Geography
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The relationship between the environment and tourism is complex hence it is usually overlooked. The negative effects of tourism on the environment are devastating and arise when the volume of the visitors in an area surpass the environment ability to sustain their needs. Uncontrolled tourism leads to impacts such as increased pollution, soil erosion, pollution of wetlands, natural habitat loss, and threatens the existence of endangered species.
Tourism facilitates the depletion of natural resources. Freshwater is one of the most important natural resource threatened by tourism. For instance, hotels require fresh water for personal use, swimming pools, and golf courses (Gossling, 2015). Consequently, the area which the hotel is located experiences water shortage and degradation of water supplies. Furthermore, water waste is generated in high volume. Notably, places with a hot climate tend to attract more tourists and end up facing water scarcity issue. Golf tourism is on the rise and maintaining a golf course requires a large volume of fresh water.
Tourism causes air and water pollution. Like other industries, tourism is accompanied by air emissions, littering, oil and chemicals, and release of sewage. Transport either by road; rail or air increases the number of emission into the air. Unfortunately, energy production and transport emissions are linked to global warming and acidic rain (Gossling, 2015). Tourism air pollution impacts are felt at a global level especially due to the emission of carbon dioxide associated with transportation energy. On the other hand, once tourism reaches their destination, they often contribute to littering which affects wetlands. For instance, cruise ships have been associated with releasing a lot of waste into the ocean (Gossling, 2015).
Sewage runoffs in hotels pollute the surrounding tourist attractions which include and not limited to the sea and lakes. Construction of recreation, hotels and other facilities leads to increased pollution from sewage runoffs. Wastewater contaminates water in the sea, lakes, and rivers surrounding the tourist attraction. Consequently, the flora and fauna end up being damaged. Swage runoffs contain a lot of nutrients which leads to the growth of algae which is responsible for covering filter-feeding corals preventing their ability to survive (Kozak and Kozak, 2011). Change in water salinity on the coastal environment due to sewage pollution has a wide range of negative impacts .Furthermore; sewage pollution threatens both human and animal life through the spread of water-borne diseases such as chorea and typhoid.
Tourism often affects local resources such as food, energy, and other raw materials whose supply is already limited. Tourism requires transportation and greater extraction of resources which has physical effects on the environment. Notably, the industry has a seasonal character in that a certain destination may have ten times more people during the high season compared to low season (Thornburg, 2014). Therefore, local resources are placed under high pressure to meet the demands of tourists during the high season. Important local resources include fossil fuels, forests, minerals, wetlands, and wildlife. Increased tourism and construction of recreation facilities have a direct impact on renewable and non-renewable resources.
Aesthetic pollution is another negative effect of tourism on the environment. In most cases, tourism does not integrate its structures, natural features, and indigenous architecture of the location (Gossling, 2015). Some resorts fail to rhyme with the natural environment or clash with the design of indigenous structures. Due to the lack of land use regulations or proper land-use planning, development along coastlines, valleys or other scenic sites lead to aesthetic pollution. Most developments are usually in form of roads, employee housing, waste disposal etc.
At a global scale, tourism has played a significant role in climate change. Scientist today claim that the temperatures on earth have been rising steadily due to continuous emission of greenhouse gases which trap heat emitted by the sun (Thornburg, 2014). Carbon dioxide is an important gas that is generated from the burning of fossil fuel and change of land use such as deforestation for construction purpose. Global tourism entails movement of people from one destination to another which encourages the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Gossling, 2015). Climate change is linked to natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and draughts which lead to massive loss of life.
Lastly, tourism development causes physical negative impacts. Tourism development enhances construction activities such as infrastructure, water supplies, recreation facilities, and restaurants (Kozak & Kozak 2011). Road and airport construction leads to loss of wildlife habitats, soil degradation, and makes sceneries to deteriorate. Moreover, the land is often cleared to host the hotel which contributes to deforestation (Kozak & Kozak 2011). Tourism development can lead to severe disturbance and in the long-term effects include the destruction of the ecosystem.
Adding the tourism tax is one way of dealing with the negative effects of tourism. This way, the government will have enough revenue to not only clean after the tourists but also improve the general condition of the area. Additionally, policies should be developed to limit the number of tourists visiting a certain area (Thornburg, 2014). Limiting the number of visitors will reduce environmental impacts on the ecosystem and create time for the local government to deal with issues such as littering. Additionally, tourism organization should be at the frontline of promoting green tourism. Green tourism is a term that advocates for sustainable, ethical and responsible tourism. Organizations should, therefore, encourage tourists to participate in protecting the environment and involve local people in making decisions that affect the area (Thornburg, 2014). Lastly, governments should encourage eco-tourism which will not only benefit the environment but also the country’s economy.
Improved environmental management planning will benefit natural areas. Authorities need to ensure controlled development and conduct analysis on the resources found in an area in order to determine how many people it can hold. Proper planning will enhance effective decision making between conflicting uses (Thornburg, 2014). Additionally, damaging actions on the environment will be avoided which will also avoid gradual deterioration of the environment. On the other hand, tourism industries should adopt cleaner production techniques to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment (Thornburg, 2014). Tourism requires engaging in protection and preservation. Natural resources act as attractive sites for tourism and once they are depleted and destroyed it will have an effect on tourism. Keeping resources alive is a way of minimizing negative effects and enhancing tourism.
Tourism is essential as it brings economic benefits to a country and allows individuals to have a vacation. However, if the solutions are not put in place, tourism may not be possible in the future. For instance, if water is depleted, tourists will no longer experience comfort. On the other hand, environmental degradation affects everyone including those who do not directly participate in tourism.
References
Gossling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2015). Tourism and Water. Bristol, UK: Channel View Publications.
Kozak, M., & Kozak, N. (2011). Sustainability of Tourism : Cultural and Environmental Perspectives. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing