Impact of tourism on environment

Energy Inefficiencies
ABSTRACT
Tourism is an important sector to any country for the development of the
economy. But tourism industry is directly related to the environment. The
quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to
tourism. However, the relationship of tourism with the environment is
complex. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental
effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general
infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including
resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative
impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy environmental
resources on which it depends. On the other hand, tourism has the potential to
create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental
protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental
values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and
increase their economic importance. In this paper, we describe that the effects
of tourism on natural resources, environmental pollution, physical
environment and tourist activities in the national park. In addition, we explain
environmental impacts of tourism on global scale, positive impacts of tourism
and, finally, how tourism can contribute to environmental conservation.

1. INTRODUCTION
Tourism is one of the biggest and fastest growing sectors in the global
economy and has significant environmental, cultural, social and economic
effects, both positive and negative. Tourism can be a major tool for economic
development but, if not properly planned it can have destructive effects on
biodiversity and pristine environments, and can result in the misuse of natural
resources such as freshwater, forests and marine life. At a number of sites
tourism development has resulted in serious water shortage affecting both
local communities and industry, forests have been depleted and coral reefs
have been damaged. The adverse impact that tourism can have on the
environment both undermines the basic resource for tourism in coastal areas
and heavily affects other non-tourist economic activities.
2. OBJECTIVES
The specific objectives were the followings a. To see the positive and
negative impact of tourism on environment. b. To develop a model to
minimize the negative impact of tourism on environment. (It might be
third) c. To determine the direct impact of tourist activities in the
respective tourism areas. (Or, try to do something better).

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study has been conducted mainly on the basis of literature survey
and secondary information. Various seminar papers and summary of
discussion in those seminars, taskforce reports of research organization,
journals and some periodicals on environmental impacts of tourism have
been surveyed for the purpose of the study. Some environmental
analyst and expertise person has also been interviewed for the purpose
of accumulating facts and information.

4. LITERATURE REVIEW
UgurSunlu(2003)concludes in his research that the quality of the
environment, both natural and man-made is essential to tourism.
However, the relationship of tourism with the environment is complex.
It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects.
Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general
infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities,
including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas.
The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy
environmental resources on which it depends. G.R. Cessford and P.R.
Dingwall state (1998) in their research that tourism industry absolutely
affects the environment. Its negative impact is very dangerous for the
environment and the future generation. For this reason planning and
sustainable tourism industry is very essential for every country. Terry
Davies and Sarah Cahill (2000) describe that this study uses a framework
developed from the industrial ecology literature to assess the impacts of
the tourism industry on the environment. Three categories of impact are
discussed: direct impacts, including impacts from the travel to a
destination, the tourist activities in and of themselves at that
destination, such as hiking or boating, and from the creation, operation,
and maintenance of facilities that cater to the tourist; “upstream”
impacts, resulting from travel service providers‟ ability to influence
suppliers; and “downstream” impacts, where service providers can
influence the behavior or consumption patterns of customers. Joseph E.
Mbaiwaargues in their research that Tarred roads and other
communication facilities have also been developed in Ngamiland District
partly to facilitate tourism development. Tourism in the Okavango Delta
also provides employment opportunities to local communities and it is a
significant source of foreign exchange for Botswana

5. DIRECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

5.1. Water Quality
The tourism industry impacts water quality through construction and
maintenance oftouristinfrastructure, recreational boating, and certain
activities of the cruise industry. Tourist infrastructure increases the
pressure on existing sewage treatment plants and can lead to overflows
during peak tourist times. The most significant problem from the
standpoint of human health associated with recreational boating and
water quality is the discharge of sewage into waterbodies with limited
flushing, where the discharge occurs near the location of shellfish beds.
Diseases that can be potentially transmitted through human contact
with fecal discharge and/or ingestion of contaminated shellfish include
typhoid fever, dysentery, infectious hepatitis, and nonspecific
gastroenteritis (Seabloom, Plews, & Cox, 1989, p.1)

5.2. Air Quality

Most tourism-related air pollution comes from automobiles (An Dereck,
1993, p. 27). Automobiles emit by far the most carbon monoxide of all
transportation modes. In 1997, they emitted 26 million short tons of
carbon monoxide, compared with 1.7 million short tons from
recreational marine vehicles, and 1 million from aircraft (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency [EPA],1998, December, Table A-1).
Specific information on tour bus emissions was not available, but all
heavy-duty diesel vehicles (most tour buses fall into this category)
emitted 1.4million short tons in 1997.Transport by air, road, and rail is
continuously increasing in response to the rising number of tourists and
their greater mobility. The International Civil Aviation Organization
reported that the number of international air passengers worldwide rose
 from 88 million in 1972 to 344 million in 1994. One consequence of this
increase in air transport is that tourism now accounts for more than 60%
of air travel and is therefore responsible for an important share of air
emissions. One study estimated that a single transatlantic return flight
emits almost half the CO emissions produced by all other sources
(lighting, 2 heating, car use, etc.) consumed by an average person per
year (ICAO, 2001).

5.3. Noise pollution

Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational
vehicles such as snowmobilesand jet skis, is a problem of modern life. In
addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing lossfor humans,
it causes distress to wildlife, especially in sensitive areas
(www.unepie.org/tourism).

5.4. Solid Waste and Littering

In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing
natural attractions, waste disposalis a serious problem and improper
disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment, rivers,
scenic areas, and roadsides. For example, cruise ships in the Caribbean
are estimated to produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year.
Solid waste and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the
water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals (UNEP,
1997).

Impact of tourism on environment On Single Use Plastic n

Accommodations

INTRODUCTION
Over the last decade, the Travel & Tourism sector has undergone substantial
development and diversification, becoming one of the fastest-growing
economic sectors globally and the world’s third
largest export category after chemicals and fuels (UNWTO 2019, p.8). In 2019,
the sector accounted for 10.4% to global GDP and 1 in 10 jobs (WTTC 2020).
Travel & Tourism is not only critical as a driver of growth and job creation,
but can have a lasting impact on the communities it touches. The sector can
foster closer ties between visitors and host communities (One Planet Blog on
Sustainable Tourism 2019), while instilling a sense of belonging that nurtures
community pride.Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for
Travel & Tourism (UNWTO 2021), the sector is working to turn this
crisis into an opportunity as it strives to move towards an even more inclusive
and sustainable future. In fact, enhancing the sector’s resilience will require
the safeguarding of natural environments, livelihoods and wellbeing (UN
2020). The sector will not only need to accelerate decarbonisation (Association
of British Travel Agents [ABTA] 2020), but will also need to involve
local communities to ensure all needs are met, and place a renewed emphasis
on equality and human rights, as it empowers
women and vulnerable communities working in the tourism value chain
(UNWTO 2020). The Travel & Tourism sector relies on healthy and thriving
ecosystems, with many tourist activities being based on the use of
natural resources. Despite generating funds for conservation and raising
awareness about the value of biodiversity (International
Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] n.d.), the sector is aware of the
impact it can have in terms of water consumption, general waste and air
pollution (Lemma 2014). An increasing and particularly visible area of concern
is the pollution caused by SUPPs, namely products that are designed to be
used only once before being thrown away or recycled. SUPPs are for the
most part problematic or unnecessary when they are not reusable, recyclable
or compostable; contain chemicals that pose a significant risk to human health
or the environment; can be avoided while maintaining utility; hinder or disrupt
the recyclability or compostability of other items; and/or have a high likelihood
of ending up in the natural environment as litter.
Many players have recognised the urgency of the SUPPs problem and have
started to take action. Nevertheless, the sheer number and diversity of value
chain actors in the Travel & Tourism sector further enhance the complexity of
collaboration. Still, much remains to be done to unite stakeholders around
collective actions that are based on a deeper scientific understanding
of the impacts of SUPP pollution but also the impacts associated with
alternative products and services. This report aims to better understand SUPPs
within Travel & Tourism, document the relationship between the two, as well
as
provide recommendations for impactful actions to reduce the overall
consumption of SUPPs and promote circularity.

1.1 SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS & THEIR IMPACT ON TOURISM

DESTINATIONS
Historically, SUPPs have been popular within the Travel & Tourism sector.
Operationally, they facilitate compliance with health,
safety and hygiene expectations, they are lightweight, cheap, readily available
and are convenient for both employees and
customers. Moreover, in certain cases, SUPPs can be mandated in standard
operating procedures, to comply with ratings
classification requirements or even in response to illness outbreaks.
Whilst limited and often anecdotal, research has shown a potential link
between tourism arrivals and plastic pollution. Workers
in the waste sector in Zanzibar, for instance, reported collecting larger
amounts of waste during peak tourism times and
observed that the largest contribution to waste was from plastics that are
generated from tourism activities (Maione 2019). A
WWF (2019) report also highlighted that plastic waste produced in the
Mediterranean increased by up to 30% in the summer
months, correlating with tourism seasonality.