Tourist Destinations: A Comparative Analysis of the British Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art

TOURIST DESTINATIONS

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
a) Identify and analyse a world’s leading destination and compare with a chosen UK destination
in terms of visitor profile and historic visitor numbers, income generated and the key tourist
generator countries to these destinations.........................................................................................4
b) Using the data from the above, analyse destination trends for your chosen overseas destination
and the UK destination and predict future trends in visitor numbers and visitors profiles. (330
WORDS)..........................................................................................................................................5
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................8
a. Identify the cultural, social and physical features of your destination, detailing the appeal to
tourists..............................................................................................................................................8
b) Compare and contrast the cultural, social and physical features of UK destination with those
of the chosen overseas destination...................................................................................................9
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................9
a. Investigate and analyze (comparatively) the economical and political characteristics of both
the destinations:-..............................................................................................................................9
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................12
a) Identify three issues that may affect the popularity of the UK destination as a destination and
compare and contrast them with the oversees destination chosen.................................................12
b) Critically discuss how your UK destination could sustain its appeal with an emphasis on
‘Responsible Tourism’...................................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
Reference list.................................................................................................................................15

Introduction
A tourist destination can be defined as a place of interest where inquisitive people having
different travelling aspirations that come to experience the aura of a typical tourist spot and
thereby, gain knowledge. A spot can be natural as well as man-made. However, each spot has
different typology. Whatsoever, the chosen tourist destination from United Kingdom, which
will be contrasted and compared throughout the project with an overseas tourist spot such as the
British Museum situated in London whereas the overseas tourist spot such as The Metropolitan
Museum of Art within New York City. Throughout the project both the travel destinations will
be compared in terms of their net profits, number of visitors and various kinds of background
facilitating the economic profits. It will also focus on the different types of emerging trends,
which are dominating the tourist seasons.

Task 1
a) Identify and analyse a world’s leading destination and compare with a chosen UK
destination in terms of visitor profile and historic visitor numbers, income generated and
the key tourist generator countries to these destinations.
One of the leading destinations from New York City, which has been chosen here, is The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, which would be further compared with British Museum from
London. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the third most visited art museum and the fifth most
visited museum of any kind in the world (Stein, 2017). It is so because it contains art works
consisting from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt as well as famous paintings and sculptures
from famous artists around the world. According to a data gathered in the year 2016, it is
estimated that around 7.06 million people visit this museum yearly. However, there is no entry
free for visitors but talks are in prowl that the museum authorities are planning to charge entry
fee from this year onwards.
On the other hand, based on “Statistical Portal of U.K”, around 6.9 million people have visited
the museum last year. Similarly like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the entry fee is free here
(Rushton, 2017). Its maintenance is actually carried out by the funding received from the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport due to it being a government sponsored museum. Despite
of this, it is one of the most visited museums in England and one of the leading visitor attractions in
United Kingdom.
The key tourist generator for this British Museum most particularly is its location. Due to it being
situated in the central hub of London, it is obvious that people would like to know the historical relics
of English, which includes its past, and present. In comparison to this, the key tourist generator for
the Metropolitan Museum of Art is its location, which is in Manhattan. Due to Manhattan being the
fashionable hub of New York, most people desire to come here. Even other historical as well as
famous places of U.S.A like Central Park, Central Park Zoo and Alice in Wonderland Statue
contribute for this place of art to be the most visited place of art.

Figure 1: Showing the comparison amongst visitors visiting museums of
different places in UK
(Source: Rushton, 2017)
b) Using the data from the above, analyse destination trends for your chosen overseas
destination and the UK destination and predict future trends in visitor numbers and
visitors profiles. (330 WORDS)
Due to New York City being the most talked about tourist destination, there are certain trends,
which dominate the tourist season. Earlier New York City was the place where only scholars
would only liked to come and study and the people who wanted to visit the most superior of the
developed places would arrive here. However, through much popularity being achieved through
mediums of media, all people from different age groups now desire to come.
Most particularly the trend, which dominates the tourist season in New York, is seasonal breaks
where attractive benefits grab the eyeballs of customers along with certain packages through
which they can visit more than one city and innumerable places of interest (Vanhove, 2017).
However, the peak season here is Winter Break, which includes the festival of Christmas and the
event of New Year dominated by operas, plays and shows.