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Tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on natural and built environments. Understanding how to manage these impacts through conservation and regeneration is crucial for sustainable tourism development.
Key Definitions:
Tourism can help protect natural environments by providing economic value to conservation. When tourists pay to visit protected areas, this money can fund conservation efforts. However, without proper management, tourism can damage the very environments people come to see.
Historic buildings, monuments and cultural sites attract tourists. Tourism revenue can help preserve these sites, but excessive visitor numbers can cause wear and tear. Finding the right balance is key to sustainable heritage tourism.
Different strategies are used to protect environments while allowing tourism to flourish:
National parks, nature reserves and marine protected areas limit development and control visitor numbers to protect ecosystems.
Visitor centres, guided tours and interpretation boards help tourists understand the importance of conservation and how to minimise their impact.
Entry fees, permits and tourist taxes can generate funds for conservation and limit visitor numbers to sustainable levels.
The Galápagos Islands face the challenge of balancing tourism with conservation of their unique ecosystems. Measures include:
Despite these measures, increasing tourist numbers (from 40,000 in 1990 to over 275,000 in 2019) continue to put pressure on the islands' fragile ecosystems.
Tourism can breathe new life into declining areas, creating jobs and improving infrastructure. This regeneration can happen in both urban and rural settings.
Former industrial cities have transformed waterfronts, factories and warehouses into attractions, hotels and entertainment venues. This brings visitors, creates jobs and improves the urban environment.
Tourism can help rural areas facing agricultural decline by providing alternative income sources. Farm diversification into accommodation, farm shops and activities helps keep rural communities viable.
Liverpool's historic docklands declined severely after the 1970s with the loss of shipping trade. Tourism-led regeneration has transformed the area:
Results: 54 million visitors annually, supporting 49,000 jobs and contributing ÂŁ4.3 billion to the local economy.
Conservation and regeneration through tourism isn't always straightforward. Several challenges can arise:
Too many visitors can damage environments and heritage sites and reduce quality of life for local residents.
Short-term economic gains may be prioritised over long-term conservation needs, especially in less developed regions.
Tensions can arise between conservation goals, tourism development and local community needs.
Successful conservation and regeneration through tourism requires careful planning and management:
These approaches help balance tourism growth with conservation needs:
Made famous by the film "The Beach," Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island received up to 5,000 visitors daily, causing severe damage to coral reefs and the beach environment.
Conservation action: Thai authorities closed the bay to tourists in 2018 to allow environmental recovery. When it reopened in 2022, strict new rules were implemented:
Results: Coral has begun to recover and blacktip reef sharks have returned to the bay, while tourism continues in a more sustainable form.
How do we know if conservation and regeneration efforts are working? Several indicators can be used:
When studying conservation and regeneration in tourism, remember:
For your exam, be prepared to discuss specific examples of conservation and regeneration projects, evaluating their success and challenges. Remember to consider different stakeholder perspectives and both positive and negative impacts.