Introduction to travel and tourism

TOURISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT


What is meant by ‘the environment’?
When we talk of the environment we talk of our surroundings such as soil, water, air, vegetation, wildlife and other scarce resources. Every day we are made aware of environmental issues in the newspapers, on television or by observing our own surroundings. Pollution of the land, air, rivers and seas are just some of the issues that we are faced with. Other more global ‘issues are:

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  The green house effect
  
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  The ozone hole
  
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  Deforestation
  
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  The impact of tourism on the environment
  
  
  

TOURISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Tourism and the environment are closely linked. When tourists visit your country they come to experience the environment and its natural beauty such as the sea, beaches, ancient sights, the wildlife and the flora and fauna (vegetation) and of course your cultural heritage. It makes sense to protect it.
TOURISM POLICY AND REGULATION
Effective policy making and regulation by government can and does protect the environment.
For example:

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  Tourism planning and infrastructure
  
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  Planning and building regulations
  
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  Licensing of hotels
  
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  Regulations on effluent discharges
  
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  Regulations on dumping of garbage and hazardous waste
  
  
  

THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE ENVIRONMENT

In the developing world, however, it can be difficult to regulate effectively due to the lack of resources and the need for jobs which can create over-exploitation of the environment.

You have already seen in this unit that tourism has many benefits including job creation and its impact on the economy of the country. Because tourism does have these benefits, it is sometimes difficult to see the potential problems that tourism can create for the environment. Some examples of this are:

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  Development without proper planning
  
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  Damage to natural resources such as coral reefs, forests and wildlife
  
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  Untreated sewage disposal
  
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  Ineffective disposal of waste and rubbish
  
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  Social impact (e.g. drugs, exploitation)