1. ENCM 42034: Marine and Coastal Resources Management
Source: 1. Integrated Coastal Management: South Asia, By Barbara E. Brown (1997) , Chapter 7
2. Ecology of Aquatic Management, Chris Frid and Mike Dobson (2002), pp 143-178 ,
Coastal Tourism
Impacts and the
management

2. Tourism
• One of the largest economic activities
worldwide
• Employs more than 100 million people
• Contributes 10% to world GNP
• Estimated of 500 million international travelers
each year, and 5 billion local travelers
• Number is increasing with increasing income,
free time, cheaper transport, publicity etc.

3. Tourist arrival: Maldives and Sri Lanka
494008
438475 447890
654476
800000
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
900000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Sri Lanka
Maldives

4. Sri Lankan story: Actual and
Projected
• Expatriates returned
• Repository of Cultural heritage
• Rich Wildlife
• Services are cheaper
• Beautiful coastline
• Contrasting weather zones
• War site
• Cultural pageants such as Esala
Perahera, Nawam perahera,
• Pilgrimage seasons (i.e. Sri pada)
etc.

5. Advantages of Tourism development.
1. It is a growth industry and therefore highly
desirable for the economic development in
countries and regions
2. Tourism help diversify the economy
3. Tourism around protected areas may help to
stimulate economic activity and growth in
isolated rural regions
4. Tourism may act to promote government’s
awareness and implementation of conservation
policies.
Contd/.

6. Advantages of Tourism development
5. Provides high employment opportunities
6. Infrastructure development, i.e. roads to
coastal areas and water supply etc..
7. Development of international relationships
8. Country become more popular globally.
9. Locals are exposed to different cultures and
languages etc..

7. Disadvantages of tourism
1. It is an unstable source of income greatly
influenced by uncontrollable factors such as
political instability, weather, civil wars, social
conflicts, and international currency fluctuations.
2. In certain regions, “tourism may destroy tourism”,
3. Importation of costly commodities to develop
tourism often involve substantial ‘leakage’ of
income out of a country back to developed
countries (about 55% of the income)
Contd/.

8. Contd/.
4. It is inefficient and costly to have capital
equipment and labour idle during the “tourist off-
season of the year”.
5. Negative cultural impacts may result from ill-
conceived tourist expansion
6. Local members of the community are often given
menial jobs because of lack of skills and cultural
prohibitions.
7. Popularization of illegal activities such as narcotics,
prostitutions etc..
8. Change of life styles of the local people.
9. Possible environmental pollution etc..

9. • Local members of
the community are
often offered menial
jobs because of lack
of skills and cultural
prohibitions.

10. Coastal Tourism

11. Conrad Hilton Resort: Maldives

12. Conrad Hilton Resort: Maldives

13. Coastal Tourism
• Most rapidly growing sector of tourism is the
Coastal tourism worldwide.
Why????
• Highly developed in the South Asian Maldives.
14.5
3.7 3.3
1.2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Maldives India Pakistan Sri Lanka
Average annual growth rate in
tourist arrivals in South Asia over
the period 1980-1992.
What has happened to Sri Lanka???

14. Environmental impacts
1. Coral reef degradation
2. Deteriorating coastal water quality
3. Dumping of solid waste on beaches
4. Illegal fishing practices
5. Coastal erosion etc…
Socio-economic impacts
1. Inadequate anchorage and landing facilities for fishing boats
2. Lack of alternate forms of income
3. Increasing traffic noise and congestion
4. Illegally constructed building on beach
5. Inadequate water supply
6. Restricted beach access
7. Increasing density of beach and sanctuary use, etc…
Impacts of coastal tourism

15. 1. Coral Reef Degradation
Causes
• Uncontrolled boating activity
• Sedimentation and water
pollution
• Coral collection
• Reef walking
• Collection of ornamental fish
and lobster
Removing sediments
from a reef

16. 2. Deterioration of coastal water quality
Causes
Inadequate waste water systems in hotels

17. 3. Dumping of solid waste on the beach
Causes
Inadequate solid waste disposal

18. 4. Illegal fishing practices
Causes
• High demand for fin fishes and shell
fishes by the tourists/Hotels

19. 5. Coastal erosion
Causes
• Coral reef destruction
due to tourism
Drilling a reef for dynamiting/mining

20. 6. Inadequate Anchorage and landing
facilities for fishing boats
Causes
Sedimentation of fisheries harbours
Nice looking tourist

21. 7. Lack of alternative forms of income
Causes
• Inadequate resources devoted for alternative income generation
Only form of income here is either
fishing or tourism

22. 8. Increasing traffic noise and congestion
Causes
1. Inadequate road infrastructure,
2. Increasing number of vehicles
3. No speed controls

23. 9. Illegally constructed buildings on beach
Causes
• Non-compliance with set-back laws

24. 10. Inadequate water supply
Causes
1. Inadequate infra-structure
2. Groundwater affected by salt water intrusion

25. 11. Restricted beach access
Causes
• High density buildings in beach area
Well planned beach

26. 12. Increasing density of beach and
sanctuary use
Causes
• Large number of tourists using area
Brazil:
Buoenos Aires

27. 13. Conversion of mangrove areas to
dryland sites by clearance and felling to a
level above the high tide mark

28. 14. Disruption of surface circulation by road
construction that eliminates either freshwater
or seawater from entering the mangrove

29. 15. Increased rate of sedimentation resulting
from dredging or evaporation upstream

30. 16. Careless discharge of waste oil and other
pollutants from construction sites

31. 17. Over-harvesting of mangrove trees as a
source of scaffolding and construction
materials

32. 18. Displacement of people who have sold land
to tourist developers and who then convert mangrove
to new land for homes, rice paddies and aquaculture

33. 19. Non-sustainable exploitation of mangrove by
local people to produce souvenirs for sale to
tourists

34. Management options of problems posed
by coastal tourism
Government involvement is eminent
1. All tourism developments should be subjected to
full EIA and IEA procedures
2. Environmental damage both direct (eg. Diver
damage to coral reefs) and indirect (eg. Pollution,
land erosion, and traffic congestion) should be
quickly and correctly identified.
3. Issuing licenses should be made in compliance
with the government (ie. CEA) and the standards
cited by the (WTO) World Tourism Organization
4. Environmental education of tourists, resort
owners/staff and developers to reduce
environmental damage

35. Management of problems posed by
coastal tourism…. Contd/.
5. Careful monitoring of the impacts of tourist
developments and implementing appropriate
legislation at an early stage in the development
process
6. Codes of practice for environmentally sensitive
tourism developments should be made widely
available to all the interested parties and, should be
adhered to any new initiatives.
7. Conflicts that may arise between the local
community who if fully dependent on fisheries as a
livelihood, and the tourists/tourism developers
should be amicably solved or minimized. Eg.
Lessones from the Maldives ….contd

36. Management of problems posed by
coastal tourism…. Contd/.
..one resort per island, the wide scattering of resorts
throughout several atolls and hence low tourist
density and lack of interaction with local
communities..
8. The government involve in the establishment of an
overall tourism zoning plan at the outset of tourism
development
9. Government regulation and control of resort
building and construction,
10. High environmental awareness by resort owners
and hence commitment to marine conservation.

37. Management of problems posed by
coastal tourism…. Contd/.
11. Ban on the sale of marine curios and on reef fishing at
resort islands and near resorts
12. Promote good code of practice in diving operations
13. Report illegal activities promptly to relevant
authorities.
14. Initiate environmental awareness programms by
educated persons. i.e. beach cleaning by the
ENCM students at Barbarian reef at Beruwala
15. Beach nourishment on eroding sandy
beaches, eg. Setting up of concrete barriers at the
beach frontage ……………………………………………………..END.