WORLD

How are desirable destinations dealing with their own popularity? (BBC)

How are other places encouraging sustainable tourism?

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• Tourism is one of the world’s leading industries, but some top tourist destinations are seeking to slow the flow of tourists. How might too many tourists impact the physical geography of a destination? Take a look at the BBC, Conde Nast Traveler, VOA, or CNN Money articles for some help.
  • environmental damage. Overuse can increase erosion and damage to both natural and man-made sites.
    • About “77% of the corals at Maya Bay, Thailand, are at serious risk, mainly from damage by boat anchors.”
    • Walkways and bridges at Cinque Terre, Italy, have fallen into disrepair.
    • Delicate ecosystems like the one at Caño Cristales, Colombia, are at risk of being trampled.
    • The very act of breathing can damage fragile artwork, such as the frescoes of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
  • pollution. Visitors arrive by land, sea, and air—leading to inevitable garbage, water pollution, and air pollution.
    • Peruvian authorities report increased “rubbish pile-ups and out-of-control campsites” at Machu Picchu.
    • Traffic creates a huge carbon footprint associated with many tourists site known for “pristine” landscapes, such as Jeju Island, South Korea, Mount Everest, Nepal, or the Galapagos Islands.
  • invasive species. Visitors may accidentally introduce species such as bacteria or fungi with which local species cannot compete.
    • As more tourists visit Antarctica, seeds and spores are hitchhiking on cold-weather clothing.

 

• How might too many tourists impact the human geography of a destination?
  • economic hegemony. Local industries often suffer as huge, multinational hospitality industries (such as hotels and restaurants) move into an area. Smaller businesses are often unable to compete with the size, amenities, or prices offered by these corporations.
    • Cities such as Venice, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain, have cracked down on unlicensed, unzoned Airbnb facilities, which can increase the everyday cost-of-living for local residents.
  • required infrastructure. An increased number of tourists usually requires an increased police presence, as well as increased maintenance for structures such as roads and bridges, and networks such as buses and taxis. These costs often come at the expense of services to other local regions.
  • traffic. The daily routine for residents of “still-living cities” is often radically disrupted by tourists on local pedestrian walkways and mass transit.
  • safety. Overuse puts both tourists and locals at risk with unrepaired and unregulated roads, bridges, and mass transit platforms such as metros, buses, and ferries.
    • At Cinque Terra, Italy, a group of tourists was injured while walking on a popular path.
    • At the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, tourists have been trapped and crushed.

 

• How are different tourist sites balancing a growing tourist economy with conservation?
  • price increases. Simply increasing the price of an experience can eliminate thousands of visitors and make the site more exclusive.
    • Rwanda charges $1,500 for a one-hour permit to view gorillas in their gorgeous natural habitat.
  • cap on visitors. Through limits on either on-site tourists or specific permits, sites can control the number and type of tourists it supports.
    • limits on raw numbers:
      • Maya Beach, Thailand, limits visitors to 2,000 a day.
      • Peru goes even further—the Inca Trail closes entirely every February for repairs and cleaning.
      • Lascaux, France, goes the furthest—the prehistoric cave site has been closed to tourists for nearly 30 years. Instead, tourists are directed to Lascaux II, a copy of the site constructed in 1983.
    • limits on specific permits:
      • Norway limits climbing and hiking permits to reduce the number of tourists to wilderness sites.
      • Nepal limits the number of climbers on Mount Everest by requiring all climbers to verify their experience, health, and climbing capability.
  • law enforcement. This can take the form of laws, fines, or cooperation with local police authorities.
    • Colombia’s Caño Cristales has initiated “a number of rules: no plastic bottles, no sunscreen or insect repellent in the water, no swimming in certain areas, no cigarettes, no feeding the fish. On arrival, visitors attend a briefing to ensure all of this is entirely clear.”
    • Palau’s mandatory “eco-pledge” may be the most famous and far-reaching example of requiring tourists to bear some legal responsibility toward the site.
  • encourage alternate destinations. Developing tourist infrastructure in new places encourages economic opportunity as well as eases the burden on main sites.
    • Prague, Czech Republic, encourages “off the beaten track” program.
    • London has invested in promoting neighborhoods such as Greenwich.
  • tourist taxes. Revenues collected from a variety of tourist taxes can be used not only to maintain tourist facilities, but support local industry and infrastructure.
    • Bhutan requires a “minimum daily package” fee, paid in advance, as well as booking through a strictly licensed Bhutanese tour operator.
    • Officials in Barcelona chose to spend their “tourist tax” on social services for local residents.
  • new infrastructure. New transit options can be focused on the tourist trade, leaving mass transit options to local residents.
    • Infrastructure can also include human networks. Prague has hired an “anti-conflict team” to manage the relationship between boisterous tourists and working Czechs. The team “patrols the busiest areas at night asking tourists to respect the official ‘night quiet time’ which starts at 10 p.m.”

 

• Have you ever lived or visited a popular tourist destination?
  • What specific challenges do you think city planners had in the place you visited?
  • How do you think challenges change depending on the type of tourist site—historic or natural, activity-oriented or relaxation-oriented?
  • How would you address the challenge of “too many tourists” without endangering the local economy?

 

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

BBC: Tourism pressures: Five places tackling too many visitors

Conde Nast Traveler: 15 Places Telling Tourists to Stay Home

Voice of America: Too Much Tourism?

CNN Money: These European cities are fed up with tourists