Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment

Scholarly Inquiry

Title: Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment

Name: Refugia, Dan Angelo M.

Email address: 2018011951@feu.edu.ph

Course: GED0112 Scholarly Inquiry/ 2nd Semester

2020, April 6
Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment
Scholarly Inquiry

The topic of my Term Paper will be the negative impacts of tourism which I find it very

intriguing and highly relatable as the tourism industry in the Philippines is booming. It brings me

this topic as I have seen a lot of news of s destination bring destroyed. The purpose of this paper

is to determine the negative impacts of tourism to the environment and to have an idea of what

are the issues on it. Also as a tourism student, I want to enlighten other people as being a tourism

also has a responsibility, and has a rules to maintain the beauty of it’s nature.

Tourism the fastest growing industry in the world for the past years. It creates different

kind of development not only in the country but also to it’s people. Despite that it contributes big

to the economy, it also takes responsible for the consequences it may cause especially to the

environment. The environment is the most important factor for tourism because it is the

destination where the stakeholders improve the environment for people to be able to experienced

of it. The excessive used and abused to it creates the problem. The uncontrolled tourism

possesses potential threats that may harm and makes the environment vulnerable to be

destroyed. It puts pressure to the environment that it became an environmental degradation and

can affect not only the industry but also the people. Tourism can be a positive impact to the

people but it also affect the environment as tourism serves a negative impact to it.

According to theworldcounts (2020) Every year there are 1 billion tourist arrivals in the

world. That’s 30 every single second. It will increase the number by 60% in 2020. Over-

consumption of natural resources by Tourism will put pressure to it, usually in places where the

resources are already limited.

Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment
Scholarly Inquiry

The consumption of water, mainly the fresh water is one of the main resources that a tourism

industry need. The general overuse of water comes from expectedly in hotels, restaurants that

can result to shortage of water, and by the improper usage of it, it can turn into water pollution

because of a greater volume of water waste that will effect the water supply. Food, energy, and

raw materials are example of local resources that it also being used and puts a great amount of

pressure by tourism industries. According to ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM

(n.d.) Greater eradication and transport of local resources aggravate the physical impacts

connected to their exploitation. Major land resources include, fossil fuels, minerals, fertile soil,

wetland, forestland and wildlife. A tourism destination cannot be called destination if there are

no knew infrastructure built on it. Many construction are being done as tourism goes successful

like recreational facilities has increased the pressure on these resources and on landscapes.

Natural resources and both renewable and non-renewable, a direct impact on these will be caused

by building road, infrastructure, recreational building, land accommodation, and building

materials. Also some negative impact of tourism like in the forests is in the form of deforestation

that is caused by fuel wood collection and land clearing.

Tourism industry surely will caused pollution as it creates and build lots of infrastructure as any

other industries. Like air pollution, transportation is one of the most important factor of tourism

since it is where you move every tourists to a destination. A transport by air, road, water, and

rail, they produced air emissions. According to ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM

(n.d.) as tourism is one of the most successful industry in the world, the increase of tourist that

go to different destinations specifically in air transport is increased by 60% air travel which is

good for the economy but not for the environment. These emissions are connected to what is
Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment
Scholarly Inquiry

happening to the world that affects us a lot now which is global warming, acid rain. As stated by

Sunlu in his article (2003) it also has impacts on the Carbon Dioxide (Co2) that makes it more

warmer and along with these transactions is the noise pollution, it brings annoyance, stress not

just for humans but also for the animals and for severe moment is the loss of hearing for human.

As we speak about tourists, they probably produce as much as high amounts of garbage, solid

waste, and the sewage. The improper disposal of these may harm the air, soil, and water which

will assess to more damage and environmental degradation.

But it’s been decades since the tourism started to grow so much, we are in a generation

now where we prioritised the nature or the environment more. On the other hand, most of the

tourist attractions and destinations are turning into much more environmental friendly. There are

solutions and cure to lessen the negative impacts of tourism to the environment. In terms of

financial, tourism contributes to the community to development and environmental protection.

People gain more knowledge and ideas so they improve the planning and management. They

conduct environmental education and awareness programs, having improved the security to the

environment and environmental laws and regulations have been created. We became more

sustainable, knowing the importance of recycling so it gives more positive impacts to everyone

especially the environment. Understanding the impacts we gave to the environment will also

affect the industry if the environment they where in were annihilated.

Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment
Scholarly Inquiry

Tourism is been created for leisure, fun, business and other purposes for humans. Little

do we know that with a lot of enjoyment and excitement we felt and experienced because of

different places and attractions that is made to fill us up will be a disaster for the environment.

We forget the things that surrounds us and we didn’t noticed that in the future if we continue to

ignore, it will affect us back. As they say, there will always be a consequence to every step and

choice we do. It’s true that we can do something about the impacts to lessen it. Tourism may

have a positive effect on us but in the perspective of the nature, even though we are being more

sustainable and somehow protect it but still it will always contribute a negative impacts to the

environment. The more it grows the more we build and create to replace and turn every part of

environment to a tourism destination.

I have learned that we humans are ones who can destroy our own environment but at least

we can do something and act to prevent and find solutions to the impacts we contributed to the

environment. This paper will let you know the negative impacts of tourism in the environment

and will give you awareness of what is happening in our surroundings.

No. of words: 1,118

Reference:

The World Counts. (2020). Retrieved April 4, 2020, from:

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/transport-and-tourism/negative-

environmental-impacts-of-tourism
Tourism and its Negative Effects to Environment
Scholarly Inquiry

Environmental Impacts of Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2020, from:

https://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/envi/one.html

Sunlu U. Environmental impacts of tourism. In : Camarda D. (ed.), Grassini L. (ed.).Local

resources and global trades: Environments and agriculture in the Mediterranean region. Bari :

CIHEAM, 2003. p. 263-270 (Options Méditerranéennes : Série A. Séminaires Méditerranéens; n.

57)