Introduction to Geography

• Travel is a sought-after activity to escape daily routine.
• It is a way to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate.
• Travel involves going outside one's usual environment for adventure or other reasons.
• This module will cover the roles, definition, and features of geography, types of maps, and continents.

What is Geography?

• Geography comes from the Greek words "geo," meaning "earth," and "graphy," meaning "to write."
• Contemporary geography is more a science than writing.
• Geography means "description of the Earth."
• The Royal Geographical Society defines geography as "the study of Earth's landscape, people, place, and environment."
• Geography studies places and the relationship between people and their environments.
• Geographers explore Earth's physical properties and human societies.
• They examine how human culture interacts with the natural environment and how locations affect people.

Elements of Geography according to the National Geography Society

• Word in Spatial Terms: geography studies relationships between people, places, and the environment.
• These relationships are mapped into a spatial context.
• Places and regions: people's identities and lives are rooted in specific places and human constructs called regions.
• Physical Systems: physical processes shape Earth's surface.
• They interact with plant and animal life to create, sustain, and modify ecosystems.
• Human Systems: people are central to geography.
• Human activities, settlements, and structures shape Earth's surface.
• People compete for control of Earth's surface.
• Environment and Society: human societies influence the physical environment.
• This occurs through how they value and use Earth's physical features and processes.
• Uses of Geography: understanding relationships between people, places, and the environment over time.
• This provides knowledge of Earth's past, present, and future.

Roles of Geography in Tourism

• The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines tourism as activities of people traveling and staying outside their usual environment.
• Stays are for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, or other purposes.
• The definition covers people, activities, places, destinations, and the environment

Culture

• "Culture" traces back to German Romanticism and Herder's idea of Volksgeist.
• Volksgeist is the "spirit" of a people.
• This was adapted for anthropological use by Adolf Bastian in the 1760s.
• Tylor's definition of culture: the complex whole of knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, acquired by man as a member of society.

Tourism and Travel Motivation

• Attractions pull factors that bring tourists to a destination or create a visit.
• It drives tourists to seek destinations.
• Understanding tourist motivations is essential for the tourism business.
• Physical and cultural features catch travellers' interest.
• Resources include landforms, bodies of water, climate, people, and culture.
• Climate: The existing weather condition in a region, such as wet or dry seasons.
• Many Filipinos desire to experience different weather conditions.
• Climate becomes an attraction for travellers.
• Bodies of water includes these rivers, waterfalls, seas, lakes, lagoons, and oceans.
• Rivers are bodies of freshwater running toward larger bodies of water.
• Waterfalls cascade down to natural basins, drawing tourists due to beauty.
• Seas bodies of salt water.
• Lakes large bodies of water.
• Lagoons are shallow seawater divided by sandbars or coral reefs.
• Oceans enormous bodies of water.
• The four major oceans are the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans.
• Landforms are features on the Earth's surface like mountains, valleys, and plateaus.
• Mountains are land formations for hiking and climbing.
• Valleys are lowland areas between hills or mountains; rivers often run through them.
• Plateaus, or high plains, have flat tops at the highest point of elevation.

Travel or Itinerary Planning

• Tourism practitioners find geography significant for travel or itinerary planning.
• Tourists with limited time find geography helps maximize travel experience.

World Continent

• The world is full of attractions located across 197 countries over seven continents.
• The seven continents are North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica.
• The UNWTO the definition of tourism encompasses the activities of individuals traveling to and staying in destinations outside their usual environment.
• The stay must be less than one consecutive year for leisure, business, or other purposes.
• An excursionist, or same-day visitor, or day tripper, stays less than 24 hours.
• Tourists stay at destinations more than 24 hours or overnight.
• The stay does not exceed a year.

International Tourism

• Tourists engage in international tourism by visiting places outside their home country.
• Travel requires documents like passports and visas for entry into a foreign country.

Passport and Visa

• A PASSPORT is a major requirement for traveling outside one's country.
• A VISA is a conditional authorization granted by a country to a noncitizen for temporary entry and stay.
• A visa is subject to permission by an immigration official upon entry and can be revoked.
• It is typically a stamp in the applicant's passport or travel document.
• Regular (Maroon) passport are issued to any citizen of the Philippines.
• It is the most common type.
• Official (Red) passports are issued to members of the government doing official business, and employees of diplomatic posts without diplomatic status.
• Diplomatic (Blue) passports are issued to members of the Philippine diplomatic service.
• They're also issues to members of the Cabinet and service attachés assigned to diplomatic posts and delegates to international organizations.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs began issuing maroon machine-readable passports on September 17, 2007.
• Biometric passports began on August 11, 2009.
• Green-colored cover, non-electronic passports are still valid until they expire.
• Philippine passports are printed at the APO Production Unit plant in Malvar, Batangas.
• The Philippine passport is a travel document and Primary National ID for Filipino citizens.
• Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions subject to exceptions.
• The Republic Act No. 8239 (Philippine Passport Act of 1996) states that a Passport is a government-issued document.
• This document requests other governments to allow its citizens to pass freely and provide lawful aid if needed.
• Transit Visa for passing through the country to a destination outside that country.
• Validity ranges from hours to 10 days based on country size.
• Airside Transit Visa required by some countries for airport transit, even without passport control.
• Crew Member, Steward, or Driver Visa issued to people employed on aircraft, vessels, trains, trucks, buses, or ships fishing in waters.
• Short-Stay or Visitor Visa for short visits to the host country.
• Private Visa is for private visits by invitation.
• Tourist Visa for leisure travel, no business activities.
• Visa for Medical Reasons used for diagnostics or course of treatment in the host country's hospitals.
• Business Visa allows for engaging in commerce in the country.
• Official Visa granted to officials working representing their countries, such as personnel of diplomatic missions.
• Diplomatic Visa only available to bearers of diplomatic passports.

Travel Tips

• Always keep a copy of your passport.
• Take a picture of it and e-mail it to yourself.
• Bring a set of clothing in your carry on, in case there is a delay in your luggage.
• Make sure your passport is valid before you leave.
• Know the hotel or address where you will be staying.

Geography studies the Earth’s landscapes, people, places, and environments. It explores Earth's physical properties and human societies. Geographers examine the interactions between human culture and the natural environment and how locations affect people.