Management of Tourism (CIE IGCSE Geography)

• Tourism has become so large-scale in so many parts of the world that it needs to be managed
• Key tourist destinations are looking to sustainability to protect their incomes but also their environments
• Some areas of sustainable tourism have been more successful than others, and it's important to remember that not all schemes work

Sustainable tourism

• Organised so that environmental, social and economic levels can be maintained in the future without compromising the present areas
• Tourism operates in a world of finite resources where its impact is becoming an issue 
• People and environmental groups are becoming more aware of the destination footprint and urge people to:
  • Fly less and stay longer
  • Consider slow travel
  • Stay locally
  • Avoid international chain hotels and inclusive holidays
  • Carbon-offset their flight

Ecotourism

• The most easily recognised of sustainable tourism
• This is a specialised form of tourism in which small numbers of people experience unusual or niche environments such as coral reefs, tropical rainforests, remote mountain areas, Antarctica, and other conservation areas
• Community based tourism are becoming more popular in fragile environments of LEDCs, bringing larger benefits to the local community and employment

Ecotourism in Bhutan

• Ecotourism is all about visitors leaving as small a carbon footprint as possible to the benefit of the community and environment
• As one of the poorest developing nations, Bhutan can claim to have one of the most sustainable tourist industries in the world 
• Bhutan's tourist sector is one of the most exclusive travel destinations in the world with a reputation for a spectacular natural environment, authenticity, remoteness and a well-protected cultural heritage 
• Ecotourism is usually run by private enterprises; however, Bhutan's government has adopted a different approach of 'high value but low volume' tourism creating a sense of exclusivity
• After 300 years of self-isolation, Bhutan opened its borders to tourists in 1974
• Due in part to the realisation that hotels built for the King's coronation could be used to accommodate paying guests so boosting foreign exchange and providing much-needed revenue for the country's development
• Initially only 2500 foreign visits were allowed, today that number has doubled reinforcing the exclusivity
• All tourists are escorted in groups to specific locations and must travel on officially approved tour operators
• All are expected to pay a 'Sustainable Development Fee' or surcharge of $200 (£167) per day
• The surcharge goes towards offsetting tourist's carbon footprint and upskilling workers along with protecting Bhutan's unique heritage and spectacular mountain scenery
• However, some argue that all it does is attract wealthier visitors and promote Bhutan as a niche destination
• Ultimately, Bhutan's strategy does control the volume and impact of tourism

Protected areas

• This involves protecting vast areas from development
• National Parks - Yellowstone was the first to be established in 1872 and now there are more than 4000 worldwide
• Many countries have National Forests, Country Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Sites and other areas considered important to protect

Tourist hubs

• Concentratin of tourism into one particular area of a country or region
• Impacts are seen to be kept to one place
• However, it is difficult to keep tourism within boundaries and overspill occurs
• Any benefits are kept within that area and not spread throughout the community
• Creates division within the area

Quotas

• Number of tourists would not be allowed to exceed a sustainable level
• Based on a lottery system of so many places being available 
• Can be difficult to administer and causes tension
• Conservation areas have permits allowing visitors to see unique areas or animals - coral reefs, mountain gorillas, Galapagos Islands etc

• Tourism is important to Cyprus as it provides thousands of jobs and contributes an average of 20% to the country's GDP
• Cyprus island is partitioned into the Turkish Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus
• This case study will be focusing on the southern Greek part of the island
• Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers (average 28°C) and rainy winters (average 10°C)
• Due to a series of water shortages, annual demand now outstrips supply and Cyprus is classified as 'water poor'
• There is an increasing reliance on desalinisation plants which increases energy consumption but only provides 45% of the increased demand and is harmful to the environment
• In 2006 the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI) was launched to develop a sustainable approach to tourism in Cyprus through:
  • Improve the quality of life in poorer communities disadvantaged by tourism
  • Promote the preservation, conservation and protection of Cyprus's environment, whilst sustainably using its natural resources
  • Reduce its carbon footprint due to tourism
  • Promote research and education in sustainability
• Some of the projects undertaken are:
• Managing water, energy and water -
  • Gardens and landscaping account for up to 22% of a hotel's water consumption
  • Limit the use of grass and exotic vegetation which require frequent watering
  • Encourage hotels to use native plants as they naturally adapt to less rainfall and are representative of Cyprus
  • Reduce the number of swimming pools
  • Increase the use of renewable energy - solar power is a major source of energy for Cyprus 
  • Use of energy saving devices in hotels and public spaces
  • Reduce the use of plastic and plastic waste
• Improve conditions on beaches through organised beach cleaning events
• Working with the tourism sector to reduce demand and consumption of single use plastics in tourist hotspots such as Ayia Napa 
• Organise turtle watches during hatching time to ensure the hatchlings get to the sea and not into hotel resorts
• Encourage rural tourism to spread the benefits among poorer communities through art and history projects, accommodation and local events
• The reduction of Cyprus's carbon footprint in a significant manner is difficult as most tourists arrive by air and tour the island either by car or coach