyzing them as separate independent entities.
The main objective of Leiper’s Whole Tourism System model was to suggest a
framework in which people, places and organisations interact in certain ways through the course
of a tourism expedition. He opined that there are certain ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that encourage
people to engage in tourism. The pull defines the attractions tourists find towards the destination,
while the push refers to the factors that cause the tourists to leave their place of origin or
generation (UKEssays 2018). Through his works, Leiper established that attractions are the
various sights, events and facilities created for enhancing the experiences of tourists. This report
will look at a local, photographed tourism experience at Sydney’s Darling Harbour, along with a
transit stopover at Sydney Harbor Bridge.

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Photo 1
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
My journey started from Naremburn, a suburban region in the lower North Shore of
Sydney, located six kilometers north of the central business district of Sydney. This would to cite
the element of the ‘area of origin’, as decribed in Neil Leiper’s Whole Tourism System Model,
of my journey. The monument in the picture is St Leonard’s Catholic Church located in the St
Leonard’s locality in north Naremburn, form where it gets its name. The church is one of the
most significant landmarks in Naremburn and is often symbolic of the identity of the suburban
locality of northern Sydney.

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Photo 2
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
The route to Darling harbor took me through Sydney harbor Bridge. Dubbed the
“Coathanger” by the local citizens, it is the largest steel arch bridge in the world, standing at a
height of 134 meters and connecting the city’s North and South shores. Overlooking the Sydney
Opera House, they are together framed as the city’s, and even Australia’s icon. The bridge
accommodates pedestrians, an eight-lane road for traffic and two railway lines. The Sydney
BridgeClimb is a popular activity that takes visitors for a climb to the top of the bridge’s outer
arch. This part of the journey can be referred to as the ‘transit route’ or ‘transit region’, according
to Leiper’s model.

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Photo 3
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
Darling Harbour, situated at the heart of Sydney, is probably the most happening part of
the city. The waterfront pedestrian zone is packed with a number of cafes, restaurants, shopping
centers, museums, and areas of various activities and entertainment venues. These were the
various attractions or ‘pull’ factors that drew me to the main ‘destination region’ of my journey.
The overall development, infrastructure and services put in place for the visitors such as guides
and restrooms are also factors of attraction for this spot. Darling Harbor offers a very wide range
of tourist attractions such as shopping, dining, entertainment, games, museum tours and others
(Hastings 2019).

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Photo 4
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
The Australian national maritime museum is a great place for a historical beginning of my
expedition through the Harbour. One can get to learn about the nautical past of Australia, how
trade and business used to take place in the country during and before the British reign. The
museum also teaches the history of the Harbour. Its original name, Long Cove, was later
renamed after General Ralph Darling, a past Governor of New South Wales. The main
attractions of the museum include the opportunity to board a navy submarine and a replica of the
HM Bark Endeavour, the British vessel that James Cook led to the discovery of Australia.

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Photo 5
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
The Wild Life Sydney zoo is a rather rare and unusual zoo-cum Wildlife Park for two
reasons: firstly because it is situated at the center of a large and dense urban society, and
secondly, because it is an enormous public area that is almost entirely enclosed and air-
conditioned. It offers great opportunities for animal-lovers to get up close with wild animal in
their natural environment, developed by the zoo. The facility lets visitors pose with, touch and
feed animals, along with experiences like breakfast with the Koalas. It provides a good look at all
the exotic animals native only to Australia and Oceania, like Kangaroos, Koalas and Tasmanian
Devils.

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Photo 6
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
Madame Tussaud’s wax museums are popular for their quality and creativity and for the
fascination of people towards celebrities and renowned personalities. Naturally, the Madame
Tussaud’s at Sydney’s Darling Harbor is one of the biggest attractions. The Queen of England,
Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Taylor Swift and Australian superstars Hugh Jackman and
Chris Hemsworth are just some of the personalities, visitors can pose with in this museum. This
provides an environment of international reach under one roof and is one of the intimate features
of tourism.

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Photo 7
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
Leaving behind the glitz and glam of Madame Tussaud’s I visited the Chinese Garden of
Friendship. A picturesque scene of peace and tranquility, it was designed after the iconic private
gardens of the Ming Dynasty of China and offers an insight into Chinese culture and heritage.
The structure of the garden including its koi ponds, lakes, pavilions and waterfalls were built to
honor the friendship between Sydney and China’s Guangzhou region. It is a beautiful symbol of
cross-cultural interconnectivity promoting an environment of peace and community.

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Photo 8
Source: (Hastings 2019) https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-nsw-sdh.htm
A long day of travel, wander and discovery at the Darling Harbour should ideally end with a bite
at one of the numerous waterfront cafes and eateries. The Blackbird café was one such beautiful
and iconic place, were I decided to relax after a long day of touring. With a seat at one of this
café’s arched sea-facing tables, visitors can enjoy excellent food, while gazing upon the harbor.
The café completes the last part of Leiper’s model, representing the involvement of the
hospitality industry (café/eatery).
Conclusion:
The trip gave me a reflective insight into Leiper’s Tourism model. Analysing the
different segments of the trip from the perspective of the model I realised the different
interactions between the elements of tourism as stated by Leiper. The ‘pull’ and ‘push’ factors
were the first noticeable elements, which made me plan and execute the trip. The push factors
included the lack of opportunities in the generation region, while the pull factors included the

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abundance of opportunities, cultural diversity and historical significance. I analysed this tour
from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. While the qualitative perspective emphasized
on the nature of the experience, the level of satisfaction obtained from visiting the sites, along
with the interactions with locals, the quantitative approach looked at factors like the number of
sites visited, the hours required to explore, and the relevance with Leiper’s model.
My overall experience at my main destination, the Darling harbor as well as my transit
region, the Harbour Bridge, was extremely satisfying and enriching. The sites are rich in
entertainment and touristic values; Darling Harbour in particular is the perfect spot for anyone
who wishes to enjoy a day of fun and entertainment. It is also rich in cultural and historical
values, which can be experienced in the various museums, old cafes and restaurants. The
Harbour Bridge is an excellent place for photography, and the BridgeClimb is highly
recommended for people into extreme sports and adventures. I plan to return to Darling Harbor
someday soon to discover the sites that remained undiscovered in this tour.

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References:
Hall, C. and Page, S. (2017). The Contribution of Neil Leiper to Tourism Studies. [online]
academia.edu. Available at:
https://www.academia.edu/223432/The_Contribution_of_Neil_Leiper_to_Tourism_Studies
[Accessed 30 Aug. 2019].
Hastings, K. (2019). 8 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Sydney's Darling Harbour | PlanetWare.
[online] Planetware.com. Available at: https://www.planetware.com/sydney/darling-harbour-aus-
nsw-sdh.htm [Accessed 30 Aug. 2019].
Lamont, M., 2009. Independent bicycle tourism: A whole tourism systems perspective. Tourism
Analysis, 14(5), pp.605-620.
UKEssays. 2018. Analysis of A Whole Tourism System Tourism Essay. [online]. Available
from: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/tourism/analysis-of-a-whole-tourism-system-tourism-
essay.php?vref=1 [Accessed 30 August 2019].