Physical Alterations and Destruction of Habitats (PADH)
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TourismIntroduction
Tourism is heavily dependent on the natural resource base. The marketing approach is based on selling of "sand, sea and sun". For coastal tourism, there are very strong economic incentives to locate hotels and associated tourist facilities close to attractive sites, regardless of resulting negative effects on aesthetic and environmental values. Attractive coastal landscapes, such as sandy beaches, dune areas, estuaries and coastal lakes, are preferred sites for tourism development. The coastal environment is degraded by the impacts of infrastructure and construction activity when tourism is allowed to develop without proper planning. The more severe impacts of tourism stem from the infrastructure and construction activity it entails rather than the recreational activities themselves. Wetlands are being drained and reclaimed and the coastline severely altered to make way for marinas and other mooring facilities. When hotels are built too close to beaches, in order to offer tourists vicinity to the beach and sea view, there is also a need to construct costly erosion management structures that often lead to habitat destruction. Increased sediment mobilization, turbidity and water quality deterioration during construction and operation can be significant side effects. Important habitats like coral reefs and sea grass beds and fish spawning grounds can be destroyed if diving and recreational boating are not managed and controlled, including efforts to inform and educate tourists and operators of various facilities for water sports. Coastal tourism is by far the predominant form of tourism in many regions, including the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Indian Ocean islands, and islands of the South Pacific. Coastal tourism, for the most part, originates from land, cruise tourism being an exception. In terms of turnover, tourism is a significant and in many cases dominant contributor to the GDP, employment and foreign exchange earnings of many small island developing states. Tourism receipts represent 25 percent of total export earnings in the Pacific and over 35 percent for Caribbean islands (although 30–50 percent of this income leak back to operators from developed countries). In the 1994 Barbados Programme of Action it was concluded that tourism "has contributed much to the development of Small Island Development States (SIDS) and, as one of only a few development options for those small States, will continue to be very important for their future growth. It could also stimulate the development of other sectors. However, if not properly planned and managed, tourism could significantly degrade the environment on which it is so dependent". The challenge is to keep the process moving and harness benefits in such a manner that the industry does not create severe stress in the system on which it depends. Tourism is a double-edged activity. The Convention of Biological Diversity points out that tourism "has the potential to contribute in a positive manner to socio-economic achievements but, at the same time, its fast and sometimes uncontrolled growth can be the major cause of degradation of the environment and loss of local identity and traditional cultures. Biological and physical resources are in fact the assets that attract tourists. However, the stress imposed by tourism activities on fragile ecosystems accelerates and aggravates their depletion. Paradoxically, the very success of tourism may lead to the degradation of the natural environment: by depleting natural resources tourism reduces the site attractiveness to tourists, the very commodity that tourism has to offer". The interdependent, cyclic relationship between the tourism industry and the environment is fragile and requires precautionary and preventative action. In recent years, a variety of guidelines, codes of conduct, and best practices regarding sustainable tourism and ecotourism have been elaborated. The challenge for the tourism industry, as well as for conservationists and development organisations, is to jointly develop and implement a mix of management strategies to promote environmentally, socio-culturally and economically sustainable tourism development in coastal areas. The dynamic nature of the industry, the severity of the consequences of incompatible development and the potential for environmental and social benefits from planned development demand that governments, tourism industry and all stakeholders assume proactive roles and implement a mix of management strategies to shape and guide the industry in an environmentally suitable manner. In guiding tourism development, self-regulation is likely to be more effective than statutory regulation because the industry if more likely to take the responsibility and ownership for selfregulatory approaches. Back to top
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