Explain the concept of environment; Enumerate the positive and negative impacts of tourism on culture and society

1. TOURISM IMPACTS
on the ENVIRONMENT
CRIS EDREN L. DELA PENA, MBA-TRM
College of Business Administration
University of the Visayas

2. E N V I R O N M E N T
The Concept
• The scope of the concept of environment covers the
following aspects (Swarbrooke 1999):
1. Natural environment
2. Wildlife
3. Farms
4. Built environment
5. Natural resources
6. Weather / Climate
7. Natural phenomenon

3. 2 Major Types of
ECOSYSTEM
1. TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
a. Forest ecosystems – abundance in flora and
fauna in relatively small space, or where the
density of living organisms is quite high
b. Desert ecosystems – are located in regions that
receive an annual rainfall less than 25 inches.
c. Grasslands – located in tropical and temperate
regions and the main plants are grasses, plants,
and legumes.
d. Mountain ecosystems – provide diverse habitats
for large number of animals and plants.

4. 2 Major Types of
ECOSYSTEM
2. AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
a. Marine ecosystems – could be oceanic,
profundal, inter-tidal estuaries, and coral reefs,
salt marshes, and hydrothermal vents.
b. Freshwater ecosystems – Three basic kinds of
freshwater ecosystems are lentic (slow-moving
or still water, such as lakes or ponds; lotic (fast-
moving), such as streams and rivers, and
wetlands in which the soil is saturated for lengthy
period of time.

5. Causes of
IMPACTS
• Tourist behavior
• Construction
• The quality of infrastructure
• Dynamics between tourism supply and demand
• Design of facilities and infrastructure
• Siting
• Violation of tourism development guidelines by
developers and ineffective law enforcement

6. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• Land Degradation
• Wastes
• Pollution
• Climate Change
• Water Stress
• Habitat Fragmentation
• Animal Species Extinction
• Impacts on Coral Reefs
• Beach Encroachment and Crowding

7. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• LAND DEGRADATION
• “the temporary or permanent lowering of the
productive capacity of land.
• Tourism can contribute to land degradation
through:
• Urban sprawl caused by migration
• Build-up of non-biodegradable trash
• Loss of biodiversity through hunting
• Animal migration caused by human
interference
• Consumption of animal food products
• Quarrying to flatten mountain
• Coastal land degradation

8. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• WASTES
• Lack of facilities such as trash bins
• Biodegradable wastes
• Gray water from bathing and swimming pools,
human wastes sewage sludge, coffee wastewater
• Solid waste products that are not disposed of
properly in designated areas turn into LITTER.
• Litter can leach into water sources, contaminate
soil, and pollute the air.
• Other sources and types of wastes are construction
and demolition waste, waste heat from air
conditioners, power generators, and vehicle and
inorganic wastes.

9. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• POLLUTION
• Major forms of pollution are:
• air,
• water,
• light,
• visual, and
• noise pollution.

10. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• CLIMATE CHANGE
• With increased leisure activity, tourism industry will
be contributing more to global greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions.
• By 2035, tourism’s contribution to climate change
will have grown considerably.

11. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• WATER STRESS
• Water scarcity is attributed partly to tourism-
generated pollution, unregulated tourism
development, and population growth and
fluctuations during tourism high season.

12. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• HABITAT FRAGMENTATION
• Is frequently caused by humans when native
vegetation is cleared from human activities, which
include construction of theme parks, resorts, hotels,
and airports.
• Endemic organisms are most affected by habitat
destruction, because such organisms have very
specific requirements for their survival that can only
be found within a certain ecosystem.

13. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• ANIMAL SPECIES EXTINCTION
• Tourism can contribute to the extinction of animals
in a number of ways.
• One is by offering animal products as food.
• Commercial hunting of wild animals
• Exposure to wild animals increases the risk of
transmission of diseases.
• Invasive species of plants and animals can be
introduced into an area via tourist transport like
ships and luggage.

14. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• TOURISM IMPACTS TO CORAL REEFS
• Physical damage such as breakage and lesions,
may be caused by actions by snorkelers and scuba
divers.
• Motor boating and yachting.
• Fishing contributes to over-exploitation of reef fish
stocks.
• Tourist who collect shells, corals
• Resort development
• Toxic substances leach to water.

15. Negative Impacts
on the Environment
• BEACH ENCROACHMENT AND CROWDING
• An impact that ahs been observed in Boracay was
beach encroachment by resort owners, abetted by
beach setbacks that got smaller and smaller over
the years.

16. Positive Impacts
on the Environment
• Environmental Quality and Infrastructure Improvement
• Species Regeneration

17. Positive Impacts
on the Environment
• ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
IMPROVEMENT
• Tourism can provide the incentive to develop land
for commercial development.
• Abandoned mines are converted into tourism-
oriented facilities, such as a gold course.
• Infrastructure improvement, such as airports,
seaports, expressways, and nautical highway
systems

18. Positive Impacts
on the Environment
• SPECIES REGENERATION
• Infrastructure built for travel and tourism could
actually be designed to enhance or create
habitats for animals.

19. CLASS ACTIVITY
Recommend
mitigating measures
in each negative
impact
• Land Degradation
• Wastes
• Pollution
• Climate Change
• Water Stress
• Habitat Fragmentation
• Animal Species Extinction
• Impacts on Coral Reefs
• Beach Encroachment and Crowding

20. TOURISM IMPACTS
on the ENVIRONMENT
CRIS EDREN L. DELA PENA, MBA-TRM
College of Business Administration
University of the Visayas