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Impacts of tourism
Economic Impact

Positive impact

Employment

Employment: work performed for a wage or salary, in cash or in

kind.
Employment in the tourism industry forms part of the service sector
of an economy.

Example
(e.g. workers in transportation, souvenir shops, tour agencies).

The growth of tourism has led to an increase of tourism-related

jobs
Some jobs that are directly linked to the tourism industry include
travel agents, tour guides, hotel staff, waiters and waitresses.

Growth in income

Growth in tourism can lead to growth in income for individuals and

for a country. Tourism receipts, which refer to the money received
from tourist spending, also generate large revenue for many
countries.

Example
The fishermen on Pamilacan Island in the Philippines take
domestic/international tourists on their boats to look for and swim
with whale sharks and dolphins.

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 However
However, the revenue generated from tourism does not always
remain in the country where tourists spend their money. A large
portion of the tourism receipts is lost as a leakage, especially in
LDCs.( low developing country)

Example
Travellers may fly into Phuket on a non-local airline, stay in
foreign-owned hotels and eat imported food. Money spent by
tourists will contribute to paying for these imported items. In the
end, money spent by a tourist may not stay in the local economy
and may bring few benefits to local businesses and workers.

Developing in infrastructure and facilities

Explanation

Infrastructure development: The construction of transport and

communication networks, electrical frameworks and systems for
water and waste disposal.

Example

Roads that link airports, cities, and tourist sites allow tourists
access to local attractions. They also allow local people
better access to more markets, health care, education and
jobs.

Sports venues and other infrastructure are built for major

sporting events, such as Olympic games and the World
Cup.

Developing infrastructure also creates employment for locals, as

many workers are needed during the construction process.
Local materials may be used in constructing infrastructure,
boosting local industries.

Example

In Athens, Greece, underground rail systems were expanded to

move large numbers of visitors during the Summer Olympic

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 Games in 2004. It continues to serve local populations and
tourists even after the games.

Negative impact

seasonal unemployment

Explanation

Certain tourist activities depend on climatic conditions

These countries may experience a rise in tourist numbers for

several months followed by a drop in tourist numbers for the
next few months.

Some People in the tourism-related industry may have to find

other sources of income when employment in the tourism
industry is temporarily unavailable.

Example

In many European countries surrounding the Mediterranean

(Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece), most of the hotel stays are in
the summer season (July to September). According to a report
by the European Union, the increase in summer visits is mainly
due to the warm weather. Employment in the tourist industry
across the european union reaches its peak for the year.

In Sapporo, Japan, it receives a large number of visitors from

December to February as tourists want to engage in winter
sports.

under-use of facilities at certain times of the year

Explanation
Some facilities are seasonal, and are unused when the event is
over.

This makes makes facilities costly to maintain

Income comes from tourists → used to pay the cost of maintain

facilities

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 Some facilities may become neglected since the number of
tourists dropped drastically

Example

Part of the Beijing National Aquatics Centre had been renovated

into a water park in August 2010 to become more profitable.
According to a Beijing Sports University report

in 2011, only one-third of major sports venues in China have

managed to break even.

shortage of services

Explanation

Tourist infrastructure may require the use of large amounts of

land, water, and power.

This could lead to potential problems of resource allocation

between tourists and residents.

example

In golf courses, large amounts of water and electricity are

needed to water the grass and power tourist facilities

Socio-cultural

Advantages

Preservation of local custom and heritage

Explanation

Preservation of customs and heritage: The protection of the way

people live.

Includes economic activities, traditional beliefs, religious

practices

Make a place to tourists when preserved and restored

Benefits local population

Enhancing sense of history

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 Building sense of belonging to their community

Revenue generated can fund preservation and restoration

of cultural heritage

Example

Entry fees to the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, can be used

directly to help fund conservation efforts.

Disadvantages

Dilution of local custom and heritage

Explanation

Identity, culture, values of a place can be lost when tourism

becomes the major activity of an area.

Commercial activities → cater mainly to tourists

Older buildings converted to host tourist activities

Activities may force the locals to relocate original activities

to other places

Original atmosphere, appearance, functions of the area

change

To meet demands of expectations of tourists

Local cultural festivals, religious rituals → modified

Authenticity and significance may be reduced

Example

In Thailand, tourists have to pay a hefty fee to enter the village of

the Kayan Lahwi women. Due to the entrance fee, some tourists
treat the women as exhibits that they have paid for. These tourists
sometimes aggressively takes photographs of the women without
permission.

Increased crime

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 Explanation

High crime levels may occur at popular tourist sites.

Tourists carry valuable items (Watches, cameras, clothes

Vulnerable to muggings near hotels, ATMs, transport terminals,

and tourist attractions

Tourists are prone to being cheated/scammed

Information, goods, services sold at greatly inflated prices

Many countries have police to help serve tourists and sort

out conflicts with locals

Example

In London, UK, 2010, Japanese tourists were approached by a

woman pretending to be a tourist. The woman would ask for
directions or ask to have her photo taken. Her accomplices would
pose as police officers and request for the group’s identification and
credit cards.

Environmental impact

Advantage

Conservation of natural environment

Example

The Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, in Sabah,

Malaysia, partly relies on visitor entrance fees to pay its staff.
The staff help rehabilitate orang-utans that have been orphaned
or injured.

Explanation

The funding that it provides can be used to help conserve

environments such as coral reefs, rainforests and mountainous
areas. Revenue from entrance fees can be used to help,
protect, and conserve the environments.

Disadvantage

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 Vandalism

Explanation

The crime of deliberately damaging property belonging to other

people. Cultural, historical or natural sites may be vandalised by
individuals or developers.

Example

The thousands of stones and bricks of the Great Wall of China,

which is visited by about 10 million tourists a year, are covered
with graffiti.

Littering and pollution

Explanation
Excessive litter from tourists can become a major problem in tourist
areas.

Authorities fail to implement measures to manage waste

Degradation of areas

Example
Irresponsible tourists on cruise ships often dump plastic bottles, food
packaging, and old batteries overboard form the ships. Many islands
in the Caribbean have limited space on land to treat waste from
ships, hence wastes are sometimes dumped into the Caribbean sea
by ships, causing pollution.

destruction of habitats

Explanation
When too many tourists visit a destination, they may destroy
habitats and wildlife.

Trample on plants

Collect eggs and feathers of birds as souvenirs

Make too much noise → frightens off/ disturb animals

Example

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 Egypt’s Red Sea coast has developed into a major diving and
snorkelling destination for around 1.2 million visitors annually.
The habitats of coral reefs and exotic fish have been damaged
by swimmers collecting shells/corals, and hotel/restaurants in
the area dumping waste and sewage into the sea.

Carbon footprint

Explanation
Carbon footprint: One measure of tourism’s impact on the
environment.

Amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by activities

that involve the use of fossil fuels

Measured in equivalent amounts of carbon dioxide

More tourists travelling → higher carbon footprint

Example

Carbon footprint of a one-way economy class flight from

Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is 30kg of carbon dioxide
per passenger.

increased congestion

Explanation
Large numbers of tourists → overcrowding in areas close to popular
attractions

Tourist shops/accommodations can cluster near tourist

attractions → more congested

Vehicular/pedestrian traffic to become congested

Huge inflow of cars and buses contribute to air pollution

Noise pollution

Air pollution

Example

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 In Rome, Italy, many older walkways and narrow streets are
filled with tourists.

Managing impacts of Tourism

Objectives
Explain what is sustainable tourism?

Explain the tensions while ensuring sustainable

tourism.

Explain the stakeholders’ roles and limitations in

ensuring tourism is sustainable.

Managing Tourism Impact

>(definition) : Making decisions that benefit both the natural environments visited
by
tourists and the lives of the local population.

Reason why we should manage tourism Impacts???

done to ensure that a particular site and its features remain in prime
condition.

Ensures that the economy, culture and environment of a region are

sustained for future generations.

Sustainable Tourism
>(definition): Form of tourism organised in a way such that it allows tourism to
continue without causing damage to the environment or without leaving negative
impacts on the surrounding society and culture

What are the needs that Sustainable tourism address

Address the needs of visitors, tourism industry and host

communities

in specifically in these 3 areas: economic, social and environmental

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 Economic sustainability （Sustainable tourism)
Sustainable tourism also minimises leakages from tourist revenues

Strategies used to obtain Economic sustainability

Different countries employ different strategies

Training locals to perform skilled tourism jobs, such as management and
marketing

Developing homestay accommodations where tourists can pay locals

directly
for their accommodations

Promoting local food and drink to provide a market for local food
producers
and distributors

Environmental Sustainability: Conservation of

fragile environments
>(definition): Conservation is the careful management and use of resources
such that the resources would not be depleted.

Reason
Important to conserve fragile environments (environments easily disturbed by
dumping of waste, removal of vegetation, and disposal of waste into water
bodies)
(example): coral reefs and mangrove

What can aid the conservation of environment (LINK)

law and regulation

(Example):Australia Great Barrier Reef – World’s longest (2300km)

complex or coral reefs and small islands became UNESCO World

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 Heritage in 1981

Which help in the conversation of the coral environment

Support from the local Population

Tension in managing impact of tourism

Why is there tension built
Differences between needs/expectations

Tension between the tourists and locals

>Problems: Tourist sites (e.g. Kuta) are often congested

Busloads of foreign tourists

Makes it hard for locals to conduct daily business

Large numbers of hotels, resorts, convention centre, other facilities

potentially
deprive some locals of water supply (e.g.According to a case study, the
tourism industry consumes 65% of the island’s water supply) → causing
water shortages in some areas

Local customs not respected, (e.g. public displays of affection)

Tension between the tourists and environment

Tourists needs conflict with the need to conserve the
environment.

Natural attractions dependent on tourist income for conservation, yet are

damaged by the tourist inflow.

Case study: Machu Picchu

Tensions arose:

Inca Trail

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 75 000 tourists a year opt to use Inca Trail which is populated with rare
indigenous
plant and wildlife, eroding it.
Hikers leave behind rubbish along the trail.

Noise pollution

Tourists were able to reach the site by helicopters

Banned in 2010 for potential disturbance to indigenous animals and plants.

Damaging effects of tourist numbers

Weight and footsteps of tourists slowly damage land and artefacts.

Measures use for managing tensions

Limiting the number of visitors at a site to minimise congestion and
degradation

Withhold permission to proceed with tourism-related projects that could harm

the
environment, including landscape and the flora and fauna

Employing staff to maintain and repair a site and prevent tourists from
tampering
with it

Holding discussions with locals regarding their needs and concerns

Restricting tourists from some areas where only locals can enter

Responsibilities of various groups on Sustainable

tourism
Local communities
Benefit economically from tourism through community-based tourism

Tourism that has close contact with local communities

Partnership with government or non-governmental organisation (can use for

counter argument for essay)

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 Case study : Candirejo Village, Central Java, Indonesia
Cooperative setup in 2003 to manage and implement the community’s
tourism-related programmes

Locals participate in decision making through discussion and

consultations

Developed homestay accommodations, organic farms and organising

local
transport – prevent money from leaking to the foreign establishment

Trained locals to be tour guides, produce handicrafts and catering –

prevent
money from leaking to the foreign establishment and they can earn
money.

Strength
Involvement of locals in decision-making

Can enlist residents in discussion

and consultation → Tourism
management strategies to be
carried out

Make other tourism-related

decisions about own community

Increase in tourism-related employment and businesses

Locals can get employed as guides, waters, cleaners, drivers and

reception staff

Limitations
Difficulty in obtaining external funding

Communities may face funding problems when setting up

businesses/investing in vehicles to facilitate tourism in their area

Shortage of skilled labour

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 May not have enough skilled labour to successfully manage the
impact of tourism

Community may seek the help of NGOs/other organisations for

training/skilled labour

Visitors/Tourists

Their responsibilities
Responsibility to respect both environment and locals. Visit without causing
damage or offece

They should select their holiday destinations based on the conservation

efforts of the place to reduce their carbon footprint

They should also consider the amount of water used and the amount of
waste recycled at these destinations

Example
E.g. Tourism Sustainability Group

Setup in 2004 by European Commission

Tourists are selecting holiday destinations based on conservation efforts

of the place

Tourists want to minimise carbon footprint

Their visits become more rewarding with the knowledge that they have
done their best to avoid damage.

Strength
Provide income opportunities for locals

Provide locals with income from

employment and businesses

Arrival of tourists give locals

opportunities to set up businesses
(tour companies or shops)

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 Raise awareness to conserve and
preserve attractions

Provide locals with income from

employment and businesses

Arrival of tourists give locals

opportunities to set up businesses
(tour companies or shops)

Fund conservation and preservation

Visitor spending can provide funds

○ Conserve environment
○ Preserve culture
○ Maintain a tourist attraction

Income earned from entrance fees

and souvenirs can be used to
conserve tourist site

Limitations
Damage visitor attractions

Exhibit behaviours that damage

tourist attraction
○ Vandalism, littering
○ Collective footsteps, noise,
touch

Dilute local culture and customs

Cause a place to lose its identity

○ Dancers deliberately pose for tourists to take
photographs

Tour operaters

Their responsibilities

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 Belong to associations that are increasingly concerned with conserving and
protecting environments visited by tourists.

Fewer tourists are likely to visit a place if the landscapes, rich biodiversity
and unique
cultures deteriorate.

Example
Phuket Alternative Tours (PAT) was set up by a team of tour operators in
Phuket, 2006.
Tour operators are required to sign an Environmental and Cultural Code of
Practice.

Strength
Provide feedback on tourist attractions

Offer valuable feedback to tour operators about the social and

environmental conditions of an attraction
- Used by local communities/planning authorities to plan tourism
management strategies

Regulate tourist behaviour

In best position to regulate tourist

behaviour
- Preventing tourists from
littering and wandering into restricted
areas
- Making too much noise

Have an incentive in maintaining

quality of an attraction

Limitations
Need to generate profits

Need to generate profits can bring tour operators into conflict with
other stakeholders

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 May override concerns to preserve the environment when addressing
concerns would reduce their profits

Planning authorities
Greatly influence future quality of environments
○ Determines how many visitors a site can cope with
○ Allocating space for infrastructure such as roads and hotels

Planning authority is most important in ensuring that tourist areas are

protected
○ Consider local sensitivities
○ Maintaining physical and socio-cultural condition
○ Enforce rules, regulations, values, principles for sustainable tourism

Example

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) ensures that while attracting large

numbers of tourists to Singapore, its development plans also take into
account the need to
conserve national heritage

Implemented programmes to conserve ethnic districts like Chinatown,

Kampong Glam and Little India

(outcome) Visitors and locals will have a greater appreciation of

Singapore’s rich heritage

Strength
Develop and maintain infrastructure and attractions

planning authorities develop, approve, fund, maintain infrastructure

that manage the impact of tourism in an area

Draft laws and policies

Draft laws and policies that help

improve the quality of a tourist site

Impose entrance fees to a tourist

site

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 Limitations
Difficult to plan for unforeseen factors
Programmes may fail due to unforeseen factors
○ Extreme weather conditions
○ Natural disasters
○ General lack of interest from the public

Opposing stakeholders

Stakeholders (local communities/NGOs) may oppose

the management strategies of planning authorities

May also oppose planning authorities when they think that a

different approach is needed to solve a problem

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs): Non-profit organisations operating
independently of governments.

Concerned with tourism’s impact on natural and human environments

Instrumental in achieving sustainable tourism

Example of NGOs
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Since 1990, developed guidelines, conducted training courses, provided

technical
assistance and published research papers related to tourism

Works with numerous organisations, tour operators and conservation

groups in 124 countries.

Strength
Facilitate communication between various stakeholders

Sometimes act as channels of communication between various

stakeholdes

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 Sometimes encourage other stakeholders to actively participate
in managing impacts of tourism

Support various stakeholders in managing the impact of tourism

Support tourism management efforts of of various stakeholders

(local communities, planning authorities)
○ Additional manpower
○ Expertise/marketing campaigns

Limitations
Difficulty in obtaining external funding

May be hampered by the lack of financial resources

○ Often rely on donations

(FOR ESSAY) Evaluation of responsibilities

Each group has a part to play in sustainable tourism

Each have their strengths and limitations

Planning authority is the most important group in ensuring that the

tourist areas are protected

Consider local sensitivities in the area while maintaining its physical and
socio-cultural condition.

First enforce rules, regulations, values and principles for sustainable tourism
in consultation with the community and industry

In turn, local communities and tour operators will refer to them when
organising tours

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