Geography unit 4: Tourism - case studies

LEISURE

Positives:

• Creates jobs - increased income = improved economy (more spending and tax)
• Only 200 jobs created of the 6000 promised (Independent, 2013)

• Money made can be spent conserving the environment and in management strategies  

Negatives

• Construction requires money, resources and energy

• Environmental consequences - cut off and damage to unique sand dunes (environmentally sensitive areas) - (Independent, 2013)
• Course affects SSSI

Need to manage the attraction to prevent the carrying capacity being exceeded, which would damage the resilience of the area

ECOTOURISM - attempts tot minimise environmental impacts and promote cultural and ecological understanding (Dunn et al, 2009)

Positives:

• Revenue of $250,000 made in 3 years 
• 55 jobs created

Negatives

• Potential for conflict between visitors and locals - different priorities/needs 
• Needs to be carefully managed to maintain the local culture and keep all different groups happy - Doxey's irritation model

Doxey's irritation model - locals may get increasingly irritated by the potential expansion of tourism (numbers of visitors and developments) in the area ultimately leading to a loss of their culture of degrades their environmental quality

                     LEISURE                  14.8 million people visit the Lake District every year

Positives

• Creates jobs - 2000 jobs created in the Peak District (hotel work, catering, shops)
• Increased income - Peak District - £225 milion made directly to local economy (Peakdistrict.gov)
• Income used for management and maintaining resilience of area

Negatives

• Trampling of footpaths (walkers and bikers) - damage ecosystems - enhanced by number of visitors - more than 16 million people live within 1 hour of the Peak District (Peakdistrict.gov)
• Fires caused by visitors with cigarettes and BBQs - damage biodiversity (BBC News - 2011)
• Increased number of cars in area causing pollution and overcrowding - 85% of visitors go by car

TOURISM

Benefits:

• Economically - Increased income 
• Socially - improved standards of education
• Health of population increased - access to medical treatment and improved diet
• Improved infrastructure - new railway benefited locals and tourists 

Negatives:

• Conflict between different groups (govts, conservationists, locals)
• Locals and tourists especially as their needs differ (Doxey's irritation model)

• Threat of crowding and congestion (pollution) increased due to fragility of ecosystems 
• Management strategies have helped - Inca Trail protected, number of people allowed on trail limited to 500 a day, increased fee to hike to $50, compulsory to trek with registered guides (Geofile 561 - Recreation Tourism and the Carrying Capacity)

         TOURISM                         Number of tourists visiting the area increased significantly from                                                       40,000  in 1990 to 145,000 in 2006 

Negative impacts:

• Fragile ecosystem - home to endangered endemic species 
• Easily destroyed by boat anchors, demand for public services, increasing infrastructure and invasive species (Goats - BBC documentary - Lonesome George

Management Strategies

• Park rules - not touching, handling or feeding animals, no litter is left, stay in permitted areas and with a licenced guide
• Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCP) - non-profit organisation dedicated to raising funds for the protection and conservation of the Galapagos 
• Sustainable and ethical tourism measures 
• (Galapagosislands.org) 

                                     TOURISM                                        Fragile environment      

Exploration of humans in the area has had significant impacts

Negatives:

• Vulnerablre and endemic species have been hunted to the verge of extinction 

• Soil contamination, sewage spillage into the sea and people leaving rubbish (Antarctica.gov)

• Scientists and tourists may possess bacteria and organisms that could be devastating to the native species that lack immunity (Telegraph and discoveringantarctica.org)

Management strategies: Protection treaty - state rules governing human activities in area

Butler model - currently at discovery stage - if it continues to develop and follow the model, pristine environment lost

• Different sources 

• Books - Edexcel A2 Geography

• Websites, particularly news sites e.g. BBC news and Independent 
• Can be bias due to political stance e.g. Telegraph more Conservative/right wing but others not biased e.g. Independent and views can be balanced using Newspapers with differing politcal stances 

• TV Programmes - documentaries - BBC on Galapagos and Panorama

Included these sources as they are reliable e.g. from .gov and .org websites or work that has been peer reviewed or done by experts , unbiased (when possible) and topical information when possible