Carrying Capacity for
Tourism
Indicators, Sensitivity and the
Planning of Destinations
by Ted Manning President, Tourisk Inc.
Zhangjiajie China April 2017
Athens Greece
Targets for Tourism
Tourism focuses on:
 Exceptional sites:
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–
–
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Unique geology and ecology
Interesting plants and animals
Relic and disappearing cultures
Coastal zones
“Different” communities
Archaeological treasures
 The world’s special and
fragile places
Brimstone
Hill
St Kitts
Guanabo
Cuba
Tourisk Inc.
Tourism sells Images
Tourisk Inc.
Tourists are particularly drawn
to unique special places
Toledo Spain
Tourisk Inc.
Machu Picchu Peru
Tourisk Inc.
Tourism can Stress the Limits but what are the limits?
Rimini Italy
Tourisk Inc.
Increasingly, tourists of all ages
and capabilities seek access to
the unique and the fragile – on
foot or by other means
Tourisk Inc.
Huangshan
Tourism communities are
hosts to many seeking unique
experiences and exposure to
local culture and cuisine
Lofoten Norway
Tourisk Inc.
In many destinations tourism may be very
seasonal: this can stress the host systems –
accommodation, services, staff.
Columbia
Icefields Canada
Tourisk Inc.
This destination has a ten week season: most
facilities are closed for the rest of the year
Cabot Trail
Canada
Tourisk Inc.
Many destinations can be vulnerable to
natural and human-generated risks:
Phuket
Thailand
Monument Valley
USA
Sri Lanka
Portugal
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Tourism is a driver of
change
 Tourism is the largest
migration in human history
- every year
 Tourism is the top of the
food chain - dependent on
ecological integrity,
cultural diversity and
economic stability
 Tourism is also a stimulant
for alterations, both
positive and negative in
targeted destinations
 As tourists seek new
niches, the impact
reaches formerly remote
ecosystems and cultures.
Tourisk Inc.
Peyto Lake
Canada
Carrying Capacity is a key concept for
destination planning and management
 The concept is much more
complex than often
understood
 It involves several different
elements and actors
 It is very difficult to clearly
define or even estimate
 Successful tourism requires
understanding of the limits
Tourisk Inc.
Zhouzhouang
Carrying Capacity:
This Lakes District farm in
England is also part of a national
park and tourist destination
 Based on traditional
agriculture – how many
animals could be
sustained in a field?
 Basic concept – is there
enough food and water?
 Tourism is much more
complex - tourists depend
on many more
components of an
environment – ecological,
economic, social, cultural,
political, and related to
infrastructural constraints.
 Tourism often shares its
destinations with other
users.
Tourisk Inc.
HOW MANY
TOURISTS ARE
TOO MANY?
Big Sur California
Tourisk Inc.
Costinesti Romania
Tourisk Inc.
Indicators, Carrying Capacity and Action
Decision-makers need to
know:
 The key risks to the destination
and to tourism
– The impacts of specific activities
relative to limits - ecological,
social and cultural and
economic
– The development and
assessment of progress towards
goals and objectives
 The objective is to reduce future
risks to the ecological, sociocultural and economic functions
of regions (destinations) to the
benefit of all.
Kochi India
Tourisk Inc.
Sensitivity and Limits are a better measure
than any single capacity measure
 The limits relevant to tourism
depend on many factors:
– How many tourists
– What they are doing – where
and when
– What they expect
– How they are guided or
controlled
– The specific sensitivity of the
ecological, cultural and
economic systems which are
used or impacted
– How the impacts are managed
– Whether or not there is
mitigation, repair or cleanup.
Tourisk Inc.
Victoria Falls
Zambia/Zimbabwe
How does carrying capacity
relate to sustainability?
 Sustainable tourism means
planning and management
within the carrying capacity
of a destination.
 The objective is to plan and
manage the destination to
the benefit of the tourists,
the locals and the tourism
industry while sustaining
that which is of value and
valued by all.
 It is really a form of
integrated risk management
Banos de San Juan Cuba
Planning Sustainable Tourism (respecting the
limits of capacity/sensitivity)
Tourism sustainability
depends on:
 Ecological sustainability
 Socio-cultural
sustainability
 Economic stability
 Institutional capacity
 Infrastructural capacity
All of these can be
analyzed and
measured using
appropriate indicators
Tourisk Inc.
Beruwala Sri Lanka
Ecological Sensitivity
 What are the key ecological assets?
 How fragile or sensitive are these – to different types
and levels of use?
 Can development or uses be designed to respect the
key sensitivities?
 Can a management plan
reduce or mitigate
negative effects?
 Can activities be managed
to eliminate unacceptable
impacts?
 Can we measure changes
which may threaten the key
assets
 Can we monitor the impacts
of management actions
Point Pelee Canada
Tourisk Inc.
Danube Delta
Romania
Tourisk Inc.
Yucatan
Mexico
Tourisk Inc.
Torremolinos
Spain
Social
Sensitivity
 Many destinations rely
on cultural assets to
attract tourists.
 Built environments,
(forts, villages, religious
sites) and cultures
(ceremonies, events,
costume) are important
assets, and can be
impacted by tourism –
positively or negatively.
Lamanai Mayan Ruins
Belize
Tourisk Inc.
Social Sensitivity
 What are the concerns
and wishes of the
residents?
 What do they see as an
acceptable future?
 Does it involve tourism?
 What is negotiable, and
what is not?
 Therefore what are the
limits of acceptable
change?
 Indicators can help to
define and measure key
aspects .
Batam Indonesia
Tourisk Inc.
Monte Alban
Mexico
Some benefit from the tourism,
……. and some do not
Tourisk Inc.
Hurghada
Egypt
Doxey’s Index of Irritation
For Local Residents
WELCOME positive
response to new tourism
OPPORTUNISM
tourists viewed a
stimulus for new
development
SATURATION
stress and pressures for
change
ANGER
tourists blamed for
problems
Tourisk Inc.
ALTERATION
original site and culture
ignored and changed
San Blas
Panama
 Economic stability is a critical
factor – affecting both local
populations and the tourists.
 Key factors to consider (which
can affect ability to support
tourism) include
– Ability to fund infrastructure
– Ability to pay for management of
the tourists – including policing,
transport services, health.
– Ability to retain benefits in the
community and region
– Equity issues – who benefits, and
who does not?
– Ability to manage and mitigate
any negative economic impacts
on the community (price of basic
goods, accommodation, access
to traditional sources of
resources or income.)
Zhouzhuan water
village, China
Economic
Sensitivity
Tourisk Inc.
Seven Ship day in Sint Maartin
(26,000 visitors to town of 7000)
Tourisk Inc.
Institutional
Capacity
 Is there suitable
capacity for
governance?
– Organization at the right
scale (destination)
– Legal framework (land
titles, investment rules,
tourism laws, labour,
environmental laws etc.?
– Is there capacity to
monitor, enforce, control?
– Is the tourism industry
organized?
– Is there any plan or
vision for the destination?
Tourisk Inc.
Ootacamund
India
Ushuaia Argentina
Infrastructural Limits
 Infrastructure may define capacity in
the short to medium term.
– Capacity of the existing water
system, energy supply, sewage
and waste management
systems.
– Simply are there enough toilets?
– Transport system capacity
(number of ferries, road
capacity, air terminal capacity).
– Human infrastructure can also be
a limit – number of guides,
number of immigration officers,
number of trained hotel desk
clerks, lifeguards, waste
collection staff, etc.
These limits can often be altered in
the longer term – with sufficient
investment, management etc.
Tourisk Inc.
Black sea coast
Ferry to Ugljan Croatia
Managing for sustainable tourism:
 Having an agreed plan
which involves all key
stakeholders
 Limiting tourist impacts
 Controlling tourist
behaviours
 Mitigating effects of
tourist actions
 Designing for low impact
 Preparing the community
for tourism
Maldives - resort spa
Tourisk Inc.
Planning for Sustainability
(in order )
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Location – siting
development appropriately
(don’t put it where it will
cause problems)
Density – determining
suitable intensity of building
or use
Design – using form to
reduce negative impacts or
enhance positive
Use control or management
Enforcement
Mitigation and/or
rehabilitation
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Kandalama
Sri Lanka
Parador nacional
Cuenca Spain
Key Risks
 Cumulative effects
 Long term impacts
 Concentration on fragile
places
 Thresholds
 Enforcement of limits
Tourisk Inc.
Monarcha reserve Mexico
Planning Mechanisms
Waterton Lakes
Canada
 Clear inventory of ecological
and cultural assets and
sensitivities
 Participatory planning
processes (including
visioning and indicators
definition)
 SWOT
 Negotiation approaches
(limits of acceptable change)
 Zoning and segregating uses
and users
Tourisk Inc.
Solutions
 Solutions at the
destination level
cover a broad range
of tactics
 Most involve
managing people
Tourisk Inc.
Sitka Alaska
Zoning Fragile
Destinations
Typical zoning
ZONE 1Closed (scientific
access only)
ZONE 2 Controlled access
with trained guides
ZONE 3 Limited numbers
controlled by permit
ZONE 4 Open public
access
ZONE 5 Intensive public use
ZONE 6 Tourist services
Tourisk Inc.
New Zealand
Design solutions





Siting
 Build it and they will
come?
Building
Redesign
Hardening etc
Often the easiest
capacity constraint
to address – but
with its own impacts
Find the 200 Room
luxury hotel????
Petra Jordan
Tourisk Inc.
Tourism Demand
Management
 Access controls
 Limits on numbers
 Pricing strategies
 Quota systems
 Lotteries
 Marketing strategies
Lianyungang China
Tourisk Inc.
People
management
– route design
– use of vehicles
– timing of visits
– control of access
points
– organization and
synchronization
– special access for
older or disabled
tourists
– Monitoring numbers
and reactions
Ronda Spain
Tourisk Inc.
Access for All: Path ends at lava flow
 Information in advance
regarding conditions and
challenges.
 Direct travelers to sites and
attractions suitable and
accessible for them
 Simple template with facts
www.iAccess.travel
Hawaii volcanos
Tourisk Inc.
Linear systems spread both
the impacts and the benefits
Devon England
Tourisk Inc.
Behaviour
management
 Rules with
enforcement
 Codes of practice
for operators
 Codes of practice for
tourists
 Educational
approaches
 Controlled conditons
of access
Monitoring impacts
Paricutin Mexico
Tourisk Inc.
Limits to control
When all else fails clean up after them
Tourisk Inc.
Tongli
China
•Measure changes
relative to known limits
or thresholds
Indicators are a key tool
for tourism planners
•Act as an early warning
system
•Make certain that key
factors are understood
and monitored
•Measure performance
•Clarify the key assets
and values
•Create an observatory
to share successes
Tourisk Inc.
Guilin
China
Conclusions
 Tourism can be a strong element in
development and can foster
protection
 Integrate tourism planning with
community and regional planning
 Clearly identify what assets are
most valuable and important and
their sensitivity to development
 Use a participatory process to help
identify risks and manage them
 Develop indicators as a basis for
management and monitoring
 Use a risk management framework
to support sustainable development
and protection of key assets
Tourisk Inc.
Moorea French Polynesia
Tourisk Inc.
Stone Forest Yunnan
Zhangjiajie
Limits to
Carrying
Capacity
Zhangjiajie
Sources and
Resources
www.tourisk.com
www.world-tourism.org
All photography by
Ted Manning, Tourisk Inc.