Managing Tourism Impacts

Macro and micro approaches

TOMG200 Tourism Management & the Environment

Impact Measurement / Indicators

Impact assessmentsVisitor flows dataCarrying capacityIndicators of crowdingAcceptable limits of change

Indicators of change - measuresCar parking capacities – Number of car

parking spaces divided by average length of stay multiplied by average number of passengers per car indicates possible

capacities.

Number of car parking spaces =100

Average stay = 30 minutes

Per hour mean of 200 cars If mean number of passengers per car is 1.80 – then 360 tourists

If attraction open for 10 hours = 3,600 tourists per day

Further indicators Host: Visitor ratios

New Zealand

4.0 mill population

2.0 mill international visitors

Ratio = 1:0.50

Mallorca

600,000 population

20 million visitors

Ratio =1:33

Categorisation of Policiesi. Micro policies

Are at specific site level

ii. Macro policiesAt a national, regional or district levelPolicies should relate to each other as a coherent whole

i. Micro policies – some examples

Zoning and permit usagePricing policiesUse of Visitor CentresBuilding permissions/consent requirementsFootpath designUse of car parks

Zoning activities

Swimmers

Sailors

Jet skiers

Anglers

Use of visitor centres

As sources of information they can be used to:

Influence decisions as to what to see

Influence behaviour by indicating what is appropriate behaviour

Utilise visitor time

Use of footpaths

Are specific ways of controlling access and directing flows of people.

Park car and rideInvolves waiting for transport

Entrance comes part of the visit experience

Opportunity for novelty ride

Enables car park to be at some distance from entrance

Enables control to avoid long queuing times at entrance point

Implies pricing on per person (not per vehicle) basis

Permits greater landscaping of entrances and approaches to attraction

Use ‘park like’ car parks!

Trees provide shade in summerAesthetically pleasingPlants can hold water due to rainMay be more harmonious with natural or other attractionsMay provide landmarks to help find carMay create favourable impression of attractionMay reduce litterMay offer wind shelter

ii. Macro policies – some examples

Honey pot vs. dispersalRegional zoning Controlling accessibilityTaxation and grants policiesPersuasive approaches – e.g. eco-labellingEncouragement of ‘Ecotourism’Green belt and country park approachesUNESCO World Heritage Site designation

Honey potsSet up popular destinations to relieve pressure on more

fragile areas

Examples include:

Queenstown, NZ?

Stonehenge, UK

Blackpool, UK?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn4BWSl8Fyc

Honey Pots - problems

• Become focal point as an origin for day trip activities

• Reach into further areas

• Subsequently develop needs for accommodation and infrastructure

• Development by creeping in new locations

Honey pots

Volume

Time

Do not like

crowds

Tolerant of crowding

Require crowds!

Over time

• Nature of the place changes

• Nature of the market changes

• The first market moves onto new places

• The process repeats itself

• Tourism consumes more places!

Rejuvenation techniques

Dispersal policies

Advantages Spreads the tourist load and economic gains / benefits over wider area

Problems

Spreads problems over a larger area

- needs more transport infrastructure - might impinge on communities

and physical environments- government intervention

Increases number of attractions and thus generates more traffic

Controlling Access

Airport construction

Airline schedulesAirline routes

Bilateral agreements

Pedestrianize city centre – e.g. Oxford, UK

Zoning PoliciesPurposes:

Conservation and Protection

Permission for activities

Determine nature of development

Basis: • identify land use • degrees of restricted access • permitted land uses.

Requirements: • a legal framework• process of implementation• reinforcement and

monitoring.

Zoning policies in New Zealand

Conservation Act, 1987

Part IV, sections 18-23.

Conservation Parks (51)

Managed for protection of natural and historic resources and to facilitate public recreation and enjoyment.

Mt Pirongia Forest Park, Waikato

Wilderness Areas (7)

Managed for preservation of indigenous natural resources. Buildings, machinery, livestock, vehicles, aircraft, roads and tracks are excluded from such areas except for management, scientific or safety purposes.

Ecological Areas

Managed for protection of the particular values of each area.

(also under National Parks Act 1980)

Sanctuary Areas

Managed to preserve indigenous plants and animals in their natural state and for scientific and other similar purposes.

Watercourse Areas

Land already under some form of protection (whether under the Conservation Act, Reserve Act or QEII National Trust Act) which adjoins inland waters. The land together with the adjoining waters also has outstanding natural or recreational characteristics and is managed to protect these characteristics.

Maungatautari Ecological Island

Rangitata River

Marginal Strips – part IVa section 24

Strips reserved from the disposition of land by the Crown adjoining the sea, lakes or rivers

held for conservation purposes and protection of waters, water life and water quality

they are also held to enable public access to the waters and for public recreational use.

Stewardship Areas – Part V. section 25Other areas designed for the protection of historic and natural values. While they can be disposed of, such disposal is subject to public process.

Tongariro forest conservation area

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

962 designated WHS inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list)Highly formalised designation process through WHC; strict Operational Guidelines of UNESCO; Management Plan required2 sites nominated every year from within Convention parties’ territory‘World Heritage Convention’ approved by UNESCO in 1972 to identify, protect & conserve cultural & natural heritage of outstanding universal value

Case study:New Lanark WHS, Scotland

• Designated WHS in 2001

• Industrial conservation village

http://www.newlanark.org/

350,000 visitors p.a.180 residents

- Watch the YouTube tour of New Lanark World Heritage site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XisMRpcKpEw&feature=related

Management of tourism impacts at New Lanark WHS

Impacts:SeasonalityLong queuesDifficult accessVisitors do not visit whole siteVisitors use free-access areas onlyTraffic congestionVisitor/Host balance

Management: Events programme, new

product development, redevelopment programme

Car park above the village Visitor signage, orientation,

passport ticket Revenue generation through

hydro-electricity Management Plan to pull

stakeholders together with a common aim (WHS Coordinator)

Individual Study Question (5)

What are the benefits of UNESCO World Heritage Site designation?

Readings:Chapter 4 in Hall & Lew (2009) (pages 143-148)Chapter 10 in Garrod & Fyall (2011)Beeho & Prentice (1997) – see recommended readings