Abstract
Tourism has raised major concerns with regards to environmental pollution due to its rapid growth and development. Sustainable tourism has therefore, become the best way to ensure the coexistence between tourism and its environment. In this paper I discuss the initiatives that are being undertaken to reduce impact of tourism to the environment. I conclude with emphasis on the need for such initiatives to be promoted.
Introduction
Tourism has over the time been ranked as the most profitable economic activity in the world. It is a very large industry that attracts many forms of investments that in turn leads to high level of development thus causing strain on resources and producing great levels of pollution. However, there has been rising concerns about the path tourism is following in terms of environmental degradation. Many nations in the world whose economy is driven by tourism are becoming increasingly aware and concerned of the impact of tourism to their environment. Many of these countries have begun making moves to ensure that their main source of revenue does not become an environmental menace. It is of great importance that people have the conviction to leave the environment better, if not the same way they found it because such ideologies and practices can be the driving force required to make the world a better place for future generations. Main Body
In order to ensure that the environment is protected from tourist activities, there are a number of things that need to be done as discussed below.
Regulation and economic tools
Hardy, Beeton & Pearson (2012) agree that regulations that have been well thought out by the government and other bodies can go a long way into ensuring that tourism impacts the environment in a minimal way. If well crafted, such regulations will be able to limit some of the things that makes tourism taxing to the environment. Through regulations that protect the coast lines, integrated use of land and energy regulations among others, the government will be able to tame destruction from tourist activities.
The use of economic tools such as taxes and fees from tourism can generate a reasonable amount of revenue. Such revenue can be employed to promote environmental protection objectives. This means that tourism itself will give the necessary resources required to manage and to some extent replenish what it takes from the environment.
Worldwide activities that support sustainable tourism
A country cannot win the fight for sustainable tourism alone. There needs to be a joint force that will ensure that the whole world is united towards the same agenda of promoting sustainable tourism (Liu, 2013). Through such programs, both the tourists and the industry will work together in order to ensure environmental conservation. History points us to world meetings like Agenda 21, where they were planning on coming up with ways to ensure that the development of tourism can be sustained and accepted by the environment.
Initiatives form the tourism industry
According to Mihalič (2010), tourism industry in itself has the responsibility to ensure that the environment in which it operates is well taken care of. This is usually done through regulations formulated by the private sector. The private sector is the key players in the industry, and has always felt that government regulations were biased and ineffective. They have managed to introduce voluntary programs that ensure low environmental pollution, education towards the same, eco labels and industry wards among others. Such initiatives allow for efficient and voluntary environmental protection.
Raising Environmental Awareness
Tourism has the ability to increase the public’s appreciation for nature and to spread this awareness as it brings folks in close contact with the environment itself. Such confrontation would heighten the awareness of nature’s value which would lead to the development of environmentally conscious behaviour in a bid to protect and preserve nature. However, if the sustainability of the industry is not clear cut for the long-term, then it must adopt principles of sustainable consumption. Such consumption would include building demand for products made using environmentally friendly techniques. For services, sustainable consumption would involve providing services that have little impact to the environment. The tourism industry can play a major role in educating the tourists themselves about the impact of their actions to the environment and how best it can be preserved for future generations. Tourists, alongside tourism-related business happens to consume a large quantity of products (goods and services) and so switching to those that are provided or produced in an environmentally sustainable manner would go a long way in preserving the environment globally.
Protection and preservation
Sustainable tourism can contribute significantly to environmental conservation, preservation and restoration of natural resources.it is because of the attractiveness of tourist destinations that keeps organizations and individuals adamant about their preservation and the need to keep them attractive, leading to the creation of wildlife and national parks. For instance, Hawaiian laws to protect the native species and preserve the Hawaiian rainforest have already been enacted, and today Hawaii is an international location for research on ecological systems. These laws came about as a result of the need to protect the island’s tourism industry.
It is understandable that some people require a touch of luxury even when in contact with nature and for this reason, the Grupo Punta Cana resort was created in the Dominican Republic. The resort was created to cater to luxury-class tourists and at the same time preserving the integrity of the environment. The Punta Cana Foundation, on the other hand has taken upon itself to reforest some parts of the reserve that had been stripped of its natural vegetation such as the native mahogany trees. Tourism can be accredited with the protection of some rare species of animals in Africa, Asia, South Pacific, and South America. With many animals facing extinction in the wake of globalization, nations have established reserves as well as enacted laws protecting the animals that attract the nature-loving tourists.
Regulatory Measures
While measuring the performance of the tourism sector either from a local, regional or global point of view and weighing it against individual tourism enterprises shall more often than not focus on the financial aspects. However, tourism facilities and infrastructure have far more reaching consequences either positive or negative that affects the local, regional and global perspectives of the industry. For example, construction and use of accommodation facilities and transport as well as the protection of the natural area can sometimes have direct relationship to the kind of hospitality the tourists can expect from the host population. The report titled ‘Our Common Future’ sought to explain that the protection of the environment is mandatory in the context of sustainable development and in turn, it gave rise to the theme that people do not inherit the earth from their parents, but instead borrow it from their children. This theme places responsibility on the current generations to protect the future by preserving the present.
Regulatory measures assist in offsetting the negative impacts brought about by tourism. For example, regulating the number of tourist movements and activities in the reserves can help maintain the vitality and integrity of the location while at the same time; the measures can go a long way in reducing the negative impacts associated with tourism. However, such measures and limits should be implemented only after a thorough analysis of the maximum possible sustainable visitor capacity. The success of such measures can be demonstrated by the Galapagos Islands whereby only a limited number of ships are permitted to cruise the remote archipelago. Also, their limits dictate that only designated islands should be visited in a bid to reduce the visitors’ impact on the otherwise sensitive animal habitat and environment.
Ecotourism
The birth of a new form of tourism that would counter the adverse effects of mass tourism was called ‘soft tourism, ecotourism, sustainable tourism, new tourism, responsible tourism or environmentally sound tourism it is not just a fad. It has to become a way of life if the industry and indeed this planet are to be sustained according to Mihalič (2010). Tourism is often a threat to conservation but where and how it develops is of great importance to the conservation of biodiversity. History has shown that tourism has had a direct relationship to the conservation and preservation of many tourist destinations. It has also provided an incentive for the local communities to protect the environment since it is a major source of income for the locals.
This is a conceptual experience that often enriches those who strive to find understanding of the environment around them by giving insight as to the impact humans have on the same environment, leading to greater appreciation of nature. This concept often appeals to the socially and ecologically conscious individuals as it focuses mainly on personal growth, volunteering and learning of new ways to live. Therefore, it involves travelling to areas where cultural heritage and flora and fauna being the main attractions of these destinations. Ecotourism promotes ideologies such as water conservation, creation of opportunities for the locals, recycling and energy efficiency. Essentially, ecotourism tends to give back to the environment more than it takes away, which makes it a viable option in the road towards sustainable tourism.
Improved Environmental planning and management
The Rio Earth Summit pioneered the sustainability that has become the central issue with regard to tourism’s development policies all over the globe. As far back as the 1980s, the World Tourism Organization had been promoting tourism policies that were culturally sensitive but the Rio Summit changed the perspective on sustainable practices in Tourism. During the Johannesburg Summit, the need for more sustainable tourism received increased relevance with the recognition that it is an important part of the economy because it can sometimes be the only means of overcoming poverty in many developing countries.
Proper environmental management of facilities relating to tourism such as hotels can significantly increase the benefits accrued from tourism. However, this requires careful consideration and planning for controlled development, as a result of analysing the local environmental resources. With prior planning for tourism development, expensive mistakes can be avoided, translating to the avoidance of environmental deterioration. On the other hand, the incorporation of cleaner production techniques within the tourism facilities in a manner that reduces the negative impact of tourism goes a long way in supporting the need for eco-friendly tourism. For instance, it would be helpful if tourist destinations adopt green building which includes non-polluting construction and energy efficient materials, energy sources and sewage systems. Such actions would be significant for the tourism’s role in decreasing negative impact on the environment. For the tourism industry, waste disposal and treatment are often major long-term problems faced in this industry and if the industry can join hands and go green, then the tourism industry could be vilified a lot less than it is today. Conclusion
The tourism industry will continue to grow and develop as time passes. It will also continue to demand more natural resources from the environment and continue to produce huge amounts of emission. There is therefore, an urgent need to promote sustainable tourism through environmental protection, and massive awareness campaigns intended to save the globe from an inevitable destruction related to the misuse of Mother Nature herself. Therefore, our prepossessing environment should not be gambled with even at the prospect of making extra income for the nation because in the end, if nature is destroyed for profit, then it shall destroy humanity with prejudice.
References
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Liu, Z. (2013). Sustainable tourism development: A critique. Journal of sustainable tourism, 11(6), 459-475.
Hardy, A., Beeton, R. J., & Pearson, L. (2012). Sustainable tourism: An overview of the concept and its position in relation to conceptualisations of tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 10(6), 475-496.
