Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
coastal protection schemes where the natural environment is directly altered by tourist
and recreational development.
Given the potential impacts of tourism on the coastal environment, it is therefore not
surprising that organisations such as ESCAP (1995a, 1995b) have been trying to
encourage sustainable forms of coastal development in Asia and the Pacific. Sustainable
development of coastal tourism is recognised as being dependent on
• good coastal management practices (particularly regarding proper siting of tourism
infrastructure and the provision of public access)
• clean water and air, and healthy coastal ecosystems
• maintaining a safe and secure recreational environment through the management of
coastal hazards (such as erosion, storms, floods) and the provision of adequate levels
of safety for boaters, swimmers and other water users
• beach restoration efforts that maintain the recreational and amenity values of beaches
• sound policies for wildlife and habitat protection.
(NOAA 1997)
However, such a statement, while laudable, fails to reflect the complexities and
difficulties of the management and regulation of tourism with respect to the physical
environment. Unfortunately, there is usually little or no co-ordination between
programmes that promote and market tourism and those that aim to manage coastal and
marine areas (R.A.Smith 1994; B.Hudson 1996). Environmental or planning agencies
often fail to understand tourism, while tourism promotion authorities tend not to be
involved with the evaluation of its effects or its planning and management. This
particularly appears to be the case with some species of charismatic marine fauna
although significant advances have been made with respect to whale watching
management in some countries. Nevertheless, for many peripheral coastal destinations
marine ecotourism (Garrod and Wilson 2003, 2004) and commercial recreational fishing
would appear to be an appropriate development mechanism if it can be managed
appropriately. Implementation strategies often fail to recognise the interconnections that
exist between agencies in trying to manage environmental issues, particularly when, as in
the case of the relationship between tourism and the environment, responsibilities may
cut across more traditional lines of authority. Therefore, one of the greatest challenges
facing coastal managers is how to integrate tourism development within the ambit of
coastal management, and thus increase the likelihood of long-term sustainability of the
coast as a whole (A.White et al. 1997; Cicin-Sain and Knecht 1998). Nevertheless,
solving such dilemmas will clearly be of importance to many countries in the region
which has substantial emphasis on marine and coastal tourism, particularly when
environmental quality becomes another means to achieve a competitive edge in the
tourism marketplace.
The coastal environment has a great deal of potential for the cultural and social
geographer to explore the value and role of tourism and recreation in these leisure places.
There is also a role for applied geographers to combine their skills with planners, to
understand, explain and develop planning measures to safeguard these threatened
environments. The coastal environment is one of the best examples where geographers
can harness their ability to construct a holistic understanding of the human and physical
environment in a coastal context, where the interactions, impacts and measures needed to
