Sport and Leisure in Saudi Arabia

• These notes illustrate recent changes in participation for two or more societies at contrasting stages of development, focusing on leisure, tourism, and sport.

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia is located in Western Asia and is the 5th largest country in Asia.
• It has a young population, with 67% under 35.
• The country is implementing strategies to encourage tourism and sport, an e-visa program to simplify tourism.
• The Saudi Vision 2030 program, initiated in 2016, prioritizes sports with the goal to achieve a 40% participation rate and produce more elite athletes for international events.
• $1.8 billion has been invested in the sports industry to spread awareness of more than 50 sports by 2019.
• Saudi Arabia has hosted 9 international sporting events, including Formula E.
• Gender inequalities are being addressed by encouraging women to practice sports, promoting sports in schools, and separating gyms and pools with the goal of women participating in international competitions, including the Olympics.
• Riyadh, the capital city, includes the construction of a $100 million Olympic village.
• The Qiddiya project is under construction and will feature theme parks, cultural experiences, and entertainment facilities and contributes to economic diversification and is fostering a tourism alternative to the oil industry.

USA

• Participation rates in sports and leisure activities are high.
• In 2022, 95% of the population engaged in sports and leisure activities on a daily basis, with engagement rates slightly higher for men than women.
• Physical activity levels are around 73%.
• Income inequalities have risen significantly, with the top 1% accounting for over 20% of the wealth in 2010, compared to 1% in 1969.
• There is a clear link between income and activity levels, with 60% of those with incomes below $25,000 participating in sports, compared to 80% of those earning over $75,000.

Leisure Time & Type

• Since the 1960s, individuals have gained 4-9 extra hours of leisure time per week due to shorter working weeks.
• There is a shift towards more individualized leisure activities.
• Team sports participation has declined, while jogging and health club attendance has increased, Netflix had over 77 million subscribers in 2022.
• COVID-19 has increased leisure options like streaming exercise programs and more home-based leisure.
• Secondary resources are built for the purpose of tourism.

Rural Area, Niche Tourism: Machu Picchu, Peru

• Machu Picchu is a hotspot for heritage and cultural tourism as people visit to see historical monuments, buildings, museums, and experience the cultures and traditions of the communities.
• The site is of historical significance, serving once a center of worship, and a 15th-century Incan citadel (fortified settlement).
• Machu Picchu stands approximately 2,500 meters above sea level and covers 30,000 hectares and is a World Heritage Site.
• Machu Picchu is split into two major architectural areas: an agricultural zone with terracing and food storehouses, and an urban zone with sacred temples and royal tombs.

Machu Picchu Economics

• Generates revenue from entrance fees and guided tours and attracts tourists which brings valuable foreign exchange.
• Revenue helps contribute to the maintenance and preservation of Machu Picchu and creates local employment opportunities.
• Economic diversification is achieved through a "multiplier effect" that benefits multiple economic sectors.
• Investments in infrastructure, roads, and transportation benefit the local community.
• Economic costs of tourism includes inflated local prices of goods and services and infrastructure strain due to traffic congestion, waste management problems, and pressure on public services.
• Economic dependence occurs due to over-reliance on tourism and the multiplier effect is offset by leakage, where money does not stay in the host country and local workers are not used.

Machu Picchu Socially

• Culture is exchanged between visitors and locals, the local infrastructure (electricity, water supply, communications) improves, and local cultural events are promoted the local populations

Machu Picchu Environmentally

• Benefits by conserving natural and cultural resources however cultural conflicts arise due to abandonment of traditional customs.
• An increase in local crime and overcrowding exceeds site carrying capacity resulting insufficient local infrastructures.
• The Urubamba River is overloaded with untreated sewage, the banks areas are covered with garbage and visitor numbers increase causing footpath issue due tourist traffic numbers beyond carrying capacity for the surrounding area.
• Local infrastructure do not cope with urbanizations, helicopter flights add noise disturbances.
• Environmental degradation leads to an increasing risk of landslides resulting from pollution and waste management.

Machu Picchu Tourism Management Strategies

• Enhancing infrastructures to cope with tourist numbers via pre-booking.
• Implementing sustainable practices to preserve the site and regulating visitor access to reduce environmental impact.
• Only 385 visitors are allowed at a time, with a maximum of 970 per day.
• Encourage environmental awareness.

Urban Area Sustainable Management of Tourism

• Sustainable management can be achieved by increasing carrying capacity with more resources and hotels.
• Limiting tourist numbers can help prevent negative impacts.
• Venice's historic urban center spans 700 hectares, and the primary tourist resources include the Cathedral and the Basilica of St Mark and local History.
• Diurnal hotspots are a current economic state and 37,500 day trippers visit daily in August.
• The optimum carrying capacity for Venice, is approximately 10,857 day trippers.
• A decline in tourism limits the economy that is valued by €300 million despite high passenger numbers, because the day trippers contribute less to the local economy.
• Day trips are more popular than people staying for extended stays in Venice.
• Over 110,000 tourists visit Venice each summer day, exceeding the carrying capacity.
• The local population has declined from 120,000 in the 1960s to 55,000 in 2015.
• Cruise ship tourism causes are a big problem as well and created congestion from the resources and 650 cruise liners docked in 2015.
• Tourists sleeping on bridges, swimming in canals demonstrate a lack of respect and limited understanding the local environment of community, landscape, or heritage.
• UNESCO has considered putting Venice on the World Heritage Danger list and buildings are protected regulations.
• There is conflict between those who want to increase tourism (profit) and those who believe Venice has reached its carrying capacity.
• The government charges of $4.50 for people to enter the city.
• Local governments banned unauthorized coach trips, and cars may not enter the city when they have not pre booked parking reservations.
• Cruise ships have been banned from Venice since 2021 and after June 1st, 2024, tour groups will be limited to 25 people, and loudspeakers will be banned.

National Basketball Association (NBA)

• The NBA is a case study of one national sports league with unique case studies.
• The NBA was formed in the late 1940s with 30 teams playing in two conferences: the Western and Eastern.
• The NBA has an average team worth around $US 1.3 billion, and with TV rights being sold in over 200 territories around the world, most teams are wealthy.

Case Study 22

• Glastonbury Festival, UK is a case study of one festival in a rural location, its site factors and geographic impacts will be looked at these types of sites are temporary in the aspect that they only exist as it is taking place.
• It has been noted as the largest open air music festival in Europe with a festival spanning 5 days and is village near Bristol of England. -The main goal of the festival is create a safe environment that encourages the journalists and journalists throughout the local area.
• As a result there has been some donation towards temporary facilities such as local hospitals that provide 5000 toilets within three medical centers. Some additional money towards solar panel energy that generates the needed energy towards the general goal.

3- Tourism and Sport at the International Scale

• Adventure tourism is a tourism model with typically high risk.
• A transnational corporation, TNC, operates in at least two countries.
• TNCs are based in different economic sectors unrelated to the region and no longer originate from developed countires.
• The main goals of the reason to engage with them so a benefit for their organization not necessarily for outside reasons Escape.
• The main benefits and reasons Escape trade tariffs locating in lower tax areas, lowest cost of labor, reach more foreign markets, and exploit resources.

Budget Airlines

• Budget airline example US- 10-20% cheaper.
• Europe 50-60% cheaper, Newest planes fuel efficient and A type of plane.
• Pilots staff only need the bare minimum to get around the area the money,seats are the first to go to cheap airports.
• Check in only online, low personnel cost also Low payed plane throughout the full 30-45 minute days.
• Ryanair and tiktok is often advertising around the country, but its not always the safest for its customer.

London 2012 Olympic Games

• The London 2012 Olympic Games is a case study of costs and benefits for one country that is hosting an international event.
• Olympic Games - a global sports festival that occurs every four years. Large-scale multicultural sporting competition attracts participants and viewers from across the globe
• The London Olympic commitment was to ensure it was one of the greenest games and it meets the the carbon, waste, materials and environmental goals.

Paralympics Games

• An international competition for athletes who have disabilities will take place soon after this olympics session.
• This festival will involve over 4300 participants to have the opportunity to represent over 159 nations in a sports festivity.
• The athletes more likely to participate will result in larger costs.

Case Study 24

• Case study of sustainable tourism in one low income country, this creates an one on one scenario
• The goal focuses towards how it will it needs meets the requirements for for its economic impact.
• the the economy needs to not only stay strong but should become even more.
• There’s should be a constant increase in diversity that involves the people in the development, process the support for the local markets.