South and Southeast Asia

Climate is either tropical rain forest or tropical savanna Hindered tourism development because of high temperatures and humidity during at least part of the year

Physical Characteristics The Indian Subcontinent of South Asia South Asia occupies the Indian subcontinent Dominant and well-known landform feature of the subcontinent is the Himalayan Mountains Four small regions occupy the Himalayas and South Asia : countries of Nepal and Bhutan and the states of Kashmir and Sikkim

Physical Characteristics Kashmir is claimed by both India and Pakistan, and the resulting dispute has often had violent side effects Plains of the Indus stretching from 200 to 300 miles in width and pass through the countries of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

Physical Characteristics Southeast Asia Diversity of Southeast Asia is different than the relative homogeneity of the climate of the region Mountains rarely exceed 10,000 feet, but they are steep and covered with dense forest and are sparsely populated

Physical Characteristics River valleys – Red River of northern Vietnam, the Mekong River and its valleys, the Irrawaddy River basin, and the central lowland of Thailand – population centers of the various countries

Climate Characteristics 1)South Asia Lack of freezing temperatures drop low enough Dominant climatic element in the subcontinent is the monsoon Dry season’s temperatures may exceed 95 degrees

Climate Characteristics 2)Southeast Asia Characterized by a homogeneous climate No other area of the world of comparable size has such a uniform climate Entire region is tropical, with temperatures exceeding 60 degrees F throughout the year

Population Problems South and Southeast Asia have large population numbers and a high growth rate Absolute increase in numbers each year in India is second only to China totalling nearly 16 million people per year

Population Problems Literacy rate of India is estimated at 36% and the logistics of overcoming the mass illiteracy even without population growth Population is also a major problem in Southeast Asia Island of Java is one of the most densely populated locations in the world

Tourism to South Asia and Southeast Asia Exotic and Sensual destination regions of the world Localized in South and Southeast Asia, with a few countries receiving most of the tourists Tourism development and growth have been limited because of the political problems associated with wars, terrorism, and nationalistic movements

South Asia Averaged over 4.5 million visitors in the 1990s India provides the largest segment of international visitors to other countries of South Asia Reflects the great regional variation in visits to the region

Physical Characteristics Secluded valleys on the south side of the Himalayas between the Tibetan plateau and the Assam Bengal Plains of northwest India Valleys of central Bhutan are temperate, Southern plains and valleys are subtropical, Bhutan has heavy summer rain

Tourism Characteristics and Tourist Destinations Little Tourism Before 1974, few visitors allowed were official or business visitors Very limited with only 30,000 total visitors between 1974 and 1994 Small private tourism sector Organized directly by the government

Bhutan Breathtaking Himalayan scenery and the country’s culture Countryside has numerous monasteries, and the monks are a distinctive part of the culture Religious center, beautiful temples and interesting fortresses

Singapore Small island city-state Climate is tropical, hot, and humid year- round

Tourism Characteristics Benefits from its central location Crossroads shipping routes between the Indian and Pacific oceans Tourism reflects a regional market Major tourism markets are from Indonesia, Japan, UK, Taiwan, USA Length of stay is about 3.2 days

Tourist Destinations and attractions First and foremost tourist attraction is the duty-free shopping Usual Chinese sights, sounds, smells, shops, food, folk medicines and handicrafts Attractions include excellent zoological and botanical gardens, Jurong BirdPark, Haw Par Villa (Tiger Balm Gardens), Chinatown, Arab Street, Underwater World