ABSTRACT

This chapter is concerned with the impact of tourism on the environment. The environment is made up of both natural and human features. The natural or physical environment includes the landscape, particular features such as rivers, rock outcrops, beaches and also plants and animals. The environment is being increasingly recognized as the major resource for tourism. Tourism has become a major cause of environmental damage to the environment rather than a force for enhancement and protection. The term environment is often assumed to mean no more than the physical or natural features of a landscape. According to J. Swarbrooke, there are five aspects of the environment. These are: the natural environment, wildlife, the farmed environment, the built environment and natural resources. In relation to tourism's impacts on the physical environment, an important term is ecology. Environmental and ecological carrying capacity is both scientific terms and hence lends themselves to scientific forms of measuring.