Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Know positive and negative impacts of
tourism on destinations
SECTION 1
Icebreaker
This unit examines the impacts that tourism development has on th
e
w
o
rld and what can be done to make sure that
it is sustainable for the future. Working by yourself, or in small
g
roups under the direction of your tutor, see how
you get on with the following tasks to help you make a st
ar
t on this unit:
•
Have a go at coming up with your own defi nition
o
f 'responsible tourism';
•
Make a list of all the positive and negati
v
e impacts of tourism in a country you have visited;
•
Thinking of a developing country i
n
Africa, who actually makes tourism development happen?
•
Give three reasons why a country would decide to develop its tourism sector.
•
Can you think of ways t
ha
t
h
oliday companies try to limit the impact they have on resort areas?
•
What can you as a
n
in
d
ividual do to limit your negative impact on a holiday destination?
•
Make a list of all the organisations that are involved in tourism development in your local area.
When you'v
e
fi
n
ished, show your answers to your tutor and compare your answers with what other groups in your
class hav
e
written.
R
e
sponsible tourism is all about developing tourism
that does the least harm and provides the greatest
benefi t for destinations, tourists and the travel and
tourism sector in the long-term. There are many
different terms used to describe responsible tourism -
sustainable tourism, green tourism, alternative tourism,
ethical tourism, ecotourism, fair-trade tourism, slow
tourism, soft tourism - but they all refer to the same
type of tourism that is respectful of the environment
and cultures of destinations and the people who live
there (the host community).
culture and environment in destination areas, unless it
is planned in a responsible manner.
A sector the size of travel and tourism cannot fail to
have impacts on the people, culture, environment
and the economies of destination areas and countries.
Often these impacts are positive, for example providing
jobs, incomes and environmental improvements,
but sometimes tourism has negative impacts, such
as congestion, pollution, increased crime and higher
prices in tourist areas. The following sections of this
unit look in detail at the positive and negative effects
of tourism development:
You have learned elsewhere in your course that tourism
takes place in many different destinations - towns,
cities, countryside areas and coastal resorts. Whether
in the more economically developed world (MEDW)
or the less economically developed world (LEDW),
all regions now recognise the importance of tourism
development. It can add signifi cantly to the economic
and social well-being of countries around the world,
but can also have negative impacts on the people,
Positive economic impacts
It is often the positive economic impacts that persuade
governments, companies and individuals to get
involved with tourism development in the fi rst place.
Thinking of your own local area, there may well be
