Reviewing Tourism Impacts
Throughout your iGCSE Travel and Tourism course, you've learned about the various ways tourism affects destinations. This session will help you review these impacts and prepare for your assessment.
Key Definitions:
- Tourism impacts: The effects that tourism has on a destination's environment, economy, society and culture.
- Tourism management: Strategies used to maximise positive impacts while minimising negative ones.
- Sustainability: Meeting the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future.
💰 Economic Impacts
Positive:
- Job creation (direct and indirect employment)
- Foreign exchange earnings
- Infrastructure development
- Multiplier effect - money circulating in local economy
Negative:
- Seasonal unemployment
- Leakage - profits leaving the local area
- Over-dependence on tourism
- Increased cost of living for locals
🌎 Environmental Impacts
Positive:
- Conservation of natural areas
- Protection of wildlife
- Increased environmental awareness
- Funding for environmental projects
Negative:
- Pollution (air, water, noise, visual)
- Habitat destruction
- Erosion and physical damage
- Strain on resources (water, energy)
🏢 Socio-cultural Impacts
Positive:
- Cultural exchange and understanding
- Preservation of traditions and heritage
- Improved quality of life
- Revival of local crafts and customs
Negative:
- Commodification of culture
- Loss of authenticity
- Demonstration effect - locals copying tourist behaviour
- Increased crime and social problems
📝 Assessment Tips
When discussing impacts in your exam:
- Always use specific examples and case studies
- Consider both positive and negative impacts
- Link impacts to specific types of tourism
- Discuss management strategies that address impacts
- Consider different stakeholder perspectives
Tourism Impact Assessment Framework
When analysing tourism impacts for your assessment, use this framework to ensure you cover all key aspects:
🔍 Identify
Clearly state what the impact is and categorise it (economic, environmental, socio-cultural).
Example: "Mass tourism in Benidorm has led to beach erosion, an environmental impact."
💭 Explain
Describe how and why this impact occurs, using geographical terminology.
Example: "The high concentration of tourists causes physical damage to sand dunes and vegetation that would naturally protect the coastline."
📈 Evaluate
Assess the significance of the impact and consider different perspectives.
Example: "While this erosion threatens the long-term viability of the beach as a tourist attraction, it also creates jobs in coastal management."
Case Study Application
Being able to apply your knowledge to specific case studies is crucial for your assessment. Here's how to approach case studies effectively:
Case Study Focus: Maya Bay, Thailand
Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island became famous after the film "The Beach" (2000). By 2018, it was receiving up to 5,000 visitors daily, causing severe environmental damage:
- 80% of coral reefs destroyed by boat anchors, sunscreen and pollution
- Wildlife disruption, including blacktip reef sharks leaving the bay
- Erosion of natural beach areas from excessive foot traffic
- Water pollution from boats and litter
Management response: In 2018, authorities closed the bay completely to tourists. When it reopened in 2022, strict measures were implemented:
- Limited to 375 visitors per day
- No swimming allowed in certain areas
- Boats must dock at a new pier on the opposite side of the island
- Advance booking required
Results: Marine life has begun to return, including blacktip reef sharks. Coral is slowly recovering, though full restoration will take years.
Evaluating Tourism Management Strategies
For higher marks in your assessment, you need to evaluate the effectiveness of different management approaches:
🔧 Management Strategies
- Visitor management: Controlling tourist numbers, movements and behaviour
- Site hardening: Making sites more resistant to visitor impacts
- Education: Informing tourists about responsible behaviour
- Zoning: Designating areas for different activities
- Regulations: Laws and rules to control tourism development
- Community involvement: Including locals in tourism planning
✅ Evaluation Criteria
When evaluating strategies, consider:
- Effectiveness: Does it solve the problem?
- Cost: Is it affordable to implement?
- Timeframe: Short-term fix or long-term solution?
- Stakeholder acceptance: Do local people and businesses support it?
- Environmental sustainability: Does it protect natural resources?
- Social equity: Who benefits? Is it fair?
Preparing for Your Assessment
The assessment will test your understanding of tourism impacts and your ability to apply this knowledge to different contexts. Here are some tips:
📖 Know Your Case Studies
Prepare 2-3 detailed case studies covering different types of destinations (coastal, urban, rural, etc.) and different scales (local, national, international).
For each case study, remember specific facts, figures and examples of impacts and management.
💬 Use Proper Terminology
Use subject-specific vocabulary accurately:
- Carrying capacity
- Ecotourism
- Mass tourism
- Sustainable development
- Stakeholders
- Multiplier effect
📝 Structure Your Answers
For longer questions:
- Start with a brief introduction
- Organise paragraphs by impact type
- Include specific examples
- Consider different perspectives
- Conclude with an overall evaluation
Common Assessment Questions
Be prepared to answer questions like these in your assessment:
- "Explain two economic benefits of tourism for a named destination." (4 marks)
- "Describe three negative environmental impacts of tourism." (6 marks)
- "Assess the effectiveness of strategies used to manage the impacts of tourism in a named destination." (9 marks)
- "To what extent does tourism bring more benefits than problems to developing countries?" (12 marks)
Exam Technique: The PEEL Method
For longer answers, use the PEEL structure:
- Point: Make your main argument clearly
- Evidence: Support with specific examples and case studies
- Explain: Show how your evidence proves your point
- Link: Connect back to the question and lead to your next point
Example: "Tourism has created significant employment in Bali (Point). In 2019, over 60% of Bali's workforce was employed directly or indirectly in tourism (Evidence). This has improved living standards for many families who previously relied on subsistence farming (Explain). However, this economic benefit comes with the risk of over-dependence on a single industry (Link)."
Final Review Tips
As you prepare for your assessment:
- Create mind maps of tourism impacts for your case studies
- Practice explaining the connections between different types of impacts
- Consider how impacts vary for different types of tourism (mass tourism vs ecotourism)
- Think about the future of tourism and how impacts might change
- Remember to consider different stakeholder perspectives in your answers
Good luck with your assessment! Remember that understanding tourism impacts isn't just about passing exams it's about becoming a more responsible global citizen and traveller.