No longer does being green mean a bunch of non-conformist revolutionaries trying to keep back the course of production.

Tourism and the environment
King's Bay Waterfall, Tobago

ourism is an environment-intensive industry. The natural environment is the industrys most valuable, yet its most fragile asset. From the safaris, reefs, forests, flora, fish, lakes, ski slopes, mountains, archaeological sites, beaches and isolated cays, to the wind, water and the sun, the natural environment is the most important element of holidaying in all parts of the world.

The environment is an item of immense consumption. And, it is the final product for sale. Too much pressure on the environment can destroy it. Thus, in order to preserve the natural environment, its consumption must be regulated. Therefore, limits on its use must be set.

Environmental limits to growth have important consequences for the future rate, direction and sustainability of the travel and tourism industry.

The rapid spread of pressure groups and actions taken by tourism destinations such as Belize and Bermuda, the work of international funding agencies and the greening of the private sector, all force the tourism sector into taking an environmentally-responsible approach to development.

The gravity of the environmental problem cannot be over-stated. The destruction of the ozone layer, global warming, fires in the Amazon, acid rain, macro pollution, the greenhouse effect, the destruction of the worlds rain forests and wildlife species and the skyrocketing world population threaten all life.

So great is the concern, that international banks, lending agencies and some governments have initiated debt for nature swaps to help save endangered rain forests in Brazil and other countries.

The simple logic is that fires in the Amazon have implications not only for the people in Brazil but for all people on planet earth. And, the protection of the environment is everybody's business.

Eco- industry

Environmental problems, as they relate to tourism, affect every part of the industry - from the boating and yachting sectors of the Caribbean and Pacific islands to the ski slopes of Europe.

Among the environmental and ecological problems encountered as a result of tourism development are:

• The disposal of raw sewerage and other pollutants directly into the sea due to poor sewerage infrastructure, management and planning. The high growth of algae in the Adriatic Sea, which was brought to the publics attention in August 1988, directly affected resorts such as Rimini and Riccione on the Romagna Coast.
• The degradation of beaches and soil erosion from construction too close to the shore line. Some hotels and resorts in the Caribbean are experiencing a loss of sand and bathing area as the sea begins to reclaim some of the land.
• The indiscriminate dumping of garbage overboard cruise ships and pleasure boats. Man- made substances such as plastics are known to stifle aquatic life, in particular, young turtles. The problem of garbage dumping is particularly severe in the Caribbean, especially along the main cruise ship route where plastic cups and other items bearing the ships logo can be found floating around the pristine Family Island of the Bahamas.
• Unlawful spear fishing destroys invaluable underwater life. In the Caribbean, the French tourists have been identified as being particularly guilty of this environmentally unfriendly behaviour.
• The destruction of reefs and underwater life such as shells, black coral and other items to satisfy the souvenir trade. Also, over- fishing, to feed the increasing tourist population, and the use of anchors on coral reefs.
• The over-use of natural areas such as caves, national parks, wildlife reserves, bays and anchorages. Even the exploitation of ecotourism attractions can lead to serious environmental pressures.
• Noise pollution, overcrowding and the congestion at beaches, airports, roadways and historic attractions.
• The corrosion of ancient monuments by acid rain and the long steady trek of tourists. In the highly polluted city of Athens, tourist coaches are no longer allowed on the Acropolis hill. It is estimated that these buildings have suffered more from acid rain in the last 25 years than the preceding 2,400 years.
• The destruction of forests and mountains from heavy usage by nature tourists. In the Himalayan mountains the destruction of mountain tracts have been caused by tourists searching for firewood.
• Pressures on protected areas and national parks by over-demand, inadequate management and funding, and the sheer physical limits of these reserves.
• Marred landscapes caused by skiing and unsympathetic design leading to topsoil erosion, mud slides, avalanches and the displacement of countless indigineous species.
• The use of snow cannons to create artificial snow for ski resorts. Apart from the noise nuisance, this utilises millions of gallons of water. This changes the water level in nearby feeder lakes and disturbs their eco-systems.
• Insistence on the eating of certain types of gourmet irrespective of the time of year - for example, lobster - eating during the closed season. This creates a demand for the illicit trade and places enormous strain on the wildlife population.

Conservation

Environmental problems caused or reinforced by tourism have merely served to compound the environmental problems already existing on a global scale.

There is already a Green Consumer Guide and the Green Consumer Supermarket Shopping Guide which provides shelf by shelf recommendations for products which do not cost the earth.

Indeed, consumers are more aware than ever before. Gallup surveys in the United States conclude that more than 75 per cent of US consumers include environmental considerations in their shopping decisions.

Environmental consciousness is spilling over to the tourism industry as witnessed by the increased demand for ecotourism and other forms of nature travel.

There is also a growing greening of the private sector. Producers are responding to consumer demands by producing recycled paper, phosphate- free soap powders, non-aerosol sprays, and other items which minimise the negative impacts on the environment.

No longer does being green mean a bunch of non-conformist revolutionaries trying to keep back the course of production.

In the travel and tourism industry, there are weak but growing signs of an increasingly eco-conscious private sector. Opportunities are emerging for new relationships between conservationists trying to protect areas and tour operators trying to bring more people to these areas.

One tour operator, Journeys International, was formed as a non-profit travel organisation: it simultaneously formed the Earth Preservation Fund to utilise a portion of the trip proceeds to support the areas where clients are taken. Other tour operators support the effort with donations.

Hence, it is important for tourism destinations without an environmental focus to recognise that there are indeed environmental limits to growth. To neglect an issue as fragile as the environment does not augur well for the future. The environment is fast becoming one of the most critical issues of global concern.

The development of strategies to deal with the environment and its emerging problems is therefore an imperative.

Extracted from Tourism, Technology and Competitive Strategies written by Dr Auliana Poon, published by CAB International, 1993. Dr Auliana Poon is Editor/Publisher of Tourism Industry Intelligence, a bi- monthly newsletter containing strategic information for decision- makers in the travel and tourism industry. Her company, Caribbean Futures Ltd, specializes in strategic planning, marketing and product development for the tourism industry. Tel #: 625- 4443 Fax: 625- 4420.