The document discusses the concept of carrying capacity as it relates to tourism and recreation. It defines carrying capacity as the maximum number of people that can visit a destination without unacceptable impacts to the environment, economy, society, and quality of the visitor experience. The document then outlines different types of carrying capacity, including physical, economic, social, and biophysical capacities. It provides examples of how to assess and establish the carrying capacity of a given area from various perspectives.

1. When is enough enough?

2. • Refers to the number of
individuals who can be supported
in a given area within natural
resource limits, and without
degrading the natural social,
cultural and economic
environment for present and future
generations.

3. • The maximum number of people
that may visit a tourist destination
at the same time, without causing
destruction of the physical,
economic, socio-cultural
environment and an unacceptable
• decrease in the quality of visitors'
satisfaction”.
- WTO

4. “The use an area can
tolerate without
unacceptable
change”
-(Hendee, et al. 1990)

5. • The maximum number of people
that may visit a tourist destination
at the same time, without causing
destruction of the physical,
economic, socio-cultural
environment and an unacceptable
• decrease in the quality of visitors'
satisfaction”.
- WTO

6. • Carrying capacity for any given
area is not fixed.
– It can be altered by improved
technology, but mostly it is changed
for the worse by pressures which
accompany a population increase.

7. • As the environment is degraded,
carrying capacity actually shrinks,
leaving the environment no longer
able to support even the number
of people who could formerly have
lived in the area on a sustainable
basis.

8. • Physical Carrying Capacity
• Economic Carrying Capacity
• Social Carrying Capacity
• Bio-physical Carrying Capacity

9. Physical Carrying Capacity
• The maximum number of tourists
that an area is actually able to
support.
• The maximum number that can fit on
the site at any given time and still
allow people to be able to move.
• PCC per a day = area (in meters
squared) x visitors per metre x daily
duration

10. Economic Carrying Capacity
• This relates to a level of acceptable
change within the local economy of a
tourist destination, it is the extent to
which a tourist destination is able to
accommodate tourist functions without
the loss of local activities.
• Describe the point at which the
increased revenue brought by tourism
development is overtaken by the
inflation caused by tourism.

11. Social Carrying Capacity
• The negative socio-cultural
related to tourism development.
• Reduced visitor enjoyment and
increased crime are also
indicators of when the social
carrying capacity has been
exceeded.

12. Biophysical Carrying Capacity
• The extent to which the natural
environment is able to tolerate
interference from tourists.
• Deals with ecology which is able
to regenerate to some extent so in
this case the carrying capacity is
when the damage exceeds the
habitat's ability to regenerate.

13. 1. Define the carrying capacity that needs to be
established for the study area
Options:· tourism carrying capacity· recreation
carrying capacity· others
Consider the above from one or more of the following
perspectives:
physical carrying capacity, ecological carrying
capacity, social carrying capacity, economic carrying
capacity
Consider factors that affect the overall capacity of an
area:
Options:· access capacity· commercial capacity·
construction capacity· service capacity· transport
capacity· others

14. 2. Consider the type of tourism existing or being
planned from the following contexts:
physical
social
cultural
infrastructure
economic benefits
tourism image
indigenous environment
others

15. 3. List the objectives of the area
Options: conservation of natural resources;
preservation of areas of unique scientific,
historical and cultural value; preservation of
heritage; tourism and recreation; employment
opportunities; others
Ecological and social consequences of use should
be consistent with area management objectives.
If an area has more than one objective, then
state the objective of highest priority

16. 4. Establish criteria that affect capacity
- Physical area size, accessible space, visual impact, climate,
aesthetics, accommodation quality , availability of facilities,
transportation, number of people that can be
accommodated, others
- Ecological the need for conservation, fragility of the
environment, wildlife resources, topography, vegetative
cover, behavioral sensitivity of species, diversity,
uniqueness of species, concealment, resilience of
ecosystem/species, impact of use on the area, others.
For coral reefs, the following must also be taken into
account:· size and shape of reef, composition of coral
communities, type of underwater activity, level of
experience of divers/snorkellers, other.
- Economic investment, volume of tourists, cost of the
holiday, level of economic benefits provided, level of
enjoyment suited to the residents, others

17. 4. Establish criteria that affect capacity (cont’d)
- Cultural volume of tourism with no detrimental effects,
cultural attractions, quality of crafts and food, involvement
of local communities/residents, others
- Social visitors' choice, visitors' opinions, visitors' attitude
and behavior, expectations and preferences, perceptual
and behavioral response, response to rising use levels,
visitors' activities, visitor satisfaction, acceptable level of
crowding, involvement of local communities/residents,
others
- Availability of resources and infrastructure cash incentives,
public utilities, transport facilities, essential facilities e.g.
hospitals, availability of water supply, proper disposal of
solid and liquid wastes, others

18. 4. Establish criteria that affect capacity (cont’d)
- Administrative and political factors level at which management is
implemented, legal restraints, policy incentives, others
Variations in criteria should also be considered
• Seasonality
• Developing tourism areas : optimize benefits ; ensure negative impacts of
saturation do not occur
• Developed tourism areas : emphasize management rather than planning
• others

19. 5. Establish thresholds or tolerable levels of use that can
act as management guidelines
Options: physical; economic; ecological; perceptual;
social/cultural; political/administrative; others
Bear in mind that thresholds may be eventually reached, or may change with
time.

20. 6. Assess the carrying capacity of the area
a. Physical carrying capacity
i) Consider in terms of time and space variables, and
tourist function rates
Time : peak capacity, daily capacity, weekly
capacity, yearly capacity,
seasonal and diurnal, others
Space : space coefficients, unit measures,
density zones,
equipment ratios, others
Tourist function rates : ratios, others
Threshold capacities : economic viability, water
resources, others
Non-measurable criteria (use comparative analyses):
ecological
impacts, cultural impacts, psychological effects, others

21. 6. Assess the carrying capacity of the area (cont’d)
a. Physical carrying capacity (cont’d)
ii) Apply Boullon's (1985) formula.
b. Social carrying capacity
i) Establish conditions requiring judgmental inputs
- relationship between use levels/management
parameters and experience parameters
- agreement about the type of recreational
experience to be provided
- agreement about the appropriate levels of
experience parameters

22. 6. Assess the carrying capacity of the area (cont’d)
b. Social carrying capacity (cont’d)
ii) Document visitor particulars and activities, as
well as their expectations and preferences. Then
a theoretical evaluation based on
experience and accumulated knowledge
can be used for comparative analyses.
Options : Frequency of site visits, group
size, length of stay,
activity patterns, expectations and preferences,
others

23. 6. Assess the carrying capacity of the area (cont’d)
d. Recreation carrying capacity (requires an
assessment of both
environmental and social capacities)
i) Establish the acceptable numbers of visitors
suited to each zone: visitor surveys, density
guidelines, others
(ii) Describe observable characteristics and carry
out evaluation which involves judgments on
acceptability of impacts:
Description: management parameters;
impact parameters
Evaluation: measurable; non-measurable;
absolute; empirical terms; others

24. • Survey perceived tolerances
Visual surveys
Questionnaires
• Based on history
• Demand
• Perceived and actual impact
• Estimate (annual; monthly; daily;
seasonal)

25. • Daily: “A” programs x #
participants/group
Or, #of estimated users /day (based on
LAC)
Estimate this on how many hours/day;
How many hours/program or event;
How many staff can support the
programs;
How many participants and events can
facilities and equipment handle

26. • Monthly: “B” Programs x estimated #
participants/program
• Annually or Seasonally: “C”
programs/month x 12 (or how many
months are functional)
• Finally: Can the land, facilities, and staff
handle this number? Cost effectiveness
= feasibility.