E&T Chapter 4 Flashcards
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 1950’s
Attitudes to the natural environment: instrumental use for wealth creation. Any despoiling of nature viewed as a necessity for economic growth.
Attitudes to tourism: International tourism restricted to a relatively small elite; high levels of participation in domestic tourism in economically developed countries.
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 1960’s
Attitudes to the natural environment: Heightening environmental awareness as people have more access to media through television and events such as: the Torrey Canyon (1976) oil disaster (west coast England) and publishing of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, 1962 (fragility of ecological relationships, criticized ago-chemical use) highlight how economic activity can destroy nature. Apollo 8 (1968) moved us from a ‘cowboy economy’ to a ‘spaceship earth’
Attitudes to tourism: Quickening pace of ‘mass’ participation in international tourism; few expressions of concern about the environmental consequences of tourism development. Tourism generally seen as a ‘clean and smokeless industry’
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 1970’s
Attitudes to the natural environment: Growing awareness of pesticide and fertiliser pollution from agriculture; concerns over water pollution; publication of the club of Rome report Limits to Growth in 1972 indicating limits to the earth’s capacity to accommodate economic growth; awareness of global pollution and global warning in scientific circles; Three Mile Island nuclear power meltdown in Pennsylvania; formation of Greenpeace in Canada in 1971
Attitudes to tourism: Emergent awareness that tourism is not a ‘smokeless industry’; Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) establishes a working committee on tourism and the environment
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 1980’s
Attitudes to the environment: Issues such as ‘global warming’, ‘acid rain’. ‘ozone depletion’ begin to gain media coverage. Chernobyl nuclear power accident in Ukraine; concern over the loss of the tropical rainforests; origins of green consumerism; Brundtland Report in 1987. United Nations Intergovernmental Panel in climate Change (IPCC) established in 1988.
Attitudes to tourism: Continued growth and spatial spread of tourism to south-east Asia and the pacific; by the end of the 1980s mass tourism destinations in Spain decline in popularity because of over-development and loss of environmental quality; tourism increasingly viewed as a means for development by less economically developed countries; founding of tourism pressure groups like Tourism concern (UK) and the Ecotourism Society (USA)
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 1990’s
Attitudes to the environment: Environmental protests against: development and road building, genetically modified crops; animal experimentation; loss of rainforests; inequalities in world trade, on going global concerns in an increased propensity to purchase organic food and ethical produce. First United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) held in 1992. Kyoto Agreement to control global emissions agreed in 1997.
Attitudes to tourism: “eco-warriors” target development in Colorado. More tourists becoming environmentally aware. The tourism industry begins to respond to concerns over the environment. “Ecotourism,” “alternative tourism” “green tourism” “sustainable tourism” all become popular phrases used by tourism stakeholders. Also concerns about the meanings of these terms and how they will ensure conservation and provide livelihood benefits for local and indigenous communities.
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 2000’s
Attitudes to the natural environment: Global warming = political issue. Media coverage heightened. The scientific community is united in its view that global temperature rise is because of human activity. International agreements are sought on carbon reduction schemes. Carbon taxation begins to be proposed by some national governments. Kyoto agreement comes in force in 2005.
Attitudes to tourism: Contribution of aviation to global warming receives increased press coverage. Airlines establish carbon off-set websites for voluntary donations from customers. Growing acknowledgement in the tourism industry and government that climate change will threaten the future of some tourism destinations, especially small islands susceptible to a rise in sea level, and lower-altitude ski resorts vulnerable to reduced levels of snowfall
Describe the relationship between society, nature and tourism in the 2010’s
Attitudes to the natural environment: Disagreement still exists between national governments over their responsibilities for reducing GHG emissions. The Copenhagen Accord of 2009 fails to achieve binding agreement of GHG emission cuts. Biodiversity losses continue whilst total global GHG emissions and the average temperature of the earth continue to rise.
Attitudes to tourism: Issues of sustainability and evidence of environmental management are now integrated into the practices of the tourism industry. Major concerns exist over the use of carbon-based transport for a continuing rapidly expanding tourism demand and its contribution to global warming. Concerns also remain over the ethics of the practice of tourism by stakeholders as natural resource shortages. Tourism identified by the United Nations as a key economic sector of a move from ‘brown’ to a ‘green’ economy.
Think point: : referring to Box 4.1, summarize how attitudes to nature and tourism have evolved since the 1960’s
Increased view of earth as a ‘Spaceship” as mentioned from the Apollo 8’s 1968 photos – people are realizing that the implications of their actions can have an adverse effect on nature at large. After 1990’s ‘eco warriors’, a rise in government organizations moving to more sustainable solutions, more NGO’s/ENGO’s acting on behalf of the environment (Greenpeace in Canada, 1971 for example). Issues of sustainability are now integrated into the practices of the tourism industry, present day as we move from a ‘brown’ to a ‘green’ economy, as stated by the UN reflecting on tourism as a key economic sector.
How would you define “Asian Haze” and what causes it?
Affecting SE Asian countries and cities including ones in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Caused by a combination of photo-chemical pollution from traffic that overhands many South-East Asian cities and the burning of rainforest in northern Sumatra to clear land for palm oil production.
Think point: make suggestions as to how the challenges of the Asian haze could be mitigated
Limiting the burning of the rainforest, finding alternate ways of siphoning the smoke as a bi-product, promotion of greener means of transportation besides traffic (infrastructure, etc)
What are three issues as called ‘negative impacts of tourism’?
1: resource usage
2. human behaviour
3. pollution
