1. Understanding tourism impacts & types of alternative tourism
TOMG200
Understanding tourism impacts & types of alternative tourism

2. Aims of today’s lecture:
To illustrate some examples of the potential impacts of tourism on different environments
To critically review ‘alternative tourism(s)’ as a quest for ‘sustainable tourism’

3. Some examples of the impacts of tourism on different environments: Video: Impacts of Tourism [G155.A1I ]

4. Cultural Impacts – preservation, appreciation, cultural exchange, local skills, authenticity.
Physical Impacts -
- Urban
- Rural
- Built
- Natural
Tourism
Social Impacts – social changes, quality of life, ‘spirit of place’, displacement.
Economic Impacts - jobs, income, multplier, development, dependence.

5. Addressing tourism impacts
(Sustainable) tourism planning
Control & measures (e.g. EIA)
Host community support
Collaboration
Tourist behaviour
Global (sustainable) resource management and development

6. ‘Sustainable development’ (Hall & Lew, 2009: 53)
WCED (Brundtland Report) 1987:
Holistic planning
Preservation
Development ‘that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’
Protection
Sustained productivity
Better balance of fairness & opportunity between nations

7. ‘Sustainable tourism’
Informed by the principles of ‘sustainable development’
Meeting the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future (WTO, 1998)
Impact studies and assessment take into account concepts of sustainability
Impact: a change in a given state over time as the result of an external stimulus
Requires more critical and comprehensive analysis; argued to be vague, unrealistic and misguided

8. Evolution of thought (Lu & Nepal, 2009: 12-13)
Sustainable tourism is the resolution and the polar opposite to mass tourism (1980’s)
ST and MT concepts with a continuum of various sustainability dimensions (1990’s)
ST is the (practical) goal to be achieved, not a specific tourism product
(Now) ST is a goal applicable to all forms of tourism (conventional or alternative)

9. Types of ‘tourism’ under the rubric of ‘sustainable tourism’
Alternative or niche
Sustainable tourism
Alternative tourism
Ecotourism
Responsible tourism
Volunteer tourism
Heritage tourism
Cultural tourism
Ethical tourism
Pro-poor tourism
Critical tourism
Events tourism
Special interest
Medical tourism
Dental tourism
Wellness tourism
Spa tourism
Dark tourism
Thana-tourism
Indigenous tourism
Sports tourism
Urban tourism
Aboriginal tourism
Maori tourism
Conference tourism
Wildlife tourism
Education tourism
Cruise tourism
Polar tourism
Rural tourism
Farm tourism
Adventure tourism
Wine tourism
Casino tourism
Movie tourism
Sex tourism
Community tourism
Nature-based
Religious tourism
Spiritual tourism
Marine tourism
Slow tourism
Virtual tourism
Storm tourism
Space tourism

10. Example: Marlon Brando’s ecotourism island

11. ‘Alternative Tourism’ - Is Ecotourism the path to sustainability?
Most commonly reported type of ‘sustainable tourism’ ( : see Lu & Nepal, 2009: 13)
A marketing tool? (see Wheeler, 1991)
A micro solution to a macro problem? (Liu, 2003)
Example:
The Struggle for Sustainable Tourism in Ecuador [G155.A1 I ]

12. Summary of key points: Impacts indicate change
Tourism is a complex ‘system’
Integrated tourism management is required
Our understanding of tourism impacts remains fragmented:
Different scales of analysis
Inconsistent research methods
Adhoc research
Difficulty in distinguishing ‘tourism’ impacts
Are there ‘alternative’ more sustainable forms of tourism activity – e.g. volunteering?
Consider ‘alternative’ as product & conceptual ‘ideal’

13. This week’s reading:
Chapter 1 of Hall & Lew (2009)