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WEEK 2: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: DEFINITION AND • Greening efforts promote innovative technologies
PRINCIPLES and techniques, which help us to use resources more
efficiently.
DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM:
Raising Awareness
➢ The concept of visiting a place as a tourist and trying to
make only a positive impact on the environment, society and Working in the tourism industry offers a unique opportunity to
economy. (Wikipedia) raise awareness among:
➢ ‘Sustainable tourism’ is based on the principles of ecology. • Visitors
It is based on ‘minimising adverse impacts on landscapes, • Staff
water resources, habitats and species while supporting social • Service providers
and economic development. • The local community. about the benefits of
sustainable living, and enhances environmental best
➢ It is the process used to create a tourism organisation
practice in the region.
workplace with particular concern for environmental issues.
Return on investment
• By pursuing greening, you will not only reduce costs,
ECOTOURISM
but also increase strategic opportunities.
Defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves
the environment, sustains the wellbeing of the local people,
and involves interpretation and education” (TIES, 2015) FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
There are many areas where tourism organizations can have a
positive impact on the environment. Greening practices are
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
practical things that can be done to encourage sustainable
Is about "making better places for people to live in and better living and the following greening practices should definitely be
places for people to visit." Responsible Tourism requires that considered when planning or implementing a tourism
operators, hoteliers, governments, local people and tourists business.
take responsibility, take action to make tourism more
• Eco-procurement or green purchasing
sustainable. (Cape Town Declaration, 2002)
• Waste minimization and management
• Energy efficiency
MASS TOURISM • Water conservation
• Emissions reduction
Mass tourism refers to the movement of a large number of • Biodiversity conservation
organized tourists to popular holiday destinations for • Social and economic development
recreational purposes. It is a phenomenon which is
characterized by the use of standardized package products and
mass consumption. Conceptually, this type of tourism features KEY ACTORS IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
standardized leisure products and experiences packaged for
mass tourists (Poon 1993). 1. The Public Sector

➢ Refers to those bodies which are intended to represent the

whole community/public interest, and which are supposed to
BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABILITY act on behalf of the total population.
The benefits of sustainability are more than just cost saving.
➢ They are not commercial organizations trying to make a
There are many varied benefits of implementing
profit. Instead, they spend the revenue from taxation to
environmentally sustainable initiatives
implement policies and projects which benefit the whole
Cost savings population over which the authority has jurisdiction.
• Conserving energy
• Reducing waste Public Sector Policy and Sustainable Tourism
• Purchasing local products
• Simply consuming less can save mone The public sector influences tourism in a number of ways, and
can play a role in the development of sustainable tourism by a
Positive Reputation variety of means, including:
• A green event is a very visible demonstration of your • Legislation and regulation
organization’s commitment to sustainability. • Funding incentives
Environmental Innovation • Land use planning
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• Development and building control, including the role
of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)
WEEK 3: TOURISM SECTORS AND ITS IMPACTS
• The provision of infrastructures
• The designation of particular areas for special POTENTIAL SUITABLE TOURISM OPERATIONS THAT MAY BE
protection UNDERTAKEN
• Government control over tourist numbers There are many different types of tourism establishments that
can operate in your local region, to meet the needs of a wide
range of tourists.
2. Tourism industry
This will identify the different types of tourism operators that
The sectors of tourism and the geographical aspects of the may exist and also explore the characteristics of appropriate
tourism industry and inappropriate tourism operators that can be found in a
➢ Refers to those bodies which are intended to represent the tourism region.
whole community/public interest, and which are supposed to
act on behalf of the total population.
CATEGORIES OF TOURISM OPERATORS
➢ They are not commercial organizations trying to make a
Transport Operators
profit. Instead, they spend the revenue from taxation to
implement policies and projects which benefit the whole • Airlines
population over which the authority has jurisdiction. • Cruise operators
• Railway operators
• Bus lines
3. The Host Community • Car rental businesses
➢ The concept of the host community is at the heart of most • Limousine hire
sustainable tourism. The most important aspect of tourism • Taxis
policy is the “protection” of the host community and its Accommodation Operators
environment.
• Hotels and motels
➢ One of the cornerstones of sustainable tourism is the idea • Guest houses
that the host community should be actively involved in tourism • Bed and breakfasts
planning and should perhaps control the local tourism industry • Caravan parks and camping grounds
and its activities. • Resorts
➢ The host community is all those people who live within a • Time share properties
tourist destination. • Apartments, villas and cottages
• Conference and exhibition centres
Attractions Operators
4. The Tourist
• Museums and galleries
➢ According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), In • National parks, wildlife parks and gardens
1985 the General Assembly set out the principles it felt should
• Theme parks
underpin a proposed Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code.
• Heritage sites and centres
➢ According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), In • Sport and activity centres
1985 the General Assembly set out the principles it felt should • Aquarium and zoos
underpin a proposed Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code. • Festivals
• Music
Other sections of the Tourism Bill of Rights speak of the need
to: • Handicraft
• Performing Arts
• Facilitate contact between visitors and host
communities with a view to their mutual
understanding and betterment
• Ensure the safety of visitors
• Afford the best possible conditions of hygiene
• Not allow any discriminatory measures in regard to
tourists
• Receive tourists with the greatest possible honesty
and respect
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Travel Services Operators Adventure Travel Operators
• Tours • Extreme tourism
• Inbound Tour Wholesaler • Adventure tourism
• Outbound Tour Wholesaler • Community-based tourism
• Retail Travel Agents • Gap year tourism
• Travel insurance providers
Business related operators
• Finance providers
• Currency exchange • Meetings
• Conference and similar venues • Incentives
• Interpreters • Conventions
• Exhibitions
Entertainment Operators
• Sightseeing
• Food CHARACTERISTICS OF APPROPRIATE TOURISM OPERATORS
• Shopping In essence an appropriate tourism operator is one whose
• Spas existence brings positive change or influence on not only the
• Entertainment community but also the environment.
Experiential travel operators
• Health tourism Whilst the list of characteristics of appropriate and responsible
• Spas tourism operators may be endless, they can include:
• Culinary tourism
• Encouraging community engagement with and
• Cultural tourism
involvement in, the planning and development
• Community-based tourism
process to enhance economic and environmental
• Urban tourism
prosperity.
• Ecotourism
• Gaining agreement from the community about the
• Volunteer tourism
nature and implementation of the planned operation
• Marine-based tourism
• Obtaining necessary authorizations and permissions
• Designing strategies and procedures that will balance
economic viability with cultural appropriateness and
CATEGORIES OF TOURISM OPERATORS
environmental preservation
Interpretive eco-tourism guiding and activities Operators • Creates and implements environmentally sustainable
practices
• Flora, including types, history, concentrations, growth
• Developing codes of practice in conjunction with the
patterns, threats, seasonal influences, preservation
community to support the introduction and
and conservation issues
implementation of identified activities relating to:
• History and heritage of the general area with
o Involving appropriate persons in the
attention to special items or areas of interest
operations
• The general natural environment
o Employing local community persons
• The built environment, including its impact on the o Describing appropriate and inappropriate
eco-system staff behavior when undertaking operational
• Individual species, including their history, current activities
context and • Preparing implementation plans for operational
• predicted future, foods, predatory activities with the local community and environment
• inclinations, habitats, mating habits, life cycle and in mind
threats • Training staff, including cultural environmental
• Specific geographic locations and landmarks awareness training that embraces respect for the
• Feedback from customers and co-workers suggesting ecological issues
topics for activities • Ensuring sustainable appropriateness of all
• Initiatives recommended by local authorities and operational activities that are identified and planned
local communities • Identifying appropriate behaviour to ensure the local
• Topics of general community interest environment is respected
• Supports local environmental issues
• Enhancing the overall community
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• Ensuring operational activities do not impact Individual mass tourist - They are similar to organized mass
negatively on the environment or local community tourists in that they utilize the facilities made available by tour
• Investing or supporting local community initiatives. operator, but they have some control over their own itinerary.
- They may use the hotel as a base and hire a car for their own
trips. However, many will tend to visit the same places as the
CHARACTERISTICS OF INAPPROPRIATE TOURISM
OPERATORS mass organized tourist in that they will visit the ‘sights’

Unfortunately, in every tourism destination, operations are

Explorer - The explorer arranges his or her trip alone and
being undertaken which not only impacts negatively on a
community but also can damage the reputation and safety of attempts to get off the beaten track. Yet such tourists will still
destinations and all vested parties including staff, local people have recourse to comfortable tourist accommodation.
and visitors. - However, much of their travel will be associated with a
motivation to associate with the local people, and they will
Characteristics of inappropriate operators include, but not
limited to: often speak the language of the host community. Nonetheless,
the explorer retains many of the basic routines of his or own
• Operating in an illegal manner, which results in direct
lifestyle.
harm to the ecology of a region
• Exploiting the local community and individual persons
• Tarnishing the reputation of the community Drifter - The drifter will shun contact with the tourist and
• Conducting activities not aligned with local laws, tourist establishments, and identify with the host community.
culture or sustainable practices Drifters will live with the locals and adopt many of the practices
• Failing to engage in appropriate consultation with the of that community.
indigenous community and environmental experts. - Income is generated by working with the community, but
• Allowing visitors to behave in an inappropriate often through low-skilled work, which creates a tendency to
manner, which results in damage to the environment.
mix with the lower socioeconomic groups.

WEEK 4: THREE DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM VALENE SMITH (1977) MODEL

TOURISM DESTINATIONS AND ATTRACTIONS
1. Explorer - very limited numbers looking for discovery and
Typology of Visitor: involvement with local people.

➢ There are many types of tourists who have different 2. Elite - special individually tailored visits to exotic places 3.
demands of a destination. Tourist typologies are descriptors of Off-beat - the desire to get away from the crowds
distinctive forms of tourist consumer behavior. They reflect
different motivations, interests and styles of travel on the part 4. Unusual - the visit with peculiar objectives such as physical
of tourists. danger or isolation
➢ Most of the typologies attempt to group tourists according
5. Incipient mass - a steady flow travelling alone or in small,
to their preferences in terms of destinations, activities while
on holiday, independent travel versus package holidays. organized groups using some shared services

➢ The purpose of these typologies is to divide the tourists into 6. Mass: the general packaged tour market leading to tourist
the different groups in order to find out what the specific enclaves overseas
tourist want.
7. Charter: mass travel to relaxion destinations which
ERIC COHEN (1972) MODEL
incorporate as many standardized western facilities as
Organized mass tourist - These are the least adventurous
possible.
tourists. On buying their package holiday they remain
encapsulated in an ‘environmental bubble’ , divorced from the
host community as they remain primarily in the hotel complex.
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VISITOR ATTRACTION TYPOLOGY • Most money goes out of the area to big companies,
not locals
• Damage to the natural environment, e.g. footpath
erosion (the wearing a way of footpaths), litter,
habitats destroyed to build hotels
• Prices increase in local shops as tourists are often
wealthier than the local population

THREE DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABLE OF TOURISM

SOCIAL & CULTURAL IMPACT - signifies the impact which it

creates in terms of social changes in the lives of local people,
improvements in infrastructure, lifestyle changes so on.
EXHIBITS CLASSIFICATION WITH REGARD TO VISITOR
ECONOMIC IMPACT - could have quantified in terms of
monetary benefits and overall economic development of the
society.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT - refers to the impact on nature

and the surrounding areas.

IDENTIFY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RETURNS TO THE

DESTINATION COMMUNITY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF
MODEL OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SATISFACTION, PUSH
TOURISM OPERATIONS
and PULL MOTIVATIONS AND DESTINATION LOYALTY
Whilst the impact tourism impacts and changes a community
will differ depending on the nature and size of tourism
operations, there will be changes that take place, be them
collectively as a community or for individual persons.

Local indigenous communities

➢ ‘Local indigenous communities’ refers to any community
that is in a tourism destination where tourists visit and may
POSITIVE & NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM include local communities and cultural sites that are:

POSITIVE • Individual homes or buildings

• Jobs created • Significant sites

• Local traditions and customs are kept alive because • Galleries
tourists enjoy traditional shows, e.g. Flamenco
dancing • Cultural centers
• New facilities for the tourists also benefit locals, e.g. • Ceremonies
new roads
• Activities
• More money for the country
• Money from tourists can be used to protect the • Natural sites
natural landscape
• Greater demand for local food and crafts
Social issues
NEGATIVE
➢ Social significance relates to how a society deems
• Jobs are often seasonal (based on the time of year) something to be important in their lives. What is deemed by
and are poorly paid the wider community today as important may be different
• Culture and traditions change as outsiders arrive from what our parents and grandparents deemed to be of
• Overcrowding and traffic jams significance in their lives.
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➢ Social trends are indicating society as a whole is yearning to • Due to the heavy traffic in the region, the infrastructure may
explore, learn and appreciate what the world has to offer, not be able to cope up the increased rush thus leading to
which can only be beneficial to tourism. overcrowding
• Poor sanitation which may further lead to diseases both to
the tourists as well as local people.
SOCIAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM • The intrusion of outsiders in the area may disturb the local
culture and create unrest among the people
Tourism, like all industries and individual organizations being
• The local people may copy the lifestyles of tourists through
introduced in a region, can have an impact on communities
the demonstration effect, and the result could be the loss of
and the stakeholders mentioned above. These impacts may be
native customs and traditions.
positive, negative and often both. Whilst tourism is often a
• Some people may enter into criminal activities to fetch easy
positive influence in all regions, the social and cultural impacts
money from tourists, which leads to increased crime and anti-
of tourism can result in changes to a number of aspects in local
social activities and loss of moral and religious values.
community life including but not limited to:
• Modification or decimation of moral or cultural
• A better quality of life – better accommodation, employment characteristics of a society
• Greater need for tourism products – people eat out more, • Trivialization or dilution of the culture
holiday more and travel more • Commercialization of culture may not be an accurate
• Greater community pride portrayal of the culture
• Great understanding and appreciation of the world – through • Members of the local community become envious of the
technology we are learning more about the world which is tourist lifestyle
building desire towards travel • Increased social change
• Increased appreciation of culture – people are being exposed • Racial and ethnic tension
to different cultures • Undesirable activities such as begging, gambling, prostitution
• Greater understanding of other people – through multi- • Child protection and child sex trade concerns
culturalism we are learning more about people from different
backgrounds Economic Issues
• Cultural empowerment and increased sense of pride as locals ➢ The tourism industry has contributed to the economic
become ambassadors for tourism in their region growth of a country through factors like industrialization,
• Opportunity to enhance the preservation of endangered or education, advanced technology, higher number of qualified
threatened aspects of the local culture, customs and professionals, opening up of foreign markets, liberal trade
community policies and better advertising and strategic marketing.
• Opportunity to make the wider community aware of the
problems facing the community ➢ Tourism can also benefit economies at regional and local
• Revaluation of culture and traditions levels, as money comes into urban and rural areas, which in
• Patterns of behavior turn stimulates new business enterprises, higher markets and
• Quality of life of the inhabitants or local people promotes a more positive image of the area.
• Facilities developed for tourism can benefit residents
• Employment prospects POSITIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM
• Strengthening communities There are endless positive impacts that tourism can have on a
• Increased cultural understanding community. Some of these include, but not limited to:
• Locals and visitors exchange ideas
• Opportunity to share the culture and educate visitors • Growth of existing businesses
• Business opportunities and strategic alliances • Development of new businesses
• Public services, facilities and amenities • More jobs and employment opportunities
• Infrastructure development • A more sustainable economy
• Income redistribution
• Poverty alleviation
Besides the many positive social impacts of tourism, • Improved quality of life for people/families flowing from
unfortunately the development of tourism in a region can also employment, economic growth and stability
have negative impacts on a community. Some of these include, • Increased amount and variety of products, services and
but not limited to: entertainment
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• Greater investment in local infrastructure and public
transport systems from governments
• Maintenance, growth and improvement in local facilities
• Facilitates civic involvement and pride
• Tax revenue for governments
• Enhanced public/international awareness of the
country/location
• Economic diversification and general economic benefits to
the local community
• Investment opportunities from the private sector in relation
to businesses, real estate, and infrastructure
• Improved health and training facilities
• Greater educational opportunities occur through additional
schools and other educational providers

NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM

Besides the many positive impacts of tourism, unfortunately
the development of tourism in a region can also have negative
impacts on a community. Some of these include, but not limited
to:

• Impact of tourism on the social fabric of society

• Lack of local workers to fill the jobs which are generated
• Provision only of menial and low-paid jobs
• Seasonal employment only (in some areas)
• Increased number of people relocated for limited or seasonal
work
• Shortage of labor in local industry
• Rises in prices
• Loss of a sense of community within the area
• Ultimate dependency on tourism and consequent need to
accommodate whatever is required regardless of the
consequences
• Damage to the land and environment including additional
pollution
• Over-development resulting in decreased amenity of the
area
• Money leaving the area because businesses are owned by
external operators
• Unacceptable level of use of/stress on community resources
by tourists to the detriment of the local community – over-
crowding and traffic congestion
• Local attractions restricted to local communities
• Possible limited access to beaches and other areas set aside
for tourists
• Increased cost of living for the members of the community
• Re-location and dislocation
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WEEK 5: TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE & MANAGE TOURISM There are three main impacts on the environment resulting from
IMPACTS tourism. The three main impact areas are:
ENVIRONMENT AREAS IMPACTED BY TOURISM - Natural resources
- Pollution
Before we look at all the various types of impacts of tourism - Physical impacts
operations on the environment, it is important to identify the
areas of the environment that can be affected by tourism
DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
operations in a region. These environmental areas include:

• Air Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources

• Water when it increases consumption in areas where resources are
• Noise already scarce.
• Flora & Fauna
• Cultural Heritage WATER RESOURCES
• Marine Heritage Water, and especially fresh water, is one of the most critical
natural resources.
TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Environmental impacts may include positive and negative
impacts and may involve: Water resources are commonly used for:
- Hotels
▪ Changes in the natural environment – including impacts on - Tourism attractions
breeding events, species sighting, density of stocking rates, - Swimming pools
general and specific changes to flora and fauna - Golf courses
▪ Opportunities for conservation and general ecological - Personal use of water by tourists
protection of sites and species
▪ Education potential of visitors to raise awareness of LOCAL RESOURCES
environmental issues and species-specific concerns Tourism can create great pressure on locally produced resources
▪ Reclamation and improvement to sites already adversely like electricity, food, and other essential yet necessary raw
impacted materials that may already be in short or sporadic supply.
▪ Physical damage to landmarks and sensitive sites
▪ Introduction of exotic and/or feral species into the area Naturally during peak or high season periods the influx of
▪ Pollution – including air, water, land and visual visitors, often greatly outnumbering the local community, can
▪ Excess demand on limited resources – including energy, greatly strain resources.
consumables and waste management facilities and
infrastructure LAND DEGRADATION
▪ Congestion of traffic causing potential for off-road driving and There is a number of very important land resources that need to
the creation of unauthorized tracks be properly preserved including but not limited to:
▪ Loss of habitats for threatened and other domestic fauna. - Minerals
- Fossil fuels
NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS - Fertile soil
- Forests
Negative impact on the environment caused by tourism occurs - Wetland
when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment's - Wildlife
ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of
change. Uncontrolled and unmanaged conventional tourism POLLUTION
activities pose potential threats to many natural areas not only Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other
in the immediate destination area but more far spreading. industry. The different types of pollution include:
- Air emissions
In addition to the negative effects on the environment itself, - Noise
poor environmental management principles can force local - Solid waste
communities to compete for the use of critical resources.
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- Littering roughly similar way (i.e., similar lengths of time underwater).
- Releases of sewage Research in the Red Sea and Bonaire (in the Caribbean) indicate
- Chemicals a maximum carrying capacity of 4,000-6,000 divers per dive site
- Architectural or visual pollution per year. However, even in this case there is great variation
between reefs. Number of divers has been assumed to be a
PHYSICAL IMPACTS reliable indicator of damage to the reef, however carrying
Each tourism destination will have different physical elements of capacity does not account for the impacts caused by the
natural beauty that attracts visitors including: behavior of divers, the activities they carry out, and the physical
- Beaches and ecological characteristics of a particular dive site.
- Forests
- Dunes 2. SETTING LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE CHANGE (LAC):
- Coral Reefs The LAC involves determining whether levels of existing impact
- Lakes at a site are unacceptable, selecting management strategies and
- Riversides tactics, developing an action plan and carrying it out, and
- Mountain tops and slopes monitoring. Carrying capacity is aimed at deciding how many
people/visits a resource can sustain, while LAC tries to define
When tourism is introduced into these natural areas there will how much change is acceptable as a result of those visits and
some element of physical impact, including tourism-related: how to address it.
- Land clearing
- Construction
- Infrastructure Development
- Deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land
- Marina development

TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE & MANAGE TOURISM IMPACTS

1. ENVIRONMENTAL CARRYING CAPACITY:

What visitors do, when and where they do it, how they behave,
and protective measures at the site itself are frequently more
important in determining visitor impacts than simply the
number of visitors.

➢ The first methods developed to address tourism impacts The LAC approach is based on three major assumptions:
evolved from the concept of carrying capacity. ➢ Carrying • Impact is inevitable, so the focus is on identifying how
capacity is the maximum amount of tourist activity that can be much impact is acceptable;
sustained without damaging the environment or decreasing • Different sites will have different environments and
visitor enjoyment. social conditions;
• A given level of tourism may have different impacts in
➢ Quantifying carrying capacity is difficult, and it will vary for these different situations.
each depending on ecological conditions, the resilience of
THE BASIC LOGIC OF THE LAC PROCESS IS AS FOLLOWS:
ecosystems to recover from disturbance (which may vary over
1. Identify two goals in conflict.
time) and the behavior of the visitors.
• In the case of protected areas, the two goals are
usually the protection of environmental conditions
➢ Quantifying carrying capacity is difficult, and it will vary for and visitor experiences (goal 1)
each depending on ecological conditions, the resilience of • and the unrestricted access to resources for
ecosystems to recover from disturbance (which may vary over recreational use (goal 2).
time) and the behavior of the visitors.

➢ As an example, carrying capacity is commonly used to set

limits for divers at coral reefs since most divers behave in a
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2. Establish that both goals must be compromised. If one or the 4. Deterrence and enforcement (e.g., signs, sanctions,
other goal cannot be compromised, then the LAC process is not personnel)
needed — one goal must simply be compromised as necessary 5. Visitor education (e.g., promote appropriate behavior, en-
to meet the one that cannot be compromised. courage/discourage certain types of use, provide information
regarding use conditions)
3. Decide which goal will ultimately constrain the other. In the
case of protected areas, the goal of protecting environmental EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TO REDUCE
conditions and visitor experiences will almost always constrain VISITOR IMPACTS
the goal of unrestricted access.
• Seasonal or temporal limits on use, e.g. limiting visiting
4. Write LAC standards for this ultimately constraining goal. LAC times; restricting car parking, accommodation facilities
standards express the minimally acceptable conditions for the or public transport; ensuring visits occurs at
environment and visitor. appropriate times of day (which may vary diurnally and
seasonally)
5. Compromise this goal only until the standards are reached. • Regulating group size, particularly for specialist
Allow the environmental conditions and visitor experiences to activities; requiring pre-registration (visits only by prior
degrade only to the minimally acceptable standard. Recreational arrangement); providing guided tours that allow for
access should not be substantially restricted until the standards more control and maximize enjoyment.
are reached. • Restricting visitor behavior, e.g. ensuring that visitors
stay on specified routes and do not trample vegetation
6. Compromise the other goal as much as necessary. Once or disturb animals, and that noise and the use of light
standards for environmental conditions and visitor experiences at night (e.g. during visits to turtle nesting beaches) is
are reached, no more degradation is allowed, and recreational minimized.
access is restricted as needed to maintain standards. • Using zoning, e.g. closing area to visitors, or reducing
visits to ecologically important areas.
METHODS OF CONTROLLING EXCESSIVE VISITOR IMPACTS
• Increasing entrance fees at peak periods or to popular
areas.
If carrying capacity or LAC thresholds are exceeded, there are
• Constructing facilities and trails that reduce impact but
several general management strategies that managers can
choose from to address recreational use impacts: allow more visitors and help them to see the wildlife -
boardwalks, overlooks, hides, pontoons, etc.
1. Increase the supply of recreational opportunities, areas, and • Providing garbage bins to encourage visitors to not
facilities to accommodate increased demand. 2. Reduce public leave litter.
use at specific sites, in individual management zones, or • Educating visitors via visitor guidelines, codes of
throughout the park. conduct, information boards, etc., made available at
3. Modify the character of visitor use by controlling where the the MPA or distributed through tourism facilities.
use occurs, when the use occurs, what type of use occurs, or • Increased guide training to increase visitor education
how visitors behave. and monitor visitor behavior.
4. Alter visitor attitudes and expectations.
5. Modify the site or resource by increasing the durability of the 3. PUBLIC/VISITOR EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS:
problem site, or by maintaining or rehabilitating the site. • Visitor education should be a major component of
visitor impact management. Not only can it alter visitor
In the management strategies, there are many specific behavior and thus directly reduce impacts, but it can
management actions or tactics that can be used. These tactics also enhance the visitor experience and spread the
fall into five general categories: sustainability and conservation message.
1. Site management (e.g., facility design, the use of vegetation • Sustainable tourism attracts an ideal audience for
barriers, site hardening, area/facility closure) 2. Rationing and environmental education.
allocation (e.g., reservations, queuing, lotteries, eligibility • Visiting mangroves and coral reefs, seeing marine
requirements, pricing) mammals and other marine life, visitors want to
3. Regulation (e.g., the number of people/stock, the location or understand what they are experiencing, as well as the
time of visits, activity, visitor behavior, or equipment) challenges of conserving these resources.
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FOCUS AREAS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

PLANNING
There are endless strategies and policies that can be
implemented to minimize the impact of tourism on the
environment. Naturally each region will have different types of
impacts depending on the natural surroundings and the level,
style and volume of tourism operation in the area.

That said, strategies and policies should be focused on:

• Improved environmental management and planning
• Cleaner production techniques
• Energy-efficient and non-polluting construction
materials
• Efficient sewage systems
• Energy sources Improved waste treatment and disposal
• Environmental awareness raising
• Environmental protection
• Conservation and restoration of biological diversity
• Sustainable use of natural resources
• Regulatory measures
• Introduction of policies and procedures
• Controls on the number of tourist activities and
movement of visitors within protected areas