The Impacts of the Travel Industry on the Ecosystem

The travel industry is a very important part of any country's economy. It not only opens up a particular region to people from all over the world but it also promotes the region's cultures, traditions and markets the economic practices of the region. The travel industry has in the recent years developed with even better travel and hospitality provisions for anyone travelling around the world. This industry is known to bring the best results to most countries yet there are some impacts that it comes with. This article provides an in-depth review of both the positive and negative impacts of the tourism industry on ecology.

1. Conservation of unspoiled landscapes Most tourists usually travel across the world to have a feel and a view of the most unique sceneries in the world. Most of those sites that top the list of the most toured places on earth are naturally occurring sites or ancient sites that have passed the test of time. The travel industry is responsible for having these landscapes conserved while they would have otherwise been destroyed for industrial development or construction of settlement.

2. Calls for more attention on natural resources Had it not been for tourism, all forests would have been destroyed to create space for building towns and modern buildings. In addition to that, all animals would have been hunted down and killed for food. So as to keep the flow of tourists constant, the travel industry encourages countries to take extra care of their natural resources. This has led to the continual of existence of ancient plant and animal species through enhanced ecosystem protection. In fact, such animals, plants and natural resources are the ones that really attract tourists to a place. I am made to believe that if there was tourism during the era of dinosaurs, then they would never be extinct.

As much as the travel industry is beneficial to a region, it also has a share of negative impacts on the ecosystem. These include:

1. Depletion of natural resources When the level of tourism within a certain area increases above the ability of the ecosystem to sustain it, then there will be too much pressure imparted on the natural resources. Examples include too much use of water for hotels, restaurants, golf courses and swimming pools and even personal use by tourists. There is also an increased use of plants and animals to provide food for the tourists.

2. Pollution Just like any other industry, the travel industry is also responsible for a sizable amount of pollution. Most of these emerge from tourism facilities in the form of air emissions, noise, poor solid waste disposal, uncontrolled sewage disposal, oil and chemical use and also poor architectural and aesthetic positioning of buildings, roads and other facilities. These result in air, water, noise, land and visual pollution

3. Land degradation An increase in the number of tourists visiting a particular area calls for more tourism facilities. Construction of these facilities usually requires vast amounts of land thus putting pressure on the important land resources such as a fertile soils, wetlands, forests and wildlife hence causing land degradation.

Unlike most tourist destinations in the world, Croatia and the Adriatic islands have found a way to control the encroachment of human activity onto their precious tourist destinations. Most of these are pristine and their natural beauty is conserved by controlling human activity within these areas. This is what makes this region the most adorable place for any tourist to have fun, find accommodation, have a peaceful and quiet time and enjoy the gift of nature. The great balance between nature and tourism in the Adriatic region is what has turned it into a paradise for sailors, divers, campers, swimmers, explorers, historians and other tourists.