Leisure Tourism and the Environment - Research Paper Example

Impacts of Leisure and Tourism to the Environment Introduction Globally, tourism still tops as one of the resource intensive industry with much recognition both at local and international levels. Therefore, sustainability is based on the concentration of upgrade and development of tourism. However, focus on environmental sustainability requires a critical understanding of both the hotel industry and the environmental awareness. The above is aimed at ensuring green management and ecotourism by the public and other stakeholders in the tourism industry (Sharma, 2003). Despite the fact that sustainable tourism is a familiar concept to most of the societal members, its relation to leisure lacks precise correlation. Sustainability is relative to the societal concept, which means that tourism resources must be under control to ensure an environment free from pollution. Besides, it focuses on depletion and must be applied appropriately in a way that benefit the future generation. With many concerns of environment, tourism industry has since adopted the concept of sustainability. As such, it has remained an important concept towards environmental sustainability. Leisure tourism and the environment Mayon (2013), clarifies that there is a wide range of possibilities by, which the public spend holiday activities and leisure time. Touring and exploring the environment is one of the leisure activities that most people love. Whereas, some members of the public may decide to seek for the nature walk in the jungle far away from home, others may decide to utilize such an opportunity in luxurious hotels. Regardless of any form of leisure, precautions must be taken to ensure that its negative impacts to the environment are avoided. It has also been pointed out that tourism exert pressure to the environment around the destinations that are frequented by members of the public. In essence, a tour around coastal terrain causes an impact to the communities, especially around areas that are mostly dominated by visitors. In certain environments, hotels and lodges have been built taking up land that initially played an important host to both living organisms and the society that are also critical to the ecosystem. Besides, campsites and bone fire that are used as alternative accommodation to warm the environment during at night have also attributed to massive degradation of the environment. The above activities enhance the rate of landslides and depletion of water catchment areas. Eventually, the environment becomes even much more eroded when raw toxic wastes from restaurants are released into water bodies hence increasing the rate of toxicity. As such, it is harmful to either human consumption or marine life (Mayon, 2013). Environmental management of leisure facilities Most of the tourism facilities are currently taking more precautions concerning environmental issues and necessary measures that are vital to the environment. For instance, members of the public who are engaged in hotelier industry have since adopted mechanisms such as recycling and treating of already used water, proper waste management solutions, and protection of the available energy and sensitization of the public about the need of a safe environment for the future (Raj & Musgrave, 2009). With respect to above, there has been acute shift in number customers who have developed passion for dining in reservation joints that care about the environment. It is through the above campaigns that most organizations linked to leisure and tourism management have improvised appropriate programs that are tailor-made to reduce the negative aspects that degrade the environment (Malley, 2008). From researches that have been carried out in different tourism environments, results have shown that proper use energy is not only necessary in ensuring ecological balance, but also vital in ensuring that the future environment remains sustainable. Moreover, distance and means of transport are of the critical impact to the environment. Activities such as sailing in a cruise or scatting have considerable impact to the environment as compared to several leisure activities such as cycling or visiting an animal orphanage. Therefore, due to the variations in impacts, several elements must be considered when an evaluation of the impacts is being carried out as clarified by (Malley, 2008). Economic predictability of sustainable tourism Tourism economists argue that positive projections in tourism depend on different ecological environments. Since it is believed to be an industry leading in the growth rate, it has continued to pose serious threats to the available biodiversity and the future livelihood of the ecosystem. As such, must sustainable tourism is targeted to build the reputation of the industry in the near future. Stakeholders in the tourism industry each play a role in ensuring economic wellbeing of such regions and the community inhabiting around such environments. Moreover, it ensures an improvement and stable future societal benefits (Nagle, 2002; Ritchie & Crouch, 2003). According to Nagle (2002), leisure and sustainable tourism supports local economies within the environment of its operation thus creating a remorseful business niche while preserving local heritage. Besides, tourists within a given business environment enhances economic growth of a particular locality by boosting business within such regions. Increased tourism activities create a subject of responsibility to the industry thus leading to an environmental sustainability and purposely meant to improve economic development. The relevance of leisure and sustainable tourism aims at improving the economic development that is characterized by the government, non-governmental partisans and private stakeholders in the tourism industry. Through the above parties, communities have greatly benefited with an enhanced economic development possibly by opening new job opportunities, improved infrastructural development that is beneficial to both the stakeholders and the entire community. How to improve sustainable Tourism As pointed out by CSTFD (2009), sustainable tourisms embrace aspects that attracts and retain potential customers while ensuring that the environment remains free from any negative act or social impact. However, members of the public have since been advised to embrace leisure and tourism activities that are of more sustainable development. Therefore, there is a concern to carry out activities that would ensure future environmental sustenance of tourism industry. As part of making tourism and leisure more sustainable, stakeholders involved must ensure limited use of environment-related activities that form part of negative influence to the ecological cycle and embrace activities perceived to conserve biodiversity. Besides, people involved in leisure and tourism related activities must maintain respect to the socio-cultural activities of the local communities as part of conservation of the local heritage because sustaining such values is critical for the future generation. In conclusion, tourist should consider long-term economic operations with the local community. Besides, it should embrace other stakeholders while putting into considerations issues of security, employment, and other productive returns that are vital for the poverty reduction amongst the host communities (CSTFD, 2009). Obstacles facing sustainable tourism development Despite putting more emphasis to improve sustainability in the tourism sector, numerous challenges still emerge derailing the process hence affecting progresses that are already in existence in the global arena (ICSTP, 2010). Therefore, it serves to relate to a number of opportunities that are more vital for sustainable tourism development. Some of the obstacles faced by the stakeholders towards the realization of sustainable tourism development include among the following Climate change Climate change forms part of one of the greatest challenges towards achieving sustainable tourism development. According to most of the ecological scholars, climate change contributes immensely towards the tourism industry while it also plays an important role in promoting climate change. There are positive evidences of climate change amongst natural tourism environments such as frequent storms, consistent landslides along water catchment areas, erosions amongst other things. It has been pointed out that conditions characterized by climate change has contributed to the alteration in climate change thus affecting mountainous sceneries creating a leeway to tropical related illness (ICSTP, 2010). Conservation support Coccossis & Nijkamp, (1995) argues that there is a need for more financial assistance so as to improve sustainable financial management. Regardless in variations that exist in different countries, third world countries have been found to experience numerous challenges in terms of financial support thus affecting conservative management towards sustainable tourism management. Tourism sector earns revenues through different means including entry levies, permits and licenses, it is still insufficient, and more funds are still needed for a more sustainable tourism industry. Health and security concerns Chances of infectious and tropical illness also greatly interfered with sustainable tourism management. Leisure walk to certain destinations has greatly affected by infectious syndromes hence leading to a total reduction in the tourism population around certain regions. Although it may not be all that visible to the industry, it results into a serious impact to global sustainable tourism management. Therefore, adequate policies should be implemented to foresee control among the tourism stakeholders for the future sustainable tourism management (ICSTP, 2010). Inadequate management personality It is proposed that with the current rate of development in the tourism industry, must sustainable tourism personalities in order to avoid dangers exposed by tourists growth towards the available resources. Neto (2003), clarifies that mismanagement of leisure environments such as coastal sceneries enhances vulnerability for depletion or erosion along the coastal lines. Therefore, there should be an expertise that manages the surge of tourism activity along the heritage sites and a similar a surety of decongestion of amenities for sustainable tourism and future development (ICSTP, 2010). Developing sustainable tourism strategy It has been advised that both the society and the government should come up with the appropriate strategy that would ensure sustainable tourism for the future generation. Though, most of the stakeholders in the tourism industry have already taken critical steps both at the local and the national levels through campaign that is aimed at improving tourism structures. It is still important for the stakeholders to analyze the situation in relation to sustainable tourism management then formulate proper objectives that impacts on sustainable tourists both at present and in the future (Neto, 2003). The above procedure requires a consultative forum involving all the stakeholders in the tourisms industry as it would ensure that none of the vital steps have been left out. Ultimately, policies should be developed and important steps that have been discussed be put into action. As such, policies that define vital objectives must be put reflective to the strategic choices that have been initially discussed. Sustainable tourism development strategy is a sensitive area that requires a proper analysis of economic and social destination as well as involvement of tourism as a sensitive element for the future generation (Eagles & United Nations Environment). Conclusion Tourism still remains as the leading industry with a global projection that is likely to transform the environment negatively if appropriate measures are not taken in time to ensure future sustainability. The paper has clarified how leisure tourism may affect the future environment if important measures and sustainable management is not taken in time. Besides, it has also been identified how some of the leisure activities contribute erosion and future depletion of the environment. As such, it is important to take adequate measures that would ensure balance between and sustainable future environments. Reference: Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Raj, R., & Musgrave, J. (2009). Event management and sustainability. 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