Negative Effects of Tourism
Negative physical / environmental impacts
- The carrying capacity of a destination was not observed thus the place becomes too crowded. This results to overpopulation and overdevelopment. An example is the island of Boracay.
- Depletion of a destination's natural resources. Locals and tourists compete over water supply and other necessities.
- Since hotels and resorts, bars, malls etc. have been built, these pose a problem on the sustainability of the place. They may also disturb the flora and fauna of the place and even damage some historical sites.
- If the tourism master plan of a destination was also not observed (i.e. building high-rise properties when there should just be a maximum of 3 floors), then these establishments pose a problem when there are natural calamities like earthquakes.
Overcrowding, misuse of natural resources, the construction of buildings and infrastructure, and other activities associated with tourism, produce impacts on the environment. These impacts may be not only physical, but also cultural. In this chapter the most frequent and damaging tourism impacts at local level in regard to protected areas are analyzed.
In general, the impacts of tourism vary according to the number and nature of tourists and the characteristics of the site. The individual tourist normally has a relatively small impact. Problems arise, however, if the number of tourists is large or the resource overused. Thus although tourism can be a lucrative source of revenue for a protected area, it can also represent a major management problem. As with most problems, the negative impacts of tourism can only be managed effectively if they have been identified, measured and evaluated. Once this has been done, tailored management responses can be created.
Tourism impacts on protected areas can be broadly classified in two categories: direct and indirect. Direct impact is caused by the presence of tourists, indirect impact by the infrastructure created in connection
- The carrying capacity of a destination was not observed thus the place becomes too crowded. This results to overpopulation and overdevelopment. An example is the island of Boracay.
- Depletion of a destination's natural resources. Locals and tourists compete over water supply and other necessities.
- Since hotels and resorts, bars, malls etc. have been built, these pose a problem on the sustainability of the place. They may also disturb the flora and fauna of the place and even damage some historical sites.
- If the tourism master plan of a destination was also not observed (i.e. building high-rise properties when there should just be a maximum of 3 floors), then these establishments pose a problem when there are natural calamities like earthquakes.
Overcrowding, misuse of natural resources, the construction of buildings and infrastructure, and other activities associated with tourism, produce impacts on the environment. These impacts may be not only physical, but also cultural. In this chapter the most frequent and damaging tourism impacts at local level in regard to protected areas are analyzed.
In general, the impacts of tourism vary according to the number and nature of tourists and the characteristics of the site. The individual tourist normally has a relatively small impact. Problems arise, however, if the number of tourists is large or the resource overused. Thus although tourism can be a lucrative source of revenue for a protected area, it can also represent a major management problem. As with most problems, the negative impacts of tourism can only be managed effectively if they have been identified, measured and evaluated. Once this has been done, tailored management responses can be created.
Tourism impacts on protected areas can be broadly classified in two categories: direct and indirect. Direct impact is caused by the presence of tourists, indirect impact by the infrastructure created in connection