Describe and Evaluate the Negative Social, Cultural or Environmental Impact Caused by Tourism in a Destination of Your Choice. Analyse the Causes of This Impact and Judge to What Extent Sustainable Tourism Strategies
Describe and evaluate the negative social, cultural or environmental impact caused by tourism in a destination of your choice. Analyse the causes of this impact and judge to what extent sustainable tourism strategies and methods could eliminate or ameliorate them and thereby secure the long term future of the destination.
The negative effects of tourism are widely publicised in a number of destinations worldwide; however it is often underdeveloped nations that are home to natural wonders of the world which attract huge tourism levels. This is significant as these underdeveloped nations often rely on the tourist industry as a main source of income and therefore a source of economic development. Increasing tourism levels often requires the development of hotels, transport links, and general infrastructure development in order to cater for the tourist demand. The fact is tourism does provide many positive impacts for destinations worldwide in terms of job creation and economic contributions. Despite the positive impacts tourism provides, negative social, cultural and environmental impacts often arise due to inadequate sustainable tourism strategies. The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “ tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems” (World Tourism Organization 1996) In addition they describe the development of sustainable tourism as “a process which meets the needs of present tourists and host communities whilst protecting and enhancing needs in the future” . One destination which has suffered and is suffering negative social, cultural and environmental impacts from tourism is Angkor. The key issue is to examine the extent to which the negative impacts can be eliminated or ameliorated through sustainable strategies in Angkor and thereby maintain
The negative effects of tourism are widely publicised in a number of destinations worldwide; however it is often underdeveloped nations that are home to natural wonders of the world which attract huge tourism levels. This is significant as these underdeveloped nations often rely on the tourist industry as a main source of income and therefore a source of economic development. Increasing tourism levels often requires the development of hotels, transport links, and general infrastructure development in order to cater for the tourist demand. The fact is tourism does provide many positive impacts for destinations worldwide in terms of job creation and economic contributions. Despite the positive impacts tourism provides, negative social, cultural and environmental impacts often arise due to inadequate sustainable tourism strategies. The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “ tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems” (World Tourism Organization 1996) In addition they describe the development of sustainable tourism as “a process which meets the needs of present tourists and host communities whilst protecting and enhancing needs in the future” . One destination which has suffered and is suffering negative social, cultural and environmental impacts from tourism is Angkor. The key issue is to examine the extent to which the negative impacts can be eliminated or ameliorated through sustainable strategies in Angkor and thereby maintain