The pros and cons of an increased tourism industry

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The tourism industry has exploded in recent decades and the number of travellers grows year after year. This boom in tourism has given rise to millions of new jobs and increased economic prosperity in countries across the world. Many countries and communities regard it as a regional economic development strategy. However, tourism brings with its costs and benefits as well. Economic social–cultural and environmental impacts are inevitably element of the development of tourism (Cooper et al.1998). The individual impacts, and the net effect of impacts grouped together, influencing local community and its members in many aspects. It will be discussed further as below.

       

Environment Impacts

The environment of a destination is, often, the key reason for initial visitor interest in this area. However, as soon as tourism activity take place, both of natural environment and built environment are inescapability changed or modified either to facilitate tourism or during the tourism process (Cook et al, 1999, Cooper et al.1998).

 

Along with the development of tourism, particularly, the expansion of nature-based tourism, land, air, water, vegetation and wildlife become the major elements of the natural environment affected by tourism (Cook et al, 1999, Williams, 1994). Many tourism activities could result in this consequence, such as land clearing, trampling and other tourism-related activities (Cooper et al.1998, Hunter and Green, 1996, Newsome et al.2002). A study by Whinam and Chilcott (1999 in Newsome et al.2002) showed that in shrub area, most of the trampled vegetation died within 42days of the trampling period (Newsome et al.2002). Rosen and Lowe(1994 in ( Newsome et al.2002) found that in Organ Pipe Cactus National Park (USA) up to 4000 snakes were killed per 22.5km of road per year ( Newsome et al.2002). The associated loss can result in degradation in the biological condition of an area, and subsequently lead to the destruction of local ecosystem (Baud-Bovy and Lawson, 1998) Notably, unplanned and poorly planned development can result in the endangerment of flora and fauna species, slow erosion of the very sites and increased susceptibility to landslides and avalanches (Hunter and Green 1996). A well-know example is the case of Apls (Tyler 1989 in Hunter and Green 1996).

   

Besides, the natural resources (biological and physical, renewable or non-renewable) of a destination may become altered and depleted, owing to the construction and maintenance of tourism development (Hunter and Green 1996). For example, several Caribbean islands experienced water and power shortages that were directly due to the demand of tourist exceeding capacity, and, at the same time, evidence suggest that the average tourist used twice the amount of water of local people (Newsome et al.2002). 

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In the built-environment, the tourism activities influence a verity of aspects, including urban form, infrastructure, erosion ,etc. However, the overload of infrastructure is a major problem of tourism development in many urban areas (Hunter and Green 1996). Such as traffic congestion and parking problem result in local aggravation, water and energy supply shortage ,etc. (Godfrey and Clarke 2000).Besides, erosion is another major problem arise from tourist, trampling and vehicular traffic damage the built assets, specially, many major heritage sites worn down by the continual abrasion of tourist feet. Smith and Jenner (1989 in Hunter and Green 1996) point out that between 1964 and ...

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