The Negative Effects of Tourism
THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TOURISM on the ECOLOGY of JAMAICA
by
Elaina Kozyr
BLPR 101.51
Introduction
Tourism and the environment have a very complex and interdependent relationship. Today, tourism is one of the largest industries in today's world economy and is a great source of foreign exchange for many developing countries, whose major assets are their natural resources.1 At the same time, it is the environmental quality of a place that will determine the success of the tourism industry, since it is the main attraction for tourists. There have been a lot of arguments about whether tourism is beneficial or harmful to the environment. A lot of the developing countries whose main source of foreign exchange is tourism industry overlook certain setbacks such as the fact that sometimes they are not prepared to meet and support such a vast amount of people. Most of the islands in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, try to make the best out of this, taking everything out of the environment and causing damage to their land that sometimes can be permanent.
Not only do they use up their natural resources to support the growing tourism industry, but they also deprive local population of what is righifully theirs. It is sad to see how developing countries try to stay afloat in this competitive world, how they are pressured to do everything and anything so that they could be economically one step up from where they were before. Yet, all they do is take and take without putting much back in. It doesn't work that way, in fact, everything and everybody in some way depend on one another. This brings us to the point that even tough economic well being and development of the country depends on this multi-million industry, tourism has its downside. Negative effects caused by tourism industry can be very costly to the country and its population.
For the island of Jamaica as well as other islands, the effects include pollution animal and plant extinction, coral
by
Elaina Kozyr
BLPR 101.51
Introduction
Tourism and the environment have a very complex and interdependent relationship. Today, tourism is one of the largest industries in today's world economy and is a great source of foreign exchange for many developing countries, whose major assets are their natural resources.1 At the same time, it is the environmental quality of a place that will determine the success of the tourism industry, since it is the main attraction for tourists. There have been a lot of arguments about whether tourism is beneficial or harmful to the environment. A lot of the developing countries whose main source of foreign exchange is tourism industry overlook certain setbacks such as the fact that sometimes they are not prepared to meet and support such a vast amount of people. Most of the islands in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, try to make the best out of this, taking everything out of the environment and causing damage to their land that sometimes can be permanent.
Not only do they use up their natural resources to support the growing tourism industry, but they also deprive local population of what is righifully theirs. It is sad to see how developing countries try to stay afloat in this competitive world, how they are pressured to do everything and anything so that they could be economically one step up from where they were before. Yet, all they do is take and take without putting much back in. It doesn't work that way, in fact, everything and everybody in some way depend on one another. This brings us to the point that even tough economic well being and development of the country depends on this multi-million industry, tourism has its downside. Negative effects caused by tourism industry can be very costly to the country and its population.
For the island of Jamaica as well as other islands, the effects include pollution animal and plant extinction, coral
References: Allen, A. H. (1996). Increased Dangers to Caribbean Marine Ecosystems. BioScience 42(5), 330-335. Olsen, B. (1997). Environmentally Sustainable Development and Tourism: Lessons from Negril, Jamaica Thullen, S. A. (1996). Tourism and its Impacts on the Environment. . Stephanie Thullen," Tourism and its Impacts on the Environment, ' Internet (1996) Internet Internet. "Jamaica Tourism Impacts" Barbara Olsen, Environmentally Sustainable Development and Tourism: Lessons form Negril, Jamaica," Human Organization 56.3 (1997): 290. William Mien, "Increased Dangers to Caribbean Marine Ecosystem," Bioscience 42.5 (1996): 330.