Tourism development, like any kind of development, has an impact upon the environment. The impact can be positive or negative. In the case of less-developed areas, tourism development can improve the environment for tourists and locals alike through improvements in sanitation, sewage, and housing. In developed areas tourism development is more likely to be thought of in negative terms such as pollution and congestion.
The natural environment is a major attraction for tourists. Visitors tend to be attracted to areas that are scenic, offer a pleasant climate, and have distinctive landscapes. However, in order to cater to tourists, a certain amount of development is necessary. Roads must be built to make the area accessible; lodging to house tourists and restaurants to feed them must be available.
In the best of all possible relationships, the distinctive features of the environment would be left as natural as possible while still providing benefits to the tourists who see and experience it. In most cases, however, tourism is in conflict with the environment.
Impact on conservation
Tourism has undoubtedly had a positive impact on the conservation of the environment. 1 Tourism has stimulated the rehabilitation of historic sites, buildings and monuments. In the US city of Cape Cod, small villages, the area's major tourist resource, have been maintained and local lighthouses and harbors refurbished to attract tourists. The same is true in many other areas including the US city of Williamsburg, which has been completely restored to its eighteenth century glory because of tourism.
A second positive impact is the way that tourism has provided the impetus for developing old buildings into new tourist facilities. In the US city of Savannah, Georgia, the waterfront area consisted of old, decaying warehouses that were important in the cotton trade. Retaining the original structure, the buildings have been turned into shops and restaurants. The same is true in Larimer Square in the US city of Denver where a rather seedy red-light district is now an attractive area for shops, restaurants and festivals.
Moreover, tourism has provided the push for the conservation of natural resources. National parks in Africa have increased in number because of the desire not only to protect the wildlife but also to offer areas that would appeal to tourists. By adding an economic incentive to the preservation of wildlife, it becomes more attractive. More than 207,200 kilometers of national parks have been set aside in eastern and southern Africa alone.
Finally, the pursuit of tourism has resulted in controls on the destination that are designed to protect the environment. Unfortunately, in many cases, these controls have taken effect after the negative ramifications of too many tourists have been felt. Such controls can take the form of eliminating access to a particular site, as is the case at Stonehenge where tourists must view the stones from about 10 yards away (approx. 8 meters). Previously, tourists could walk among and touch the standing ruins. Similar restrictions are in place at the Parthenon in Greece. In other cases, traffic has been eliminated in many historic areas in Europe.
While some argue that tourism has served to encourage an appreciation for nature and history, others say that the pressure of tourism on the environment has led to conflict.
Conflicts with the environment
Use of a destination will have an impact on the environment, and the more the area is used, the greater will be the impact. There comes a point when more people use the area than can be supported by it. The result is a spoiling of the environment.
The effect can be seen in the following ways:
- increased levels of generalized congestion and pollution
- alterations to the natural landscape and changes in the ecological balance of living things
- costs of preventing localized congestion and pollution
- costs of the loss of wilderness areas or inevitable degree of lessening of the natural attraction
- costs of creating conservation areas on resort lands
- costs of undertaking enhancement projects
- costs of undertaking historical or cultural preservation 2
When a previously undeveloped destination becomes a tourist attraction, development can offer benefits to the area and to the residents of the area. Land may be protected for the enjoyment of locals and tourists; basic infrastructure may be added that improves the quality of life for locals. Without careful planning, however, the destination may develop much too quickly. As a result, there is a danger that both the natural and cultural environment may deteriorate. The local environment may be destroyed and the quality of life of the locals adversely affected. If the destination is allowed to deteriorate, tourists may well be turned off, for the very thing that attracted them in the first place (the environment) is no longer attractive. The key is for a well-planned program of tourism development.
Study questions
- What are the five distinguishing economic characteristics of tourism?
- When a tourist pays a motel bill, the money can be "spent" in three ways. What are they and what is the impact on the community?
- List the major economic benefits of tourism to a destination.
- What factors determine the extent to which a destination will benefit from an infusion of foreign tourist dollars?
- How does the government raise revenue from tourism?
- Identify the major economic costs of tourism.
- What are the social impacts of tourism?
- List the five stages of the "index of tourist irritation”. What factors are present when a destination moves from one stage to another?
- How can tourism affect the local culture?
- How has tourism development positively impacted the environment?
Discussion questions
- Tourism has a number of economic characteristics. Discuss their effect on tourism.
- Identify the direct and indirect effects of tourist dollars spent at a destination.
- How does tourism benefit a destination economically? What can a destination do to maximize tourism's economic impact?
- In what ways can tourism be "bad" for a destination socially, culturally, and environmentally? Discuss what a destination can do to minimize tourism's negative effects.
- 3677 reads
