The big idea: Tourism and sport facilities are not placed at random — their location is decided by a mix of physical factors (relief, climate, scenery, water) and human factors (accessibility, land cost, population, investment).
Geographers split these into the site (the actual ground a facility sits on) and the situation (where it stands relative to roads, cities and markets). A stadium needs a flat, cheap site and a well-connected situation; a ski resort needs snow-covered slopes and access for visitors.
In the exam you must name a factor and develop why it matters — not just list.
Key terms for locating facilities
- Site — the physical ground a facility occupies (flat land, snow slopes, a coast, a river).
- Situation — its position relative to roads, cities, airports and the people it serves.
- Accessibility — how easily visitors can reach it (roads, rail, airports, car parking).
- Carrying capacity — the number of visitors a site can take before quality or environment suffers.
- Honeypot / hotspot — a place that attracts very large numbers of tourists into a small area.
- Multiplier effect — visitor spending that creates jobs and draws further investment to a place.
Physical sets the scene, human builds on it: Physical factors create the original pull — mountains for skiing, a warm coast for beaches, lakes and scenery for the countryside.
Human factors then decide whether it grows — accessibility, investment, marketing and cheap land turn natural potential into a built-up destination.
How this is tested: Paper 1 Option E opens with data-response parts and short Outline [2] questions on the location of a stadium, resort, festival or leisure complex. You name a factor (physical or human) and develop how it shapes the location — one mark for the factor, one for the development. Always tie it to that facility.
| Facility | Key location factors | Advantage of a good site | Disadvantage / risk | Real example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports stadium | Flat cheap land, accessibility, parking, away from homes | Easy access for big crowds; room to expand | Noise + traffic anger nearby residents | London 2012 Olympic Park (Stratford) |
| Music festival | Large open site, water + waste provision, road access, not too close to housing | Space for tens of thousands; fewer noise complaints | Mud/flooding on poor relief; access jams | Glastonbury (Somerset farmland) |
| Beach / city resort | Warm climate, coast or culture, hotels, airport links | Strong natural pull + repeat visitors | Overcrowding erodes the very thing tourists came for | Venice (lagoon city) |
| Ski resort | High snow-reliable slopes, relief, lift access, alpine scenery | A long season + dramatic scenery | Warmer winters and avalanche risk cut visitor numbers | Chamonix (French Alps) |
| Countryside / national park | Scenery, lakes, walking trails, near big cities | Honeypot pull for day-trippers and walkers | Footpath erosion + congestion at peak times | The Lake District (Cumbria) |
Name a factor, then DEVELOP it: An Outline [2] never scores full marks from a one-word factor. Add the so what: flat land (1) -> cheap to build on and easy to lay out a pitch and stands (1). The development mark is the link from the factor to the facility.
Practice with real exam questions
Answer exam-style questions and get AI feedback that shows you exactly what examiners want to see in a full-marks response.
Try Practice Free7-day free trial • No card required
Each facility weighs its factors differently. A ski resort lives or dies on physical snow reliability; a stadium depends on human accessibility and land cost. To explain or suggest a location, name the dominant factor for that facility and trace how it works.
Physical factors that attract tourism
- Relief and snow — high alpine slopes give Chamonix a long, reliable ski season.
- Climate — warm, dry summers draw beach tourists to Mediterranean coasts.
- Scenery and water — the Lake District's mountains and lakes pull millions of walkers and day-trippers.
- Carrying capacity — a large flat site (Glastonbury's farmland) lets a festival host huge crowds.
Human factors that grow tourism
- Accessibility — Stratford's rail and Tube links let London 2012 move millions to the Olympic Park.
- Investment — Dubai built artificial islands, malls and airports to manufacture a desert tourism hotspot.
- Marketing and image — a famous brand or event keeps visitors returning year after year.
- Land cost — cheaper edge-of-city or rural land lets stadiums and festivals find the space they need.
Case studies for this topic: London 2012 (Stratford) — a cheap, derelict, well-connected brownfield site was regenerated for the Olympic Park; accessibility (rail/Tube) and land availability were the deciding human factors.
Venice — a lagoon city whose physical site and cultural pull made it a honeypot; success now overwhelms its tiny carrying capacity (overtourism).
Dubai — almost no physical attraction, so investment (islands, malls, airport hub) and marketing built a tourism hotspot from human factors alone.
The Lake District — scenery and lakes near big northern cities make it a classic countryside honeypot, with footpath erosion at peak times.
Match the factor to the command: If the question asks for a physical factor, do not answer with a human one (price, advertising) — and vice versa. Read the wording, then anchor your factor to a named place for top marks.
How this is tested — the [10] Examine essay: Paper 1 Option E ends with a 10-mark Examine/Discuss essay, marked on markbands. Recurring versions: why some rural areas attract leisure (physical AND human reasons), the advantages and disadvantages of a festival's site, and the relative importance of human versus physical factors in growing a tourism hotspot.
Top band needs: accurate terms, named case studies, a balanced two-sided treatment, and a justified conclusion that weighs the factors. An inappropriate or missing example is capped low.
Markband marks: (1) Develop both sides (physical AND human, or advantages AND disadvantages). (2) Anchor each to a named real place. (3) End on an explicit judgement that answers the command — which factor matters most, and how they interact.