AQA Geography Pre-release Materials 2023 (Cayman Islands Port) (AQA GCSE Geography)

• The AQA pre-release materials are now available and with schools
• AQA copyright and exam regulations mean that the resources themselves cannot be shared online - you will receive or may already have received the booklet from your teacher at school
• The issue evaluation is synoptic which means that it covers more than one topic from the specification
• The topics covered in the 2023 issue evaluation are:

• The materials below will provide all the background information on the issue, and key exam tips needed to successfully tackle the questions in the 2023 Geography Paper 3
• The materials will support you to:
  • Set the issue in context - where it is and what are the key facts about the location
  • Examine conflicting stakeholder viewpoints about the issue 
  • Make an appraisal of the advantages and disadvantages
  • Evaluate alternatives
• In the exam you will need to answer a range of questions about tourism and development, and the proposal of a new port in the Cayman Islands. You will have about 35-40 minutes for this section of the exam
  • There will be a series of short, skills questions (2-3 marks) followed by 6 mark extended questions and then a final 9 mark question which asks you to make a decision on the issue
  • You will be asked whether you agree or disagree with a statement and then you will be expected to explain your answer. It does not matter whether you agree or disagree, what matters is how you justify your answer using evidence from the materials in the resource booklet and your own knowledge
• The issue evaluation skills guide is also here to help you work out how to interpret and use the sources that you have available in the booklet

Growth of tourism

• Tourism is when a person travels to another destination for more than 24 hrs but less than one year
• Tourism can be split into:
  
  • Domestic - staying in your own country
  • International - travel to another country
• Over the last 50 years mass tourism has expanded into a major global industry, which is still growing 
• An estimated 900 million people become international tourists every year (pre pandemic)
• Most tourism is for leisure (holiday); visiting friends and relatives is second
• The main reasons for the rise in tourism can be linked to:
  • Improved pay, disposable incomes and leave allowances - most households have both partners working less than 40 hours a week with paid annual leave
  • Transport is faster and cheaper than in the past
  • Booking is easier than ever with internet based travel agents 
  • Attractions such as music festivals, sporting events etc. and increases in 'built attractions' such as theme and water parks
  • Many governments have invested heavily to encourage tourism (easier to cross borders) or backed international events - Olympics
• Travel and tourism is the largest employer across the globe and represents 7% of the world's exports in goods and services

Importance of tourism

• Throughout the world, tourism brings much needed income to many parts of a country
• Tourism creates jobs for local people, can help to regenerate areas and improve the quality of life by raising living standards
• Other benefits include:
  • Foreign exchange and government revenue generation improves a country's balance of trade
  • Infrastructure development - better water supplies 
  • Environmental enhancement - money from tourism can be used to protect and repair the environment  
  • Social interaction - develops foreign language skills and cultural tourism values people's heritage
• Tourism has direct and indirect impacts on a country -
  • Indirectly - it has a multiplier effect as interest and demand increases across other industries 
    • Primary - agriculture and providing food or mining of materials to build hotels
    • Secondary - for manufacturing of goods - chairs, beds, towels, gifts etc.
    • Creates openings for small business and support jobs in the informal sector
  • Directly - tourism as a service industry needs staff for hotels, planes, buses, restaurants, lifeguards etc.
    • Quaternary - research and development to improve facilities for tourists or management etc.
    • Provides opportunities and employment in poorer areas of the country

Table Showing Global Impact of Tourism 

* 98% of all countries have some form of travel restrictions in place UNWTO 2022

• The economic impact of tourism is not evenly distributed, with LICs/NEEs relying heavily on tourism contribution to their total income
• In many countries, tourism accounts for more than 20% of their total income 
  • e.g. Macau, receives 29.3% of its income from people arriving to gamble in casinos and live the high life in hotels
• Whereas, HICs are far less reliant - 3.7% of UK’s GDP and 2.6% of the US’s GDP is from tourism
  
  

Compound line graph showing international tourist arrivals by region

• However, it is the island nations, particularly the Pacific and Caribbean Islands, that see the highest impact of tourism 
  • E.g. Tourism in the Maldives is the largest economic industry, and employs 25000 people (total population is 521,457 as of 2021) and accounted for 21.4% to the GDP in 2021, a decrease of 18.2% from its 39.6% pre-Covid19

Table Showing Reliance of Tourist Contribution to Caribbean Island Nations

• Cruise holidays can be spent entirely onboard a ship or can form part of a multi-centre holiday, where people spend time on land and return to the ship to sail to the next destination
• Cruise holidays have risen in popularity as money is saved by not having to pay extra for food, drink, entertainment and transport
• Many cruise holidays attract families due to their multigenerational packages, kids theme cruise (e.g. Disney Cruise Line), mystery theme cruises, etc
• It is the Caribbean that continues to be the most popular cruise destination, having over a third of the market share
• Globally there are over 1000 ports able to cope with cruise liners - the Port of Nassau in the Bahamas is the fifth largest  port in the world

• At its peak in 2019, the global cruise industry saw 29.7 million passengers, created jobs for 1.8 million people globally and paid US$50 billion in wages, along with contributing over US$154 billion to the global economy
• The cruise industry have commissioned 50 new ships to be built by 2025, with 19 new ocean-going cruise ships set to launch in 2023, amounting to over 38,000 new berths

Cruise tourism in the Caribbean

• The Caribbean has the highest number of cruise tourist arrivals in the world, which contributes up to half of GDP in most Caribbean countries
• Caribbean islands are rich in biodiversity and have the so-called '3 S's' of Sun, Sand and Sea in abundance
• The region has a long and diverse history and offers a variety of cultural experiences
• It is considered a popular yet luxury destination, attracting wealthy visitors willing to spend on luxury accommodation, dining and activities within the regions tropical shores

Map showing the islands of the Caribbean

• More than 15 million people visit the Caribbean each year, of which 11.3 million arrive via cruise ships, making cruise tourism an important sector in the Caribbean
• According to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) in 2018, 29.2m cruise ships arrived in the Caribbean 
• The majority of cruise arrivals are from the USA, Western Europe, China and Australia

Source of cruise arrivals to the Caribbean

• Therefore, cruise ships have a significant impact on Caribbean islands as they need a good port infrastructure, business and services
• They also generate large amounts of economic revenue and employment 
• Furthermore, many cruise tourists make multi-island stops, and therefore, contribute to multiple island economies 
• The expectation of visitors is to have the same or similar luxuries that they experience at home:
  • Emergency health care facilities
  • Fresh, clean water, toilet and sanitation services
  • Fresh, safe food to eat
  • Safety within the country
• This level of development and income from tourism, benefits conditions for local people and increases their quality of life:
  • Schools, hospitals and local services are improved or built
  • Infrastructure is built, making it easier for locals to move around 
  • Improves the appearance of the island overall by removing informal housing and waste
  • Adds incentives to nurture the environment rather than destroy it

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cruise Tourism in the Caribbean

• The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory located in the Western Caribbean.
• There are three islands 
  • Grand Cayman
  • Cayman Brac
  • Little Cayman

Cayman Islands

• The capital of the Cayman Islands is George Town, Grand Cayman

Population

• The population of the Cayman Islands is 71,432 (2022)
  • There are over 130 nationalities living in the Cayman Islands
  • Of the total population 34,171 are foreign workers on visas

• The GDP per capita of the Cayman Islands is US$83,568 compared to the UK which is US$46,510
  • Of the 50 largest banks in the world 40 have branches in the Cayman Islands
  • This together with its tax free status means it is a popular destination for the wealthy 
• Although it is classed by the UN as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) it is a High Income Country (HIC)
• As with all SIDS it faces unique social, economic and environmental challenges
  • High levels of imports
  • High import costs
  • Fragile ecosystems
  • Vulnerability to tropical cyclones and sea level rise

Poverty

• Poverty levels are low 1.9% of people live in poverty, 3.7% are classified as living in vulnerable conditions
  • It is estimated from the 2021 census that over 2% of the population are food insecure
  • Of the food insecure households 65% were Caymanian
  • One third of the workforce earns less than US$2,800 a month (2021)
  • Prices in the Cayman Islands are high which impacts on the lowest earners most
  • Some of the poorest areas in the Caribbean are in the Cayman Islands

Employment

• Over 92% of the GDP comes from the service sector and 79% of people are employed in the service sector
• Finance and tourism are regarded as the two mainstays of the Cayman Island economy
• There is very little farming or industry on the Cayman Islands 

Food and consumer goods

• The lack of farming and industry means 90% of food and consumer goods are imported
• The main crops and livestock on the Cayman Islands are:
  • Fruits, sweet potatoes and tomatoes
  • There are cattle and poultry
• The main imports are boats, ships, oil, gold and cars

Climate 

• The Cayman Islands have a tropical marine climate
  • A wet season (mid-May to October) warm, rainy summers  
  • A dry season (November to April) of mild winters

• The islands have over 300 days of sunshine a year

Tourism in the Cayman Islands

• Tourism is of great importance to the Cayman Islands economy
• It contributes approximately 16% to the GDP
• The majority of visitors are from the US 
  • Overstay 80%
  • Cruises 54%
• There are over 7,000 hotel rooms 
• Cruise passengers make up 75% of tourist visitors in an average year
  • Most cruise arrivals are between November and March

• The number of visitors to the Cayman Islands has steadily increased but spending per visitor has decreased

Existing port

• Built in 1977 the port at George Town had a capacity of 50,000 tons per year
• Cargo and cruise facilities are mixed together 

Changes to the port at George Town

Growth of trade and cruise arrivals

• The cargo arriving at George Town is now over 500,000 tons, a ten fold increase on the capacity the port was originally designed for
• Cruise passengers on ships anchored offshore in George Town have more than doubled since 1998
  
  • Although there are almost 2 million this does not mean all these passengers disembarked - around 15-20% stay onboard

Tenders

• Currently cruise passengers are transported ashore on tenders (boats which take people ashore)
• There are three tender terminals 
  • South Terminal
  • North Terminal 
  • Royal Watler Pier
• This provides income for the tender owners

Issues with the existing port

• Current port is overstretched and reaching capacity
  • Estimates suggest it will run out of space by 2033
• Cargo operations can only take place at night between 6pm and 5am for two reasons:
  • The area for storing containers is used for transportation for cruise passengers
  • Safety - heavy equipment such as cranes cannot be used when cruise passengers walking through 
• The port is not deep enough if the current cargo ships are replaced with new larger container vessels
• Some cruise passengers choose to stay onboard as getting ashore is not easy using the tenders
  • These passengers are counted in visitor numbers even if they do not set foot on the Cayman Islands - it estimated between 15-20% of passengers do not disembark
  • This may make visitor numbers as a result of cruises higher than they actually are
• The time passengers spend on the islands is reduced as getting ashore and then back to the cruise ship takes so long
• The first impressions for cruise visitors is not as favourable as they have to walk past container storage yards on arrival
• Tenders cause congestion in the harbour area which affects cargo traffic

Proposed new port

• The Cayman Islands' government proposed a new cruise ship terminal and port in 2019
• It would be financed by the Verdant Isle Group at an estimated cost of $240 million 
  • The group includes two cruise companies - Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Cruises

Proposal for new port at George Town

• The new port will have:
  • Separate cargo and container storage area
  • Two piers so four cruise liners can berth
  • Shopping and leisure facilities
• The port development will be part of the George Town Revitalisation Initiative which will:
  • Include better infrastructure and improved lighting
  • Improve access for cyclists
  • Tree replanting and green spaces
  • Conservation of historical sites
  • Residential accommodation
  • Improved services, shops and leisure facilities

Benefits of the proposed port

• The tourism minister of the Cayman Islands stated 

'The evolution of the mega-ship has changed the face of cruising in the Caribbean. We are faced with a choice of either preparing to enhance this reality or accepting that we will be left behind'

• One of the main concerns is that new larger ships will not stop at the Cayman Islands if the port is not upgraded to berth these ships
  • The government argued that 50% of cruise business would be lost without the new port
  • Over 5000 people are employed as a result of cruise tourism, jobs would be lost if fewer cruise ships visit the Cayman Islands
• The new port and cruise ship berthing facility would make getting ashore easier and faster for cruise passengers 
  • More passengers are likely to disembark increasing the number of visitors and may stay longer
  • More visitors will increase trade in local businesses
• Congestion in the harbour will be reduced due to a reduction in tender boats
• It will separate cargo and cruise passengers 

Environmental issues with the proposed port

• Environmental groups and conservationists have expressed concern about the proposal for a number of reasons:
  • Damage to the environment will discourage long stay visitors who contribute larger amounts to the economy because the area will not be as attractive
  • It will involve dredging to a depth of 10m so that larger cruise liners can berth at the docks
  • The coral reef will be destroyed - over 15 acres
  • Sediment which is disturbed by the dredging will mean the water is no longer clear
  • Ecosystems will be destroyed including the Hawksbill Turtle which is already critically endangered
  • Businesses that rely on the coral reef such as diving and snorkelling will lose trade
  • In other areas of the Caribbean such as Jamaica the building of new cruise liner ports have not led to increased income - in Jamaica

'net loss of globally threatened wildlife'

RSPB

'There are so many different varieties of marine life but also coral, we have endangered species here which we have to protect and that’s what’s really at risk'

Head of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands

Reducing environmental impacts

• The government have pledged to minimise environmental impacts by:
  • Removing and transplanting coral to reduce the overall impact on the coral reef
  • Consult with environmental groups to identify impacts of the port
  • Monitor the impacts on the area 

• The Cayman Islands is an increasingly popular destination 
• Tourism is important for the economic development of the country
• The environment and wildlife are major attractions for the tourists
  • Any environmental damage may impact on the numbers of tourists
• Cruise tourism brings lots of visitors but only for a day
  • Long term visitors bring more money 
• The proposed port development would bring economic benefits but would have significant environmental costs

The Future

• The Cayman Island's government abandoned the proposals for the port redevelopment and cruise liner berths after protests from the local population and environmental organisations

'I'm a representative of my people, and my people have said that the environment is more important to our country, from a sustainable perspective, than cruise itself'

Minister of Tourism

• There are now proposals to move the cargo port to another location on the Cayman Islands or to extend the cargo facility at George Town
• Either proposal will lead to environmental impacts