Homewood Travel and Tourism: Responsible Tourism

A2 Travel and Tourism: Responsible Tourism Revision Guide

Responsible Tourism

You will need to be able to define Responsible Tourism:

“Responsible Tourism is a general definition of any form of tourism that

operates in such a way that it minimises and negative impacts that it has
and maximises potential positive impacts.”

You will need to be able to identify and describe the principles of

Responsible Tourism:

1. Minimises the negative economic, environmental, and socio-cultural

impacts
2. Creates economic benefits for local people and improves their
quality of life
3. Promotes the conservation of natural and cultural heritage
4. Promotes the respect between tourists and local people

You must be able to describe and explain your own development ideas and
justify them using the principles.

You must be able to evaluate to what extent existing or proposed

developments support the principles of Responsible Tourism using
examples to justify your own proposals of responsible tourism.

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The Agents Involved in Tourism Development

You must be able to identify and describe which organisations belong to

the three main sectors involved in tourism development. You must also be
able to describe and explain the role or organisations within each sector
in terms of tourist development.

1. Private Sector Organisations

a. Landowners – provide land for development
b. Development companies – developers are in business to make
money out of their tourism development
c. Consultancies – companies or individuals who provide
specialist advice
d. Travel organisations – airlines and tour operators often start
tourism development by introducing services to a destination
e. Leisure and entertainment organisations – tend to enter the
development at the later stages
2. Public Sector Organisations
a. Local authorities – develop and promote tourism in local area
working with private and voluntary sector
b. National government – the DCMS provide grants and support
for many tourism developments via the “Tomorrows Tourism”
strategy
c. National and regional tourist boards – have the role to
implement national government policy in their country or
region
d. UK regional development agencies – set up in 2003 and
develop economic development policy for the region which is
implemented by the RTB’s
e. Non-governmental organisations – mainly funded by the
DCMS but have no links to national government e.g. English
Heritage
3. Voluntary Sector Bodies
a. Community groups – formed to contribute to local tourism
specific issues. Not pressure groups as localised
b. Pressure groups – influence development plans and strategies
often concerned with the negative impacts tourism can bring
e.g. Tourism Concern
c. Registered charities – independent of government, many
pressure groups are also charities. The work done by
charities influences tourism development e.g. national trust

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You must know the reasons organisations have for being involved in
tourism development.

Private Sector Public Sector Voluntary Sector

Organisations Organisations Organisations
• Mainly commercial • Mainly non- • Mixture of non-
• Profit making but commercial but commercial e.g.
Increasingly maximise economic education, raising
customer care contribution of awareness,
• Concern for tourism locally and responsible tourism
environment nationally to and commercial e.g.
enhance community need to fund
experience themselves to
• Develop tourism survive
policy and strategy
and deliver it and all
levels

You will need to be able to state suitable objectives for organisations and
explain similarities and differences between the objectives of different
organisations.

Economic Environmental Socio-cultural Political

Employment Environmental Promoting cultural Enhancing the image
creation. education for local understanding of the area.
Increased foreign people and tourists. between local Creating a regional
currency earnings. Preservation of people (hosts) and or national identity.
Tourist wildlife habitats. tourists.
contributions to Regeneration. Encouraging positive
multiplier effect. Conservation. host-tourist
Stimulation of interactions.
environmental Improving the local
improvements. people’s ‘quality of
life through
providing community
amenities as well as
tourist amenities.

You must know about how development objectives create conflicts and
how these conflicts can be resolved.

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The Impacts of Tourism Development

You must be able to interpret information on destinations to explain the

positive and negative impacts on a destination’s economy, environment and
on the people who live there.

Economic

Positive Negative
Increased domestic income and foreign Leakage.
currency earnings. Change form traditional employment
Benefits of the multiplier effect. opportunities.
Increased opportunities for employment of Seasonal unemployment.
locals (direct and indirect). Increased living costs for local community
Improved infrastructure. e.g. rising house prices.

Environmental

Positive Negative
Environmental education for local people Traffic congestion.
and tourists. Erosion of land.
Improved assets. Loss of natural habitats.
Landscaping. Decreasing biodiversity and pollution (air,
Conservation and habitat preservation water, noise, visual).
Regeneration of derelict areas

Socio-cultural

Positive Negative
Preservation of customs and crafts. Conflicts with and influence on local
Revival of festivals and ceremonies. community.
Provision of community facilities and public Crime.
services. Prostitution.
Improved infrastructure for local Staged authenticity of festivals and
community. events.
Loss of cultural identity.

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Case Study: Impacts of Tourism (MEDC)

Spain: Costa Del Sol

In just 40 years Spain has transformed its Mediterranean coastline from

a string of sleepy fishing villages to international coastal resorts. In 1988
visitor numbers peaked at 7.5 million. By the late 1990’s Spanish resorts
were in decline.

Impacts of Tourism in Spain

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The Future

Due to poor media image, tourists begun turning their backs on Spain in
the 1990’s as cheaper LEDC holidays became more available.

Steps have been taken to rejuvenate the Costa del Sol to attract visitors
back all year round.

• Further high rise development banned. Any new building must be

low-rise and in traditional Spanish courtyard style. Resorts such as
Marbella promoted as up-market.
• Resort centres pedestrianised and planted with trees, marinas and
by-passes built.
• Development restricted to golf courses and luxury villas between
resorts

Case Study: Impacts of Tourism (LEDC)

Kenya

Most tourism in Kenya has developed along the Indian Ocean coast and in
the game parks. Tourism has brought so economic benefits but also some
social and environmental costs. Kenya developed as a mass tourism
destination in the 1970’s, in 1997 $450 was earned from tourism.

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Impacts of Tourism in Kenya

The Future

Due to violent crime, tourist harassment, civil unrest, over-

commercialisation of safaris and destruction of natural resources, visitor
numbers dropped steeply in the 1990’s.

The Kenyan government is now acting to protect Kenya’s tourist industry

by limiting the use of existing marine and game parks and taxing tourists
and holiday companies that use them. It is also encouraging:

• Sustainable tourism on Safari. The Tsavo Game Park has temporary

camps, limited power supplies and trails in small groups that use
local people.
• Sustainable coastal tourism. At Lamu, visitors pay a local tax, stay
in small guesthouses and observe local customs. There’s no
development above tree height.

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The Tourist Area Life Cycle

You must be able to identify and describe the characteristics of each

stage of the TALC.

Stage Description
Exploration Small numbers of visitors arrive seeking “unspoiled”
destinations creating few negative impacts. Attitudes of local
people are positive towards tourism.
Involvement Local people begin to provide resources (facilities, people,
events) for tourists. Tourist numbers increase.
Development The number of tourists keeps increasing attracted by natural
and cultural attractions but also more human-made facilities
are provided.
Consolidation Local economy begins to reply heavily on tourism, growth in
facilities and easier access attracts more organized package
tours – strain on environment growing.
Stagnation Saturation is reached in “mature” destinations. The quality of
tourist services and amenities falls and environmental
degradation is obvious. Local attitudes to tourism vary.
Decline Tourist numbers decrease, economy suffers in area, poor
image of destination fails to attract back tourists.
Or

Rejuvenation Re-imaging and regeneration of area, new focus for tourism,

new attractions, tourist numbers start to rise again.

You must be able to apply the TALC to different destinations and explain
the link between changing impacts and popularity and appeal.

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The Management of Responsible Tourism in Destinations

You must be able to explain in detail how positive impacts can be

maximised and negative impacts minimised through a number of different
principles and strategies.

Maximising Positive Impacts Minimising Negative Impacts

Retention of visitor spending.
Widening access to facilities.
Staff training and development.
Investment of tourism income in
community projects.
Training and employment of local people
and tourism education.
Visitor and traffic management.
Planning control.
Implementing changes as a result of
environmental impact assessment and
environmental audits.

You must be able to give examples of a range of destinations to support

your answers from UK, Europe and Worldwide (MEDC and LEDC).

Maximising/Minimising Impacts Case Studies

See earlier case studies on Spain and Kenya also.

Naturetrek http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/

What is Naturetrek? Naturetrek is a Tour Operator that run Wildlife

How does Naturetrek minimise
negative Impacts?
How does Naturetrek maximise the
positive Impacts?
tours led by expert guides with a concern for
conservation of habitat and species.
Travel in small groups.
Include walking on tour as much as possible.
Provide a “Traveller’s Code” to their clients.
Offer alternative options than travelling by plan to
a destination (offset carbon emissions).
Wildlife tourism brings recognition to an area that
may be often overlooked.
Initiate employment of local people long term.
Plan long term for wildlife conservation.
Recognition, employment and conservation
encourage local support.
Money raised from wildlife tours is donated to
conservation groups.

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Zimbabwe – Central Africa, Operation Campfire

Under British colonial rule the indigenous population of Zimbabwe were

forbidden from hunting. Prior to this hunting game had been an integral
part of their culture not to mention a valuable food source.

Under conservation laws two things happened:

1. Many animal populations boomed and as they did so the search for food
bought them into greater contact with humans. This led to the
destruction of human food crops, farmland, property, and in some cases
even death.
2. It increased the number of illegal poachers who found sympathy with
many locals as they were often trying to feed their families but risked
their lives as they tried to evade the armed game wardens

'CAMPFIRE' stands for the Campaign and management programme for

indigenous resources. What it originally stated was that villages would be
allowed to cull a percentage of certain animals to provide a meat source.
Many local villages came up with a system where by local butchers would
sell the meat for a nominal fee and any profits would be shared amongst
villagers.

However as the policy developed it became clear that game licences could
be sold to tourists increasing the profits made in the scheme. These
profits could then be re-invested into local projects that would be
selected by the villagers. Initially a tourism industry developed around
hunting safaris – this may not sound ideal but the animals would have been
culled anyway. Selling hunting licences reduces illegal hunting and provides
the villages with foreign capital.

Successes of the Project

• A good example of sustainable tourism as the wildlife resource is

managed to benefit the population today but also conserve it for
the future.
• Poaching has been greatly reduced as the local population sees its
food supplies increased and takes responsibility for conserving the
wildlife.
• Profits have been ploughed back into many worthwhile local
projects such as schools and hospital.

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• Profits have been used to repair a reservoir providing irrigation for

crops, a better water supply and through restocking a valuable food
supply – fish.
• Locals feel they are rediscovering some of their lost heritage as
they are once again living from the wildlife resource. Operation
Campfire is used in schools to stress the importance of wildlife and
wildlife protection.
• The scheme has been expanded and now includes “non-
consumptive” tourists, which means tourists that want to
photograph the animals – not shoot them. Apparently the animals
prefer this second scheme and it means a tourist industry has
grown around safaris for photographers.
• Food yields have increased as electric fences paid for by Campfire
protect crops. This reduces conflict with the animals, as marginal
land is not used for farming.
• The scheme has re-opened old migratory routes previously closed
by the game parks. This has increased species diversity and allowed
Operation Campfire to spread across much of Zimbabwe.

Snowdonia – North Wales. Management in a National Park

This Case Study really highlights the positives and negatives of tourism,
how management can accentuate either of these.

Snowdonia is one of the UK’s national parks designed to protect areas of

the countryside whilst allowing access for recreation. They are primarily
owned by private landowner such as farmer and the forestry commission
but provide access to the public. Snowdonia includes coastal and mountain
landscapes including Snowdon, Wales and England highest mountain.

Good: Bad:

Economic Jobs - tourism in the Snowdonia House prices can be driven

area provides the local
population with a significant
number of jobs directly and
indirectly. This is particularly
important at the moment as the
farming industry is facing one of
its worse ever recessions and hill
farmers are amongst the worst
hit. By diversifying the farmers
can generate an alternative
source of income, i.e. B+ B,
campsites, open farms.
above the means of the locals
by the demand for second
homes/ holiday homes. This
leaves the locals disgruntled
and often with no option but to
leave their home village/ town.
This is bad for the economy of
the area as those forced to
move are often the youngest
and the potential earners of
tomorrow. This point could also
be classified under culture/
society as migration is forcing

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Jobs can also be found working
for the national parks
themselves and these often
incorporate training
opportunities.
A large percentage of the
community could potentially
benefit directly or indirectly from
tourism.
Environmental Visiting different environments
raises awareness of that
environment and the unique and
delicate nature of its flora and
fauna. In Snowdonia information
boards are used to raise the
awareness of visitors. For
example, walkers are damaging
rare arctic alpine plant
communities inadvertently.
Hopefully information boards will
highlight these problems and
walkers will act accordingly.
Greater environmental
awareness will hopefully lead to
greater environmental respect
both locally and globally.
Culture and By providing jobs you are
society reducing migration so helping to
preserve traditional rural
societies. It should be noted
however that the increase in
house prices can counteract this
effect.
As with more distant travel it is
often good for different cultures
to meet to break down racist
stereotyping.
Management Solutions
• Open up new paths to the public and close those in most need of
repair.
• Provide more information boards.
the dilution of cultures.
Dogs are a frequent problem as
they worry livestock and the
litter left can often injure
animals.
Tourism in the UK is very
seasonal – what happens in the
winter months?
Footpath erosion is a major
problem on Snowdon. About 1
million people walk on the
mountain every year with more
than a third of those reaching
the summit. What the walker’s
boots start heavy rainfall can
finish, as footpaths become
streams and gullies washing soil
off. As walkers stray from paths
to find easier routes the
problem spreads.
Leaving the marked footpaths
can also inadvertently damage
local flora such as the rare arctic
alpine communities.
There are also problems with
traffic congestion in the summer
months particularly around
popular spots. This can also
lead to economic conflict as
locals are prevented from do
their jobs.
Dilution of culture as house
prices force local to leave.
The traditional farming
communities are being lost as
farmers look to tourism for an
income
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• Invest money in too conservation – possibly the profits from the

car parks.
• Fence of delicate areas.
• Promote certain areas but not others to try and limit the damage.
• Limit the numbers of people allowed in the park as they do in New
Zealand.
• Subsidies locals with their house purchases.

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