mtm ignou syllabus

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
PARAMETERS AND
TOURISM

2. Learning outcome
• Environment is facing problems because of increasing tourism which is an instrument of
economic and social development. After reading this Unit you will be able to analyse
the:
• environmental degradation caused by tourism related activities,
• impact of ecotourism on environment, and
• ways of handling the situation in an effective way.

3. Introduction
More than any other field of activity, tourism depends on
environment. Consequently, the environmental issues,
among which destruction of biodiversity, pollution, global
warming, waste increase, natural resources depletion, affect
tourism as much as other global issues, like the economic
crisis or the terrorism. We believe that the responsibility of
lowering the impact of tourism over the environment belongs
equally to all the participants in tourist activities.
It is ironic really, that tourism often destroys the very things that it
relies on!
Many of the negative environmental impacts that result from
tourism 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.

4. Ecotourism
According to The International
Ecotourism Society (TIES),
ecotourism can be defined as
“responsible travel to natural
areas that conserve the
environment, sustains the well-
being of the local people, and
involves interpretation and
education”. Such traveling can be
created thanks to an international
network of individuals,
institutions, and the tourism
industry where tourists and tourism
professionals are educated on
ecological issues.

6. IMPACT OF
TOURISM ON
ENVIRONMENT
• Tourists have many purposes for travelling
which are served by a great variety of
destinations. Each type of tourism
destination is characterized by patterns of
environmental sensitivity, such as: .
• coastal areas including beaches,
• marine areas and wetlands,
• mountain and wilderness areas,
• Inland rural areas, urban areas, and
• a small islands.

7. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
To ensure responsible growth of tourism without causing irreversible damage
to the natural environment, activities relating to tourism should take care of
the following:
• promotion of tourism based on careful assessment of the carrying capacity
and support facilities such as transport, fuel, water and sanitation,
• development of tourism in harmony with the environmental conditions and
without affecting the lifestyles of local people, and
• restriction on indiscriminate growth -of tourism and strict regulation of the
tourist activities in sensitive areas such as hill slopes, islands, coastal
stretches, National Parks and Sanctuaries.
Tourists, because of their travel experiences as well as their affluence and
influence, are an appropriate group of target in an effort to:
• increase awareness,
• enlist support for environmental measures,
• alter personal behaviors, and
• advocate for responsible development

8. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Although not everything depends on tourism,
tourism depends on almost everything.
• A balance must be found between limits and usage
continuous changing, monitoring and planning
can be managed. This requires thinking long-term
and realizing that change is often cumulative,
irreversible.
• Economic, social and environmental aspects of
development must include the interests of all
indigenous people, local communities, visitors,
government.

9. To sum up
Environmental parameters are often threatened due to increase in
the nature-based tourism, as this kind of tourism is very close to
environment. Development of tourism is promoted by government
to gain economic profits, which will result in the enhancement of
tourism industry. Hence, we find an inter-relationship between
environment and tourism affecting the parameters of each other. But
one cannot deny the serious implications of tourism on environment,
if developed in an unplanned and uncontrollable way. The
development of tourism has innumerable impact on environment.
Often tourists and tourism promoters are potentially destructive to
the local environment, due to a lack of awareness of local conditions,
both social and natural. Also inappropriate amounts of resources
such as time and money, also encourage environmental degradation.
Thus, there is an urgent need to take necessary steps for preserving
the environment, which includes steps like generating public
awareness and environmental education to the tourists through
media or other means of informative publications.