The Impact of Tourism on Attractions and the Environment

Posted on Aug 16, 2024 in Economy

Tourism Attractions and Their Management

Ownership and Funding

Attractions are owned and managed by various organizations, trusts, and individuals across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Large commercial ventures dominate the sector. High levels of state involvement in attraction funding are evident across Europe and in other parts of the world like Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia. However, there is little public sector intervention in attractions in the USA.

Visitor Perception

The perception of an attraction can vary greatly among visitors. For example, sites associated with disaster and death, known as “Dark Tourism” (e.g., the WTC site and Holocaust memorials), have become tourist attractions. These attractions pose ethical and philosophical dilemmas and are likely to be perceived differently by different groups of people.

Factors Contributing to the Success of Tourist Attractions

  1. The type of attraction or product being offered
  2. Market demand for the product
  3. Professional management skills and the operator’s available resources
  4. Ease of access from major routes and centers of tourist and resident populations
  5. Appropriate opening hours
  6. Provision and quality of onsite amenities such as parking, visitor centers, signs, shops, guides, toilets, and litter bins
  7. Quality of service, including staff appearance, attitude, behavior, and competence
  8. The mood, expectation, behavior, and attitude of visitors
  9. Value for money offered by the product

Operational Performance of Hotels

Key Performance Indicators

  1. Occupancy Rates: The percentage of available rooms occupied by guests.
  2. Average Room Rate (APR): The average price charged for a room, considering the highest and lowest rates.
  3. Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR): The revenue generated from each guest room after deducting the costs of supplying the room, representing a form of profit.

Marketing Concepts and Approaches

Marketing Concepts

  1. Production Concept: Consumers favor products that are readily available and affordable.
  2. Product Concept: Consumers favor products offering the highest quality, performance, and features. Organizations should focus on continuous product improvement.
  3. Selling Concept: Consumers will not purchase enough of a product unless the company engages in extensive selling and promotion efforts.
  4. Marketing Concept: Achieving organizational goals depends on understanding the needs and wants of target markets and delivering superior satisfaction compared to competitors.
  5. Societal Marketing Concept: Companies should make marketing decisions by considering consumer wants, company requirements, consumers’ long-term interests, and society’s long-term interests.

Approaches to Marketing Plan Development

  1. Needs Analysis: Define the general objectives of the organization (e.g., increasing customer numbers by expanding the services they purchase).
  2. Research & Analysis: Conduct SWOT, PEST analysis, market segmentation, and target market identification.
  3. Creative Infusion: Generate innovative ideas to differentiate the plan from competitors.
  4. Strategic Positioning: Review the organization’s current and future customer needs, competitive advantages, and competitor positioning.
  5. Marketing Plan Development: Create separate marketing plans for each market segment to attract new and repeat customers, incorporating SMART goals.
  6. Training, Implementation, Evaluation, and Adjustment: To maintain competitiveness and adapt to changing customer needs, continuous training and evaluation are essential.

Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Tourism

Environmental Issues

Environmental Degradation and Pollution

  • Degradation and pollution of the environment due to golf courses and littering.
  • Destruction of habitats and damage to ecosystems due to poorly managed tourism.
  • Unmanaged human interference with specific species of fauna and flora.
  • Dynamite blasting and overfishing.

Loss of Coastal and Marine Resources

  • Coastal ecosystem damage and destruction through tourism development.
  • Destruction of coral reefs, lagoons, and mangroves due to excessive visitation and/or unmanaged exploitation.
  • Disturbance to near-shore aquatic life due to thrill crafts and boat tours.
  • Damage to coastal rainforest ecosystems.
  • Loss of sandy beaches due to onshore development and construction of seawalls.

Coastal Pollution

  • Wastewater discharge and sewage pollution.
  • Marine and harbor pollution.
  • Coastal oil pollution from motorized vehicles and ships.

Surface Water and Groundwater Diversion

  • Diversion of streams and water resources from local use to resort use, leading to a decline in water availability for domestic, productive, and agricultural purposes.

Wildlife Issues

Tourism can significantly impact wildlife. For example, manatees are often attracted to marinas and harbors for food, leading to interactions with tourists that can be detrimental to their well-being. Despite legal protection and established codes of conduct, divers have been observed touching and following manatees, and boat operators often circle them. Researchers advise against visiting manatees to ensure their survival, as they are frequently injured by jet-skis and high-speed boats.

Socioeconomic Issues

While tourism can stimulate the economy in coastal areas, creating employment and investment opportunities, it can also lead to negative socioeconomic impacts. In some areas, local communities have been restricted from accessing beaches that have been reserved for exclusive beach resorts. For instance, in St. Thomas, an island in the Caribbean, only two out of the original 50 beaches remained open for public use after tourism resort development. However, there are also positive examples, such as the whale watching industry in Kaikoura, New Zealand, which has contributed to the regeneration of a declining area, reducing unemployment and increasing average household incomes.