Consequences of Unsustainable Touristic Growth (SL IB Geography)

• Carrying capacity is a way of measuring how sustainable tourism is
• Carrying capacity can be broken down into three elements:

The Three Elements of Carrying Capacity

Elements	Definition
Physical	The measure of absolute space, e.g. the number of car park spaces available
Ecological	The level of use that the environment can sustain without damage occurring
Perceptual	The level of crowding a tourist will put up with before they think it is too crowded and want to leave

 

• Butler’s model of tourism argues that tourist destinations will eventually exceed their carrying capacity
• This will result in either:
• Adaptation which will lead to rejuvenation
• Decline due to unsustainable tourism

Sustainable management of tourism 

• Sustainable management can be achieved by either:
• Increasing carrying capacity by providing more resources for tourists such as hotels or increasing the size of the attraction(s)
• Limiting tourist numbers so that the carrying capacity is not reached by setting limits on visitors or permit systems

Urban hotspots: Venice

Venice Map

• Venice’s historic urban centre is 700 hectares
• Buildings are protected from alterations by government legislation
• There is conflict between those who want to increase tourism because they profit from it and those groups of people who believe that Venice has reached its carrying capacity
• It has been suggested that the optimum carrying capacity for Venice is:
  • People who use hotel accommodation - 9,780
  • Tourists who use other forms of accommodation- 1,460
  • Day trippers - 10,857
  • An annual turnover of 8 million people
• Tourism patterns are not equal in Venice
  • More tourists arrive in the summer and on weekends
• According to some research, over 110,000 visitors visit Venice in the summer each day
• Research from 2019 suggests that the carrying capacity should be 55,000 tourists per day
• It is clear that the carrying capacity is being reached in Venice from the tourist numbers that are visiting
• Day trips are more popular than people staying for extended stays in Venice
• There have been complaints from locals about the behaviour of tourists, including covering churches with graffiti, swimming in canals and sleeping on bridges
• In 2023, 270 cruise ships visited Venice, bringing 600,000 day trippers
• The destination is still marketed to tourists, which has alienated the local population
• The local population has decreased from 120,000 in the 1960s to 50,000 in 2019
• UNESCO has considered putting Venice on the World Heritage Danger list

Management of tourism in Venice

• The government has started to charge people to enter the city through the square’s gates at a fee of $4.50
• To control the number of day trippers, the local government has banned unauthorized coach trips 
• People arriving by car may be turned away if they have not pre-booked parking
• From 2021, cruise ships were banned from Venice
• From June 1st, 2024 
• Tour groups will be limited to 25 people
• Loudspeakers will be banned

Rural hotspots: Brecon Beacons

Location of the Brecon Beacons

• Brecon Beacons is a national park in Wales
• It is also a UNESCO Global Geopark 
  • This recognises the importance of the area’s geological heritage
• Dark sky status has also been awarded to the Breacon Beacons
• A varied landscape of glaciated valleys and moorland
• It covers an area of 1,344 km2
• The population of the area is approximately 33,000
• The number of visitors is about 4.15 million a year
• Over £197 million is spent every year by tourists in the area
• There are approximately 10,000 beds available for tourists in the areas
• There have been many criticisms from locals about how tourists bring many problems to the area, such as disruption to farmers
• In some areas in the Brecon Beacons the carrying capacity is being exceeded
• These areas experience congestion with negative impacts on the environment and the local communities

Management of tourism in Breacon Beacons

• The management plan for the area (2022-2027) includes several management strategies including:
  • Sustainable travel options around Pen y Fan to reduce parking on verges
  • Planning powers to control light from new developments to maintain the Dark Skies area
  • Creation of community based hubs to provide services for local residents to reduce the impact of second homes
  • There is also focus on ecosystem regeneration including:
    • Woodland expansion and regeneration
    • Restoration of rivers Wye and Usk
  • A cycling and walking networks to encourage travel without cars