essay about environmental impacts of tourism

14 important environmental impacts of tourism + explanations + examples

The environmental impacts of tourism have gained increasing attention in recent years.

With the rise in sustainable tourism and an increased number of initiatives for being environmentally friendly, tourists and stakeholders alike are now recognising the importance of environmental management in the tourism industry.

In this post, I will explain why the environmental impacts of tourism are an important consideration and what the commonly noted positive and negative environmental impacts of tourism are.

Why the environment is so important to tourism

Positive environmental impacts of tourism, water resources, land degradation , local resources , air pollution and noise , solid waste and littering , aesthetic pollution, construction activities and infrastructure development, deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land , marina development, coral reefs, anchoring and other marine activities , alteration of ecosystems by tourist activities , environmental impacts of tourism: conclusion, environmental impacts of tourism reading list.

The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourism’s relationship with the environment is complex and many activities can have adverse environmental effects if careful tourism planning and management is not undertaken.

It is ironic really, that tourism often destroys the very things that it relies on!

Many of the negative environmental impacts that result from tourism are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends.

It’s not ALL negative, however!

Tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance.

In this article I have outlined exactly how we can both protect and destroy the environment through tourism. I have also created a new YouTube video on the environmental impacts of tourism, you can see this below. (by the way- you can help me to be able to keep content like this free for everyone to access by subscribing to my YouTube channel! And don’t forget to leave me a comment to say hi too!).

Although there are not as many (far from it!) positive environmental impacts of tourism as there are negative, it is important to note that tourism CAN help preserve the environment!

The most commonly noted positive environmental impact of tourism is raised awareness. Many destinations promote ecotourism and sustainable tourism and this can help to educate people about the environmental impacts of tourism. Destinations such as Costa Rica and The Gambia have fantastic ecotourism initiatives that promote environmentally-friendly activities and resources. There are also many national parks, game reserves and conservation areas around the world that help to promote positive environmental impacts of tourism.

Positive environmental impacts can also be induced through the NEED for the environment. Tourism can often not succeed without the environment due the fact that it relies on it (after all we can’t go on a beach holiday without a beach or go skiing without a mountain, can we?).

In many destinations they have organised operations for tasks such as cleaning the beach in order to keep the destination aesthetically pleasant and thus keep the tourists happy. Some destinations have taken this further and put restrictions in place for the number of tourists that can visit at one time.

Not too long ago the island of Borocay in the Philippines was closed to tourists to allow time for it to recover from the negative environmental impacts that had resulted from large-scale tourism in recent years. Whilst inconvenient for tourists who had planned to travel here, this is a positive example of tourism environmental management and we are beginning to see more examples such as this around the world.

Negative environmental impacts of tourism

Negative environmental impacts of tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment’s ability to cope with this use.

Uncontrolled conventional tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world. It can put enormous pressure on an area and lead to impacts such as: soil erosion , increased pollution, discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species and heightened vulnerability to forest fires. It often puts a strain on water resources, and it can force local populations to compete for the use of critical resources.

I will explain each of these negative environmental impacts of tourism below.

Depletion of natural resources

Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources when it increases consumption in areas where resources are already scarce. Some of the most common noted examples include using up water resources, land degradation and the depletion of other local resources.

The tourism industry generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water by tourists. This can result in water shortages and degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of waste water.

In drier regions, like the Mediterranean, the issue of water scarcity is of particular concern. Because of the hot climate and the tendency for tourists to consume more water when on holiday than they do at home, the amount used can run up to 440 litres a day. This is almost double what the inhabitants of an average Spanish city use. 

Golf course maintenance can also deplete fresh water resources.

In recent years golf tourism has increased in popularity and the number of golf courses has grown rapidly.

Golf courses require an enormous amount of water every day and this can result in water scarcity. Furthermore, golf resorts are more and more often situated in or near protected areas or areas where resources are limited, exacerbating their impacts.

An average golf course in a tropical country such as Thailand needs 1500kg of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year and uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers.

Important land resources include fertile soil, forests , wetlands and wildlife. Unfortunately, tourism often contributes to the degradation of said resources. Increased construction of tourism facilities has increased the pressure on these resources and on scenic landscapes.

Animals are often displaced when their homes are destroyed or when they are disturbed by noise. This may result in increased animals deaths, for example road-kill deaths. It may also contribute to changes in behaviour.

Animals may become a nuisance, by entering areas that they wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) usually go into, such as people’s homes. It may also contribute towards aggressive behaviour when animals try to protect their young or savage for food that has become scarce as a result of tourism development.

Picturesque landscapes are often destroyed by tourism. Whilst many destinations nowadays have limits and restrictions on what development can occur and in what style, many do not impose any such rules. High rise hotels and buildings which are not in character with the surrounding architecture or landscape contribute to a lack of atheistic appeal.

Forests often suffer negative impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation caused by fuel wood collection and land clearing. For example, one trekking tourist in Nepal can use four to five kilograms of wood a day!

There are also many cases of erosion, whereby tourists may trek the same path or ski the same slope so frequently that it erodes the natural landscape. Sites such as Machu Pichu have been forced to introduce restrictions on tourist numbers to limit the damage caused.

Tourism can create great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other raw materials that may already be in short supply. Greater extraction and transport of these resources exacerbates the physical impacts associated with their exploitation.

Because of the seasonal character of the industry, many destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high season as in the low season.

A high demand is placed upon these resources to meet the high expectations tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc.). This can put significant pressure on the local resources and infrastructure, often resulting in the local people going without in order to feed the tourism industry.

Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: Air emissions; noise pollution; solid waste and littering; sewage; oil and chemicals. The tourism industry also contributes to forms of architectural/visual pollution.

Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising number of tourists and their greater mobility. In fact, tourism accounts for more than 60% of all air travel.

One study estimated that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost half the CO2 emissions produced by all other sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc.) consumed by an average person yearly- that’s a pretty shocking statistic!

I remember asking my class to calculate their carbon footprint one lesson only to be very embarrassed that my emissions were A LOT higher than theirs due to the amount of flights I took each year compared to them. Point proven I guess….

Anyway, air pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on a global level, especially from CO2 emissions related to transportation energy use. This can contribute to severe local air pollution . It also contributes towards climate change.

Fortunately, technological advancements in aviation are seeing more environmentally friendly aircraft and fuels being used worldwide, although the problem is far from being cured. If you really want to help save the environment, the answer is to seek alternative methods of transportation and avoid flying.

You can also look at ways to offset your carbon footprint .

Noise pollution can also be a concern.

Noise pollution from aircraft, cars, buses, (+ snowmobiles and jet skis etc etc) can cause annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for humans. It also causes distress to wildlife and can cause animals to alter their natural activity patterns. Having taught at a university near London Heathrow for several years, this was always a topic of interest to my students and made a popular choice of dissertation topic .

In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem, contributing significantly to the environmental impacts of tourism.

Improper waste disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment. Rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides are areas that are commonly found littered with waste, ranging from plastic bottles to sewage.

Cruise tourism in the Caribbean, for example, is a major contributor to this negative environmental impact of tourism. Cruise ships are estimated to produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year. 

The Wider Caribbean Region, stretching from Florida to French Guiana, receives 63,000 port calls from ships each year, and they generate 82,000 tons of rubbish. About 77% of all ship waste comes from cruise vessels. On average, passengers on a cruise ship each account for 3.5 kilograms of rubbish daily – compared with the 0.8 kilograms each generated by the less well-endowed folk on shore.

Whilst it is generally an unwritten rule that you do not throw rubbish into the sea, this is difficult to enforce in the open ocean . In the past cruise ships would simply dump their waste while out at sea. Nowadays, fortunately, this is less commonly the case, however I am sure that there are still exceptions.

Solid waste and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals. Just take a look at the image below. This is a picture taken of the insides of a dead bird. Bird often mistake floating plastic for fish and eat it. They can not digest plastic so once their stomachs become full they starve to death. This is all but one sad example of the environmental impacts of tourism.

Mountain areas also commonly suffer at the hands of the tourism industry. In mountain regions, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition frequently leave behind their rubbish, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment. I have heard many stories of this and I also witnessed it first hand when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro .

The construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution. 

Unfortunately, many destinations, particularly in the developing world, do not have strict law enrichments on sewage disposal. As a result, wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions around the world. This damages the flora and fauna in the area and can cause serious damage to coral reefs.

Sewage pollution threatens the health of humans and animals.

I’ll never forget the time that I went on a school trip to climb Snowdonia in Wales. The water running down the streams was so clear and perfect that some of my friends had suggested we drink some. What’s purer than mountain fresh water right from the mountain, right?

A few minutes later we saw a huge pile of (human??) feaces in the water upstream!!

Often tourism fails to integrate its structures with the natural features and indigenous architecture of the destination. Large, dominating resorts of disparate design can look out of place in any natural environment and may clash with the indigenous structural design. 

A lack of land-use planning and building regulations in many destinations has facilitated sprawling developments along coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. The sprawl includes tourism facilities themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads, employee housing, parking, service areas, and waste disposal. This can make a tourist destination less appealing and can contribute to a loss of appeal.

Physical impacts of tourism development

Whilst the tourism industry itself has a number of negative environmental impacts. There are also a number of physical impacts that arise from the development of the tourism industry. This includes the construction of buildings, marinas, roads etc.

The development of tourism facilities can involve sand mining, beach and sand dune erosion and loss of wildlife habitats.

The tourist often will not see these side effects of tourism development, but they can have devastating consequences for the surrounding environment. Animals may displaced from their habitats and the noise from construction may upset them.

I remember reading a while ago (although I can’t seem to find where now) that in order to develop the resort of Kotu in The Gambia, a huge section of the coastline was demolished in order to be able to use the sand for building purposes. This would inevitably have had severe consequences for the wildlife living in the area.

Construction of ski resort accommodation and facilities frequently requires clearing forested land.

Land may also be cleared to obtain materials used to build tourism sites, such as wood.

I’ll never forget the site when I flew over the Amazon Rainforest only to see huge areas of forest cleared. That was a sad reality to see.

Likewise, coastal wetlands are often drained due to lack of more suitable sites. Areas that would be home to a wide array of flora and fauna are turned into hotels, car parks and swimming pools.

The building of marinas and ports can also contribute to the negative environmental impacts of tourism.

Development of marinas and breakwaters can cause changes in currents and coastlines.

These changes can have vast impacts ranging from changes in temperatures to erosion spots to the wider ecosystem.

Coral reefs are especially fragile marine ecosystems. They suffer worldwide from reef-based tourism developments and from tourist activity.

Evidence suggests a variety of impacts to coral result from shoreline development. Increased sediments in the water can affect growth. Trampling by tourists can damage or even kill coral. Ship groundings can scrape the bottom of the sea bed and kill the coral. Pollution from sewage can have adverse effects.

All of these factors contribute to a decline and reduction in the size of coral reefs worldwide. This then has a wider impact on the global marine life and ecosystem, as many animals rely on the coral for as their habitat and food source.

Physical impacts from tourist activities

The last point worth mentioning when discussing the environmental impacts of tourism is the way in which physical impacts can occur as a result of tourist activities.

This includes tramping, anchoring, cruising and diving. The more this occurs, the more damage that is caused. Natural, this is worse in areas with mass tourism and overtourism .

Tourists using the same trail over and over again trample the vegetation and soil, eventually causing damage that can lead to loss of biodiversity and other impacts. 

Such damage can be even more extensive when visitors frequently stray off established trails. This is evidenced in Machu Pichu as well as other well known destinations and attractions, as I discussed earlier in this post.

 In marine areas many tourist activities occur in or around fragile ecosystems. 

Anchoring, scuba diving, yachting and cruising are some of the activities that can cause direct degradation of marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. As I said previously, this can have a significant knock on effect on the surrounding ecosystem.

Habitats can be degraded by tourism leisure activities.

For example, wildlife viewing can bring about stress for the animals and alter their natural behaviour when tourists come too close. 

As I have articulated throughout this post, there are a range of environmental impacts that result from tourism. Whilst some are good, the majority unfortunately are bad. The answer to many of these problems boils down to careful tourism planning and management and the adoption of sustainable tourism principles.

Did you find this article helpful? Take a look at my posts on the social impacts of tourism and the economic impacts of tourism too! Oh, and follow me on social media !

If you are studying the environmental impacts of tourism or if you are interested in learning more about the environmental impacts of tourism, I have compiled a short reading list for you below.

• The 3 types of travel and tourism organisations
• 150 types of tourism! The ultimate tourism glossary
• 50 fascinating facts about the travel and tourism industry

• About Us 👨‍👩‍👧

Positive Impacts of Tourism on the Environment

If you asked random people from different countries whether tourism has negative or positive impacts on the environment, none of the answers would most likely prevail since their opinion will be based on their personal experience from travels. Tourism and environment have important, yet controversial relationship, that needs to be in a perfect balance to benefit each other.

Beautiful natural landscapes or unique flora and fauna are the main drivers of tourism into an area. But when too many tourists visit natural sites, environment and its inhabitants rather suffer from the negative impacts, which easily outweigh all the benefits due to exceeding the natural carrying capacity of a place .

On the other hand, when the number of visitors is balanced with respect for the natural environment, tourism has great potential in supporting or even starting out new conservation projects that protect unique areas and benefit local residents.

Sustainable tourism helps protect the environment

Many countries around the world depend on tourism as their main industry in providing jobs in rural areas and bringing in funds that would be otherwise out of their reach. Financial resources and employment are critical for local livelihoods and security. But as more and more countries focus on expanding their tourism sites, they often encounter problems with overconsumption of their finite natural resources, pollution, and degradation. This easily spirals into undesirable situations of negative impacts on the local environment and society.

Tourism as a fast-growing industry must follow the principles of sustainability in order to last long term while maintaining positive impacts for an area. In terms of environment, this means consumption of natural resources within acceptable limits, protecting biodiversity and making sure that essential ecological processes can take place, while providing a pleasant experience to visiting tourists [1] .

A part of striving towards sustainability is also raising awareness about the unique natural features of an area and educating visitors about their sustainable management. This helps them to understand the rules set in place and respect differences.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to tourism

Tourism represents 10 percent of world GDP. The industry increasingly affects the environment, culture, and socio-economic development of a country. Due to such a great reach, it is a powerful tool in facilitating change.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism contributes directly or indirectly to all the 17 goals of sustainable development (SDGs) that were defined together with additional 169 SDG targets to ensure safer future for life on Earth by 2030.

Since 2018, UNWTO operates even an online platform dedicated to achievement of SDGs through tourism. You can visit it here: https://tourism4sdgs.org/ . On the platform is detailed description of each sustainable development goal in relation to tourism. SDGs address areas ranging from the importance of biodiversity, protection of marine ecosystems to urgent call for sustainable production and consumption.

Following the guidelines, UNWTO has, for example, partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and launched a Global Tourism Plastics Initiative to mitigate the problem of plastic pollution in the industry.     

What are the positive impacts of tourism on the environment?

Sustainable tourism is the only way to go forward if the industry wants to grow. But throughout the last couple decades, tourism has been already growing and has introduced many new places to foreign visitors. In some regions, having the option of welcoming paying guests, tourism has brought many positive impacts on the environment. Let’s see their examples.     

#1 Awareness raising and first-hand experience

Beautiful landscapes, animals in their natural environment, exotic ecosystems attract visitors from around the world. They are the primary reason why people travel. To get rest from their daily blues and experience ultimate relaxation from the connection with natural world. Tourism is the best tool to raise awareness of environmental values.

You learn the best when you do get to experience something directly, when you see it, touch it, and when you witness what threatens to destroy it. Personal visit of natural areas introduces you to the values they have for life. It makes you care about them, since you get to enjoy their special feeling. And memories you will have will encourage you to be environmentally-conscious in travel and personal life.

In January 2021, alarming pictures of the most touristy beaches in Bali buried in plastic waste that washed up on the shore due to the monsoon weather, appeared on social media of travelers and in the news [2] . The images have drawn global attention and created a bad rep for single-use plastic items, making us (consumers) more aware of the true impact.

#2 Tourism for skills learning and education

This is a special side of tourism but plays also an important role in positive impacts of tourism on the environment. Visitors do not have to be drawn to places just for entertainment or relaxation, they may come with the primary mission of learning a new skill or gaining certain knowledge. Tourists come to see a special feature in an area and often pay for their stay, for food, or training, which is a nice way to support the work they came to admire. Additionally, they may also put the new knowledge to use for their own projects.   

One nice example of this form of tourism could be visiting a permaculture farm with the purpose to learn about the practices applied on the farm and exchange ideas on what might work at home. Another example, that could inspire many, is spending time on edible forest farms, learning about planting diversity of low maintenance plants on your piece of land. Or visiting villages excelling in agroforestry farming practices which have allowed them to harvest variety of products from their lands, while protecting sensitive mountainous environments, where intensive farming would not be an option.           

#3 Support of conservation and biodiversity protection activities

Africa is a prime example of a country where tourism has had a positive effect on wildlife protection. Wildlife tourism in Africa makes around 36 percent of the tourism industry, contributing over $29 billion to the continent’s economy and provides jobs to 3.6 million people [3] .

The opportunity of seeing wild animals in their natural environment is what Africa is the most known for. This form of tourism reduces poverty and helps to empower women directly by giving them jobs, but even indirectly by allocating funds to build infrastructure – schools, hospitals.

Africa, Asia, South America, and the South Pacific focus more and more on the value of their wild natural areas. With the growth of tourism appear even new national and wildlife parks that connect sustainable tourism with biodiversity preservation.

For example, iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa offers amazing experience for tourists who can choose between diving, snorkeling, kayaking or horseback riding in a landscape of 25,000 years old coastal dunes and swamp forests, while protecting the area’s sensitive ecosystems and unique species. The coastline is Africa’s only remaining nesting place of Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles [4] .

#4 Protection of endangered species

Countries begin to realize that their rare and endemic species are their symbol in the eyes of foreign visitors who are often attracted to the place because of them. Wild animals, virgin forests and a colorful palette of exotic plants are becoming an unusual sight in an economically developed world. The remaining spots that are still a home to this disappearing world are often turn to nature reserves and protected areas. This ensures better safety for endangered species that inhabit them.

Virunga National Park in East Africa has a story of conservation success to tell, even despite years of civil unrest and war in the surrounding areas, it has been declared an ecological pillar for the entire East and Central African biodiversity, having the largest concentration of birds and reptiles over other protected areas [5] .

Thanks to the initiative of the World Wildlife Fund and United Nations, the park has endured hard years and granted protection to endangered mountain gorillas, who were almost driven to extinction by human encroachment into their already limited habitat. Thanks to these extraordinary efforts and persistence, gorillas from the Virunga recovered and their number rose from 480 to over 600 [6] . The park is one of the most attractive tourist destinations, where you can see gorillas, chimpanzees, and many other iconic animals.

#5 Prevention of illegal trade and exploitation

Tourism brings new opportunities even to most remote places. The growing interest of tourists in visiting places where people live in connection with nature and animals gives chance to locals to sustain their families far from urban areas. In many cases, local communities quickly realize the need to protect what they have in order to attract tourists, as the stream of income from tourism is long-term and more advantageous than one-time sales of finite resources or poached animals.

A glimmer of hope sparked by the vision of attracting tourists takes place in two villages in Nepal that are known for being a transit points for illegal trade in pangolin meat and scales to Tibet and India.

The villages have joined a community-based pangolin conservation and education project . The goal of the project is to discourage local poachers from selling scales of pangolins to illegal traders, and thus interrupt the illegal trade pathway while protecting endangered pangolins . Participants of the project are also trained to help with long-term monitoring of pangolin population (species ecology, identification of threats and distribution).        

#6 Finance and job opportunities

One in ten jobs worldwide are directly or indirectly in the tourism industry. Tourism creates decent work opportunities and economic growth even in rural or remote areas. Tourism employs women and is often the first job experience of young people. Money from the tourism then often goes into improving local infrastructure, and sustainable management and protection of natural wonders that attract visitors.

Better infrastructure and services have a positive impact on the environment. They revolve around consumption of resources and their management. Modern infrastructure for wastewater cleaning saves water and promotes more efficient use of it. Waste management facilities focus on recycling materials rather than just dumping waste into sea or to landfills.

Tourism also directly helps to fund conservation activities of national parks, or other nature and wildlife preservation projects. Visitors are usually asked to pay entrance fees or a small tax that is meant to support the project.  

Costa Rica has one of the most successful rainforest conservation strategies, which enables the country to protect and care for its incredibly biodiversity rich rainforests, while at the same time generating income from tourism. A part of this income goes back to the rainforest conservation maintenance, research, and professional training of park guards. The rest sustains regional economy and creates balanced life opportunities for locals.       

#7 Adoption of sustainable practices and new legislation

We have partially tapped into this aspect already in the previous point. It is closely linked. More funds available to a region mean better possibilities to improve infrastructure and services. Modernization of infrastructure goes hand in hand with a transition to sustainable technologies and seeking of long-term solutions that will benefit people and the local environment.

Many travelers care about their impact on the environment. They are willing to pay for environmentally friendly services and accommodation when visiting a new place. Many destinations already follow the suit and are changing their approach to tourism by considering their environmental impact in their management.

Additionally, governments also respond to this pressure and often enforce regulations to further protect local natural resources by adopting sustainable practices in the industry.

You can see this trend in increasing numbers of eco-tourism lodges around the world; or recycling bins placed in public areas to collect different materials for more efficient waste management; in water saving measures and recommendations adopted by accommodation providers; or even large-scale renewable energy projects that power whole regions.

Several studies highlighted the benefits of renewable energy for maintaining healthy environment during the seasonal influx of tourists to island destinations. For example, a study of Mediterranean islands sees renewable energy projects as a tool to provide sufficient energy to residents and tourists during the periods of increased demand, while protecting already fragile and limited resources islands have.

Tourism and the environment could go well together

The success of tourism relies on good infrastructure and decent quality of services. The industry therefore helps the community development and brings new sources of inspiration and motivation for protection of biodiversity rich natural areas, wildlife, or whole ecosystems.

Many new conservation projects raise hope of local people in being able to sustain their families, while taking care of their home, of their legacy, of a place shaped by the nurturing hands of their ancestors. They hope that their effort will be appreciated and rewarded by respectful visitors.

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About Greentumble

Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi . We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. Read more about us .

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Environmental Impacts of Tourism

Tourism is one of the biggest and fastest-growing sectors of the world's economy. However, the relationship between tourism and the natural environment can be complex. While we can link tourism to the growth of infrastructure development like roads, airports, tourism facilities, and other economic benefits, tourism development can also hurt the environment. 

In this article, we will examine the environmental impact of tourism and what role tourism can play in environmental conservation.                 

The tourism industry

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines tourism as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure and not less than 24 hours, business and other purposes." 

The vast tourism industry includes other industries such as tourist destinations, hospitality, travel companies, etc. Globally, the tourism industry has impacted the growth and development of hundreds of countries.  

In 2021, tourism contributed approximately 5.8 billion US dollars to the GDP worldwide.

Seeing how lucrative the industry is, many countries actively promote policies that drive tourism and travel. 

Moreover, tourism has evolved into various dimensions, including mass tourism, niche tourism, winter tourism, and even some emerging industries like space tourism. 

While the growth of tourism can positively impact society, uncontrolled and conventional tourism can be a substantial threat to the natural environment worldwide. 

Negative environmental impacts of tourism 

While the tourism sector can generate sufficient income and improve the lifestyle of people within that local community, it can also bring about environmental degradation if not done with proper planning. Here are some negative impacts of tourism on the environment: 

1. Depletion of natural resources  

Tourism development can cause a strain on natural resources like water and energy, especially in local communities where these resources are already scarce.  

Overuse of water 

In many tourist destinations, travelers tend to use more water than they use at home. This could deplete fresh water resources and result in water shortages affecting local residents. Similarly, popular tourist destinations and recreational facilities require more water during the high tourism season. 

As the water gets redirected to these facilities, the wells and supplies of host communities get drained. For example, an average golf course in a tropical country uses as much water 5 as 60,000 rural villagers.

In some communities, local farmers may need more water to grow their crops, especially during the dry seasons. 

Pressure on local resources 

Apart from water, tourism development can equally put pressure on other natural resources like food, energy, and other raw materials that may already be in short supply. 

Countries use these resources to meet the expectations of tourists. These include providing electricity, proper heating, hot water, etc. Increased energy consumption comes with the increased need for things like electricity and heating. 

Equally, the extraction of these resources also has a negative physical impact on the environment. This includes soil deterioration, deforestation , trampling, etc. 

Land degradation 

The construction of tourism facilities can cause the depletion of resources like fossil fuels which can ultimately cause global warming. Tourism can affect soil health and harm local ecosystems. 

The more tourist facilities are built, the more natural habitats are destroyed, displacing wildlife from their homes.

2. Pollution 

Like with many other industries, environmental pollution is also a significant consequence of tourism. This can come in various forms. From solid waste to noise pollution and improper waste disposal and so on. 

Sewage pollution 

Building hotels and other recreational facilities can lead to sewage pollution. According to reports by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is estimated that passengers on a cruise ship will generate 21,000 gallons of sewage. Wastewater from sewage can penetrate and pollute our seas and oceans. 

In addition, sewage runoff can damage coral reefs which contain nutrients for algae growth. These changes can affect coastal environments and lakes surrounding tourist attractions - and also impact human and animal health. 

Noise and air pollution 

Recreational vehicles like jet skis can contribute to noise pollution, disturbing people in the host community and distressing wildlife. For example, cruise ships are major noise polluters. They make extra noises in deep waters, disturbing sensitive aquatic animals. 

Moreover, these cruise ships burn fossil fuels and release sewage causing air and water pollution. With the increase in tourist transportation by air, rail, or road comes an increase in carbon dioxide emissions leading to environmental issues like climate change .

Read more: Environmental Impact of Cruise Ships .

3. The problem of waste production                          

The issue of littering and solid waste is another problem associated with tourism. Many tourist attractions and activities contribute to the high waste concentrations and improper disposal. Tourists generate tons of waste which can affect the physical environment.

Various reports suggest that in various tourist locations, solid waste generation is around 1 kg and above per guest daily. Several environmental factors, location, personal preferences, and legislation within that particular country determine this. 

Sadly, according to predictions by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), we may see a 251 percent increase in solid waste production due to tourism if these countries do not adopt more sustainable practices to address the waste issue.

4. Unsustainable land use

One of the negative environmental impacts of tourism is unsustainable land use. With the quick infrastructure expansion and increased tourist activities, soil erosion is sped up. If the number of foreign tourists exceeds the ecosystem carrying them, it can lead to changes in soil properties. As projects are built and vegetation is removed, the soil’s permeability decreases and is left vulnerable for many years. 

5. Loss of biological diversity 

Loss of biological diversity is another one of the negative impacts of tourism. You can find some of the most popular tourist sites near sensitive ecosystems. These ecosystems include rainforests, mangroves, wetlands, seagrass beds, and coral reefs, which attract tourists. 

Poor land use planning and regulations can distort the environment's natural beauty. Infrastructure development close to these locations can lead to soil erosion and deforestation. In addition, the loss of biological diversity can alter the natural cycles of living organisms, put a strain on endangered species, and also lead to natural habitat loss.  

The effects of biodiversity loss include:

• Interference with some ecological functions like soil formation and absorption of greenhouse gases.
• Threatened food supplies, sources of energy, medicine, and opportunities for tourism. 
• Reduction and destabilization of the productivity of ecosystems. This weakens the ability of these ecosystems to withstand natural disasters and pollution.

Ultimately, the loss of biodiversity, in turn, decreases tourism potential. 

6. Introduction of non-native species 

Tourists can bring in non-native species like insects, plants, and even diseases, causing disruption or destruction of the ecosystem. These species can disrupt the food web and clog the intake pipes of water treatment facilities and power plants. 

7. Greenhouse gas emissions 

One of tourism's significant adverse environmental impacts is the emission of harmful greenhouse gases . In today's world, several activities contribute to releasing greenhouse gas emissions into our environment. 

According to The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourists travel using three main modes of transportation - air, road, and rail, with air contributing the most carbon dioxide emissions 1 . Overall, transportation accounts for 75% of CO2 emissions.

For example, winter tourists may use snowmobiles in national parks. Snowmobiles can affect air quality over time, as their two-stroke engines produce high carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions.

Studies reveal that snowmobiles account for 94% of the annual hydrocarbon emissions, 78% of carbon monoxide emissions, 37% of particulate matter, and 3% of nitrogen oxide emissions at Yellowstone National Park 3 .

Also, the energy consumption needed to provide quality service contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. When released into the atmosphere, these harmful gases affect the environment, contributing to global warming and climate change. To reduce the negative impacts of greenhouse gases, exploring various forms of renewable energy is necessary.

8. Ozone layer depletion 

The ozone layer protects life on Earth from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. It absorbs the wavelengths of the sun’s radiation, which can harm both animals and humans. 

Tourism activities contribute to ozone-depleting substances which destroy the ozone layer. For instance, refrigerators, air conditioners , and others contain substances that deplete the ozone layer. The consistent use of these facilities increases the emission of ozone-depleting substances. Emissions from jet aircraft also contribute to the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer.                              

Environmental impact of tourism activities

9. hiking and diving.

Hiking along mountain ranges can cumulatively harm our ecosystem. Littering and trampling on vegetation can cause a shift in the composition of plant species. The accumulation of this puts pressure on these areas, with only the most resilient plants able to survive. 

Increased visitation and trampling at the Arches National Park have led to soil deterioration which could take up to 250 years to recover 4 .

Also, hiking on the soil can disrupt wildlife habitat. The constant pressure can damage burrows for mammals, reptiles, and birds. Littering not only causes land pollution but also alters the nutrient composition of the soil and prevents sunlight from reaching the plants. 

Diving may not present any real threat. However, other activities, like stepping on corals, could cause damage. Tourists may also break off corals as souvenirs which, when done continuously, could be problematic. 

10. Recreational boating 

Recreational boating can have several impacts on the environment. Tourism stakeholders can generate funds indirectly for environmental conservation and recreation. For example, the government can channel funds towards improving fish sport habitat or funding fisheries research. 

On the other hand, recreational boating also negatively affects the environment. One of the most significant of them is the issue of sewage pollution. Sewage contains pathogens that can contaminate shellfish and affect human health. 

Oil spills and the discharge of solid waste can also affect water quality. 

According to the National Research Council, this could lead to physical injuries to humans, alterations in the ecosystem compositions, ecological damage as a result of plastics interfering with gas exchange, ingestion of plastics by mammals, entanglements of turtles, fishes, birds, and cetaceans, etc.

Also, dragging anchors over marine habitats can cause damage to both the habitat and the animals.

How do negative environmental impacts affect tourism?

While tourism contributes to environmental issues, these environmental issues like climate change and natural disasters can impact tourism in a country. Natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, or the outbreak of diseases can significantly affect tourism industries. 

For example, the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Great Britain in 2001 impacted their inbound tourism market. A survey found that 75% of hotels in England, 85% in Wales, and 81% in Scotland continued to be affected by the disease outbreak, and more than 60% forecasted a decline in their business between June and September 2001.

Climate changes can also increase the frequency of storms and other weather events, keeping tourists away from these tourist destinations.   

Four ways tourism can contribute to environmental conservation 

Tourism is one of the most vital sectors and can contribute significantly to the environment and economy. Here are ways tourism can contribute to environmental conservation: 

1. Better environmental planning and management 

Management of tourism facilities can improve the natural environment within a tourist destination. However, careful planning based on the natural resources within an area is essential. With proper planning, environmental pollution and deterioration can be avoided. 

Using energy-efficient materials and sustainable development and production techniques can reduce the negative impacts of tourism on the environment.   

2. Environmental awareness 

Environmental awareness is heightened as tourists travel around the world interacting with nature. Tourism can increase awareness of the importance of nature and also alert people to the potential environmental problems associated with it. 

In the long run, tourism can play a major role in providing environmental information for tourists. Tourist stakeholders can raise awareness about the consequences of unsustainable tourism and educate people on sustainable tourism alternatives that positively impact the environment.  

3. Financial contributions 

Tourism is a lucrative sector and can financially contribute directly to environmental conservation. 

A portion of the revenue generated from parking fees, entrance fees, and other sources can be channeled toward environmental conservation projects, like planting trees or rewilding nearby land. In addition, the government can channel fees like income taxes, User fees, license fees on tourism activities, etc., towards managing natural resources and conservation activities and programs. 

4. Regulatory measures 

The government can implement regulatory measures to help limit the negative impact of tourism. For example, controlling tourist numbers and activities in protected regions. This will help preserve the vitality of these areas.

For example, in the Galapagos Islands, the number of ships allowed to cruise is limited to protect animal habitats and sensitive environments. 

Sustainable tourism

Tourism is a growing industry that can directly or indirectly contribute to many countries' economic, socio-cultural, and environmental well-being. In small island developing states and coastal least developed countries, ocean-related tourism is a vital sector that contributes significantly to their economy. 

However, even with the potential of the tourism industry, the negative impacts can still threaten our environment. According to the World Tourism Organization, sustainable tourism 

" takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of the visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities .” 

In other words, tourism amplifies the positive impacts and reduces the adverse effects of tourism. 

Sustainable and responsible tourism ensures that the destination is good for both the local population and visitors. 

One example of a sustainable tourism destination is Six Senses, Fiji Malolo Island . Six Senses grows its own organic produce and honey in its beehive area. This resort works solely on solar energy, recycles rainwater, and uses handiwork like artworks created by villagers.                 

How do sustainable forms of tourism provide a solution? 

The WTO and the United Nations Environment Program outline twelve primary goals for sustainable forms of tourism 2 . These goals suggest ways through which sustainable forms of tourism can provide a solution to the negative impacts faced in the industry. These twelve goals are:

• Local prosperity: Ensuring tourism activities assist local communities to thrive economically. 
• Economic viability: To ensure tourism destinations, businesses are competitive and able to attain long-term success.
• Employment quality: To increase the number of local jobs within the industry and ensure that working conditions are fair, safe, and free of discrimination. 
• Social equity: To ensure tourism improves the social and economic benefits across communities to improve all areas of life. 
• Visitor fulfillment: To ensure the holiday experience for tourists is safe and fulfilling regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, etc. 
• Community well-being: To improve the well-being of residents within a community and ensure that they are not exploited and have access to resources.
• Local control: Sustainable forms of tourism aims to empower communities to contribute to the planning and decision-making process regarding tourism. 
• Cultural richness: This goal aims to respect the uniqueness and authenticity of the tradition and cultural heritage of the community.  
• Physical integrity: To take care of both rural and urban landscapes and ensure they do not degrade due to tourism. 
• Biological diversity: To preserve wildlife, natural areas, and special habitats and ensure they are not damaged. 
• Resource efficiency: Using sustainable and renewable resources to develop and manage tourism facilities and services. 
• Environmental purity: To protect the water, land, and air pollution, littering, and any form of waste from tourism.  

Read more: What is Sustainable Tourism? Exploring Sustainability in Travel.

Ecotourism vs. sustainable tourism 

Both ecotourism and sustainable tourism are sometimes used interchangeably. However, while both are important, there is a slight difference between both terms.

As we’ve looked at above, sustainable tourism aims to create opportunities with the least impact and increase positive benefits to attract tourists and improve communities. 

On the other hand, ecotourism focuses on educating tourists about the environment and nature. It also educates travelers on the importance of participating in cultural activities and environmental conservation. Eco-tourism is typically always a sustainable experience. 

However, not all examples of sustainable and responsible tourism are ecotourism. So while you may stay in a hotel powered by renewable energy like solar, you are not necessarily learning about your environment or nature.  

Read more: 7 Amazing Ecovillages .

Final thoughts on the environmental impact of tourism

As one of the fastest-growing industries, tourism can potentially improve a country’s social and economic well-being. 

However, uncontrolled tourism can lead to environmental degradation, which could do more harm than good. Depletion of natural capital and resources, pollution, and emission of greenhouse gases, amongst other such practices, can negatively impact the environment.

To cut down on the negative effects of tourism, stakeholders need to explore more sustainable alternatives that can create a win-win situation both for the host and the tourists.

Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.

Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.

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LAST ARTICLE

Tourism & the Environment: A Delicate Balance

Tourism, a significant contributor to the global economy, treads a fine line between exploitation and preservation. As travelers seek out the world's wonders, they inevitably leave footprints - some beneficial, others detrimental. This article unpacks the complex relationship between tourism, the environment, and climate change, exploring the balance we must achieve for a sustainable future.

👉 In this article, we explore the tension between the benefits of tourism and its environmental impact.

Tourism, the environment, and climate change

Tourism - one of the world's largest industries, worth 7.6% of global GDP every year - has a significant impact on the environment, both positive and negative. On the one hand, it can lead to a greater appreciation for nature and conservation, as tourists explore pristine beaches, lush forests, and scenic landscapes. This appreciation can translate into increased funding for national parks, wildlife conservation, and the preservation of cultural heritage sites. For example, the revenue generated by the millions of tourists visiting Australia's Great Barrier Reef also helps fund conservation efforts to protect this unique ecosystem .

However, the large numbers of travelers can also strain these natural wonders. Mass tourism - where the number of tourists outpaces an area's capacity - can damage ecosystems, disrupt or harm local wildlife, and lead to pollution. Venice, for example, has seen its canals crowded with boats and its historic streets thronged with visitors, leading to accelerated wear on its historic sites and increased pollution in its waters. Similarly, popular trekking trails in Nepal have experienced littering, resulting in environmental degradation.

The carbon footprint of tourism is another critical concern. Air travel , a significant component of global tourism, contributes substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and therefore climate change . The aviation sector contributes around 2% of annual global carbon dioxide emissions. 

However, while tourism contributes to climate change, global warming in turn has a profound impact on the industry itself. Popular destinations like the Maldives face the threat of rising sea levels , while natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef are endangered by coral bleaching due to warmer oceans. Additionally, ski resorts are increasingly struggling with shorter seasons due to dwindling snowfall. This reciprocal relationship between tourism and climate change highlights the urgent need for sustainable practices within the industry.

How does tourism negatively impact the environment?

Harm to the natural environment.

One of the most significant negative impacts of tourism is the degradation of natural environments. Tourist hotspots, particularly those in ecologically sensitive areas, frequently undergo habitat destruction due to infrastructure development. For example, the construction of hotels, resorts, roads, and other tourism facilities can result in deforestation , alteration of land, depletion of natural resources, and disruption to local ecosystems. In places like Bali, once-idyllic beaches are now flanked by sprawling resorts, affecting marine life and leading to significant erosion of the shoreline.

Waste management issues

Waste management poses another challenge. In many popular destinations, the influx of tourists surpasses the local waste management capacity, leading to pollution. For example, Mount Everest, often referred to as the " world's highest garbage dump " is littered with oxygen cylinders, plastic waste, and even camping equipment discarded by climbers. Such uncontrolled waste not only spoils the landscape but can also contaminate local water sources, impacting both human and wildlife populations.

Water scarcity

Water scarcity is an often-overlooked repercussion of tourism. Many tourist-heavy regions face immense pressure on their freshwater resources, either due to overconsumption by hotels and resorts or by diverting them for recreational activities. Golf courses, particularly in arid regions, consume vast amounts of water, putting local communities at risk. Islands like Santorini in Greece have seen their freshwater reserves deplete significantly, forcing them to import water or rely on desalination.

Light and noise pollution

Noise and light pollution are additional concerns in areas with heavy tourist traffic. The constant hum of boats, vehicles, and human activity can disturb wildlife (including vulnerable and endangered species), affecting their natural behaviors and breeding patterns. Sea turtles, for example, which rely on the moonlight to find their way from the beach to the ocean, can be disoriented by the bright lights from beachfront properties, making their survival even more precarious.

Invasion of non-native species

The introduction of non-native species, whether unintentionally through transported goods or deliberately for tourist attractions, can upset the ecological balance of an area. In the Galápagos Islands, introduced species like goats and rats have wreaked havoc on the local flora and fauna, prompting extensive (and expensive) eradication programs.

How does tourism contribute to climate change?

Another major concern is how tourism substantially contributes to climate change:

Air travel emissions

Aviation is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, responsible for about 2% annually. Tourists flying to and from their destinations play a considerable role in this. A single long-haul flight can emit as much carbon dioxide as many people produce in a whole year.

Increased energy consumption 

Hotels, resorts, and other tourist accommodations often consume vast amounts of energy for heating, cooling, and lighting. This is especially true for luxury and high-end facilities that offer amenities like heated pools, spas, and air-conditioned rooms.

Transport within destinations

Once tourists arrive, they use local transportation, often in the form of cars, buses, and boats, which emit greenhouse gases. Rental car services and tour buses can significantly increase the carbon footprint of a vacation.

Cruise ship emissions

Cruise ship s have surged in popularity over recent decades. These floating hotels consume massive amounts of fossil fuels , emitting not only CO2 but also other harmful pollutants into both the air and ocean.

Over-reliance on non-renewable resources

Many tourist hotspots are yet to transition to renewable energy sources. Their dependency on coal , oil, and gas for power generation further exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions.

Food production and consumption

Tourist destinations often need to import food to cater to the diverse and increased demands of visitors. This transportation, coupled with the preference for non-local foods, has a sizeable carbon footprint.

Land use and carbon sequestration 

As mentioned earlier, the construction of tourist facilities can lead to deforestation and soil erosion. Not only does this result in the loss of wildlife habitats, but environments such as forests also play a crucial role in carbon sequestration , helping to absorb and store carbon dioxide. Their loss not only means increased CO2 emissions from construction but also a reduced capacity for the environment to offset those emissions.

Are there any benefits to tourism?

Tourism, for all its pitfalls, has also proven to be a crucial sector for many countries and environments. In numerous regions across the globe, tourism is the primary source of income, playing an instrumental role in sustaining economies and driving development. For countries with limited industrial or agricultural potential, the allure of their natural or cultural heritage can become their most lucrative asset.

To help put this into context, let's take the example of Kenya. The allure of the 'Big Five' - lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros - and the vast, mesmerizing landscapes have drawn tourists in droves. Recognizing the economic potential, the Kenyan government has taken proactive steps to safeguard these natural assets.

National parks and reserves, which now cover a significant portion of the country, not only protect the iconic wildlife but also generate substantial revenue. The revenue accrued from entrance fees, safari tours, and accommodation often goes back into conservation efforts, ensuring a sustainable cycle. Moreover, the value attached to these animals as tourist attractions inadvertently offers them a shield against poaching, as their value alive exceeds their value in body parts. Without the economic incentive generated by tourism, such extensive conservation measures may not have been feasible or prioritized.

Beyond direct conservation, tourism can also be a catalyst for broader environmental awareness and education. Visitors often return home with heightened environmental and cultural consciousness. This can lead to global advocacy, funding, and support for preservation efforts.

What's more, responsible tourism creates jobs for local communities, offering an alternative to activities that might harm the environment, such as logging or mining. By providing training and jobs related to tourism - be it as tour guides, in accommodation, or in local crafts - communities can derive sustainable income without depleting their environment.

However, it's important to strike a balance. While tourism can be a tool for positive change, it needs to be managed with care, foresight, and a genuine commitment to sustainability. Only then can the potential benefits be harnessed without compromising the delicate ecosystems that make these destinations so special in the first place.

Tourism and climate change

Yet, even as more travelers embrace sustainable vacations and choose environmentally-friendlier modes of transport like trains or electric vehicles, we cannot overlook the unavoidable emissions associated with reaching distant or isolated destinations. Air travel remains a substantial hurdle in the path to fully green tourism. Despite the advances in aviation technology and improvements in fuel efficiency, flights continue to be a significant source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, which intensify global warming. 

Herein lies a complex dilemma. Many destinations, particularly remote or island locales, rely almost exclusively on air travel to usher in tourists. For these places, tourism is not merely an addition to their economy; it's a lifeline. Places like the Maldives, Fiji, or the Caribbean islands depend heavily on tourist inflows for their economic stability. The revenue from tourism not only bolsters their economies but also funds essential services and infrastructure projects. Yet, paradoxically, these destinations are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels threaten to submerge island nations, and changing weather patterns disrupt the delicate balance of their ecosystems.

This catch-22 situation highlights the complexities of the challenges ahead. On one hand, these destinations and their local populations desperately need tourism. On the other hand, the carbon footprint associated with getting to these places exacerbates the global warming that places them at risk. As the world grapples with this issue, it underscores the importance of innovation in sustainable travel and the necessity for a global perspective on balancing economic needs with environmental responsibility.

The future of tourism

The future of tourism is marked by both challenges and opportunities. As global travel continues to grow, the need to address its environmental impact becomes increasingly urgent. The industry must transition towards sustainability, preserving the planet while still allowing people to explore its wonders.

Embracing sustainable tourism solutions

Eco-tourism and responsible travel

Eco-tourism , a growing segment within the travel industry, emphasizes responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustain the well-being of local people, and involve understanding and education. This form of tourism encourages minimal impact on the environment while providing economic benefits to local communities. For example, destinations like Costa Rica have successfully marketed themselves as eco-friendly hotspots, where tourists can enjoy the natural beauty while contributing to conservation efforts.

Renewable energy and green infrastructure

When it comes to tourism development, investing in renewable energy and green infrastructure is crucial for making tourism more sustainable. Hotels and resorts are beginning to adopt solar and wind power, reduce water usage, and implement waste reduction strategies. Moreover, the rise of green building certifications, such as LEED , in the hospitality industry reflects a growing commitment to sustainability. Cities like Copenhagen for example have pioneered green urban tourism, integrating bike-sharing programs, extensive green spaces, and energy-efficient public transportation.

Carbon offsetting and eco-friendly transportation

While the reduction of air travel emissions remains a significant challenge, carbon offsetting programs offer a way for travelers to mitigate their impact. Airlines and travel agencies are increasingly offering carbon offset options, allowing customers to invest in environmental projects that reduce greenhouse gases. Additionally, the promotion of eco-friendly transportation alternatives, such as electric vehicles , high-speed trains, and cycling, is gaining momentum. In Europe, there has been a marked shift towards train travel for short to medium distances, reducing reliance on flights.

Conservation and community-based tourism

Community-based tourism (CBT) focuses on empowering local communities by involving them directly in the tourism industry. This model ensures that the economic benefits of tourism are distributed fairly and that cultural and environmental integrity is maintained. By fostering a deeper connection between tourists and local cultures, CBT enhances the travel experience while promoting conservation and sustainable development. In places like Bhutan, where tourism is heavily regulated, visitors pay a sustainable development fee that contributes to the country’s conservation and cultural preservation efforts.

How individuals can reduce their environmental impact when traveling

As awareness of the environmental impact of travel grows, individuals are increasingly looking for ways to minimize their carbon footprint while still enjoying the benefits of exploring new places. Sustainable travel is not just about making better choices on the road; it’s about planning ahead and being mindful of the consequences of your actions. By adopting eco-friendly practices, travelers can contribute to the preservation of the environment and help mitigate the negative effects of tourism. Below are some actionable steps individuals can take to reduce their environmental impact while traveling.

A call to action

The future of tourism depends on the collective efforts of all stakeholders - governments, businesses, communities, and travelers. Policymakers must implement regulations that incentivize sustainable practices, such as carbon taxes on flights and stricter environmental standards for tourism operators. Businesses in the tourism industry must commit to sustainability, not just as a marketing strategy, but as a core operational principle.

Local communities should be empowered to manage tourism in ways that benefit them economically while preserving their cultural and natural heritage. Travelers, too, must embrace a mindset of responsibility, understanding that every journey has an impact and making choices that minimize harm to the environment.

How Greenly can help your company

As a company committed to sustainability, we believe that businesses have a crucial role to play in transforming industries to ensure they are both environmentally responsible and economically viable for future generations. Greenly can help businesses lead the way by providing comprehensive carbon management solutions that simplify the journey to net zero:

Carbon Management with Greenly

Measurement of GHG Emissions: Track your Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions using advanced tools and technology for a full picture of your greenhouse gas footprint. Our measurement techniques ensure that you understand the full extent of your environmental impact, enabling targeted and effective actions to reduce emissions.

Custom Action Plans: Work with Greenly’s climate experts to develop tailored strategies focused on key areas for improvement. We help businesses identify high-impact actions that reduce emissions and drive sustainable growth, ensuring that your sustainability efforts are both strategic and impactful.

Decarbonizing Your Supply Chain

Supply chain emissions ( Scope 3 ) are often the most challenging to manage, but they’re crucial in achieving net-zero goals. Greenly helps you engage suppliers, transition to low-carbon options, and build more sustainable partnerships. With our support, you can increase transparency and reduce emissions throughout your supply chain, helping your business achieve its sustainability targets and improve its environmental performance.

Intuitive Platform

Our user-friendly platform makes calculating and monitoring your carbon footprint simple. Greenly provides a seamless experience for managing your environmental impact, tracking progress against ESG goals, and integrating sustainability into every aspect of your business operations. Our technology helps your business to adopt and maintain sustainable practices.

Why Choose Greenly?

Greenly provides comprehensive support throughout your sustainability journey, from carbon measurement and custom action plans to supply chain decarbonization and platform integration. By partnering with Greenly, your business can significantly reduce its environmental impact, meet net-zero targets, and lead the way in sustainability.

Start your journey toward net zero with Greenly today and build a more sustainable future for your company.

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Sustainable Tourism Development Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

This essay shows that there are initiatives which aim at promoting sustainability in tourism destinations. However, these initiatives do not work due to the diverse nature of the tourism industry. The essay demonstrates this through various approaches to tourism sustainability and methods that stakeholders have applied in their attempts to enhance sustainability of tourism destinations.

We can define sustainability as a growth that does not experience any threats from feedback. Here, feedback refers to social unrest, pollution, or depletion of resources. We can relate this to the development of tourism destination. In tourism, sustainability would be “that level of development which does not exceed the carrying capacity of the destination and thus cause serious or irreversible changes to the destination” (Tribe, 2005). This is what we call a growth that can sustain itself over time.

It is hard for a nation or a sector to use effective plans for sustainable tourism development with clear agenda. The UNWTO provides policy guidelines for such purposes. The UNWTO refers sustainable tourism with regard to sustainability assumption as “the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions its long-term sustainability” (UNWTO, 1995).

Sustainability in tourism destination must ensure optimal use of resources that are sources of tourism development, their maintenance, and conservation of biodiversity and natural heritage (Liu, 2003). The project must also “adhere to socio-cultural existences of host communities, conserve their cultural heritage and enhance cultural understanding and tolerance” (Swarbrooke, 1999).

Sustainable tourism project must also provide socio-economic benefits, long-term economic availability, stable employment, poverty reduction, social services, and generation of income to the host community and all stakeholders.

First, regulations are forms of ensuring sustainability of tourism destinations. Stakeholders can introduce permissions and permits as forms of preventative control. Permits and permissions aim at preventing damages by requiring stakeholders to get permissions so as to engage in possible harmful activities. For instance, we can have planning permits to stop developments that do not meet planning guidelines and larger environmental matters and effects.

Second, regulation also involves environmental impact assessment. Some projects which may have severe impacts on the environment; thus the authorities must review an environmental consequences of such projects. It may use a cost-benefit approach that covers the all costs and advantages to stakeholders. For a development to be socially acceptable, its benefits to society must exceed its cost to society.

Third, controls and laws are also effective means of providing and controlling environmental pollutant targets. Occasionally, policymakers may introduce these laws and controls after an event that cause harm to the environment has started. Such laws may cover restrictions to aircraft and other forms of pollution and the quality standards of water for consumption. Litter laws and their subsequent fines are also part of this regulation.

Fourth, there are also special designation areas. Most countries have sites that have special status as a way of promoting conservation and controlling development. These designations have varying degrees of statutory backing. For example, the UK has designated Sites of Special Scientific Interests (SSSIs) and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauties (AONBs). The UK considers SSSIs sites as “areas of special interest because of flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features” (National Park Service, 1990).

The Countryside Commission designates AONBs areas for the purpose protecting places with natural beauty. The IUCN (the World Conservation Union) has also classified protected places, with an idea of enhancing international conservation efforts and providing the benchmark for protection. Special designation areas may include nature reserve, national parks, natural monuments, and protected landscape or seascape among others.

Fifth, most countries now have laws to ensure that large organisations devote sections of their resources to corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR now extends to include the environment apart from other issues of organisations. Private organisations are focusing on the environment by creating their environmental management teams, creating environmental guidelines and carrying out environmental evaluations and required actions for purposes of conserving the environment.

The WTTC and WTO are responsible for the provision of leadership and guidelines in environmental conservation. Most guidelines in this area focus on noise, emissions, waste, congestion, tourism and conservation (Deloitte and Oxford Economics, 2010).

Some forms of these regulations are difficult to implement. Still, the industry may find them difficult to follow. There are cases where private developers and environmental authorities engage in lawsuits. Such issues hinder regulations as attempts to enhance sustainability in tourism destinations.

Market methods highlight “manipulation of prices as a method of achieving environmental goals through adjustment of market prices in an attempt to reflect the environmental costs, and benefits of activities” (Tribe, 2005). The sole purpose is for the manufactures and their customers change their behaviours with regard to new prices. This ensures that individuals’ efforts in environmental conservation are worthwhile (Middleton and Hawkins, 1998).

The first concept is ownership. People tend to overuse free resources and areas of free access. Thus, policymakers advocate privatisation of such natural resources. For instance, ownership of a lake is an incentive to enforce property rights. Thus, people may pay for the use of resources such as lakes and oceans as dumping sinks.

Firms will strive to maximise their gains and satisfy their shareholders expectations. Thus, policymakers advocate for public ownership to enhance environmental management. In principle, a public organisation has an “incentive to consider social costs and benefits to the country” (Cohen, 2002).

Policymakers can use taxes and increasing prices to reduce the use of products with negative environmental consequences, and subsidies that can reduce prices and promote the use of products that have positive effects on the environmental. Taxation has worked since it adoption by OECD in 1972 as a way of passing the cost to polluters (OECD, 2001).

On carbon dioxide emissions, Curtis argues that we can make moderate emissions reductions by “way of increased energy efficiency but that excess emissions by luxury hotels and resorts need further action” (Curtis, 2002).

Transport has been a main source of concern in this area. National Parks authorities of the UK have emphasised necessities of transport systems to countryside tourism and recreation. They note that about 90 percent of visitors used cars to parks. Consequently, most environmentalists have called for raised taxations on car and air travels so as to reflect their environmental costs (National Park Service, 1990).

Finland has taxes on none-returnable beverage containers to promote the consumption of returnable parks in attempts to eliminate the level of such parks left as litters. Landfill taxes apply charges on waste management firms that utilise landfill areas for burying solid waste.

Some governments may give grants for people who wish to buy electric cars to reduce carbon pollution. There are projects underway to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. These include the planned “planting of forests to capture carbon naturally as well as the artificial capture of carbon and its storage in underground reservoirs” (Mules, 2001).

Deposit-refund schemes work by encouraging consumers to return containers from the vendors or dispose them in a manner favourable to the environment. Customers who return their containers get their deposits. This scheme is effective in the local outlets and can work well on a national scale if well implemented (Gee, 1997).

In order to reduce pollution, some countries have introduced charges on products and services they offer the public. These include car parking charges to encourage usage of “public vehicles, road pricing for motorway usages in some EU countries such as France and Spain” (Priestley, Edwards and Coccossis, 1996).

Market approaches to sustainability in developing tourism destinations have been effective in EU zones. Still, the idea to provide subsidies for environmental friendly products such as vehicles is gaining recognition among tourism stakeholders. However, most consumers do not favour the idea of price increases.

Tribe notes that soft tools are “voluntary by nature and attempt to change behaviours sometimes through improved information, advice, persuasion and sometimes by forming specific networks” (Tribe, 2005).

Tourism eco-labelling approach to sustainability focuses on tourists. Leisure and tourism consumers themselves have the ability to transform the consequences of products they consume on the environmental and switch to products with minimal environmental effects. This approach aims at giving the users the “additional environmental information to enable them make informed decisions in their buying patterns” (Cater and Lowman, 1994).

There are also certification and award schemes to enhance sustainability in tourism destination. They authenticate and provide endorsement to environmental attributions made by firms and offer marks such as the Blue Flag that a consumer can recognise (Becken and Hay, 2007).

The Blue Flag goes to beaches that have acquired recognisable levels for water quality and facilities, safety, environmental education and management. This is also an environmental marketing device for tourists who are environmental conscious. The scheme attempts to offer opportunities for beach local stakeholders to increase their environmental concerns (Coccossis and Nijkamp, 1995).

Many organisations such as the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe (FNNPE) have produced guidelines and treaties for environmental management and sustainability (FNNPE, 1993).

Citizenship, education and advertising can also enhance sustainability when individuals act in the role of consumers or workers or opinion makers (Cooper, Fletcher, Gilbert and Wanhill, 2008). Consumers need information to enable them purchase green products and contribute towards environmental sustainability.

Thus, the focus should be on an environmental education as a way of creating awareness among consumers and encourage others to adopt favourable products in environmental conservation and sustainability (Gratton and Kokolakakis, 2003).

Tribe notes “voluntary schemes exist to allow consumers mitigate the impacts of any environmental damages they may cause” (Tribe, 2005). The most common is carbon offset schemes in airline to passengers (McNeill, 1997).

Ecotourism as a form of tourism stresses the sound ecological principles (UNEPTIE, 2007). Thus, ecotourism attempts to minimise negative impacts on the environment, create environmental and cultural awareness, offer financial services to empower host communities, and raise sensitive issues of concern to host communities (Saarinen, 2006). Therefore, promoting ecotourism is a form of minimising negative external impacts of tourism and maximising the positive external impacts of tourism. However, industry observers note “ecotourism will always remain a minor form of tourism” (Mowforth and Munt, 2009). Consequently, it is not the main approach for achieving sustainable tourism.

Soft tools rarely achieve their desired effects as such approaches depend on the willingness of participants for effectiveness. However, soft tools are the best approaches for enhancing sustainability of tourism destinations.

Getz, Crouch, and Ritchie share the idea that tourism planners have recognised the need for creating common goals in tourism planning (Getz, 1995; Crouch and Ritchie, 1999). However, the problem is that there are no empirical studies to support common goals, or what factors are essential in creating shared goals in developing sustainable tourism destinations to cater for various needs of stakeholders.

To this end, most tourism organisations have no concrete industry standards as these depend on a given country’s tourism policies. Thus, creating common goals for sustainability in the tourism sector will remain a challenge.

Therefore, organisations should strive to create a solid tourism industry shared goals common among all stakeholders (Burns and Holden, 1995). These goals must come from common publications, stakeholders’ opinions, and academic journals among others. We have to recognise that the industry can create sustainable tourism destinations based on competitive interests and shared resources affected by same factors (Butler, 2006). This will ensure that stakeholders have motivation to achieve a common and collective goal.

However, these shared goals cannot remain constant as the industry experiences growth (Hall and Lew, 1998). Thus, continuous research, studies and development are necessary to reflect the changing trends in the industry such environmental concerns, infrastructures, and marketing principles.

This approach will ensure that the industry has a sense of direction supported by strategies and practical and achievable goals. Medeiros and Bramwell noted that countries such as Brazil have attempted to implement shared vision but with minimal outcomes due to uncertainty in the industry (Medeiros and Bramwell, 2002).

The challenge has been to get information where stakeholders need it for developing sustainable tourism policies. Thus, the industry must enhance information flow among its small stakeholders. This must also apply to feedback. However, generating useful information for the industry means continuous learning due to the dynamic nature of tourism. Application of information systems can assist in reflecting, evaluating, delivering, processing, and improving information flow in the tourism industry for sustainability destinations.

Most stakeholders blame poor research cultures in the tourism industry as a basis for lack of sustainability in developing tourism destinations. This is responsible for the rift in utilisation of the available research findings. De Lacy and Boyd note that there are considerable efforts in Australia to reduce such barriers through “the use of the Australian Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) model for cross-sectoral research collaboration to enhance the sustainability of tourism” (De Lacy and Boyd, 2000).

The approach aims at highlighting the importance of the industry collaboration to enhance the effectiveness and benefits of research findings through technology transfers, usages and commercialisation.

Organisations have relationships that exist among them. These can be in forms of partnerships, co-operation, co-ordination, and collaboration. Researchers have concentrated on these areas so as to eliminate problems that have affected tourism development for decades.

Jamal and Getz concur that enhancing the industry identity and common goals can enhance co-operation among the main players as these stakeholders recognise the need to work as a team (Jamal and Getz, 1995). However, the challenge is that no major studies exist to prove the importance of co-operation to tourism destination development. Still, a closer look at the relationship that exists in the industry reveals that real sustainability in the tourism industry can only become reality if there is co-operation.

Occasionally, some problems result due to lack of information. Therefore, co-operation will minimise incidences of miscommunication and difficulties due to lack of collaboration among the industry stakeholders (Inskeep, 1997). This approach to sustainability is not effective due to challenges related to accessing information in a timely fashion.

One of the aims of ecotourism is the need for cultural exchange among the stakeholders. There is a need for mutual acceptance and accommodation of different cultural belief, and world views to enhance development of sustainability in tourism destinations (Davidson and Maitland, 1997). It is necessary that stakeholders of diverse views and beliefs promote dialogue and exchanges in tourism destinations, acceptance of the locals, conservation of the cultural diversity, and eradicate negative impacts of tourism.

We can use Senge’s system thinking to promote a common language that helps stakeholders who have differences in belief systems (Senge, 1990). The industry covers almost all cultures of the global. Thus, cultural exchange has limitations in relations to accommodation, acceptance, diversity, and eradication of negative stereotypes.

Sustainability of tourism destinations needs consultative approach on decision-making processes. The processes must involve all stakeholders including host communities. Sharman noted some issues that influenced participation of stakeholders in planning as poor representation, low participation and poor outcomes of the process among the participants (Sharman, 1999).

Power issues influenced the outcomes of all consultative processes. The industry can develop models which aim at creating power balance for accommodation of different point of views (Douglas and Butler, 2001). This approach helps in facilitating understanding, strategic planning and increasing stakeholders’ participation.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of tourism industry impacts decision-making process. Stakeholders are not willing to engage in long-term decisions without knowing their consequences. Participants should base their decisions on sound policies and welcome open discussions so that they can identity issues of common concerns and provide alternatives or solutions (Jamieson, 2001).

It is difficult for the tourism industry to have a single body to coordinate all decision-making processes that fit all the tourism destinations of the world. Tourism decisions depend on national policies regulating the industry.

The concept of adaptive management can help in improving sustainability of tourism destinations. Adaptive approaches can help the industry tackle emerging challenges that hamper growth (Knowles and Egan, 2000). Adaptive management enables the industry reacts to changes in a timely fashion.

The idea of adaptive management finds support in studies and ideas of Reeds (Reed, 2000). Adaptive management requires continuous studies, testing and developing adaptive models (Eaton, 1996). Adaptive management has been effective in enhance management of the tourism industry.

Given the reviewed literature, this research supports the view that despite the existence of many initiatives, sustainable tourism practices have not spread across the industry because the stakeholders of tourism are still divided on how to improve the sustainability of tourist destinations . These initiatives exist, but tourism has diverse components that vary from country to country. Thus, putting these together to enhance sustainability of the environment has remained a challenge across the industry.

Approaches to tourism destination sustainability such as regulations, market approaches, and soft tools may not work in every tourism situation. Still, attempts at developing sustainability of tourism destinations may not achieve the desired outcome due to minimal participation in processes such as sharing information, goals, co-operation and co-ordination, cultural exchanges, consultative decision-making and planning, and adaptive management.

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• Published: 31 May 2023

Eco-tourism, climate change, and environmental policies: empirical evidence from developing economies

• Yunfeng Shang 1 ,
• Chunyu Bi 2 ,
• Xinyu Wei 2 ,
• Dayang Jiang 2 ,
• Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5446-7093 3 , 4 &
• Ehsan Rasoulinezhad   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7726-1757 5  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  10 , Article number:  275 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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• Environmental studies

Developing ecotourism services is a suitable solution to help developing countries improve the status of sustainable development indicators and protect their environment. The primary purpose of this paper is to find out the effects of green governance variables and carbon dioxide emissions on ecotourism for 40 developing economies from 2010 to 2021. The results confirmed a uni-directional causal relationship between the green governance indicator and the inflation rate of the ecotourism indicator. In addition, with a 1% improvement in the green governance index of developing countries, the ecotourism of these countries will increase by 0.43%. In comparison, with a 1% increase in the globalization index of these countries, ecotourism will increase by 0.32%. Moreover, ecotourism in developing countries is more sensitive to macroeconomic variables changes than in developed economies. Geopolitical risk is an influential factor in the developing process of ecotourism. The practical policies recommended by this research are developing the green financing market, establishing virtual tourism, granting green loans to small and medium enterprises, and government incentives to motivate active businesses.

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Introduction.

The challenge of climate change has become a primary threat to living on the Earth in the last centuries (Rasoulinzhad and Taghizadeh-Hesary, 2022 ). Many meetings of the countries at the regional and international level are held on the topics of environment and climate change. Regardless of environmental issues, population growth, and the lack of control of greenhouse gas emissions, industrialization has been the most crucial cause of the climate change crisis. Chao and Feng ( 2018 ) address human activity as the leading cause of climate change and express that this challenge is a potential threat to living on Earth. Woodward ( 2019 ) argued that climate change threats include the rise in global temperature, the melting of polar ice caps, and unprecedented disease outbreaks. Therefore, urgent policies and solutions are essential to control and lower the risk of global change. One of the signs of climate change is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface. Figure 1 shows the temperature data from 1910 to 2021 for the four continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America.

Source: Authors from NOAA ( https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/global/time-series ).

The data in Fig. 1 shows that the air temperature has increased significantly over the past century, which has been more prominent in Asia and Europe. In 2021, we saw a decrease in temperature changes due to the spread of the Corona disease and a decrease in the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the role of the Asian continent in increasing the global temperature has been more than other continents due to its large population and excessive consumption of fossil fuels.

During the past decades, the world’s countries have tried to formulate and implement various environmental policies collectively in the form of agreements or separately to fight environmental threats. Regarding international agreements, such things as the Paris Agreement of 2015, the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, the Montreal Protocol of 1987, and the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985 can be addressed whose primary purpose is to integrate the goals and motivation of the international community to the world’s environmental threats. However, a group of earlier studies, such as Zheng et al. ( 2017 ), Takashima ( 2018 ), and Roelfsema et al. ( 2022 ), emphasized the inefficiency of these global agreements, especially after the left the USA from the Paris Agreement on 1 June 2017. The most important cause of this inefficiency has been the need for more motivation of countries to fulfill their international obligations towards environmental issues. However, many governments consider the threat of climate change only within their geographical boundaries and have tried to formulate and implement green policies to advance their environmental protection goals. These policies include green financial policies (green taxes, green subsidies), monetary policies (such as green loans and green financing), and cultural and social policies in line with sustainable development. The ultimate goal of these green policies is a green economy, an environmentally friendly economy, a zero carbon economy, or a sustainable economy. Lee et al. ( 2022 ) define the green economy as a broad concept comprising green industry, agriculture, and services. Centobelli et al. ( 2022 ) express that environmental sustainability should be more attention in the service sector owing to its penetration into social life and interactions.

Tourism and travel-related services are among countries’ main parts of the service sector. By creating the flow of tourists, tourism services can lead to capital transfer, job creation, cultural exchange (globalization), and increasing welfare in the country hosting the tours. According to the Yearbook of Tourism Statistics published by the World Tourism Organization, international tourism has increased from 522.2 billion US dollars in 1995 to nearly 1.86 trillion US dollars in 2019. This increase shows the importance of tourism services in generating income for countries, especially in the era of Corona and post-corona. Casado-Aranda et al. ( 2021 ) express that tourism services can be a central driver of economic growth recovery in post COVID era. Jeyacheya and Hampton ( 2022 ) argue that tourism can make high incomes for host countries leading to job creation and economic flourishing in destination cities for tourists.

An important issue mentioned in the corona era and relies on the post-corona era is the revitalizing of green economic growth. An important issue mentioned in the corona era and relying on the post-corona era is the revitalizing green economic growth (Bai et al., 2022 ; Werikhe, 2022 ), an opportunity that countries should pay more attention to in order to rebuild their economic activities. In other words, countries should plan their return to economic prosperity with environmental issues in mind. To this end, the issue of tourism finds a branch called Ecotourism or sustainable tourism which has environmental concerns and tries to help countries to improve environmental protection policies. Ecotourism is an approach based on environmental criteria, which is opposed to over-tourism (a type of tourism that disrupts the protection of the environment and destroys natural resources). The International Ecotourism Society defines Ecotourism as an efficient way to conserve the environment and improve local people’s well-being. It can be said that Ecotourism, along with various economic advantages (income generation, job creation, globalization, poverty alleviation), will bring environmental protection to the world’s countries, achieving the goals of green economic growth recovery and sustainable development. Xu et al. ( 2022 ) consider Ecotourism as one of the essential components of achieving sustainable development in the post-corona era.

Ecotourism in developing countries has more priorities compared to developed economies. Firstly, developing countries are often countries with financial problems of the government, and the governments in these countries need more capital to advance sustainable development goals. Therefore, developing ecotourism services can be a suitable solution to help these countries improve the status of sustainable development indicators and protect their environment. Second, due to the spread of the Corona disease, developing countries have experienced numerous bankruptcy in the tourism services sector. Therefore, promoting ecotourism in these countries is of great importance in the post-corona era. Third, developing countries have a high share in the emission of greenhouse gases in the world due to their high dependence on fossil fuels and the lack of advanced green technologies. Fourth, due to bureaucratic processes, high cost, and lack of market transparency, greenwashing may happen in developing economies’ ecotourism industry, meaning that a company serving ecotourism services makes its activities seem more sustainable and ethical than they are. The term “greenwashing” can harshly impact the future development path of the ecotourism industry in developing economies. According to the reasons mentioned above, developing ecotourism in developing countries can be an essential factor in controlling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in these countries.

This paper tries to contribute to the existing literature from the following aspects:

Calculating the ecotourism index for selected countries based on the criteria for measuring sustainable tourism stated by the World Tourism Organization in the United Nations. Considering that there is no specific index for ecotourism, the calculation of ecotourism in this article will be innovative.

Measuring the green governance index as a proxy for environmental policies for selected countries based on the Environment Social and Governance (ESG) data.

Selecting a sample of 40 developing countries from different geographical regions to calculate the interconnections between ecotourism, green governance, and climate change

Making a further discussion to address the role of uncertainty and the developing level of countries in the relationship between ecotourism and explanatory variables.

The main results confirm the existence of a uni-directional causal relationship running from the green governance indicator and inflation rate to the ecotourism indicator. In addition, with a 1% improvement in the green governance index of developing countries, the ecotourism of these countries will increase by 0.43%. A 1% increase in the globalization index of these countries accelerates ecotourism by 0.32%.

Moreover, ecotourism in developing countries is more sensitive to macroeconomic variables changes than in developed economies. Geopolitical risk is an influential factor in the developing process of ecotourism. The practical policies recommended by this research are developing the green financing market, establishing virtual tourism, granting green loans to small and medium enterprises, and government incentives to motivate active businesses.

The paper in continue is organized as follows: section “Literature review” provides a short literature review to determine the gaps this research seeks to fill. Section “Data and model specification” argues data and model specification. The following section represents empirical results. Section “Discussion” expresses discussion, whereas the last section provides conclusions, policy implications, research limitations, and recommendations to research further.

Literature review

This part of the article analyzes and classifies the previous literature on ecotourism and sustainable development in a rational and structured way. The importance of tourism in economic growth and development has been discussed in previous studies. However, the study of the effect of tourism on climate change has received little attention. Especially the relationship between sustainable tourism, climate change, and environmental policies is a problem that has yet to receive the attention of academic experts.

A group of previous studies has focused on the place of tourism in economic development and growth. Holzner ( 2011 ) focused on the consequences of tourism development on the economic performance of 134 countries from 1970 to 2007. They found out that excessive dependence on tourism income leads to Dutch disease in the economy, and other economic sectors need to develop to the extent of the tourism sector. In another study, Sokhanvar et al. ( 2018 ) investigated the causal link between tourism and economic growth in emerging economies from 1995 to 2014. The main results confirmed that the linkage is country-dependent. Brida et al. ( 2020 ) studied 80 economies from 1995 to 2016 to determine how tourism and economic development are related. The paper’s conclusions highlighted tourism’s-positive role in economic activities.

Another group of previous studies has linked tourism to sustainability targets. Sorensen and Grindsted ( 2021 ) expressed that nature tourism development has a positive and direct impact on achieving sustainable development goals of countries. In a new study, Li et al. ( 2022 ) studied the impacts of tourism development on life quality (as one of the sustainable development goals defined by the UN in 2015) in the case of Japan. They found that tourism development positively impacts the quality of life of age groups in the country. Ahmad et al. ( 2022 ) explored the role of tourism in the sustainability of G7 economies from 2000–2019. The primary findings revealed the positive impact of tourism arrivals on sustainable economic development. Zekan et al. ( 2022 ) investigated the impact of tourism on regional sustainability in Europe. They concluded that tourism development increases transport, leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, tourism development causes environmental pollution.

Tourism that can pay attention to environmental issues is called “ecotourism.” Many new studies have studied different dimensions of ecotourism. Lu et al. ( 2021 ) expanded the concept of the ecotourism industry. The significant results expressed that smart tourist cities are essential for efficient ecotourism in countries. Thompson ( 2022 ) expressed the characteristics of ecotourism development through survey methodology. The results confirmed the importance of transparent regulations, government support, and social intention to promote ecotourism. In another study, Heshmati et al. ( 2022 ) employed the SWOT analysis method to explore the critical success factors of ecotourism development in Iran. They found that legal documentation and private participation are major influential factors in promoting ecotourism in Iran. In line with the previous research, Hosseini et al. ( 2021 ) tried to explore the influential factors in promoting ecotourism in Iran by employing a SWOT analysis. They depicted that attracting investors is essential to enhance ecotourism projects in Iran. Hasana et al. ( 2022 ) reviewed research to analyze the earlier studies about ecotourism. The conclusions expressed that ecotourism is necessary for environmental protection. However, it is a challenging plan for the government, and they should carry out various policies toward ecotourism development. Kunjuraman et al. ( 2022 ) studied the role of ecotourism on rural community development in Malaysia. The significant results confirmed that ecotourism could transfer-positive impacts.

Several earlier studies have concentrated on the characteristics of ecotourism in different developed and developing economies. For example, Ruhanen ( 2019 ) investigated the ecotourism status in Australia. The paper concluded that the country could potentially make a larger share of ecotourism to the entire local tourism industry. Jin et al. ( 2022 ) studied the role of local community power on green tourism in Japan. They concluded that the concept of agricultural village activity and regional support positively influences the development of green tourism in Japan as a developed economy. Choi et al. ( 2022 ) sought to find aspects of ecotourism development in South Korea. The preliminary results confirmed the importance of green governance and efficient regulation to promote a sustainable tourism industry. Baloch et al. ( 2022 ) explored the ecotourism specifications in the developing economy of Pakistan. They found that Pakistan’s ecotourism needs government support and the social well-being of the visited cities. Sun et al. ( 2022 ) studied ecotourism in China. They concluded that there is imbalanced development of ecotourism among Chinese provinces due to the need for more capital to invest in all ecotourism projects throughout the Chinese cities. Tajer and Demir ( 2022 ) analyzed the ecotourism strategy in Iran. They concluded that despite various potentials in the country, insufficient capital, lack of social awareness, and political tension are the major obstacles to promoting a sustainable tourism industry in Iran.

Another group of earlier studies has drawn attention to promoting eco-tourism in the post COVID era. They believe that the corona disease has created an excellent opportunity to pay more attention to environmental issues and that countries should move towards sustainable development concepts such as sustainable (eco) tourism in the post-corona era. Soliku et al. ( 2021 ) studied eco-tourism in Ghana during the pandemic. The findings depicted the vague impacts of a pandemic on eco-tourism. Despite the short-term negative consequence of the pandemic on eco-tourism, it provides various opportunities for developing this sector in Ghana. Hosseini et al. ( 2021 ) employed the Fuzzy Dematel technique to find solutions for promoting eco-tourism during COVID-19. They found out that planning to increase the capacity of eco-tourism and incentive policies by governments can help promote the eco-tourism aspect under the pandemic’s consequences. Abedin et al. ( 2022 ) studied the consequence of COVID-19 on coastal eco-tourism development. The primary findings confirmed the negative impacts of a pandemic on the development of eco-tourism.

A review of previous studies shows that tourism can positively impact green growth and sustainable development. Sustainable tourism can be used as a policy to deal with the threat of climate change. This issue needs more attention in the corona and post-corona eras. Because in the post-corona era, many countries have sought to revive green economic growth, and ecotourism can be one of the tools to achieve it. As observed, a detailed study of the relationship between climate change, ecotourism, and environmental policies has yet to be done. Therefore, this research will address and fill this literature gap.

Data and model specification

Data description.

The paper seeks to find the relationship between climate change, ecotourism, and environmental policy for the panel of 40 developing economies from different regions from 2010 to 2021 (480 observations). The sample size could have been more extensive due to the lack of information on some variables. However, there are 480 observations in the data analysis of the data panel; therefore, the number of samples selected is acceptable.

To determine the proxies for main variables, CO2 emissions per capita are selected as the proxy for climate change. Many earlier studies (e.g., Espoir et al., 2022 ) have employed this variable as an appropriate variable representing the status of climate change. Regarding ecotourism, the World Tourism Organization proposed some measurements of sustainable tourism, and also following Yusef et al. ( 2014 ), the entropy weight method is employed to calculate a multi-dimensional ecotourism indicator comprising per capita green park area (square meters), gross domestic tourism revenue (US dollars), the ratio of good air quality (%), green transport, renewable water resources (km3) and deforestation rate (%). It is a novel ecotourism indicator that can show the ecotourism status in countries.

In addition, the green governance index is calculated as a proxy for environmental policy. Principally, the Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) data from World Bank are gathered to calculate this variable. With the improvement of the Green Governance Index, the quality of environmental policies will also increase, and vice versa. With the adverseness of the Green Governance Index, the efficiency of environmental policies will decrease.

Regarding control variables, the inflation rate as an influential factor in tourism flows is selected. The importance of this variable to promoting/declining tourism flows has been drawn to attention by some earlier studies, such as Liu et al. ( 2022 ). The inflation rate can raise the total cost of travel, causing a reduction in tourism flows, while any reduction in the inflation rate can increase the intention of tourists to travel. In addition, the KOF globalization index provided by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute is another control variable. A country with a higher degree of globalization means more readiness to accept tourists from countries with different cultures and religions.

Model specification

According to the variables mentioned above, 40 examined developing countries from 2010 to 2021, the panel co-integration model can be written as Eq. 1 :

ETOR indicates the ecotourism index, while CO2, GGI, INF, and GLOB denote Carbon dioxide emissions per capita, green governance index, inflation rate, and globalization index, respectively. i is 1,2,…,40 and shows examined developing economies, while t is time and contains 2010, 2011,..,2021.

Prior to the estimation of coefficients of Eq. 1 , the panel unit root tests are employed to find out whether the series is stationary. To this end, three tests of LLC (Levin et al., 2002 ), Breitung’s test ( 2000 ), and the PP-Fisher test (Philips and Perron, 1988 ). If all the variables are stationary at the first level of difference (I(1)), a panel co-integration test can be conducted to explore whether the model is spurious. To this end, Kao’s co-integration test ( 1999 ) and Pedroni’s residual co-integration test ( 2004 ) are conducted. If the co-integration relationship exists among variables, the panel causality test can be run to determine the causal linkages among variables. In this paper, the two steps of Engle and Granger (1987)‘s test, which is based on the error correction model (ECM) is used as Eqs. 2 – 6 :

In the above Equations, Δ is the first differences of variables, while θ and ECT represent the fixed country effect and error correction term.

The next step is the long-run panel co-integration estimations. To this end, Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) and Dynamic OLS (DOLS) as robustness checks are conducted, which are two famous panel co-integration estimators (Rasoulinezhad, 2018 ). The FMOLS estimator has various advantages. It allows serial correlation, endogeneity, and cross-sectional heterogeneity (Erdal and Erdal, 2020 ).

Empirical results

In this section, we will implement the experimental research model. The purpose of implementing an econometric model based on panel data is to find the effects of green governance variables and carbon dioxide emissions on ecotourism. As the first step, the panel unit root tests are conducted. The results are reported in Table 1 as follows:

According to Table 1 , all three-panel unit root tests depict that all series are non-stationary at the level and become stationary after a first difference. Next, the panel co-integration tests are conducted, and their results are represented in Tables 2 and 3 :

The two-panel co-integration tests’ findings confirm the presence of co-integration linkages among variables.

The panel causality test studies the short-term and long-term causal relationship among variables. Table 4 reports the results of the panel causality check as follows:

According to Table 4 , there is a uni-directional causal relationship between the green governance indicator and the inflation rate of the ecotourism indicator. At the same time, there is a bi-directional causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and ecotourism indicators, confirming the existence of the feedback effect. In addition, there is only short-term causality from the green governance indicator to carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast, ecotourism and the globalization index have a uni-directional causal linkage. In the short term, improving ecotourism can cause globalization and reduce carbon emissions in developing economies. Regarding the long-term causality, it can be concluded that the ECT of ecotourism, green governance index, and globalization index are statistically significant. These three variables are major adjustment variables when the system departs from equilibrium.

In the last stage, the long-run estimations are done through FMOLS and DOLS estimators. Table 5 lists the results of the estimations by these two-panel co-integration estimators:

Based on FMOLS estimation, it can be concluded that the Green Governance index has a positive and significant coefficient in such a way that with a 1% improvement in the green governance index of developing countries, the ecotourism of these countries will increase by 0.43%. By improving the state of green governance, the quality of formulated and implemented green policies in these countries will increase, improving the conditions of ecotourism development. This finding aligns with Agrawal et al. ( 2022 ) and Debbarma and Choi ( 2022 ), who believe that green governance is essential to sustainable development. In the case of carbon dioxide emissions, the coefficient of this variable is not statistically significant. In other words, the variable of carbon dioxide emissions per capita has no significant effect on ecotourism in developing countries. The inflation rate has a significant negative effect on ecotourism. With a 1% increase in the general prices of goods and services in developing countries, ecotourism will decrease by 0.34%. This finding aligns with Rahman ( 2022 ), who showed a negative relationship between inflation and sustainable development in their research. An increase in inflation means an increase in the total cost of a tourist’s trip to the destination country, inhibiting the growth of tourist services.

Regarding the globalization variable, this variable has a significant positive effect on the ecotourism of developing countries. With a 1% increase in the globalization index of these countries, ecotourism will increase by 0.32%. Globalization means more interaction with the world’s countries, acceptance of different cultures and customs, more language learning in society, more acceptance of tourism, and development of tourist services in the country. This finding is consistent with the results of Akadiri et al. ( 2019 ), who confirmed that globalization is one of the crucial components in tourism development.

The DOLS estimator was also used to ensure the obtained findings’ validity. The results of this method are shown in Table 5 . The signs of the coefficients are consistent with the results obtained by the FMOLS method. Therefore, the validity and reliability of the obtained coefficients are confirmed.

In this section, we will briefly discuss the relationship between ecotourism and climate change and the environmental policy considering the uncertainty and the relationship between variables in developed and developing countries.

Consideration of uncertainty

Uncertainty as a primary reason for risk has become a research issue in recent decades. Uncertainty can make the future unpredictable and uncontrollable, affecting economic decision-making. Regarding tourism, the impacts of uncertainty have been drawn to attention by several earlier studies (e.g., Dutta et al., 2020 ; Das et al., 2020 ; and Balli et al., 2019 ; Balli et al., 2018 ). In general, uncertainty in the tourism industry reflects tourists’ concerns and consumption habits in the way that by increasing uncertainty, it is expected that tourists make sense of risks and postpone their tourism activities, and vice versa; in the sphere of certainties, the various risks are clear, and tourists can make rational decisions for their tourism plans and activities. In order to explore the impacts of uncertainties on eco-tourism of the examined developing economies, the geopolitical risk index (GPR) as a proxy for economic policy uncertainty index is gathered and added as a control variable to Eq. 1 . The estimations results by FMOLS are reported in Table 6 as follows.

According to Table 6 , the uncertainty (geopolitical risk) has a negative coefficient meaning that with a 1% increase in geopolitical risk, the eco-tourism industry in the examined developing countries decreases by approximately 0.69%. The signs of coefficients of other variables align with the earlier findings, represented in Table 5 . In addition, the magnitude of the impact of geopolitical risk is larger than the impacts of other variables highlighting the importance of lower geopolitical risk in these economies to reach sustainable tourism targets.

Difference in developed and developing economies

Considering the different structures and financial power of these two groups of countries, the relationship between the variables mentioned in these two groups is expected to be different. In the previous section, the results for the group of developing countries showed that the Green Governance index has a positive and significant coefficient. In the case of carbon dioxide emissions, the coefficient of this variable is not statistically significant. The inflation rate has a significant negative effect on ecotourism. Regarding the globalization variable, it can be mentioned that this variable has a significant positive effect on the ecotourism of developing countries. In order to analyze the relationship between variables in the developed countries, the top 10 countries with the highest HDI in 2021 are selected (Switzerland (0.962), Norway (0.961), Iceland (0.959), Hong Kong (0.952), Australia (0.951), Denmark (0.948), Sweden (0.947) and Ireland (0.945)). The selected variables, explained in section “Data and model specification”, are collected from 2010 to 2021. The panel unit root tests confirmed that all series are non-stationary at the level and become stationary after a first difference. In addition, the presence of co-integration linkages among variables is revealed by the panel co-integration test. The panel co-integration estimator of FMOLS is employed to study the long-term relationship among variables. The findings are reported in Table 7 as follows:

According to the estimated coefficients, the green governance indicator positively and statistically significantly impacts ecotourism in the examined developed economies. However, the magnitude of the impact of this variable is more considerable for developing countries because these countries have more imbalances in markets and regulations. Therefore, the presence of good green tourism can have a more positive effect on advancing the goal of ecotourism. Contrary to the findings of developing countries, carbon dioxide emission in developed countries has a negative and significant effect, meaning that with an increase of 1% in carbon dioxide in developed countries, the level of ecotourism becomes more unfavorable by 0.034%. Moreover, inflation and globalization variables have significant negative and positive coefficients, respectively. However, the magnitudes of these two variables’ coefficients are also higher in developing countries. Ecotourism in developing countries is more sensitive to changes in macroeconomic variables such as green governance, globalization, and inflation.

Another difference between eco-tourism in developed and developing economies may be interpreted through the term “greenwashing,” introduced by Westerveld in 1986 (Maichum et al., 2016 ). In developing countries, due to the economic structure, limited knowledge, bureaucratic process, lack of legal eco-certification, and imperfect competition, a company involved in the eco-tourism industry makes an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into accepting the company’s services are in line with environmental protection policies. Hence, green governance in developing countries should have another role in regulating the eco-tourism market to lower the threat of greenwashing in eco-tourism services.

Conclusions and policy recommendations

Concluding remarks.

The findings of econometric modeling revealed the relationship between environmental policies, climate change, and ecotourism. Based on the findings of the econometric model, the following conclusions can be presented:

A uni-directional causal relationship runs from the green governance indicator and inflation rate to the ecotourism indicator, which means that any changes in green governance and inflation rate cause changes in ecotourism, which is vital for developing economies where governance and inflation rate are two crucial issues.

There is a bi-directional causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and ecotourism indicators, confirming the existence of the feedback hypothesis, expressing that in developing economies, any policies related to ecotourism cause changes in CO2 emissions and vice versa.

There is only short-term causality from the green governance indicator to carbon dioxide emissions, whereas there is a uni-directional causal linkage from ecotourism to the globalization index. In other words, in the short term, improving ecotourism can cause globalization and reduce carbon emissions in developing economies.

By improving green governance in developing economies, the quality of formulated and implemented green policies in these countries will increase, improving the conditions of ecotourism development.

An increase in the inflation rate raises the total cost of a tourist’s trip to developing economies, inhibiting the growth of eco-tourist services.

Globalization means more interaction with the world’s countries, acceptance of different cultures and customs, more language learning in society, more acceptance of tourism, and development of tourist services in developing countries.

Policy implications

In order to achieve the promotion of ecotourism in developing countries, the implementation of integrated and effective strategic and practical policies is of great importance. According to the concluding remarks mentioned, practical policies are presented as follows for enhancing ecotourism in developed countries. The development of ecotourism requires the improvement of various infrastructures and mechanisms, which depends on the implementation of projects related to ecotourism in developing countries. Because most countries do not have enough financial power to invest in such projects, developing the green financing market can be one of the critical practical solutions. The green financing tool can increase the investment risk and return on investment in such projects, and as a result, the participation of the private sector in these projects will increase. With information and communication technology development, virtual tourism can solve many environmental issues related to human physical presence. Virtual tourism is one of the branches of tourism services that provide people with destinations, places of interest, and tourist attractions with full quality but in virtual form. Another practical policy is granting green loans to small and medium enterprises active in ecotourism. Despite the organizational agility, these companies do not have the significant financial power to develop different sectors of ecotourism; therefore, the cooperation of the banking industry of developing countries by providing green loans (with low-interest rates) can motivate small and medium-sized companies in the field of activities related to ecotourism. Government incentives to motivate businesses active in ecotourism and government deterrent policies (green tax) from businesses active in the field of tourism to lead them to increase the share of ecotourism in their activities can be a proper operational strategy. In developing countries, the role of government and green governance is vital in advancing the goals of ecotourism. By improving the level of its green governance, the government can create efficient policies, regulations, and social tools to create motivation and desire to accept ecotourism, an essential and undeniable issue in developing societies. Creating a guarantee fund for ecotourism companies in developing countries is another practical policy to support these companies financially. Guarantee funds can be established with the participation of the people of ecotourism destinations in order to strengthen the financial strength of ecotourism companies in these destinations.

Limitations and recommendations to further research

This research had a practical and innovative contribution to the literature on ecotourism in developing countries. The findings obtained from the econometric model analysis provided appropriate practical and strategic policies to the policymakers of countries interested in the development of ecotourism. However, access to data related to the ecotourism index and sustainable development of developing countries due to the lack of community in a specific database is considered one of the critical limitations of this research. This limitation caused many developing countries to be excluded from the research sample, which may have created a deviation in the research. Adding more countries to the test sample in future research is suggested to obtain complete and accurate results. Also, due to the outbreak of the Corona pandemic at the end of 2019 and the Russia-Ukraine war since the beginning of 2022, it is suggested that these two variables be included in the econometric model as an illusion in order to analyze their effects on the ecotourism of the countries of the world. Using other econometric methods, such as artificial neural networks, is suggested to model ecotourism in different countries. Complex modeling by taking into account trends and trends to predict the relationship between variables in the future will be an essential step in formulating effective programs in ecotourism.

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Shang, Y., Bi, C., Wei, X. et al. Eco-tourism, climate change, and environmental policies: empirical evidence from developing economies. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10 , 275 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01777-w

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What's the problem with overtourism?

With visitor numbers around the world increasing towards pre-pandemic levels, the issue of overtourism is once again rearing its head.

When locals in the charming Austrian lakeside village of Hallstatt staged a blockade of the main access tunnel, brandishing placards asking visitors to ‘think of the children’, it highlighted what can happen when places start to feel overrun by tourists. Hallstatt has just 800 residents but has opened its doors to around 10,000 visitors a day — a population increase of over 1,000%. And it’s just one of a growing number of places where residents are up in arms at the influx of travellers.

The term ‘overtourism’ is relatively new, having been coined over a decade ago to highlight the spiralling numbers of visitors taking a toll on cities, landmarks and landscapes. As tourist numbers worldwide return towards pre-pandemic levels, the debate around what constitutes ‘too many’ visitors continues. While many destinations, reliant on the income that tourism brings, are still keen for arrivals, a handful of major cities and sites are now imposing bans, fines, taxes and time-slot systems, and, in some cases, even launching campaigns of discouragement in a bid to curb tourist numbers.

What is overtourism?

In essence, overtourism is too many people in one place at any given time. While there isn’t a definitive figure stipulating the number of visitors allowed, an accumulation of economic, social and environmental factors determine if and how numbers are creeping up.

There are the wide-reaching effects, such as climate change. Coral reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef and Maya Bay, Thailand, made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Beach , are being degraded from visitors snorkelling, diving and touching the corals, as well as tour boats anchoring in the waters. And 2030 transport-related carbon emissions from tourism are expected to grow 25% from 2016 levels, representing an increase from 5% to 5.3% of all man-made emissions, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). More localised issues are affecting locals, too. Renters are being evicted by landlords in favour of turning properties into holiday lets, and house prices are escalating as a result. As visitors and rental properties outnumber local residents, communities are being lost. And, skyrocketing prices, excessive queues, crowded beaches, exorbitant noise levels, damage at historical sites and the ramifications to nature as people overwhelm or stray from official paths are also reasons the positives of tourism can have a negative impact.

Conversely, ‘undertourism’ is a term applied to less-frequented destinations, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. The economic, social and environmental benefits of tourism aren't always passed on to those with plenty of capacity and, while tourist boards are always keen for visitors to visit their lesser-known attractions, it’s a more sustainable and rewarding experience for both residents and visitors.

What’s the main problem with it?

Overcrowding is an issue for both locals and tourists. It can ruin the experience of sightseeing for those trapped in long queues, unable to visit museums, galleries and sites without advance booking, incurring escalating costs for basics like food, drink and hotels, and faced with the inability to experience the wonder of a place in relative solitude. The absence of any real regulations has seen places take it upon themselves to try and establish some form of crowd control, meaning no cohesion and no real solution.

Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel, a tour operator that focuses on more sustainable travel, says “Social media has concentrated tourism in hotspots and exacerbated the problem, and tourist numbers globally are increasing while destinations have a finite capacity. Until local people are properly consulted about what they want and don’t want from tourism, we’ll see more protests.”

A French start up, Murmuration, which monitors the environmental impact of tourism by using satellite data, states that 80% of travellers visit just 10% of the world's tourism destinations, meaning bigger crowds in fewer spots. And, the UNWTO predicts that by 2030, the number of worldwide tourists, which peaked at 1.5 billion in 2019, will reach 1.8 billion,   likely leading to greater pressure on already popular spots and more objection from locals.

Who has been protesting?

Of the 800 residents in the UNESCO-listed village of Hallstatt, around 100 turned out in August to show their displeasure and to push for a cap on daily visitors and a curfew on tour coach arrivals.

Elsewhere, residents in Venice fought long and hard for a ban on cruise ships, with protest flags often draped from windows. In 2021, large cruise ships over 25,000 tonnes were banned from using the main Giudecca Canal, leaving only smaller passenger ferries and freight vessels able to dock.

In France, the Marseille Provence Cruise Club introduced a flow management system for cruise line passengers in 2020, easing congestion around the popular Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Basilica. A Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) spokesperson said, “Coaches are limited to four per ship during the morning or afternoon at the Basilica to ensure a good visitor experience and safety for residents and local businesses. This is a voluntary arrangement respected by cruise lines.”

While in Orkney, Scotland, residents have been up in arms at the number of cruise ships docking on its shores. At the beginning of 2023, the local council confirmed that 214 cruise ship calls were scheduled for the year, bringing around £15 million in revenue to the islands. Following backlash from locals, the council has since proposed a plan to restrict the number of ships on any day.

What steps are being taken?  

City taxes have become increasingly popular, with Barcelona increasing its nightly levy in April 2023 — which was originally introduced in 2012 and varies depending on the type of accommodation — and Venice expects to charge day-trippers a €5 fee from 2024.

In Amsterdam this summer, the city council voted to ban cruise ships, while the mayor, Femke Halsema, commissioned a campaign of discouragement, asking young British men who planned to have a 'vacation from morals’ to stay away. In Rome, sitting at popular sites, such as the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, has been restricted by the authorities.

And in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, meanwhile, the Narok County governor has introduced on-the-spot fines for off-roading. He also plans to double nightly park fees in peak season.

What are the forecasts for global tourism?  

During the Covid pandemic, tourism was one of the hardest-hit industries — according to UNWTO, international tourist arrivals dropped 72% in 2020. However, traveller numbers have since been rapidly increasing, with double the number of people venturing abroad in the first three months of 2023 than in the same period in 2022. And, according to the World Travel Tourism Council, the tourism sector is expected to reach £7.5 trillion this year, 95% of its pre-pandemic levels.

While the tourism industry is forecast to represent 11.6% of the global economy by 2033, it’s also predicted that an increasing number of people will show more interest in travelling more sustainably. In a 2022 survey by Booking.com, 64% of the people asked said they would be prepared to stay away from busy tourist sites to avoid adding to congestion.

Are there any solutions?  

There are ways to better manage tourism by promoting more off-season travel, limiting numbers where possible and having greater regulation within the industry. Encouraging more sustainable travel and finding solutions to reduce friction between residents and tourists could also have positive impacts. Promoting alternative, less-visited spots to redirect travellers may also offer some benefits.

Harold Goodwin, emeritus professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, says, “Overtourism is a function of visitor volumes, but also of conflicting behaviours, crowding in inappropriate places and privacy. Social anthropologists talk about frontstage and backstage spaces. Tourists are rarely welcome in backstage spaces. To manage crowds, it’s first necessary to analyse and determine the causes of them.

Francis adds: “However, we must be careful not to just recreate the same problems elsewhere. The most important thing is to form a clear strategy, in consultation with local people about what a place wants or needs from tourism.”

As it stands, overtourism is a seasonal issue for a small number of destinations. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, a range of measures are clearly an option depending on the scale of the problem. For the majority of the world, tourism remains a force for good with many benefits beyond simple economic growth.

Related Topics

• OVERTOURISM
• SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

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Is overtourism overused understanding the impact of tourism in a city context.

1. The Rise of Overtourism

2. a concise history of tourism’s impacts, 3. methodology, 4. causes of disturbance, 5. managing overtourism in a city context.

“Some of the underlying problems have nothing to do with tourism. If there is a rainy day you will have traffic jams in town. Too many people are driving in. If you add a couple of thousands of tourists it breaks down.”

“People are leaving the city [because] rental prices are way too high. There are many people moving to the surroundings and then commute by car every day. It is a circle that never ends.”

6. Discussion

• Overtourism is not a recent phenomenon —In spite of the recent increase of attention to overtourism, the underlying issues on which it is predicated are not new, even if they may be more intense and expressed in new ways (e.g., sharing economy platforms);
• Overtourism is not the same as mass tourism —Whilst increasing tourist numbers are a cause of overtourism, some areas are able to cope with large numbers of tourists. It is about perceived tourism encounters, environmental changes and infringements on people’s lives [ 17 ]. Indeed, even a small absolute increase of tourist numbers in newly developing tourist areas can have great negative impacts;
• Overtourism impacts are not city-wide —Overtourism is predominantly observed in (increasingly) popular parts of the city, at a certain time or during certain events. Even though this means that there are areas with limited tourism activity, residents can still perceive overtourism. It is not a concept that can be objectively measured;
• Overtourism is not a tourism-only problem —Overtourism is caused by an overuse of the resources, infrastructure, or facilities of a destination, or parts thereof. Tourists share these with residents, commuters and day visitors and their numbers have also increased in recent years. In addition, wider societal trends and events (e.g., the global crisis of 2008, real-estate speculation, increase of internet use for shopping and/or social media) have also contributed to the issues now associated with overtourism;
• Technological or smart solutions alone will not solve overtourism —The importance of technological solutions to combat overtourism should not be overestimated, given that the issue of overtourism is largely social in nature—different groups of city users sharing and competing for the same space. In addition, new technologies also lead to or intensify specific issues in the city (e.g., sharing economy accommodation platforms);
• There is no one-size-fits-all solution for overtourism —The way in which overtourism manifests itself, as well as the possibilities for dealing with the issues strongly depend on the city context and solutions need to be made to fit this local context. To achieve this, stakeholders need to engage with each other to come to inclusive solutions;
• Overtourism is not just an issue in cities —Much of the discussion regarding overtourism focuses on the tourist city context, but it can also be observed in rural or island destinations.

Author Contributions

Acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Koens, K.; Postma, A.; Papp, B. Is Overtourism Overused? Understanding the Impact of Tourism in a City Context. Sustainability 2018 , 10 , 4384. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124384

Koens K, Postma A, Papp B. Is Overtourism Overused? Understanding the Impact of Tourism in a City Context. Sustainability . 2018; 10(12):4384. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124384

Koens, Ko, Albert Postma, and Bernadett Papp. 2018. "Is Overtourism Overused? Understanding the Impact of Tourism in a City Context" Sustainability 10, no. 12: 4384. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124384

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Overtourism: A Potential Outcome in Contemporary Tourism—Concepts, Indicators, and Impacts

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• Kathleen L. Andereck 4  

Overtourism is increasingly an issue with popular destinations. The heavy volume of visitors across multiple seasons and the resentment of residents to tourism development and visitor volumes are two key concepts of overtourism. This chapter provides a thorough review of definitions and theoretical frameworks associated with overtourism and provides a toolkit of indicators and measurement of those indicators to gauge size of tourism economy, employment, tourism visitation, development levels, media reach, and stakeholder’s perspectives. Overtourism is known for when tourism exceeds social and environmental capacities of a community.

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Pham, K., Vogt, C.A., Andereck, K.L. (2024). Overtourism: A Potential Outcome in Contemporary Tourism—Concepts, Indicators, and Impacts. In: Chhabra, D., Atal, N., Maheshwari, A. (eds) Sustainable Development and Resilience of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63145-0_9

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A tourism policy ill-suited for Jammu and Kashmir Premium

The damage being caused to the region’s fragile environment highlights the need for a resilient and sustainable tourism model.

Updated - September 07, 2024 11:22 am IST

‘The influx of tourists is causing great stress to the Valley’s delicate ecological equilibrium’ | Photo Credit: The Hindu

In the collective consciousness, Kashmir remains an Eden, but time has changed its environment. The relentless march of urbanisation and commercialisation has inflicted grievous wounds on this once pristine sanctuary. The manifestations of climate change are also evident.

Effects of new policy

The influx of tourists is causing great stress to the Valley’s delicate ecological equilibrium. The Jammu and Kashmir government’s recent tourism policy efforts, ostensibly to project an image of tranquillity and normalcy after the dilution of the region’s special status, have had significant environmental repercussions. According to official data, over four crore tourists have visited Kashmir since the announcement of a new tourism policy in 2020. In the first half of 2024, 1.2 million tourists arrived in Kashmir.

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The unbridled escalation in tourist activities, propelled by the administration’s endeavours to showcase the Valley’s newfound stability, is causing an array of ecological disturbances. Additionally, inadequate waste management systems are worsening pollution levels in waterbodies, further compounding the ecological degradation. The promotion of pilgrimage tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in areas such as Pahalgam and the Trikuta ranges where the Mata Vaishno Devi temple is located, has significantly strained the fragile ecosystem. The influx, often exceeding the region’s carrying capacity, has led to deforestation, waste accumulation, and unregulated construction. Experts believe that it was unchecked tourism that was a key factor contributing to the catastrophic floods in 2014.

The influx of visitors necessitates the expansion of infrastructure from hotels, roads, and recreational facilities, that invariably encroach upon natural habitats. The construction boom not only disrupts wildlife corridors but also leads to deforestation, exacerbating soil erosion and affecting the landscape. Moreover, the heightened demand for water and electricity strains local resources.

Unchecked withdrawal of groundwater is depleting aquifers at an alarming rate, while increased electricity consumption necessitates greater reliance on hydroelectric projects. These projects, though renewable in nature, can devastate local aquatic ecosystems and alter the hydrological balance.

There is an acute shortage of drinking water in many areas of Kashmir. The depletion of glaciers at a faster rate due to climate change has led to water scarcity. The Valley is facing an imminent agricultural drought, a situation exacerbated by below-average rainfall and erratic weather patterns. The region is witnessing less water in rivers and streams, in turn affecting irrigation. Drought also threatens crop yields, which could lead to economic distress for farmers and potential food shortages. Climate change poses long-term challenges to Kashmir’s agricultural sustainability and food security.

A fragile region

Jammu and Kashmir is a region that is affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and avalanches. The region also lies in a seismically active zone. The catastrophic floods of 2014 caused widespread destruction, submerging large parts of the Kashmir Valley, damaging infrastructure, and displacing thousands of people. Around five million people were affected — around 4.5 million in the Valley and half a million in the Jammu region. The State’s economy suffered an estimated loss of ₹5,400 crore-₹5,700 crore. In 2022, flash floods caused by a cloudburst near Amarnath killed 16 people and left 40 missing. The construction of roads to unexplored tourist destinations, where the intent is to boost accessibility and economic growth, often ends up disrupting fragile ecosystems.

The landslide in Wayanad, Kerala , which claimed over 200 lives, is a stark reminder of the grave dangers posed by unchecked commercialisation in ecologically sensitive regions. It is a moment of caution in regions such as Kashmir, which have a delicate ecosystem.

Have a new model

The natural beauty of Kashmir is a significant draw for tourists, but the push for commercialisation through the construction of hotels, resorts and other infrastructure can have catastrophic consequences if not managed sustainably. The region’s fragile environment necessitates the adoption of a resilient and sustainable tourism model. In Jammu and Kashmir, this would involve promoting eco-friendly practices that minimise environmental degradation such as reducing waste, conserving water, and protecting biodiversity. It also requires the inclusion of local communities in tourism planning and decision-making.

Building resilience requires infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather, diversifying tourism offerings beyond just the peak seasons, and creating policies that protect the interests of both tourists and locals. By adopting a resilient and sustainable tourism model, Jammu and Kashmir can safeguard its natural beauty, support local communities, and ensure that tourism remains a viable economic driver for generations to come. This shift is not only necessary but also urgent in order to balance economic development with environmental conservation and social equity in the region.

Bilal Ahmad Wagay is an Assistant Professor of political science in Jammu and Kashmir higher education, and a researcher and literary critic

Published - September 07, 2024 12:08 am IST

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Jammu and Kashmir / Jammu and Kashmir Floods / tourism / environmental pollution / environmental issues / water pollution / religion and belief / deforestation / waste / hotel and accommodation / road transport / tourism and leisure / water supply / climate change / food security / agriculture / earthquake / Kerala / economy (general)

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Impact of Urban Sunken Square Design on Summer Outdoor Thermal Comfort Using Machine Learning

31 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2024

Haibin Zhang

Chongqing University

Neda Ghaeili

Pennsylvania State University

Julian Wang

The issue of the thermal environment in urban open spaces has grown more noticeable due to the combined impact of global warming and the urban heat island effect. Insufficient research has been conducted on the impact of geometric space shape on the thermal environment, despite its significance as a public area. This paper analyses the influence of the geometric space shape of a sunken square on thermal comfort in Chongqing. The evaluation index used is PET, and the methods of field measurement and software simulation are employed. A prediction model is established to examine the relationship between the geometric space shape of the sunken square and thermal comfort. The findings indicate that space view factor (SVF), slope angle, and orientation are the primary determinants influencing the thermal conditions of a submerged square. The SVF and aspect ratio are directly proportional to the pet value of the sunken square, but the slope angle, (width/height) W/H ratio, and depth are inversely proportional to the pet value of the sunken square. Planting a combination of shrubs and grass on the ground is more favorable for enhancing the thermal conditions of the sunken area.

Keywords: Urban open space, Design parameters, thermal comfort, Predictive model, machine Learning

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Haibin Zhang (Contact Author)

Chongqing university ( email ).

Shazheng Str 174, Shapingba District Shazheng street, Shapingba district Chongqing 400044, 400030 China

Pennsylvania State University ( email )

University Park, PA United States

University Park State College, PA 16802 United States

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