- Read the following case about Sterling Bay, and refer to the questions on
the next page to guide your answer.
Sterling Bay is a small settlement of 5000 people located on the tip of a
peninsular. Being situated by the sea and at an area with particularly abundant
marine life, the economy of the town has always revolved around fishing and
other businesses that support this industry.
Physical Geography:
The town is located at the foot of a series of hills and within easy access and view
of a beautiful beach. Further along the beach are also a cluster of unique
limestone caves with numerous rock pool formations within. As the town has a
small population, the built up area only occupies a small portion of the land just
off the beach, with a stretch of forest bordering the town. The land around the
town is unfertile for any form of agriculture. Also, geographically, the land is
rather flat and would be easy to develop. The town is also served by 2 roads; a
narrow, 2 way coastal road and a second less developed road that comes over
the nearby hills. A new highway is being built further inland and it would not be
difficult to ‘cut’ an exit leading to Sterling Bay.
Human Geography:
The population of Sterling Bay consists of families with multiple generations.
First generation settlers started up the town and were the original fishermen.
They have had a generation of children who carried on the business. Those
children have now given birth to a third generation who are reaching young
adulthood, and who are starting to get involved in the livelihood of fishing. The
town is also well known for fresh and tasty seafood, cooked by the women folk,
who are also highly skilled in weaving.
Present developments:
As the rest of the country modernizes and diversifies the scope of economic
activity, the local government at Sterling Bay are considering their options. The
town has been granted a budget of $50m to invest in the revitalisation of the
local economy. At a glance, there appears to be a strong case for tourism as one
of the potential new industries for the area.
Task: Outline a plan to develop the tourism industry at Sterling Bay.
In your plan:
- Describe the economic approach that the government at Sterling Bay should
use to evaluate various options for diversifying the economy?
- Assume that tourism has been selected as the preferred industry to be
developed. What type of tourism should be adopted? Describe examples of F&B,
accommodation, transportation, attractions and events that suit the approach
that you have recommended.
- Identify potential economic advantages and disadvantages of developing
tourism at Sterling Bay.
- Identify potential socio-cultural advantages and disadvantages of developing
tourism at Sterling Bay.
Ensure that your answers make reference to the theory that you have learnt in
this programme. Pay attention to the information given about Sterling Bay; facts
about the place and the people residing there. Your answer should reflect a good
level of understanding and analysis of the information given.
The essay should follow good academic writing by having a structure; you should
have an introduction, a main body containing your arguments, followed by a
conclusion. You are required to consult and fully reference a MINIMUM of 5
references from 3 different sources of information (e.g., book; www; journal
article from the full-text databases; current affairs magazine; newspaper etc.)
