Tourism and the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tourism and the environment - Essay Example The relationship between environment tourism on climate change means how the environment and tourism are both interrelated and interdependent. The changes that are brought by climate change affect both tourism and environment. Tourism provides a link between economic development and the environment. Tourism being an industry earns or generates income. This income can be converted to protect and conserve scenic and biologically valuable areas. It can further generate visitor payback into the management of these areas thus economic fragile communities.The success of tourism depend on environment. When the environment deteriorates due to climate change tourism also decline. Overtime the relationship between environment and tourism has developed. Tourism industry impacts environment both negatively and positively. The environment is impacted negatively by the release of untreated liquid waste from the activities of hotels and restaurants. Further air and noise emissions produced from tourism industry impact the environment. The noise is generated from the coastal constructions which are used to host tourists. Once these constructions are on dust is emitted which eventually settles on coastal waters affecting the marine environment. However, tourism industry as well contributes to the environment positively. The development of appropriate and new technologies has been a result of tourism-environment interaction. For instance beaches and hotels have to develop new technology of hygiene so as to meet the internationally accepted environmental standards. Further revenues and taxes derived from tourist related activities provide for the preservation and protection of natural resources like forests. Tourism can sometimes provide impetus for the conservation of natural resources. For example the development of Graeme bird sanctuary in Barbados. 6 Nature heritage tourism contributes to the conservation of natural resources and promotes socio-economic advancement of local communities. This may drive a sense of ownership and empowerment among the nationals.7 Therefore tourism and environment play a key role in the development and growth of a nation. In the recent years tourism has become the main industry that earns large income to those nations that maintain this industry. It also contributes to the maintenance of our environment. However, tourism and environment can only contribute to sustainability if all measures are taken to curb climate change which negatively impacts the two. Section 2: Background Information Global climate change is probably the most severe threat to our environment and tourism industry. In particular tourism is the largest