Tourism's Impact on Bournemouth
Tourism today is among the most dynamic and most significant sector of any economy. Tourism's development and growth rates, significant foreign currency inflows, contribution to local infrastructural development, and human capital inflow spur growth throughout every facet of the economy. Consequently, contributing positively socio-economic, cultural development of the local community and the nation as a whole. While tourism contributes positively to both economic and cultural advancement, another school of thought holds that it has only brought about cultural and environmental degradation. This report explores the impacts of tourism in Bournemouth in three distinctive categories namely economic, socio-cultural, and ecological. Finally, the paper aims to address the measures taken by Bournemouth local authority to minimize the adverse effects of tourism and ensure Bournemouth's sustainability as a tourism destination.
Economic Impacts
The economic benefits of Tourism to Bournemouth cannot be underestimated. Assertions of the Tourism's positive economic effects give the industry much respects from various sections of the community in general. Therefore, translating into favorable decisions and public policies affecting the sector. Analysis of the economic impact of tourism provides tangible forecasts of the economic interdependencies of various elements in the community and the role of tourism in bolstering the community's economy (McLeod, Michelle, David and Jonathan 77). Tourism leads to economic development in a variety of ways such as contributing to destination's air ticket sales, job creation, tax revenues, and increase in profits-because tourists can purchase at premium prices. Among the directly affected sectors include lodging, transportation, retail trade, amusement, and dining businesses. Other industries such as payments received by suppliers and wages of workers in the sector of the Bournemouth economy mostly experience secondary spill over as a result of tourism activity.
Conversely, tourism activities bring about economic costs, for example, direct losses sustained by businesses in the sector, costs incurred by the government to cover infrastructural development to adequately serve tourists, in addition to congestion and any other related costs accrued by the community at large. In many instances, the congestion contributes to traffic snarl-ups that lead to wasted productive hours. Similarly, tourism activities lead to seasonal jobs which are lowly paid, and people work for extra-long hours to meet the requirements of tourists. Also, the increased demand for holiday homes leads to an overall rise in rental houses beyond the rich of local community members (McLeod, Michelle, David and Jonathan 78). More importantly, as tourism activity surges, local business owners increase their prices and stock items to cater to the tourists. In turn, leading to expensive items which might not reflect the requirements of the local community. Thus, sound decisions touching on Bournemouth's tourism sector should hinge on an objective and balanced discussion both its costs and benefits and a considerate understanding of the beneficiaries and losers as a result of tourism activity.
Socio-Cultural Effects
Tourism presents a mixed impact on the cultural and social life within any host community such as Bournemouth. Though effects heavily peg on the strengths of the prevailing religious and cultural beliefs, it is no doubt that the interaction of tourists with local community members can lead to either positive or negative effects as tourists may not be sensible to the local traditions, customs, and or standards.
Tourism can positively contribute to the social and cultural heritage of the local community in many ways: For example, the locals can interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds a various exhibiting lifestyles, through the "demonstration effect" the interaction might lead to improved practices and lifestyles of the indigenous people (Carlisle, Sheena, Aleksande and Martin 81). Next, the lives of the local people improve tremendously through the betterment of local infrastructure and facilities developed for sustainable tourism in the area. Such facilities often promote advancement in education, healthcare delivery, jobs, and a significant rise in income levels. Besides, more social and cultural events such as exhibitions and entertainment become available to the local community, hence enriching the local cultural heritage. Tourism also leads to the promotion and revival of the indigenous culture and preservation of local crafts, ancestral heritage, and architectural traditions. Sustained tourism activities in Bournemouth areas has contributed to the recovery of the town as people move from rural areas in search of employment opportunities (Leung et al. 4). Similarly, tourism has led to the development of some of the rural areas within Bournemouth as some of the tourist's sites are located in the remote areas.
Sustained tourism activities, on the other hand in many occasions lead to degradation of the local cultural and social wellbeing. For example, the local population's lifestyles and activities suffer intrusions thus promoting resentment towards the visitors. Similarly, local customs, behavior, and traditions diminish by copying the tourists' lifestyles. Consequently leading to rising in crime rates as a result of wearing down of the moral fabric that held the community together (Leung et al. 4). Such crimes often meted to wealthier visitors due to greed and jealousy. Besides, communication problems might arise due to language barriers between members of Bournemouth community and the tourists due to the language barrier.
Environmental impacts
Tourism is one of the most significant factors of Bournemouth's economy and creates employment for a vast number of individuals. However, the tourism activities affect the environment in significant ways. The adverse effects occur when tourism activities surpass the ability of the ecosystem to that particular use. Uncontrolled tourism possesses a threat to the natural ecology of Bournemouth (McLeod, Michelle, David and Jonathan 78). Such activities exert enormous pressure on the limited available land leading to soil erosion; waste discharges into the sea, increased pollution, loss of natural habitats, stress to the endangered species, and high vulnerability to forest fires. Tourism activities also create a strain on water resources. While the relationship between tourism activities and the quality of environment-either natural or human-made- is intrinsic, it can gradually have devastating effects threatening the environment in which it depends.
Contrastingly, tourism activities have the potential to create beneficial impacts to the Bournemouth's environment by contributing in and promoting environmental conservation and protection. Especially with the advancement of Eco-tourism, businesses can raise awareness to protect the environment and a financing tool to protect natural areas to increase their economic value (Leung et al. 6). Tourist hotels often contribute to environmental preservation by using utilizing recycled resources such as water and energy primarily in their operations, besides maintaining and upholding green supply chain.
Recommendation and Conclusion
Tourism, in essence, contributes positively by uplifting the economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions of Bournemouth's locals. The tourist sector has been at the forefront of promoting the local environment and contributing in policies that serve to protect the environment from degradation. However, the side effects of tourism should not be overlooked as the sector has exerted considerable damage across all the facets of the society. The Bournemouth's local authorities should, therefore, enact tourist policies that strike a balance between the benefits and the ills of tourism. Among the best possible regulations should be set up economic zones catering to tourists so as the high prices offered by tourists do not lead to local inflations in both consumer goods and housing. Another way to minimize environmental degradation is to pass laws that require hotels and lodges adopt energy-saving measures such as the use of renewable energy and recycled waters to irrigate golf courses and swimming pools. More importantly, provide adequate information to tourists regarding the local culture and tradition so that locals do not resent them.
Works Cited
Carlisle, Sheena, Aleksander Johansen, and Martin Kunc. "Strategic foresight for (coastal) urban tourism market complexity: The case of Bournemouth." Tourism Management54 (2016): 81-95.
Leung, Daniel, et al. "Social media in tourism and hospitality: A literature review." Journal of Travel " Tourism Marketing30.1-2 (2013): 3-22.
McLeod, Michelle Theresa, David Roger Vaughan, and Jonathan Edwards. "Knowledge networks in the tourism sector of the Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch conurbation: preliminary analysis." Advances in Service Network Analysis. Routledge, 2013. 77-94.
