Before elaborating the relativity of Tourism and Environment, it's important to understand both terms singularly. Relativity is to distinguish compare and characterise between two different ideals for understanding their dependability upon one another.
Tourism: Tourism is now a trend, not simply a simple trip activity. In addition, it has to be considered that travel and leisure and traveler are two different characteristics. Strategies differentiate accordingly and it can be defined matching to both understandings:
'It [tourism] is a individual activity which includes human behaviour, use of resources, and discussion with other folks, economies and environments. ' Bull, 1991:1 cited in Holden, A. (2008).
From mentioned definition tourism is principally focused on natural or public aspects, where publisher has examined travel and leisure based on environmental characteristics. Another understanding could be from the perspective of any visitor or traveler, again I'd like to mention a definition from Holden's writing; where he used another author's explanation to distinguish from the previous viewpoint.
Tourism as: 'an frame of mind to the world or a means of seeing the entire world, not necessarily whatever we find only by the end of an extended and arduous voyage' Franklin, 2003:33 cited in Holden, A. (2008).
This classification is from the point of view of a tourist as an individual entity and much more individualistic. Here personal experience is more valuable for a consumer. Travel and leisure is not really a very old research for world but travel defiantly is. Travel and leisure is more of gaining a fantastic experience when compared to a regular living, while travel can involves various reasons behind it.
But relating to Hunter and Green (1995, pp: 1) "There is no universally accepted description of tourism. This isn't shocking, since what constitutes a 'visitor' and the 'travel and leisure industry' are still matters of issue. "
Environment: In conditions of tourism, Environment is usually comprehended as a mother nature or atmosphere of a destination or a place which is employed for tourism. Aspect contains mountains, normal water resources such as sea area, sea, rivers, waterfalls etc. Green environment includes vegetation, forests, parks, rainforests, safaris etc. when elaborated to wilderness it is composed wild life, animals, forest species and so on. Socially; history sites or social uniqueness is also an integral part of a host.
'In environmental studies they have commonly been assumed that there is a fundamental connection between a society's management of natural resources and its own perception of nature. ' Brunn and Kalland (1995:1) cited in Holden, A. (2008).
Environmental studies and explanations are great and distributions of its characteristics are crucial. If we consider it from an alternative perspective it appears environment involves entire world (living or non living beings) including humans, pets or animals, crops and resources. From progression humans are employing environmental resources. When noticed this use or reduction, it is categorised as Environmental review. Level of resistance and Resilience are two distinctions in this review, where Resistance is tolerance of the site (while getting used but still being undisturbed) and Resilience is the ability to recover from the happened damage or change. Some sites have either characteristics or some not. Hence because of its characteristics,
Hunter and Green (1995) explained that 'environment can be subdivided into three components as the physical environment or a biotic environment which include solar energy, dirt, water and environment'.
Tourism and Environment are interdependent:
Tourism is dependant on the environment; Travel and leisure has and will always devour the natural resources. Travel and leisure is the primary factor carrying out the natural environment in both positive and negative aspect. Even simplest form of tourism like visiting a zoo uses environmental resources such as pets, birds or crops. Such a kind simple form of tourism also renders constructive as well as unconstructive results. The negative effect cases might be the recording animals of their natural habitat and keeping them in a zoo, whereas positive aspect can be that by acquiring the family pets they are getting shielded against hunters and other environmental conditions that can be critical to them. In a variety of other smaller or increased impressions travel and leisure has both negative and positive effects, but more important is to understand the actual destruction or refurbishments causing from travel and leisure towards environment.
It is understandable that individuals engagement with environment have a tendency to use the resources, if it can't create them expand at least they could be kept from future problems by use of wise human behaviour. Research of tourism environment is about understanding the cause and effect guideline and also to imply theories to safeguard the environmental reduction scheduled to mass tourism. It is also significant that Tourism should place along with the top quality of environment and environment shall get reap the benefits of it not the damage. Without doubt every human action has its benefits and drawbacks and fragility of aspect resources should not be seriously harm because of it. Tourism is without a doubt one of the world's highest profitable business (whether on the price tag on environment) and romantic relationship between travel and leisure and environment can get equilibrate if financial revenue gets used for the conservation programs or environmental sustainability.
Impacts of Travel and leisure on environment:
All activities consume resources and produce waste products, possibly all these activities has a potential to ruin the surroundings, and in same context Tourism is not any exception. Tourism is rolling out as a greatest industry and any activity happens at a mass level definitely leaves it's positive and negative influences, such as tourism did before. Although false that each environmental problem is made by tourism but nonetheless being truly a mass industry it influences over a wider platform.
Negative Influences:
The dangerous impact of travel and leisure can damage the natural environment when the negative effects on the surroundings are sufficiently intense and extensive. Such as for example harming biodiversity of particular areas which includes holiday retreats, clearing of vegetation for constructing resorts and hotels or other tourism facilities, and also many uncommon varieties have been taken to the verge of disappearance scheduled to non-tourism nuisance which can be immediately related to tourism. Habitat devastation helped bring by unrestrained and unwell planned travel and leisure is the primary reason behind extinction of types which eventually destroy the natural balance, but destruction of biodiversity can have far reaching results than this. Another negative impact is the depletion of natural resources like water, land and resources like food, energy or raw materials etc. which are already an issue. Degradation of land resources like solid wood or plantations is another example of the negative impacts of tourism on the environment. Solid waste materials littering is more common regarding trekking, climbing or hiking visitors. Tourism also pollutes the tourism sites with noises and air pollutions, problems are more compounded in countries or regions which absence or doesn't have the capability to effectively treat such types of pollutants made from tourism activities. Tourism development is more or less responsible for the majority of the harmful impacts that tourism is wearing the natural environment. The cutting down of forested areas, changing the panorama etc all have negative influences on the ecological balance of the travel and leisure destination, whereas levels of impact may vary from site to site, however the negative impacts of travel and leisure on the environment cannot be overlooked. The negative influences are intensely noticeable in ecologically delicate environments.
Whether from generating a new site or a heritage site used for different prospective, somehow environment gets a hard time by this. By air pollution, numbers of individuals using limited resources, behaviour of holidaymakers while on holiday seasons and so forth are some of the complexities which straight or indirectly impacts environment. It may include both physical and ethnic aspects. Unless taking care of by any means level it is difficult to provide specific thought to each resource which is how this becomes a poor aspect towards travel and leisure, environment must pay such cost by loss to the natural settings to beaches, coral reefs or traditions sites.
Effluence triggered by travel and leisure main concerns faced by tourism trade today. The sewage waste material from traveler resorts are drained in to the rivers causing pollution in the river normal water and eventually to sea foundation, it highly impacts the marine life. Extreme use of natural reference that is fossil fuel to create energy for visitor activity, the activities of overfishing, unnecessary use of earth water resources, are only few of problems which are manufactured by travel and leisure industry which causes the reduced amount of the source.
As tourism expands, it also give hands to increased littering, various forms of pollution e. g. sound, water, air. Sewage and waste acquired increased sometimes to uncontrollable levels. Alongside dependence on vehicles gets high and amount of vehicles produces numerous gases and noises in air. In areas where resources are limited, travel and leisure develops a sense of competition, resulting in a variety of degradation. Such hazardous impacts are majorly brought by poor management or insufficient proper conservation device in place.
Positive influences:
However with all these harmful effects, the surroundings is also getting the optimistic results of tourism. Travel and leisure is moving towards a lasting side by supporting and preserving the natural resources for future years generation. Various countries and its conventional organisations are putting into action strict ideas for conserving their nature and safeguarding their natural resources.
We should not only see at the dark part of the moon if travel and leisure has its costs, its gives again as well, as tourism grows it definitely encourage other industries to go up hand and hand. Whenever a vacation spot is selected to build up as a travel and leisure destination government and planning resources put initiatives for the regeneration of the area. It contains revitalisation of a location or a site and beautifies the local environment. Thus this process brings new colorings to the website. Any vital site when comes under travel and leisure perspective, its natural resources gets special attention from the handling bodies, where as educated tourism programmers knows the value of a natural reference and keeping this in mind they prevent any misuse or damage to it.
According to Swarbrooke (1999) the term sustainable tourism can be explained as the procedure towards tourism where more target is shown in preservation of the natural resources in a manner that they could be consumed by the present era and can be maintained for future years technology as well.
Tourism can therefore no longer be seen as a harmful factor to environment. Economically, many areas on earth have benefitted from tourism and conservations are occurring on an increased level in many countries.
'There can be an urgent need to comprehend the relationships between tourists, travel and leisure and the environment. Many new varieties of tourist ingestion revolve around environmental quality and the esteem for nature. One more reason for the negative picture of travel and leisure might be that it is difficult to disentangle the impact of tourism from other forms of economic activity in certain vacation spot areas'. Shaw g. , Williams A. M. (2002)
Numerous examples and circumstance studies are available where travel and leisure has proven a saviour to drowning economies, along with cost-effective benefits; it is effective in urbanisation of dead towns. Because of tourism many businesses develop and folks get employed, on a social level tourism keeps all areas together and connected. Any tourist's interpersonal involvement and habits are manipulated by the behavior in which s/he is via and an understanding can be developed to be able to gain positive response from visitors. Appropriate educational information system towards environment is growing as very helpful tool.
How tourism can enhance environmental conservation-
If tourism destroys the surroundings with negative effects, it also plays an extremely big role in the preservation of the natural environment of the destination areas. As travel and leisure industry advantages from the tourism sites, it should be its morally liable to have a pivotal role in the conservation of the natural setting from which it gets benefits. A proper and well managed tourism approach can decrease the pessimistic impact of tourism on the natural environment.
Appropriate use of acquired revenue- Although profits attained from the travel and leisure conduct is the major contribution of the travel and leisure trade to the initiatives of preservation of the environment, educating the tourist is also an essential aspect in your time and effort of conservation of the environment. The revenue received from various holiday activities earns the riches which allows organisations to focus on the conservational initiatives. Without the amount of money, conservation process is nothing. Though, concern must be taken to notice that the managers of such locations or sites aren't tempted to enlarge the visitation upper limit as the amount of money starts to move, thinking that the money thus received from tourist pursuits like accessibility fees will be adequate to address the issues caused by the increased visitation. If this persuasion is not overlooked, than the environment will suffer more thereby negating the effective use of money from tourism for the conservation of the environment. The conservationists who've the skills and authority should try to assume control and focus on the maintenance of the environment.
Developing eco-tourism- Another most significant method is to bring a change from the basic idea of mainstream conventional tourism. This can be achieved by propagating the initiative of sustainable travel and leisure and eco-tourism which are more environmental friendly and aims at nourishing both external and the inner environment of the vacation spot. Adopting the idea of such kinds of tourism plays a substantial role in the conservation of the environment. Fundamental principles of the forms are inclined towards reducing the ill effects of tourism on the surroundings without compromising the value of experience that the visitors can get from visiting the websites.
In further part of the essay I have mentioned and elaborated how this alternative tourism is growing these days.
Sound planning- Reasonable environmental management of travel and leisure amenities like resorts and hotels can boost the benefits to natural areas; need is careful planning of tourism development which is dependant on the environmental resources existing in the vacation spot area. For instance clearing of great areas of vegetation or forest to generate resorts, holiday break retreats, etc and changing of the landscape to appear more desirable to the tourist. While repeating this, the natural environment or to be precise the biodiversity or the ecology of the area is being infected. So service should be studied to observe that tourism development causes least impact on the surroundings. This again can be carried out by creating eco friendly resorts or properties which will have the least impact on the environment. Tourism also has the probable of raising knowing of the environmental problems one of the people by bringing them into close connection with the surroundings. Travel and leisure cannot be lasting if the surroundings or the environment of the vacation spot is not ecological in itself.
Developing recognition among visitors- Conservationists should offer means by which people using this destination, both local people and visitors can be made aware of the value of maintaining the surroundings. In fact they can encourage the visitors to contribute towards keeping the environmental balance. Conscious effort to change and develop the vacation spot ought to be the goal of the environmentalists and the development tasks, remember the positive opportunity as well as the downfall of the environment with extreme tourism. A way in which tourism can donate to the conservation process is by having an appropriate system for the interacting with pollution and sewages produced from tourism activities. Various means can be used to minimise the impact of tourism on the environment. Appropriate interpretation can remove negative facts of the site and instruct and notify the visitor on the diverse aspects related to the environment. This can lead to the visitor's higher understanding of the surroundings and thus react in a more responsible manner and therefore minimise the impact caused by them. Implementation of visitation limitations, proper rules legislation and mentioning the environmental issues caused by travel and leisure at its early on level can imply a big difference in the conservation of the environment.
Helping wildlife preservations- Travel and leisure also performs a vital role in the preservation and security of various kinds of endangered species which really is a vital part of the natural environment. Aspect loving travelers visit animals reserves and in doing so donate to the conservation process. Tourism can play major role in the conservation process in various different ways. The tourism industry can also organise promotions to raise knowing of the environmental issues affecting dynamics or animals and in doing this can also built up a good image which has been often criticised in the last few ages for the negative impacts it has caused to the wildlife destinations.
Alternate travel and leisure is developing- A fresh breed of tourists is producing called eco-tourists and sustainability emerged in light in 80's due to previously occurred mass destruction in environmental resources. Ecological Development concept arrived in attention from 1980's and in March 1980, World Conservation Strategy (WCS) was ready. IUCN, UNEP, WWF, FFO and UNESCO signed up with hands for world's living resources. WCS was a conservation strategy where ecosystem degradation-destruction, deforestation, desertification, air pollution, earth erosion and hereditary variety and extinction of kinds and many related issues were in debate.
The romance between economical development and the conservation and sustenance of natural resources is concept of ecological development. Though these thoughts were already in air from many years in those days but WCS reviewed many major changes taking place to environment and WCS was proven as a bridge between previous thoughts and later actions. Another major outcome was establishment of WCED (World fee on environment and development) in 1983, Gro Harlem Brundtland (PM Norway) was appointed chairperson for this percentage and in 1987 he publicised a written report known as Brundtland Statement (Our Common Future) in which 'Sustainability' were at first popularised-
Sustainable development is development that 'matches the needs of today's without compromising the ability of future years to meet their own needs' (According to WCED 1987:43) cited in Hall, C. M. and Lew, A. A. 1998
Certainly sustainability contains strategy making, preservation of ecological techniques, protection of history and biodiversity, futuristic concentrated efficiency and balance between sociable behaviour and environment. Along with the global popularity of International travel and leisure, sustainability also acquired recognised as an integral element towards permanent beneficial regulations along with conserving limited resources. Destination areas have developed to accommodate each one of these travellers, and acquiring them and wedding caterers their needs in addition has become part of any daily routine.
'Development is an extremely contested theory and because the Second World Warfare debates over what it is, and exactly how to achieve it, has gone through a number of phases. International tourism is a global phenomenon from generations, but that presentation of tourism for mass utilization goes back to the middle-19th century, when a specific service sector devoted to the mass usage of travel emerged, about parallel to the introduction of mass development in the industrial sector'. Harrison, D. (ed. ) (2001)
As people aren't tends to be flexible as it pertains to implementing guidelines and regulation, especially when tourists are on getaways, Publisher B Wheeller explains in his words. And what sort of touristic approach is needed is "Tourism at one with character; non-consumption, non-exploitative, preventing degradation and destruction of the 'environment', but instead tourism in harmony, in balance with nature" Wheeller, B. (1994)
Conclusion
Based after the statements and codes-of-conduct produced by tourism stakeholders, that the environment has been put on the outline as a significant matter of how travel and leisure is to be developed probably.
Thus all these negative and positive effects of tourism on the environment, brings us to a realization that travel and leisure can be cared for in negative as well as positive aspect in regards to the environment. The negative impacts can be reduced by firmly taking effort towards conserving natural resources. There are various tools you can use to protect the surroundings like collecting income by means of taxes. All these instances however show us a good picture about how exactly the travel and leisure industry and the surroundings are co-dependent to the other person for their mutual presence. Though there are many negative aspects to tourism, we can still say that travel and leisure gets the tools to safeguard, preserve and enhance natural resources and the environment.
Therefore Travel and leisure and natural environment can both co-exist and be mutually good for one another if the tourism industry gets the willingness to move in full support to the conservation work of the natural environment. In doing this, it can benefit maintain the environment and also get over the negative image so it has built up for itself over the last few ages. Proper and effective planning and management accompanied by strict implantation, stringent rules and regulations, proper interpretation, propagating the idea of sustainable ingestion, well planned eco tourism and sustainable travel and leisure and educating the traveler and making them aware of the impacts of these actions which may have negative effects on the surroundings are a few of the few ways that travel and leisure sector can contribute in the conservation process of the natural environment. There cannot be a limit to the extent travel and leisure can contribute to the procedure and there can't be a finish to its contribution towards environmental conservation because as long as tourism exists, the negative influences of holiday will be apparent on the natural environment. There is absolutely no doubt accepting the fact that tourism brings in money. But even then, care and attention must be studied to make certain that the economic growth helped bring by the travel and leisure industry must donate to the natural environment processes and the ecological use of natural resources.
Academic Personal references:
Brunn and Kalland (1995:1) cited in Holden, A. (2008) Environment and Travel and leisure (2nd edition), Routledge)
Bull (1991:1) cited in Holden, A. (2008) Environment and Travel and leisure (2nd model), Routledge)
Franklin (2003:33) cited in Holden, A. (2008) Environment and Tourism (2nd release), Routledge)
Hall, C. M. and Lew, A. A. 1998. The geography of lasting travel and leisure development: an benefits. Harlow: Longman.
Harrison, D. (ed. ) (2001) Travel and leisure and the Less Developed World: Issues and Circumstance Studies. Wallingford: CABI. Ch. 1.
Holden, A. (2008) Environment and Tourism (2nd model), Routledge.
Hunter, C. and Green, H. (1995) Travel and leisure and the Environment: A sustainable romance? Routledge, London.
Shaw G. , Williams A. M. (2002) 2nd ed. Critical issues in tourism: a physical perspective: Oxford.
Swarbrooke, J. (1999) Lasting Tourism Management. CABI Posting, Wallingford.
Wheeller, B. (1994) Egotourism, sustainable tourism and the surroundings: a symbiotic, symbolic or shambolic romantic relationship? in the. V. Seaton et al. , eds. Tourism: The Condition of the Art, Wiley, Chichester.
