Where is tourism headed? An alternative to mass tourism

 Alternative tourism:  Recent trend in tourism  Has individualized activities  Desire to experience local culture  Desire to experience environment  Trips are usually arranged during non-peak holiday periods to avoid crowds

Example  Self planned biking trip through Vermont, camping or arranging accommodation at bed and breakfast locations as you go

Comparison of Mass and Alternative Tourism Mass  Large groups  Little time  Fixed program  Focus on “sites”  Little or no background research required Alternative  Singles, families, friends  Much time  Spontaneous decisions  Focus on “experiences”  Careful preparation and research required

Cont’d Mass  Desire for souvenirs  Shopping  May involve loud social activities  Snapshots and post cards  No language preparation Alternative  Desire for memories, new knowledge  Take presents  Quiet, low impact  Photography, painting  Learn local language

Environmental Impacts  Both mass and alternative tourisms can have an impact on the environment.  Any area that is involved within a tourist activity will eventually exceed its environmental capacity.  Environmental capacity: the ability for a place to not be damaged by people visiting it.

 Some places may be damaged after only a few visitors  Some places may be able to handle large amount of visitors, but even these too will become damaged eventually

 When a place is damaged, it changes the environment forever…other things that can also damage:  Noise population  Increased crime  Traffic congestion

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