Tourism and the
Environment
Environment– Concern for Tourist
• “Quality” tourism includes…
– Beautiful landscape
– Relaxed atmosphere
– Sunshine
– Healthy climate
– Attractive places for excursions
Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons
• 1968 Paper
• Farmers share land (the commons) to graze
cattle
• One farmer increases herd, others follow; profits
maximized
• Land becomes overgrazed
• Lower quality milk
• Next generation and the loss of the commons
• Short vs. long term benefits
Free Market Impact
• Impact of free market
view of tourism
– Consumption: wellbeing, “utility”
– Ignores: pollution,
depletion of
environmental
resources
– Difficult to specify cost
in market system
• Tourism– low cost of
development; cost vs.
environment
• Unspoiled
environments become
commodities
PPP– Polluter Pays Principle
• Emitting wastes=
bearing costs
– Government tax?
– Punitive fine?
Debt-for-Nature Swaps
• Resource is
“world’s”
possession, so
“world” can pay for
it
• NGOs buy
government debt
for small amount
• Area is conserved;
government gives
up sovereignty on
area of country
• Example: Ghana
Trends in Eco-Tourism
• “Local” prevents
leakage
• Risk of
“greenwashing”
• Sustainability
– Long-term
– Management
– People & place
• Examples:
– Bali “losmen”
– Senegal
Casamance
Positive Environmental Impact?
• Conservation
– Rwanda’s Parc
National de Volcans
• Garbage Removal
– Mt. Everest
Sources
Holden, Andrew. Environment and Tourism.
Second ed. London: Routledge, 2008.
Print. Routledge Introductions to
Environment Ser.
McLaren, Deborah. Rethinking Tourism and
Ecotravel. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian,
2003. Print.