Tourism Planning, Sustainability Development - Coursework Example

Tourism planning, Sustainability Development xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecturer xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Tourism planning, Sustainability and Development Tourism cannot be entirely sustainable, since every industry has blows, but despite this, there has been a sustainable planning exercise that has been in progress in reaction to the transforming nature of the globe. This is in order to make the industry function towards becoming more sustainable. Currently, more areas as well as countries are developing their tourism industry, which in contrary are producing noteworthy impacts on natural resources, pollution, consumption patterns as well as systems. Therefore, there is a need for sustainable preparation and control that is necessary for the industry to endure totally. This paper discusses the efficiency of sustainable planning principles in reducing the negative impacts connected to tourism activities. As Sustainable Development Commission (2011)states, sustainable development refers to the progress that meets up the requirement of the current devoid of necessarily compromising the capability of the coming generation’s to rally their own necessities. Living in our environmental perimeter is one of the core philosophies of sustainable development. Climate change is one of the implications of not living within the environmental limits. The climate change has brought about the requirement in refocusing on planning ideas as well as action. Tourism has been named as one of the biggest as well as vigorously developing sectors of exterior economic performances. As tourism grows in any location, there are negative impacts on the land that is used for hosting tourists. For instance, most of the coastline of various countries are completely being urbanised in order to be in a position to hold the ever increasing number of tourists. Tourism negatively impacts the biodiversity. It directly affects atypical as well as endangered species of flora and fauna in the one of Australia’s special landscape in the area as (Borelli & Brogna (2000) asserts. Thus, sustainable tourism development is necessary. Environmental impacts of tourism are an environmental impact series, which starts with stressors activities. The impact is initiated by these activities which are grouped as permanent, tourist activities, generation of waste residual as well as indirect and provoked actions. For instance, in order for a resort to be built in a certain place, it comes along with environmental stressors such as levelling of terrain, extraction of groundwater, clearing the existing natural vegetation as well as blocking of sunshine and breezes from tall buildings. In addition, the impact that comes along with new development affects not only the direct site, but as well as far away environment. Planning for sustainable development should involve social, cultural as well as historical factors when dealing with tourism impact control. This means that planning for sustainable development in tourism should not be limited to environmental issues but broaden to the named factors. Tourism has influence that can affect cultural change; this can be through efficient development of resource that can lead to several negative impacts such as overdevelopment, conflict, incorporation as well as artificial rebuilding. In addition, presentation of culture to tourists can lead to its dilution or destruction of it completely. In regards to this, planning for sustainability should promote tourism in the area in order for it to generate incomes as well as build reverence for the local tradition as well as culture. Custom as well as values of tradition should be put into consideration while planning for sustainable tourism development. On the other hand, the concerned parties should ensure that the heritage of the tourist destination are conserved as well as protected from human activities. As Manly Council (2013) explains, heritage walks such as manly heritages plaques walk, manly scenic walkway, manly Eastern Hill Heritage walk were developed in order for the tourists to learn about the history of the region and also get a chance to view the stunning landscape of the region. This site has been considered as a negative impact in the region, due to the large number of tourists visiting the place. Planning for tourist destination signifies an essential product. The product appears as a result of an essential planning of tourism by the government of region of a particular tourist destination. Integral planning can be described as conscientious as well as ongoing planning actions of diverse aspects of prediction which shapes as well as redirect the development in a particular region. Integral strategy used by the government of the region measures the development within the boundary of the accessible natural resources. This it does in line with the economic as well as social aims of the nation. For example, the development can be measured within the boundary of internal lenience. In addition, a tourist destination planning should symbolize a compound social system, which should connect a range of components or sub-systems, which are sometimes referred as destination system (Saftic & Trost 2010). Some of these components are the New South Wales Environmental Planning and Assessment act 1979 which was initiated in order to offer legal framework for the incorporation of environmental evaluation, public involvement as well as development management. As a way of planning and ensuring that environment is conserved in NSW, the Department of infrastructure, planning and Natural Resources made a guideline for the preparation of Environmental Management Plans (EMP) in assisting all the concerned agencies including the government in preparing for an effectual plans of controlling environment. These agencies involved in environmental management plans includes, Environmental Management System (EMS) that offers a means to identify, control as well as observe environmental risk connected with tourist activities. Environmental planning and assessment act 1979 provides a document known as Environmental Impact Assessment of land development and land use which assess the use of land for tourism purposes and assess the possible environmental impacts of the tourists’ activities on the land (Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources 2000). These planning mechanisms provide policies that are connected to key project as well as development, urban as well as areas of tourism development, infrastructure and flora and fauna. This structure seeks to guide sustainable planning as well as development and also minimize the negative impacts of land use for tourism purposes (Gurran 2011). There are three major methods of land control that can be applied in to sustainable planning for tourism development. These methods include environmental impact analysis, carrying capacity and zoning. Environmental impact analysis as stated above, seeks to establish as well as control the possible impacts that a land can be subjected to by human activities. Some of the tourism developments that can lead to negative environment impacts include infrastructure development such as roads and airports, attraction areas of visitors such as national parks, hotel complexes and waste treatments (Lunetta & Elvidge 1999). Carrying capacity is a measure that can be used in planning and sustainability of environment in determining the maximum number of visitors that a specific area can hold without negatively impacting the environment and also without degrading the quality of experience of the tourists (Arabatzis et all 2007). Carrying capacity is determined by three aspects such as; the quantity of the resources accessible in the area. The size of the tourists and the quantity of resources every tourist consumes. The third method of land management is zoning. Zoning is a land use planning tool that is used to restrict the use of land. In tourism planning and development especially in Australia, tourists are spatially channelled by restricting regions of high conservation. Through this method, tourists are permitted to use designated area in order to prevent the plants as well as animals from threat. There are different roles that the government of NSW should play in order to play part in planning sustainability in the region. It is the responsibility of the government to control the waste services that are obtained as a result of tourism. It is also the role of the government to ensure that the infrastructure such as road and airports are in good condition to facilitate smooth movement of tourist from one location to another at a given place. The government should also make sure that the towns, country planning as well as public recreation facilities is all in good condition so that they can provide the tourist with the required services that they require. These aspects connect in order to create a flawless tourist mechanism that has no or little impact to the community and environment in general. Despite having many negative impacts, the same impacts can as well create positive results for a destination. Execution of new planning measures might results in high numbers of tourists in the area. Despite tourism being an environmental impact in most of the places, it can as well be an agent of environmental conservation and can bring social as well as economic gains to the country by utilization of home resources. Ecotourism can be a vital tool in impact management in which sustainable exercises are used to reduce destruction of the destination. As Clifton & Benson (2006) states, ecotourism is described as dependable tour to natural areas that preserve the environment as well as develop the well being of residents. The planners should adopt this tool since it seeks to unite conservation, communities as well as sustainable travel. In terms of conservation, it offers market linked long term resolutions, also gives economic enticements for preserving as well as increasing bio cultural assortment. It also assists in protecting the natural resources as well as cultural heritage of the nation. In addition, ecotourism supports greater knowledge as well as admiration for nature, local people and culture as well. It is necessary for the involved agencies in planning sustainability and tourism development to involve the community. Community can be supportive in planning and development of tourism as long as it is planned in a sustainable manner. Community can be observed as a significant stakeholder in the procedure of planning, since their involvement cannot resolve to potential objections. The community can also provide planners with the required knowledge and data as well. Tourism is one of the biggest and dynamically developing sectors in the world. In regards to this, it is necessary to understand the impacts that come along with tourism. Environmental impacts are as a result of stressors got from tourist activities and generation of waste residuals. In planning for sustainable development, factors such as social, cultural and historical should be considered since they influence tourism greatly in any region. Planning for a sustainable development should be performed by different agencies including the government for it to succeed. In planning for destination, it is necessary to involve the community in the area. This is because, the community might have specific information and data needed in planning destination. In addition, ecotourism seems to be the best tool that can be used in planning destination, since it has principles that can guide the planners. References Gurran. N, 2011, Australian urban land use planning: principles, systems and practice, second ed, The Sydney University Press, Sydney Sustainable Development Commission, S. D 2011. [Online] Available at: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/what-is-sustainable-development.html [Accessed Tuesday April 2014]. Manly Council 2013 [Online] Available at: http://www.manly.nsw.gov.au/planning-and-development/heritage/heritage-walks/ [Accessed Wednesday April 2014]. Darko, K, Safti, T 2010. Planning and Organising Tourist Destinations the example of the Rural Istria Cluster Porec: Institute of Agriculture and Tourism Press. Department of Infrastructure, P. a. N. R., 2000. Guideline for the Preparation of Environmental Management Plans, Sydney: Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. Borelli, S, Brogna, M 2000 WWF Mediterranean Programme Office, Rome: WWF-World Wide. Clifton, J & Benson, A 2006 Planning for sustainable ecotourism: The case for research ecotourism in developing country destinations. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14(3), 238-254. Arabatzis, G, Polyzos, S & Tsiantikoudis, S 2007 The carrying capacity of mountainous tourist areas: the case of plastira’s lake, Tourism Today Tourism Today. Lunetta, R, & Elvidge, D 1999 Remote sensing change detection: environmental monitoring methods and applications, Taylor & Francis Ltd. Read More