Running head: NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM 1

Negative Impacts of Tourism

First and Last Name

School

Course
Running head: NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM 2

Is tourism having a positive or negative impact on the countries and locations that tourists

visit?

Tourism has negative environmental outcomes on destinations where tourists visit, which

often leads to socio-economic problems. As Boley (2015) indicates, combustion of fossil fuels in

tourism travel contributes to 5% of global Carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions and 14% of

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These are major contributors to climatic change the world

over. In effect, countries and tourism destinations face negative implications of climatic change.

Sarwar (2005) indicates that the melting of ice caps in the North and South Poles as a result of

Global warming has resulted in rising sea level which threatens livelihoods in many island

nations. For example, Tuvalu, a popular tourist island nation is on the blink of a total evacuation

of its entire population due to problems created by rising sea levels as saltwater intrusion has

made it harder for them to find drinking water and engage in agricultural activities (Brown,

2001). At the local level, tourism has a negative impact on the surrounding environment. In

many tourist destinations tourist destinations, poor solid waste management, and littering have

led to the loss of scenic beauty and the destruction ecosystems. For example, the Global

Development Research Center (GDRC) (n.d.), "cruise ships in the Caribbean are estimated to

produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year" in the Caribbean. Despite regulations against

dumping, cruise ships have been found to dump tonnes of solid waste into the ocean, while only

10% of sewage waste is treated before dumping. As a result, the marine ecology is destroyed and

the scenic beauty is eroded. With these examples as an illustration of the negative environmental

impacts of tourism, there is a need to find mitigative measures aimed at protecting the

environment.
Running head: NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM 3

Tourism brings about socio-cultural problems in areas where tourists visit. Tourism

brings about interactions between people from different socio-cultural backgrounds. While this

can be beneficial in promoting harmony and positive cultural exchange, it can sometimes be

detrimental. According to Caust and Vecco (2017), tourism leads to the erosion of local cultural

heritage as culture becomes homogenized to suit the need of tourists. They add that cultural

heritage tourism is often commoditized into a product for sale to tourists, which leads to the loss

of cultural integrity and the alienation of residents. For example, in Hoi An, Indonesia locals

have been alienated in that "a variety of shops that serve the local needs of the community, the

buildings in the old town… have become cafes, galleries or tailors" Caust and Vecco (2017).

They add that, instead of promoting authentic cultural exchanges, commoditization of tourism

turns destinations and their cultural heritage into objects for commercial. In this regard, any

interaction between local and tourists is purely an economic transaction. Similarly, Bruner et al.

(1994), note that with increased interaction with Western tourists the Maasai people of East

Africa have increasingly abandoned their heritage, including the abandoned for their traditional

clothing in favor of Western clothing. Tourism can also lead to moral decadence in tourist

destinations. Echoing Caust and Vecco (2017) indicate that tourism is often accompanied by an

increase in crime, prostitution, gambling and a general decline in traditional customs

(Haralambopoulos & Pizam, 1996). In a study on the effects of tourism on crime in Italy, Biagi

et.al (2012) found that a “1% increase in the number of tourists causes 0.11 rise in total crime”

While tourism can benefit countries and local communities, unchecked, it can bring about

economic problems.
Running head: NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM 4

References

Biagi, B., Brandano, M., & Detotto, C. (2012). The effect of tourism on crime in Italy: A

dynamic panel approach.Bruner, Edward M., and Barbara Kirshenblatt‐Gimblett. "Maasai

on the lawn: Tourist realism in East Africa." Cultural Anthropology 9.4 (1994): 435-470.

Boley, B. B. (2015). To travel or not to travel? Both have implications for sustainable tourism.

Tourism Planning & Development, 12(2), 208-224.

Caribbean Recycling Foundation. (n.d.). Solid waste statistics for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Retrieved December 4, 2018, from http://www.crfpr.org/statisti.htm

Haralambopoulos, N., & Pizam, A. (1996). Perceived impacts of tourism: The case of

Samos. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(3), 503-526.

Sarwar, M. G. M. (2005). Impacts of sea level rise on the coastal zone of Bangladesh. See

http://static. weadapt. org/placemarks/files/225/golam_sarwar. pdf.

Brown, L. R. (2001). Rising sea level forcing evacuation of island country. Earth Policy

Institute.

Melia, M., & Associated Press. (2012, February 09). Caribbean cruise ships dump garbage at sea.

Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://www.sfgate.com/g00/news/article/Caribbean-

cruise-ships-dump-garbage-at-sea 3169729.php?

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