Balancing Access for Tourists With Protecting Nature - Case Study Example

BALANCING ACCESS FOR TOURISTS WITH PROTECTING NATURE Introduction The tourism industry has been on the upward trend due to the increasing influence of globalization. Many nations are facing significant competition in other industries that are subject to various factors. It is therefore common to note the increasing tourism promotion. On the other hand, there has been an emerging debate on protecting nature to ensure that tourism stand into the future. While several foreign visitors keep traversing various countries to explore nature, there is need to observe new regulatory measures that emphasize sustainable tourism (Bricker, 2013). This involve thinking locally but acting locally. Another critical aspect of this issue is the increasing demand by private sector to hijack protected sites and convert them to profit collection. It is important to recognize the significance of human and wildlife co-existence. In this respect, sound tourism management requires that the place of local communities in the tourism site is catered for while ensuring the wildlife is protected from any destructive threat. One of the greatest problems that characterize the tourism sector in the modern society has to do with sustainability. While global rate of tourism promotion intensifies, the numbers of visitors keep growing. To cater for such growing tourist numbers, there is the need for infrastructural adjustment to accommodate them and provide comfort. In that respect, Natural conservationists are concerned on how to balance the pressure for infrastructure versus protection (Eagles,et al. 2004). The issue of environment care that dominates international summits must also be incorporated into the approach given to sustainable tourism. In essence, sustainable development has been a central issue in global debate in which natural conservation is considered key. New concepts like eco-tourism tend to see private investors displacing natives from their land in a bid to boost nature conservation. What many fail to understand is that local culture itself adds up to tourist attraction. Unless informed decisions are made, current use may interfere with the interest of the future generation justifies the need for in-depth research to establish strong policies and pursue their implementation towards achieving sustainability. Statement of the problem Despite prospects of monetary gain from the lucrative tourist industry, most protected areas in developing countries face danger in terms of their sustainability. This is in line with their ecosystem fragility that requires controlled tourist access. The dilemma that hits the developing nations on this agenda is need for foreign earnings versus sustaining the protected areas for long term use. This situation has even been worsened by the influence of globalization that has seen an upward surge in tourists’ number. Achieving such a delicate balance requires intensive research on policy recommendations and management reforms from the developing nations (Eagles,et al. 2004). Owing to the relatively popular beautiful sceneries in developing nation and the craving desire to maximize foreign currency through tourism, it tend to be challenging to come up with a sustainable policy. However, the principle of sustainability should take precedence over short term gains hence the need to take a study in what could be appropriate in managing the ecosystem. Besides, the cultural contribution of local communities in tourism perspective faces a threat on the basis of much focus on profit. Encouraging a limit to the tourists’ access to such designated protected ecosystem is a complex task but achievable if well-thought out. The level of government involvement, partnership with private sector, host community engagement and awareness creation play key role in attaining such a goal. Aims Sound sustainable tourism that emphasizes reconciliation between access for tourists and protecting nature aims at several outcomes. Long term economic viability is a common goal and this need to be pursued with the future in mind. If current tourism practices fail to consider the long term aspect, the income stream may significantly drop in the future. It is therefore important that competitiveness in tourism is anchored on sustainable growth with significant emphasis on regulated service delivery and environmental awareness (Buckley, Pickering & Weaver, 2003). Ensuring that local prosperity is achieved through the spending of visitors is core for sustainable growth in the industry. This is a positive direction that reflects level of host community involvement in the tourism decision making policies. The level of gain from the retained earnings from tourists must be reflected in improved local infrastructure and general social welfare of the local community. Adherence to laws that regulate tourist access to protected areas has indirect provision of employment opportunities and this translates to stable national economy. Fulfillment of the visitors remains the core of tourism. It is therefore important to note the important mutual relationship between the two variables. In the event that tourists are not there, little gain may be made from the protected areas and vice versa. Proper policy framework will focus on minimizing the possible deterioration in the quality and quantity of flora and fauna so that the future generation may be able to use the same for recreation. A key factor in monitoring and controlling tourists’ access include minimizing environmental degradation through poorly managed large tourists’ number. This goes down as a negative externality to the local communities and negates the monetary gains made from the visits. Physical landscape offers an important visual impression when blended with vegetation or wild animals. Sustaining this would call for minimal artificial reconstruction of man so that natural habitat of the wildlife is respected and biodiversity supported. Concerns The increasing influx of tourists poses a threat to the sustainability of the nature. This may be attributed to the possible crowding which promotes unease among the wildlife. For instance, crowding in national parks and other tourists sites scare the wild animals away. Besides, there are higher chances of interfering with vegetation as people compete for views and exploration. It is therefore a concern on how to regulate access to such protected area so that sustainability can be realized. Another critical issue concerns interference with the local community (Bricker, 2013). When tourists visit, there are chances of economic disturbance, displacement to create easy access infrastructure and possibility of encroaching into the local culture. This raises the question on how contemporary tourist management practices are developing policies to preserve the interest of the local community. Some of the possible collateral costs associated with tourism include environmental degradation through increased air pollution from exhaust of the locomotives, litter from the food remains among others. There has been limited partnership with the local communities while making decisions on the tourists’ visits. This has particularly been observed from the private investors who put aside the interest of the locals and only prioritize profits. The risks of such observation constitute rebellion from local communities that may be counterproductive to the tourism sector. In line with this idea is the evident limited consideration of local culture as part of the tourist attraction. Blending the unique local culture with the wildlife protection centers offers an attractive experience to the visitors and the increasing failure to recognize their mutual relationship raises concern (Newsome, Moore & Dowling, 2013). The key components of sustainable tourism include tourists, protected areas and local community. At the global summit the private sector seems to overlook the interest of local communities and give less attention to environmental degradation. On the hand, government seems to capture all but have limited financial muscle to sustain without partnering with the private sector. Emphasis on profit means some code of conduct among the key stakeholders are not adhered to and the consequences are failure to achieve sustainability. It is clear that most tourist stakeholders are yet to develop a strategic plan that would help in crating sustainability of tourism and global economy at large. The problem has to do with globalization in which the developed countries influence political decision of developing economies. The result is a skewed policy recommendation which translates to significant inconsideration of the local community. This is an actual threat that will see protected areas succumbing to unsustainability and subsequent failure to offer the beautiful sceneries to the future generations. Case studies The greatest problem that most developing countries face in respect of this debate concerns big tourist numbers. The issue has to do with possible environmental degradation and ecosystem destabilization that would shorten the life of protects ted areas. The cost that comes with such large number of people outweighs the revenue gain from multidimensional perspectives. The social welfare of the local community is at stake and the future income of the protected area is equally under threat. The need to accommodate the rising level of tourists is an overwhelming task in developing countries with limited management expertise. A comparative case with the European nations indicates an organized tourism management which fosters sustainable economic growth in the long run. Some examples of protected areas that fall within the developing country category include Guatemala with the Great Plaza of Temple I which found in Tikal National Park with variety of unique wildlife species. The overriding difference between the developing and developed economy is on planning. Availability of resources and research funding by the government promote pursuit of tourism management practices (Stronza, et al.2008). This entails planning with the future in mind. Developing nations lacks both human capacity in terms of skills and funding to draw a strategic plan and initiate legal reforms that would help mitigate the problems. In this regard, loss of wildlife and unsustainable possibilities on the protected areas is a real problem. The level of government commitment and private enterprise involvement speaks much about the gap in sustainable tourism between developed and developing nations. Strategic measures Significance of sustainable tourism can be seen in the relentless campaign by internal community and global environmental care agencies. In the case of balancing access of tourists and vulnerability of protected areas, the trade laws must also apply as the private investors increasing target eco-tourism. This subject therefore brings together world trade organization (WTO) and UNEP to work in collaboration towards formulation of policies that must be met by different nations towards sustainable ecosystem management. Much of the attention is directed towards developing nations which have great potential but lack incentives to draws strategic plans and implement recommendations. In this respect, UNEP and WTO have offered a general framework in which the checklist of sustainable tourism is provided. These two United Nations agencies have laid down sustainable tourism instruments which are trusted with achieving results to all compliant nations (Newsome, Moore & Dowling, 2013). The instruments are complementary to one another and they include; measurement, Economic, Voluntary, Command and control, and Supporting. They enlist the guideline on how to establish plans that would accommodate transition of current to future policies in as far as sustainable tourism is concerned. A step analysis is one tool that is seen as pivotal in helping developing countries adopt legal reforms and initiate research towards the issue under question. The instruments are grounded on government role in facilitating reforms and incentives for their smooth implementation. The willingness of the local community and other stakeholders remain dependent on the institutional framework that control resources. This explains the need for participatory decision making to come up with an objective. There are steps that need to be followed by the tourism stakeholders in the developing countries to achieve sustainability. The government must recognize the foreign currency gain from tourism and cultural interaction with other visiting communities. However, it has to prioritize the sustainability of the tourist attraction centers which include protected areas. The first step would entail tourist resources analysis, products and available facilities. This may take the format of listing all the tourist sites, cultural and historical points and concrete description. The next step would be vivid description of all tourist activities so that co-ordination of their offer can efficiently be achieved. Conclusion It is important to conclude that despite short term gain from the protected areas, controlled access is critical in defining what sustainability is all about. Planning is instrumental in attaining sustainable tourism. Besides, the moral obligation of man to protect the ecosystem is also exercised through the government initiative of creating protected areas. The developing countries have more to lose if they fail to adopt strategic planning and pursue policy reforms as far as the protected areas and tourists’ access control is concerned. References Accessible Tourism. (2010). Clevedon: Channel View Publications. Bricker, K. S. (2013). Sustainable tourism et the millennium development goals: Effecting positive change. Burlington, MA: Jones et Bartlett Learning. Buckley, R., Pickering, C., & Weaver, D. B. (2003). Nature-based Tourism, Environment and Land Management. Ecotourism Book Series, Volume 1. Wallingford: CAB International. Colloquy. (2000). Tourism and environment: The natural, cultural and socio-economic challenges of sustainable tourism ; proceedings, Riga (Latvia), 9 - 11 September 1999. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publ. Eagles, P. F. J., McCool, S. F., Haynes, C. D., Phillips, A., United Nations Environment Programme (Cambridge, Great Britain), World Tourism Organization., International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources., ... World Commission on Protected Areas. (2004). Sustainable tourism in protected areas: Guidelines for planning and management. Gland (Switzerland: IUCN - The World Conservation Union. International Conference on Science and Management of Protected Areas, Bondrup-Nielsen, S., Science and Management of Protected Areas Association., & Parks Research Forum of Ontario. (2002). Managing protected areas in a changing world: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Science and Management of Protected Areas, 14-19 May 2000. Wolfville, N.S: Science and Management of Protected Areas Association. Newsome, D., Moore, S. A., & Dowling, R. K. (2013). Natural area tourism: Ecology, impacts, and management. Bristol: Channel View Publications. Stronza, A., Durham, W. H., & C.A.B. International. (2008). Ecotourism and conservation in the Americas. Wallingford, UK: CABI. Read More