Ecotourism and Eco Tours

Laura asked:


Just needa know the bad things tourism is doing to our coast.

2 Responses to “How does tourism have a negative impact on coastal management?”

1. idontexistanywhere Says:
   April 18th, 2010 at 6:50 am

   there is damage only to the coastal environment if and when people develop them for commercial use (like beach resorts); the tsunami of Dec 2004 is a testament to the (extreme) impact and destruction that happens when coasts and shore lines are “commercialized”; to attract and keep the tourists, people clear the coral reefs (which serve both as nurseries for young fish and sanctuary for small fish, as well as a barrier to slowdown strong tides – like tsunamis); there is an article a few months after the deadly Dec 2004 tsunami that showed how a small insignificant coastal village survived (with almost no casualties and minimal damage) while all other areas on both sides suffered devastating damage and lost of lives; I invite you to visit the web page:

2. wizard bob Says:
   April 18th, 2010 at 5:05 pm

   1. Rubbish
   2. Construction of sea walls, which actually causes more erosion down the coast
   3. Destruction of sand dunes
   4. over-fishing?
   5. pollution of the sea from sewage outlets

   The fact that people want a pretty beach sometimes goes against what the best management strategy in an area could be. Eg – these days some srategies are suggesting that it is impossible / unwise to attempt to control the sea and have suggested managed retreat – ie let the sea do what it likes. Of course this goes against tourism, because tourist areas need to be safe and beautiful.

   However, also consider that tourism brings in the money to preserve beautiful coastal areas, eg cornwall, etc