Social, Eco. + Envi. Impacts of Tourism in Lake District (a Local Tourist Destination) Flashcards
1
Q
General facts ab. Lake District.
A
- located in Northern England, + is a Mt area w lakes
- it attracts many tourists (e.g. approx 19M/yr) bc of its many adventurous activities, such as hillwalking, popular boating activities on its rivers + lakes, + rock climbing opportunities provided by Mt. Crags
2
Q
Positive social impacts of tourism in Lake District.
A
- promotes cultural exchange, leading to a mutual understanding + greater appreciation of diff. cultures
- e.g. in 2019, a large portion of revenue was spent on services related to cultural experiences, such as the heritage site ‘William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage’, which attracted many tourists interested in English lit. + history, overall encouraging a sense of cultural exchange
- provides sig. investment in infrastructure, which benefits tourists whilst enhancing QOL for locals
- e.g. the Go Lakes project, aimed at improving infrastructure to cater for tourists, invested £6.6M in extending cycle routes by 50 miles + creating 5 new bus services, dec congestion + enhancing daily commute for locals
3
Q
Negative social impacts of tourism in Lake District.
A
- bc 89% of tourists visiting Lake District arrive by car, congestion has sig inc, as roads, constructed prior to mass car ownership, are narrow, resulting in difficulties for locals to carry out their daily activities, thus dec QOL
- overcrowding, (e.g. in Bowness-on-Windermere, which receives 15,000 tourists /day in summer, exceeding pop. of 2,000) has put pressure on local infrastructure + public services that weren’t built to handle large NO°s of ppl, creating a stressful envi. for locals
- local culture + traditions have eroded over time, as they’ve been commercialised to cater for expectations + desires of tourists, rather than maintaining them for local value
4
Q
Evaluation of social impacts.
A
- over time, as NO° of tourists inc in a destination, social impacts shift from positive to negative, as disadvantages replace initial benefits, creating tension between tourists + local communities
- this is displayed through Doxey’s Index, a model showing how attitudes of local communities change towards tourism, from initial excitement to frustration + opposition as neg. impacts become more visible
- however, it doesn’t apply to all types of tourist destination (e.g. eco-tourism: more exclusive + so doesn’t follow pattern of mass-tourism destinations)
5
Q
Describe the stages of Doxey’s Index.
A
- (1) euphoria: locals are excited + positive ab. tourism
- (2) apathy: initial excitement fades as tourism inc
- (3) irritation: neg. impacts become more visible (e.g. overcrowding/rising prices)
- (4) antagonism: locals begin to openly oppose it as tourism intensifies
- (5) stagnation: tourism has reached its peak
6
Q
Positive economic impacts of tourism in Lake District.
A
- revenue from tourism, which was £2.17B in 2019, has sig. contributed to local economy, w visitors having spent £1.1B on accommodation alone
- this has supported local businesses + stimulated eco growth bc has led to inc tax revenues, allowing gov. to invest in better infrastructure + public services
- tourism acts as a major source of employment, benefiting skilled + unskilled workers + supporting 18,000 full time jobs, which accounts for a large portion of region’s workforce
- has created a multiplier effect, as income generated by local businesses has spread throughout workers, suppliers + local gov, leading to higher tax revenues, more jobs + growth in local businesses, overall strengthening local economy
7
Q
Negative economic impacts of tourism in Lake District.
A
- tourism in Lake District has led to inflation, resulting in inc house prices, so many locals, working in low-waged tourism industry, have been driven out of area bc can’t afford houses, which have an avg price of £250,000 whereas avg income is only £27,000
- has led to eco. leakages, displayed by a Cumbria Tourism study discovering that 30% of revenue from tourism leaks out of region + makes its way to large TNCs, + so doesn’t benefit local economy
- led to economy being overreliant on tourism, making it vulnerable to external shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which caused a loss of £2.3B in revenue + sig job losses, making area eco. instable
8
Q
Evaluation of eco. impacts.
A
- tourism majorly contributes to many local economies, such as in Lake District
- although pos. eco impacts are sig. in early stages of tourism, neg. eco. impacts, can arise over time, which diminish benefits if tourism isn’t carefully managed
- to help mitigate the neg. eco impacts, sustainable tourism practices should be implemented, which ensures pos. impacts outweigh neg. impacts in future
9
Q
Positive envi. impacts of tourism in Lake District.
A
- a portion of tourism revenue is reinvested into conservation schemes, like ‘Fix the Fells’ which helps to maintain + restore eroded footpaths by:
- stone pitching (stones dug into centre of path to create a staircase, to provide a hard-wearing, low maintenance surface)
- soil inversion (drainage ditch is dug at side of path + soil from ditch is used to create a solid, hard-wearing surface)
- revenue from entry fees is invested into envi. protection efforts, which manage areas to help protect species such as the Sika deer + native red squirrel, which often risk habitat loss
10
Q
Negative envi. impacts of tourism in Lake District.
A
- contributes to envi degradation as 10M ppl walk on paths each yr, in which modern walking boots w deep tread intensifies impact as twisting motion when walking, helps erode paths + trample veg.
- e.g. bc paths to Scafell Pike + Cumbrian Way are v popular, it led to erosion costing £1.2M to repair in 2018
- led to 2.5M car visits in Windermere in 2019, inc traffic congestion + carbon emissions which contributed to dec air quality
- tourism has put pressure on natural resources, such as water + energy supplies, as energy consumption inc by around 10-20% compared to off season periods
11
Q
Evaluation of envi. impacts.
A
- as tourism inc in a local area, neg. envi. impacts often outweigh positive, as they become more intense, leading to LT envi. damage
- however, conservation schemes + promotion of eco-friendly activities, as seen in the Lake District, can help mitigate damage + sustainably contribute to preserving local envi. if managed effectively
12
Q
Evaluation of impacts of tourism on local tourist destinations.
A
- tourism initially has many pos. impacts on the local envi, such as creating jobs for locals, boosting local economy and funding for conservation schemes
- however, over time, as tourism continue to inc, it can put a strain on the economy + envi, resulting in a shift from pos. to neg. social impacts, if tourism isn’t carefully managed
