Managing Tourism Impacts Macro and micro approaches TOMG200
Tourism Management & the Environment
Slide 2
Impact Measurement / Indicators Impact assessments Visitor
flows data Carrying capacity Indicators of crowding Acceptable
limits of change
Slide 3
Indicators of change - measures Car 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
Slide 4
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
Slide 5
Categorisation of Policies i.Micro policies Are at specific
site level ii.Macro policies At a national, regional or district
level Policies should relate to each other as a coherent whole
Slide 6
i. Micro policies some examples Zoning and permit usage Pricing
policies Use of Visitor Centres Building permissions/consent
requirements Footpath design Use of car parks
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
Slide 9
Use of footpaths Are specific ways of controlling access and
directing flows of people.
Slide 10
Park car and ride Involves 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
Slide 11
Use park like car parks! Trees provide shade in summer
Aesthetically pleasing Plants can hold water due to rain May be
more harmonious with natural or other attractions May provide
landmarks to help find car May create favourable impression of
attraction May reduce litter May offer wind shelter
Slide 12
ii. Macro policies some examples Honey pot vs. dispersal
Regional zoning Controlling accessibility Taxation and grants
policies Persuasive approaches e.g. eco-labelling Encouragement of
Ecotourism Green belt and country park approaches UNESCO World
Heritage Site designation
Slide 13
Honey pots Set up popular destinations to relieve pressure on
more fragile areas Examples include: Queenstown, NZ? Stonehenge, UK
Blackpool, UK?
Slide 14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn4BWSl8Fyc
Slide 15
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
Slide 16
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!
Slide 17
Rejuvenation techniques
Slide 18
Dispersal policies AdvantagesSpreads 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
Slide 19
Controlling Access Airport construction Airline schedules
Airline routes Bilateral agreements Pedestrianize city centre e.g.
Oxford, UK
Slide 20
Zoning Policies Purposes: 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.
Slide 21
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
Slide 22
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)
Slide 23
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
Slide 24
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.
Slide 25
Stewardship Areas Part V. section 25 Other 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
Slide 26
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 required 2 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
Slide 27
Case study: New Lanark WHS, Scotland Designated WHS in 2001
Industrial conservation village http://www.newlanark.org/ 350,000
visitors p.a. 180 residents
Slide 28
- Watch the YouTube tour of New Lanark World Heritage site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XisMRpcKpEw&feature=re lated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XisMRpcKpEw&feature=re
lated
Slide 29
Management of tourism impacts at New Lanark WHS Impacts:
Seasonality Long queues Difficult access Visitors do not visit
whole site Visitors use free-access areas only Traffic congestion
Visitor/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)
Slide 30
Individual Study Question (5) What are the benefits of UNESCO
World Heritage Site designation?
Slide 31
Readings: Chapter 4 in Hall & Lew (2009) (pages 143-148)
Chapter 10 in Garrod & Fyall (2011) Beeho & Prentice (1997)
see recommended readings
