Unit 4

Tourism's Impact

Alberta Education Outcome

Lesson 16: Impacts of Tourism

"Tourists came around and looked into our tipis. That these were the homes we live in didn't bother them at all. They untied the door, opened the flap and barged right in, touching our things, poking around our bedrolls, inspecting everything. It boggles my mind that tourists feel they have the God-given right to intrude everywhere." ~ Russell Means, White Men Fear to Tread author


Tourism is one of the most important components of the global economy. It generates billions of dollars in revenue and millions of jobs worldwide. In many emerging countries, it is their only tool for development and may be their only chance to increase their quality of life. As a result, the tourist industry has stretched from the ocean to the mountains and from small villages to big cities. At the same time, through the actions of tourism business and tourists alike, the negative impacts on the socio-cultural values and environmental resources are starting to occur all over the world.

This lesson will focus on the impact of tourism on society from three perspectives: physical/environmental, economic as well as social. The main problem is that the local tourism destination communities are directly impacted by the damages to the culture, tradition, and most importantly, on the environment. 

Digging Deeper

Tourism is one of the largest and most dynamic international sectors. Its rapid growth, evolving infrastructure, foreign currency flows combined with the introduction of advanced management techniques have influenced numerous sectors both positively and negatively by contributing to social and economic growth.




Physical Impact

Negative impacts from tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment's ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change. Uncontrolled tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world.

Three main physical impact areas are:

Depletion of Natural Resources


    Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources when it increases consumption in areas where resources are already scarce such as:

    • Water
    • Local energy, food and raw materials
    • Land degradation

    Pollution

    Tourism has the ability to cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry. such as:

    • Air pollution
    • Noise pollution
    • Solid waste and littering
    • Sewage
    • Aesthetic pollution

    Physical Impacts


    Physical impacts are caused not only by tourism-related land clearing and construction but by continuing tourist activities and long-term changes in local economy and ecology through:

    • Deforestation
    • Marina development
    • Overbuilding shorelines
    • Destruction of land and marine habitat
    • Trampling vegetation and soil
    • Wildlife stress


    Economic Impact

    The tourism industry generates substantial economic benefits to both the host destination country and the tourists' home country. Developing countries, especially, have a huge motivation to promote themselves as a tourism destination because of the anticipated economic improvement.

    According to the World Tourism Organization, 689 million people travelled to a foreign country in 2000, spending more than $478 billion U.S. International tourism receipts show that this makes tourism the world's number one export earner. 

    Travel and tourism create jobs, drive exports, and generate prosperity across the world. Direct travel and tourism GDP growth are expected to accelerate in the next few years with expectations that this sector will support over 380 million jobs by 2027.

    It must be noted that just like the other industries, there are both positive and negative economic impacts.



    Social Impact 

    Postives

    The improvements to infrastructure and new tourism amenities that result from tourism also benefit the local community. Tourism encourages the preservation of traditional customs, handicrafts, and festivals that might otherwise have been allowed to perish. This creates civic pride. Interchanges between residents and tourists create a better cultural understanding and can also help raise global awareness of issues such as poverty and human rights abuse.

    Negatives

    Visitor behavior can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the tourism destination community. Overcrowding and congestion, drug and alcohol problems, increased prostitution, and crime levels can all occur as a direct result of increased tourism traffic. 

    Tourists can even infringe on the human rights of locals who become displaced from their land to make way for new hotels and amenities, even barring them from the local natural resources. Interactions with tourists can often lead to an erosion of traditional cultures and values, instead turning traditions into a side-show.