Hi everyone! Today we’re talking more about tourism, which brings us to ask…

Just how big is the tourism industry?

The tourism industry is environmentally pollutive, but so are many other industries such as coal mining or manufacturing. So what makes the tourism industry so special when it comes to the topic of pollution? Just how extensive is this industry and the extent and intensity of its impact on pollution? In 2019, it was reported that the tourism industry has generated 20% of total world employment since 2013. This makes it one of the most important industries in the world as not only do the global and national economies depend on it for growth and development, many people rely on tourism jobs for income and livelihoods. There is not one part of the Earth (that is currently humanly accessible) that is not touched by tourism. Even Antarctica is available for travel, though it will probably burn a whole in your wallet in the process. 

It is especially so when middle class incomes are increasing, technology allows for faster and safer travels and improving diplomatic relations between countries allow for more and more people to travel out of their home country and explore the world. According to the World Bank statistics, the number of international tourism arrivals in the world in 2018 was a whopping 1.442 billion!  This number, however, does not include statistics of domestic tourism, which has become almost as popular as international tourism. 

The lines are blurred in tourism 

No longer is tourism purely just for leisure. The definitions of tourism have been increasingly stretched as people travel for all sorts of reasons in this globalized world, from business matters to seeking medical treatments. Thus, many different alternative forms of tourism to the conventional mass tourism have blossomed over the recent past, and making the tourism industry increasingly ubiquitous!

The 2 way tourism-pollution relationship 

Given the sheer number and frequency of people who travel, there is no doubt that there are environmental and pollutive repercussions for the high amount and intensity of activity, both directly or indirectly related to tourism. Tourism activity, such as air travel and the operation of tourist sites, contribute to an array of forms of pollution. It not only affects multiple environmental spheres from the atmosphere to water bodies, but the pollutive effects of tourism also come in the form of light and noise pollution. 

Moreover, pollution and tourism is not just a one-way relationship but a bidirectional one as tourism receives a taste of its own medicine. The effects of pollution experienced in many countries and tourist sites have inadvertently affected the tourist business as well. Just look at how the haze and air pollution in many parts of South East Asia has negatively affected travel, and by extension, tourism.

As a result, this has compelled many countries and cities to come up with measures to ensure that the pollution caused by tourists and tourist activities is reduced or minimised. 

Thus, as we look into the different ways the tourism industry has contributed to environmental pollution, we will also explore the different ways of dealing with this problem. So check back with us soon as we begin the first series on tourism and water pollution!

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References

Giuffrida, A 2019, ‘Romans revolt as tourists turn their noses up at city’s decay’, The Guardian, 26 April, viewed 30 August 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/26/romans-revolt-as-tourists-turn-their-noses-up-at-citys-decay

Loss, L 2019, ‘Tourism has generated 20% of total world employment since 2013’, Tourism Review News, 7 October, viewed 30 August 2020 https://www.tourism-review.com/tourism-industry-is-the-pillar-of-economy-news11210

‘Respiratory illness spikes, travel affected as haze hits South-east Asia’ 2019, The Straits Times, viewed 30 August 2020, https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/respiratory-illness-spikes-travel-affected-as-haze-hits-southeast-asia

World Bank 2018, International tourism, number of arrivals, viewed 27 August 2020 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL