Consequences of Unsustainable Touristic Growth (DP IB Geography)

Carrying Capacity

• Carrying capacity is a way of measuring how sustainable tourism is

• Carrying capacity can be broken down into three elements:

The Three Elements of Carrying Capacity

•  Butler’s model of tourism argues that tourist destinations will eventually exceed their carrying capacity

• This will result in either:

  • Adaptation which will lead to rejuvenation

  • Decline due to unsustainable tourism

Management of Tourism Hotspots

Sustainable management of tourism 

• Sustainable management can be achieved by either:

  • Increasing carrying capacity by providing more resources for tourists such as hotels or increasing the size of the attraction(s)

  • Limiting tourist numbers so that the carrying capacity is not reached by setting limits on visitors or permit systems

Urban hotspots: Venice

• Venice’s historic urban centre is 700 hectares

• Buildings are protected from alterations by government legislation

• There is conflict between those who want to increase tourism because they profit from it and those groups of people who believe that Venice has reached its carrying capacity

• It has been suggested that the optimum carrying capacity for Venice is:

  • People who use hotel accommodation - 9,780

  • Tourists who use other forms of accommodation- 1,460

  • Day trippers - 10,857

  • An annual turnover of 8 million people

• Tourism patterns are not equal in Venice

  • More tourists arrive in the summer and on weekends

• According to some research, over 110,000 visitors visit Venice in the summer each day

• Research from 2019 suggests that the carrying capacity should be 55,000 tourists per day

• It is clear that the carrying capacity is being reached in Venice from the tourist numbers that are visiting

• Day trips are more popular than people staying for extended stays in Venice

• There have been complaints from locals about the behaviour of tourists, including covering churches with graffiti, swimming in canals and sleeping on bridges

• In 2023, 270 cruise ships visited Venice, bringing 600,000 day trippers

• The destination is still marketed to tourists, which has alienated the local population

• The local population has decreased from 120,000 in the 1960s to 50,000 in 2019

• UNESCO has considered putting Venice on the World Heritage Danger list

Management of tourism in Venice

• The government has started to charge people to enter the city through the square’s gates at a fee of $4.50

• To control the number of day trippers, the local government has banned unauthorized coach trips 

• People arriving by car may be turned away if they have not pre-booked parking

• From 2021, cruise ships were banned from Venice

• From June 1st, 2024 

  • Tour groups will be limited to 25 people

  • Loudspeakers will be banned

Rural hotspots: Brecon Beacons

• Brecon Beacons is a national park in Wales

• It is also a UNESCO Global Geopark 

  • This recognises the importance of the area’s geological heritage

• Dark sky status has also been awarded to the Breacon Beacons

• A varied landscape of glaciated valleys and moorland

• It covers an area of 1,344 km2

• The population of the area is approximately 33,000

• The number of visitors is about 4.15 million a year

• Over £197 million is spent every year by tourists in the area

• There are approximately 10,000 beds available for tourists in the areas

• There have been many criticisms from locals about how tourists bring many problems to the area, such as disruption to farmers

• In some areas in the Brecon Beacons the carrying capacity is being exceeded

• These areas experience congestion with negative impacts on the environment and the local communities

Management of tourism in Breacon Beacons

• The management plan for the area (2022-2027) includes several management strategies including:

  • Sustainable travel options around Pen y Fan to reduce parking on verges

  • Planning powers to control light from new developments to maintain the Dark Skies area

  • Creation of community based hubs to provide services for local residents to reduce the impact of second homes

  • There is also focus on ecosystem regeneration including:

    • Woodland expansion and regeneration

    • Restoration of rivers Wye and Usk

  • A cycling and walking networks to encourage travel without cars