Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.1 The environmental impacts of tourism Chapter 7

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.2 Tourism and the environment Tourism is perceived as a major despoiler of the environment –Transport pollution (air, sea and river and automobiles) –Congestion (roads, buildings, airports and sites) –Overdevelopment or inappropriate development –Visual pollution (billboards advertising tourist resources, insensitive designs or materials, litter and graffiti)

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.3 Measuring congestion Congestion may be psychological as well as physical The perception of overcrowding differs according to the site

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.4 Managing congestion By restricting visitor or vehicular access By limiting numbers By licensing operators By price

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.5 Visitor capacity for selected sites Site/activityVisitors per day/hectare Forest park15 Suburban nature park15–70 High-density picnicking300–600 Low-density picnicking60–200 Golf10–15 Fishing/sailing5–30 Speedboating5–10 Waterskiing5–15 Skiing100 (per hectare of trails) Nature trail hiking40 (per kilometre) Nature trail horseriding25–80 (per kilometre) Table 7.1 Visitor capacity of selected sites Source: E. Inskip, Tourism Planning: An integrated and sustainable development, van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.6 The economic impact of environmental protection The National Park Authorities imposed a 10 mph speed limit on Windermere Lake in As a result: –The local TIC received 12,000 fewer enquiries in the succeeding six months –Boat registrations and launches fell sharply –Traditional high-spending water skiers and powerboat users withdrew –Local businesses faced losses of around £7 million annually

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.7 Tourism’s environmental impact on the Alps 1.Soil erosion, due to –Development of ski lifts, chalets and whole villages above 6,000 feet –Deforestation to provide pistes for skiers 2.Loss of trees and other plant life, due to –Acid rain caused in part by traffic exhaust emissions –Use of artificial snow-making machines in absence of adequate snowfalls 3.Loss of wildlife, retreating as plant life suffers

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.8 Sustainable tourism: example of Botswana At the Xigera Camp in the Okavango Delta, a sandpit between the river and camp is raked each night The guide provides a talk the following day on the footprints appearing overnight Land for the camp is leased from indigenous tribal owners Local residents are employed by the operator and are well-paid by local standards Locals provide local excursions through the Delta for visitors Food provided to tourists is locally grown

Holloway, Humphreys and Davidson, The Business of Tourism, 8 th Edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2009 Slide 7.9 Sustainable planning: example of Disneyworld, Florida The site selected was largely scrubland The site lay in an economically deprived area needing economic support Disney incorporated infrastructure in its development, including new road networks and an airport Sensitive sites requiring protection were designated, and the extent of urban development clearly established