Defining the Coastal Environments in Tourism Industry
Tourism is one of rapidly developing industries in the global scales. Additional emphasis in this case should be put on the marine and coastal tourism - as two of the most popular options for spending the time and relaxation (Hewawasam, 2002, p. 2). At the same time, even while, taking into account general awareness among the scholars., pertaining to importance of tourism both in environmental and economic contexts, insignificant attention is paid by them to these two contexts of tourism (Sunlu, 2003, p. 263-270)
The core need for additional attention to this sector is caused by insignificant understanding of the core specific aspects of the coastal environment before planning, development and construction of the infrastructure. The following aspects should be taken into account in this case - coastal processes, its geology, characteristics and specific of the coastline as well as the budgets of the coastal sediment.
In this context, coastal geology pertains to the core characteristics, structure as well as the origin of the sediments, which are the integral parts of the coastal region. There are different types of the sediments (small pieces of sand or silt) to larger parts of cobble and gravel or even more, rocks and consolidated sediments (Dillenburg and Hesp, 2008).
While taking into account the natural process, which implies the possibility of easy erosion and transportation of the sediments by wind and water, the high rate of resistance is represented by the silts and sands. Thus, it is possible to make a statement that the coastline is the product of the set of different chemical and physical processes, which have occurred there for the timeframe of thousands or even more millions of years.
Under the notion coastal processes, it is possible to determine the following processes, which make their impact on formation of the coastline in such aspects as its orientation, configuration as well as movement of the coast with the time: waves, unstable water levels, winds, currents etc (Brebbia et al, 2009). These processes make their impact on either of the following timeframes: longer-term patterns, seasonal changes as well as short term changes -such ones, which occur after gales etc.) It is claimed by the experts that the regional variations and changes of the coastlines may be attributed to the changes in the coastal geology and corresponding processes. That is why, the practices of the shoreline design and its siting should be tailored individually to each particular coastline area, and thus, may be not suitable to another one (Jones, 2001).
Exceptional Opportunities for Tourism,
Provided By the Coastal Environments
It is essential to refer to the currently increasing demand for the touristic products on the global scales. While referring to the coastal and maritime resorts of European region, the management of these resorts should take the maximum from the potential sustainably for provision of the high quality tourist services, creation of well-paid and attractive jobs for the local population as well as additional investments (both local and foreign) into this industry.
As it was claimed by Lück (2008), both recreation activities and the beach based tourism are implied by such notion as the coastal tourism (Lück, 20087, p. 459). In majority of cases, the core attractive features for the tourists are represented by the option of swimming getting the sun bathes as well as experiencing other available activities, where the close dislocation of the sea or ocean is considered to be additional advantage (for instance, watching the wild life, experiencing coastal walks, riding a bicycle along the coastline, fishing activities etc.) (Europeamn Comission, 2014, p.2)
While referring to the process of managing tourism and the exceptional opportunities for tourism, provided by the coastal environments, there is a need of talking into account the impacts, made by the coastal environments in the process of its planning, development of the recreational facilities and their further maintenance in the set of various contexts. Such approach is referred by the experts in management as continual process, which may be effectively applied into the practice in different places and all forms of corresponding business (UNEP, 2005).
In other words, the sustainable coastline tourism should cover the following requirements:
Using the available environmental resources in an optimal level as these resources shape the major element for further development of recreational facilities in the region;
Additional emphasis of the management should be put on assistance on conservation of the local biodiversity and other available natural resources (coastline in particular);
Representing the respectful attitude in relation to the host community’ authenticity in both cultural and social contexts. Additional attention should be put on conversation of their traditional values and cultural heritage;
Ensuring the fact of establishing the durable and viable economic operations alongside with provision of the set of both economic and social benefits for the involved parties and fair allocation of these benefits among them. The benefits in this case may be represented in the following forms: options for earning the high incomes, creation of new competitive jobs; minimization of the poverty rates in the particular region.
Generally, the sustainable development of tourism should involve active engagement of the relevant stakeholders, contributed by the strong leadership from political side (which, in turn, is critically important for the engagement of the wide set of the parties). Thus, sustainable development of tourism in the coastal environments should be perceived both by management of the tourist organizations and the governmental structures as the continuous process and thus, it should be grounded on the regular assessment of the effect, made by activities of these organizations on the environment, socio-economic and other corresponding factors (Uysal et al, 2012, p. 593).
Additional emphasis in this case should be put on the constant readiness the management to develop and implement into the practice the correcting measures in the case of occurrence of deviations from the initially-developed strategy or force majeure, caused by the possible environmental factors.
Finally, the core success factor for the sustainable tourism in the coastal environments is represented by the ability of its management to maintain the high rates of the clients’ (tourist’s) satisfaction by the quality of provided services, new options for their entertainment (UNEP, 2005).
Core Advantages and Complications of Coastline Tourism, and the Effect,
Made by these Factors on Planning and Managing For Sustainable Coastal Tourism Development
While discussing the coastal environments from the perspective of tourism, it is essential to consider the set of the issues, which should be taken into account by the managers and other involved parties in the process of operation and maintenance of the touristic objects in the particular geographical area.
In this context, one of the major challenges is represent by the climate change - as it has the potential of making the great impact on the locally available resources - such as food, energy and water – as there is a high probability of the low supply of these resources in the nearest future (Dodds and Bartram, 2016).
In accordance with the statement, made in the Davos Declaration, concerning commitment of the touristic industry, the high rate of responsibility would be put on the tourism in the process of responding the climate change. Those tourist objects, which are dislocated in the coastal environments, would face with this challenge in such aspects as management and maintenance of the coastline changes, caused by the global warming –when significant part of the land, located in the coastal environments, would be covered with water (World Economic Forum, 2008).
The next issues to be considered in this context are the opportunities and challenges for the touristic objects from the perspective of green economy.
In accordance with the core statements of the Green Economy Report, which was jointly issued by UNEP and UNWTO in October, 2011, the set of the new options and challenges has emerged for the tourist industry – as the major emphasis is put on the need of investing the sustainable and greener tourism by extension of the labor market and minimization of the poverty rates in the regions alongside with improvement of the outcomes, made by such activities for the coastline environments (Hall et al, 2015).
Thus, the following set of the sustainability-related challenges (which may be resolved by greening of this particular industry) is faced by tourism:
Minimization of the rates of the water resources consumption ;
Establishing and practical implementation of the effective system of waste management;
Minimization the rates of energy consumption and thus, GHG emissions;
Development of the measures, oriented on saving the biological diversity in the region;
Establishment of the measures, oriented on effective and sustainable management of the cultural heritage.
While discussing the challenge, oriented on the minimization the rates of energy consumption and thus, GHG emissions, it is essential to note that there is currently a trend increasing rates of the energy consumption in the tourism sector (Australia. Office of National Tourism, 1997, p. 26). Particular aspects in this regard are represented by accommodation and travelling (as these activities imply the dependence on fossil fuels and makes the negative impact on environment- such as global GHG emissions, which are referred as the core reason for the global warming).
The core contributing factors for increased rates of energy consumption in the tourism sector, are the following - increased number of options for both domestic travelling and arrival of the international tourists; tourists of the 21st century are tending for frequent and at the same time short-term travels and for this purpose, the energy-intense transportation is preferred by them (for the time-saving purposes – cars, aircraft, fast trains etc.) (Ahuja and Tatsutani, 2009).
It is claimed by the experts that the competitive advantage and sustainability in the tourism is partly determined by such factor as energy efficiency, which may be reached in the case of intensive use of the renewable energy sources: wind and solar energy, available in the coastline environments.
Among the major opportunities in this relation, it is possible to outline the following: currently, there is a common trend of the large-scale investments into the set of the services and features, which are referred as energy efficient – for instance, video systems and television, laundry, system of air heating and air conditioning etc. - all the energy consuming devices are either upgraded by innovative design and technical characteristics or partly eliminated due to availability of their prototypes. It is suggested by the set of evident facts and statistical data, that significant return is generated by the investment into more efficient energy consumption in the touristic sector (Jauhari, 2014, p. 412).
As an evident example, it is possible to refer to report, issued by Hamele and Eckardt in 2006, concerning the environmental initiatives, which were implemented into the practice in the European hotels. It was indicated that almost 6 % of the annual turnover is represented by the costs of the energy consumption in the hotels. At the same time, in those hotels, where energy effective strategy is practiced, this index varies between 1.5-2.8 % (COASTLEARN, 2016, p. 1).
The second challenge, faced by tourism industry in the coastline environments is water consumption. While the corresponding rates are not as high as in the case of agriculture sector, there is still a high probability of high pressure on limited water resources by this industry and thus, some rates of competition for this resource may emerge with other sectors of human activities as well as the water needs of local population may be put under the risk of being not satisfied. Additional attention should be put on the possibility of making direct impact on the quality of water by tourism sector – for example, abstraction of the freshwater or untreated sewage’ discharge.
Thus, the core opportunities for tourism sector in terms of water consumption, are the following - the corresponding costs may be reduced in the case of effective management of the water supply and demand (such as preferring the water saving technologies in the facilities, attractions, rooms and minimization of the constructions, with intense water consumptions – such as outdoor or decorative pools, which are not needed in the coastline zone).
The waste management poses the following challenge – generation of at least 1 kg of waste by tourist on an everyday basis. Thus, the set of possible opportunities in this case, is the following – financial return may be improved by lower rates of waste generation; effective waste management implies the possibility of creating of additional employment options; the attractiveness of each destination may be increased in the case of active use of innovative system of waste management.
Such concern as protection of the biological diversity in the coastline environments sets such challenges as the need of protection of the coastal wetlands, coral reefs and other ecosystems, available in each particular coastline area. As an evident example, it is possible to refer to significant negative impact, made by the active use of corals for construction of the different recreation facilities (Dernbach, 2002, p. 232).
The opportunities in this case are represented by the possibility of active engagement of organizations from touristic industry into the process of conservation of the biodiversity. It is considered by the ecologists that both restoration and conservation of the biodiversity should be perceived by the management of recreation as the important and at the same time, low cost investment, oriented on maintainable of the existing coastal ecosystem and ins such manner, keeping the coastal region attractive for the tourists (Maiti, 2011); (Ghazoul, 2016, p. 240).
Challenges in Managing of Tourism Business
at the Operational Level
In the scope of this paper, two examples of managing tourism at the operational level would be represented from the perspective of the GHG emissions and energy consumption. The first one pertains to the development and maintenance of the secondary houses for summer time in Kusadasi-Davutlar area (Turkey) in the timeframe of 1970s-1980s. At this timeframe, the coastline of more than 30 km was covered by constructions of these summertime houses, which belonged to the representatives of the middle and high income class, who were living in the big cities and owned these houses for their summer entertainment.
At the same time, mass constructions have led to the negative impact on the biodiversity of the region – as there was a mass destruction of the forests (which have previously been the houses for the wide set fop animals and birds). Ineffective management and governance have also led to the mass shortage of the drinking water for the local population and lack of energy for supplying the region. Furthermore, corresponding measures were undertaken by the local governmental structures for minimization of the harmful effect of such constructions for the coastline environment.
The second example is the QualityCoast Award 2011, which was given to such tourist destination as Danube Delta in 2011. There is an option of development of the eco-tourism in the region and thus, special attention as given by the EU to this promising destitution. Thus, there is a current trend of conservation of the marine and deltaic areas and protection of their biodiversity. One of the measures, which have been already undertaken, was improvement of the transportation system - for minimization of the harmful effect of CO2 emissions for this eco zone. In addition, the restriction was set for the speedboats and the cruise ships to the largest canals only. Other procedures, oriented on maintenance of attractiveness of the nature in the region n are also controlled by the give rent in order to minimize effect of the human activity for the ecosystem of the region.
Recommendations
While taking into account the fact that the core strategic direction of the coastline tourism is the environmental sustainability, additional emphasis of the international community should be put on development of the possible approaches, oriented on minimization of the poverty rates in the coastline regions. This aspect should be the central one in the process of planning, development, construction and further maintenance of the recreational facilities in such regions (Neto, 2003).
Finally, the environmental benefits - as the major challenge of coastal tourism, should be perceived as the major motivation for the representatives of both public and private sectors. In this context, among the major forms of the public and private investment in sustainable tourism, there are the following: development of the environmentally-friendly infrastructure; undertake the efforts for conservation of the currently existing coastline environment; offering both personnel of recreational facilities and the tourists with the educational programs, oriented on the environmental protection; improving technologies for saving the natural resources (such as water and energy) etc. In the case of effective application of the above listed forms of investment, there is an option of generating high rates of returns (COASTLEARN, 2016, p. 1).
References
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