URBAN TOURISM: THE PERSPECTIVE ON TOURISM IMPACTS IN CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM.

Tourism has become a modern global phenomenon and contributes to the development of the society in many possible ways. The visible impact of the tourism development not only involves the economic factors but also develop the environmental, cultural and social aspects of life and well-being. Matter of fact, because of this various benefits arising from the tourism development, it has been able to gain a very important and significant status in the community and many countries are recognising tourism as their priority in the economic development. Urban tourism is a concept within the tourism and it becomes one of the main functions of the cities and its importance is still growing. Urban tourism locations rich in historic features often serve as a suitable example of urban locations positioned to attract visitors to enjoy the historic and cultural experiences on offer. Focusing on Cambridge, a city in the United Kingdom this paper explored the concept of Urban Tourism with an emphasis on the characteristics and type of visitors to cities and the natural impacts of tourism and also focused on the costs and benefits of urban tourism in terms of economic, social, cultural and environmental considerations. Using different literature from various articles, books, research papers and case studies, this paper identifies if Cambridge is able to retain its culture and identity in spite of its popularity as a tourism destination. This paper presents the results of a theoretical analysis which showed that tourism impacts have largely been well managed in Cambridge and the city has been able to maintain the characteristics and original features of a heritage city. Preservation of architecture, a wide range of entertainment and cultural events, sports and leisure facilities are all well served. The results of this research can be useful in identifying the role of the public and private sector in urban tourism and their impact on local residents and aims to create awareness among organizations relating to the Urban tourism, local residents and government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]