Tourism Studies and Sustainable Development Assignment

Tourism Environment and Industry Assignment Sample

With countless visitors yearly, tourism is a significant driver of revenue growth and cross-cultural interaction. Overtourism, a worrying phenomenon, has been brought on by the quick and unchecked increase of tourism in well-known locations. When a location can no longer sustainably accommodate the quantity of tourists, overtourism results, creating a host of social, economic, and environmental problems. It is becoming more and more obvious that environmentally friendly tourism has become not just a desired alternative but also a vital approach to conserving our priceless locations for the next generation as we deal with these pressures from overtourism.

Overview of the Aims of the Essay

The purpose of this article is to examine the complicated problem of overtourism, to identify its many effects on tourist sites, and to emphasise how quickly this urgent issue has to be addressed. The article will examine the many facets of overtourism, as well as its fiscal, social, and ecological implications, and it will make the case for environmentally conscious tourism as the ethical tourism industry's destiny.

Definition of Overtourism

When the number of visitors surpasses a destination's capacity to accommodate them, overtourism occurs, with detrimental effects on the natural world and the local population. Overcrowding, a pressure on the government's resources and infrastructure, a loss of cultural integrity, and accelerated environmental deterioration are its hallmarks. Both natural and urban environments are susceptible to overtourism, which can have a negative impact on well-known sites, natural ecological systems, and local neighbourhoods (Vagena, 2021).

Urgency to Examine Various Impacts from Overtourism

The urgency to look at the effects of over-tourism originates from the disturbing rate at which it is influencing objections around the world. As globalization and mechanical progressions make travel more open and reasonable, the quantity of sightseers visiting well-known areas has flooded dramatically. While the travel industry can contribute decidedly to neighbourhood economies, over-tourism prompts a large group of interconnected issues that request quick consideration (Zemla, 2020).

Socially, the influx of sightseers can upset the regular routines of neighbourhood networks, causing stuffed public spaces, expanded clamour levels, and a flood in lodging costs as momentary rentals multiply. Customary social practices might be commodified, prompting the deficiency of social personality and local area attachment (PEETERS, 2018).

Financially, the income produced by the travel industry may not be dispersed even-handedly among local people, fuelling pay disparity. The reliance on the travel industry incomes can likewise leave objections helpless against monetary slumps, as seen during the Coronavirus pandemic when numerous vacationer subordinate regions confronted serious monetary emergencies (Amaduzzi, 2019).

Ecologically, overtourism represents a huge danger to sensitive environments and normal living spaces. Unreasonable practices, like inappropriate garbage removal and unrestrained development, can prompt contamination, living space obliteration, and the debasement of normal assets (Mihalic, 2020).

Main Body

First core section

Positive and Negative Impacts of Overtourism:

Example and Facts

1. Economic: Overtourism caused a peak of thirty-two million overnight stays in Barcelona, Spain, in 2019. This brought in a lot of money but additionally led to congestion and put a strain on public services (El Pas) (Ramblas,Las , 2021).
2. Socio-Cultural: In Venice, Italy, which receives 25 million tourists each year, the population that lives there has shrunk significantly as a result of increased home values from vacation rentals, which has resulted in a reduction in neighbourhood cohesion (Limited,Guardian News & Media , 2023).
3. Environmental: Overtourism has harmed Australia's Great Barrier Reef, with living coral cover believed to have decreased by 61% as a result of contamination and physical harm brought on by increasing tourist activities (Limited,Guardian News & Media , 2023).
4. Positive Sustainable Practises: According to The Guardian, Bhutan's "high-value, low-impact" regulations restrict visitor numbers and promotes environmentally and culturally responsible travel.

Application of Butler's Tourism Lifecycle (1980):

The four phases in Butler's tourist cycle model are exploration, participation, development, and decline. There aren't many tourists and there aren't many effects during the exploring stage. However, when the number of visitors rises, destinations advance into the participation as well as growth phases, where advantageous effects like revenue growth and infrastructural improvement take front stage. When overtourism has reached its apex, a place may see an inflow of visitors that exceeds its ability to accommodate them. Negative consequences include cultural commercialization, social unrest, and the degradation of the environment. If not managed responsibly, the area could one day reach an economic slump phase where travellers and companies start looking for alternatives due to the adverse impacts of overtourism (Sahli, 2020).

Collective Impacts on Overall Wellbeing

The adverse impacts on the environment, society, and community unity of overtourism have the potential to impair the general health of the destinations even though it may initially result in revenue gains and infrastructural development. The allure that first drew visitors is diminished by the loss of genuine cultural encounters, overburdened governmental services, and harm to the environment. As was evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when communities with an excessive reliance on tourism experienced serious difficulties, destinations can also be subject to market downturns due to their seasonal reliance on tourism earnings. The livelihoods of local populations who rely upon resources from the earth for existence and revenue are also under danger due to the degradation of the environment (Limited,Guardian News & Media , 2023).

Second core section

Definition of Sustainable Tourism

The goal of sustainable tourism is to satisfy the demands of current visitors and the local populations while safeguarding and increasing possibilities for generations to come. In order to reduce negative effects and promote good results for both destination and their people, it places a strong emphasis on responsible oversight of social, environmental, and economic variables (Kozak, 2015).

Three dimensions of sustainable tourism: economic, socio-cultural, and environmental

Collective Impacts on Overall Wellbeing of Tourist Destinations

The cumulative effects on wellbeing are significant whenever environmentally friendly practises are adopted in tourism areas. For communities nearby, financial resilience guarantees predictable revenue sources along with equitable growth, enhancing their standard of life. Conservation a historical legacy encourages a feeling of confidence in oneself, which strengthens communal peace and togetherness. Protection of the environment preserves biological diversity, ecosystems, and resources that are natural, making travel locations more productive and appealing. Tourism that is environmentally conscious promotes harmonious communication among visitors and locals, supports the ongoing success and good health of their final destination, and ensures that places of interest grow whereas maintaining their distinctive qualities for subsequent generations to benefit from (I.Yeoman & Beattie, 2020).

Research Evidence, Statistical Data, and Examples

Tourism sites may profit greatly from environmentally friendly tourism. For instance, research by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) revealed those locations adopting sustainable practises saw an increase in yearly income of 8.7% on average. Additionally, Costa Rica's dedication to ecotourism has resulted in a thriving biodiversity, drawing more than 3 million tourists each year and generating 5% of the country's GDP (World Travel & Tourism Council). Alternatively, unsustainable tourism can have negative consequences, such as the deterioration of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which is predicted to cost the nation $56 billion in lost economic value and 64,000 jobs over the following ten years (Deloitte Access Economics). A successful strategy for long-term economic growth and environmental sustainability is sustainable tourism (I.Yeoman & Beattie, 2020).

Third core section

Central Role of Stakeholders in Sustainable Tourism

Costs of Sustainable Tourism

Investments in environmentally conscious infrastructure, energy from renewable sources, garbage disposal, and environmentally friendly modes of transport may all be considered the expenses associated with sustainable tourism. Even though there may be early costs, sustainable practises frequently result in gains over the long term. According to research by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), locations using environmentally friendly tourism practises saw an increase in yearly income of 8.7% on average. The economy of a nation may be greatly increased through sustainable tourism, according to studies from the World Travel & Tourism Council. Sustainable tourism is an appropriate investment for tourist sites, even though there may be early expenditures due to the potential beginning costs and overall benefits for both the economy and the environment (Damnjanovic, 2021).

Costs and anticipate changes to those challenges in the future

Due to economies of scale and technological developments, initial expenses may go down over time as sustainable tourism develops pace. Governments and private investors are increasingly valuing sustainable practises and offering monetary rewards for sustainable ventures. Tourists are also prepared to pay more for sustainable experiences as consumer demand for ethical tourism rises, which helps locations make more money. All parties must remain committed and cooperative in order to overcome challenges like change-resistance and short-term economic objectives.

Possible Scenarios of Sustainable Tourism Development in the Future

Optimistic Scenario: Sustainable tourism spreads to all places in this scenario. Local communities actively participate in decision-making, private enterprises completely adopt eco-friendly practises, and governments enact comprehensive sustainability legislation. Destinations gain economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental preservation as a result of the considerable decrease in negative effects.

Stagnant Scenario: In this case, sustainable tourist development is proceeding slowly and unevenly. While some travel locations embrace sustainability to the fullest, others struggle to execute it and get support from stakeholders. This results in a dispersed international effort with little overall influence.

Challenging Scenario: In this case, attempts to promote sustainable tourism are severely hampered by unforeseeable problems like climate change and natural disasters. However, the adaptability and resilience of stakeholders produce creative fixes, and sustainability develops driving forces.

Conclusion

Key Findings

• Impact on the environment: Overtourism severely strains already-fragile ecosystems, causing habitat loss and pollution.
• Cultural Commodification: Overtourism has the potential to commercialise local cultures, undermining their genuine customs and identities. In contrast, sustainable tourism encourages cross-cultural interaction, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the promotion of intercultural understanding.
• Economic Resilience: Overtourism can cause economic instability because it makes locations excessively dependent on seasonal tourist flows.

Urgency to Address the Issues

It is crucial to combat overtourism and advance environmentally friendly tourism practises. The escalating environmental issues and the quick expansion of international tourism call for fast response. If these problems are not resolved right once, fragile ecosystems, heritage of culture, and the social framework of places of travel may suffer irreparable harm.
Destinations may find an acceptable compromise among revenue growth and safeguarding the environment by adopting sustainable tourism. Adopting sustainable practises can lessen social tensions brought on by overcrowding and contribute to more equitable distribution of the favourable effects of tourism among local people.

References

• Amaduzzi, A., 2019. Overtourism: A Literature Review to Assess Implications and Future Perspectives, s.l.: University of Milano Bicocca.
• Damnjanovic, I., 2021. Overtourism Effects: Positive and Negative Impacts for Sustainable Development, s.l.: Singidunum University.
• Grobelna, A. &. S. K., 2019. Seasonality: Is it a problem or challenge facing future tourism employment? Implications for management. Management & Innovation,, 15(1), p. 205–230.
• I.Yeoman & Beattie, ,.-., 2020. The Future Past of Tourism: Historical, s.l.: Channel View Publications.
• Kozak, M., 2015. Tourism Development. Newcastle upon Tyne, s.l.: Cambridge Scholars .
• Limited,Guardian News & Media , 2023. Occupy Venice: 'We are the alternative to the death of the city. [Online]
  Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/sep/13/occupy-venice-alternative-to-death-of-city-activists-tourism
  [Accessed 25 July 2023].
• Mihalic, T., 2020. Conceptualising overtourism: A sustainability approach. Annals of Tourism Research, Volume 84.
• Pedregal, N.-., 2012. Culture and Society in Tourism, Bradford: Emerald.
• PEETERS, P., 2018. Research for TRAN Committee -Overtourism: impact and possible policy responses, s.l.: TRAN committee.
• Ramblas,Las , 2021. OVERTOURISM IN BARCELONA. [Online]
  Available at: https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/overtourism-in-barcelona
  [Accessed 25 July 2023].
• Sahli, E., 2020. Tourism Destination Development An Application of Butler’s (1980) Tourism Area Life Cycle Model to Hammamet, Tunisia., s.l.: Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
• Vagena, A., 2021. OVERTOURISM: Definition and Impact, s.l.: University of Patras.
• Zemla, M., 2020. Reasons and Consequences of Overtourism in Contemporary Cities—Knowledge Gaps and Future Research. Sustainability, 12(5).