Positive and negative effects of tourism on sustainability

In addition to promoting economic growth, which is directly linked to the boom in the industry, tourism has great potential to bring about positive change in communities and ecosystems worldwide. Through targeted measures and partnership between the tourism industry, governments and local communities, tourism can help to protect and sustainably conserve nature and ensure resilient income streams and thus have a positive impact on education, health and prosperity in local communities. To this end, it is important to recognise the negative impacts and develop strategies to reduce environmental impacts and preserve cultural and social integrity. Let's take a look at the positive and negative impacts together to make the future of tourism more sustainable!

Contents:

• Brief classification: Development of the Tourism
• What positive effects does tourism have on sustainability?
• What negative effects does tourism have on sustainability?
• Shaping tourism with a future nown

Brief categorisation: Development of tourism

Travelling more popular than ever before

Since 1950, international travel has increased more than 50-fold worldwide. While 25 million people travelled internationally in 1950, almost 1.5 billion people did so in 2019. The coronavirus pandemic and its far-reaching restrictions led to a drastic slump in travel activity in 2020. However, international tourism is on the road to recovery. With an estimated 1.3 billion arrivals, global tourism almost reached its pre-pandemic level in 2023, and a full recovery is expected in 2024 (UNWTO - World Tourism Barometer, 2024, Pandemic levels in 2024).

The revival in the travel market is also evident in Germany. In an international comparison, Germany is the eighth most popular travel destination. What is exciting for the industry is that domestic tourism exceeds the figures for international travel many times over. With 406 million domestic overnight stays out of a total of 487.2 million, Germany stands out as a particularly popular domestic travel destination and is only just behind the pre-pandemic results in 2023 (Destatis - Press release from 09.02.24)

What positive effects does tourism have on sustainability?

Tourism is an engine for the global economy

Global tourism makes 10 % of economic output out. In specific countries, the overall economy is even more dependent on tourism. For example, tourism is an indispensable economic sector in many island states or countries in the global South, such as the Seychelles, the Maldives or Cambodia. In these countries, tourism is often the main source of foreign currency and therefore a prerequisite for participation in the global market. However, tourism is also very important for the economies of the G20 countries, for example in Mexico with a share of almost 15 % or established industrialised countries such as Germany with 8.8 %. (Statista, 2022)

Tourism is the third most important industry worldwide

Tourism creates jobs

As a service and therefore labour-intensive industry, tourism creates hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide and thus provides employment opportunities, especially in less developed regions or for the socially disadvantaged. Every 10th job is in tourism and thus secures livelihoods and livelihoods. And it is not just the sectors directly associated with tourism that are important. Tourism is multifaceted and creates numerous jobs in many other areas of the economy in addition to employment in the hotel and accommodation sector. These include catering, transport, the entertainment industry, retail, art and culture as well as crafts. These sectors benefit indirectly from tourism as they provide services and products for tourists or profit from the increased economic activity in tourist regions. In Germany, too, the number of employees subject to social insurance contributions in the hospitality industry in 2023 exceeded the previous peak of 2019 with almost 1.1 million employees (Statista, 2023).

Tourism provides direct and induced employment (see Tourism Watch educational material Responsible Travel, 2019)

Tourism promotes dialogue, tolerance and education

In addition to the positive economic and social impact, tourism can also make a contribution to education. Intercultural encounters can strengthen acceptance and tolerance and make a valuable contribution to inclusion. We can also learn a lot from each other by exchanging business practices. How are cultural assets preserved? How is agriculture practised? This happens in both directions, i.e. on the one hand with travellers who share their experiences in the source market. On the other hand, local residents can learn from travellers. Tourism thus promotes exchange and learning from each other far beyond the tourism sector.

Tourism preserves cultural identity

Tourism plays a crucial role in promoting and preserving cultural identity. By visiting historical sites, local festivals, cultural events and traditional craft businesses, travellers gain insight into a region's way of life, history and customs. This not only promotes understanding and appreciation of different cultures, but also supports local communities in preserving their unique traditions and practices. In addition, tourism often helps to celebrate and promote cultural diversity by increasing the demand for traditional foods, crafts and cultural performances, which in turn helps to strengthen and vitalise cultural identity.

Tourism promotes the protection of nature

Tourism can also promote positive developments from an ecological perspective. Reasons for travelling are usually the beautiful weather as well as nature and culture. Tourism is therefore particularly dependent on their preservation and can have a positive impact on them.

Biosphere reserves, for example, are essential for nature conservation. Model areas from Germany show how nature conservation and tourism can go hand in hand. The "Biosphere Breakfast" in Berchtesgadener Land promotes sustainable practices that support both the tourism sector and the environment. The regional food on offer is subject to special quality and regionality criteria. (BMUV 2023)

Income from tourism activities can be specifically invested in conservation measures, such as the creation of nature reserves. This creates a cycle in which tourism minimises its negative impact and at the same time contributes to the conservation of natural assets. Travellers contribute to sustainable development through conscious travel and leisure behaviour.

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What negative effects does tourism have on sustainability?

Tourism and strong climate impacts

However, tourism also has a negative impact and leads, for example, to significant CO2 emissions worldwide. Travelling to and from a tourist region as well as local transport cause greenhouse gases, especially air travel. The high consumption of fossil fuels during take-off and landing makes short-haul flights particularly harmful to the climate. Private transport by car also leads to a high footprint. 

In total 5-8% of global emissions could be attributed to tourism in recent years (UBA, 2022). "According to projections, tourism-related emissions will increase by 130 per cent between 2005 and 2035, i.e. more than double" (Core results IPCC, 2016). Switching to alternative means of transport and spending more time at a holiday destination are good ways of reducing the impact on the climate.

Comparison of the environmental impact of modes of transport (Tourism Watch educational material Responsible Travel, 2019)

Direct energy consumption in accommodation, which is mainly used for activities such as cooking, heating or cooling, is the second largest source of emissions in tourism. These activities contribute significantly to environmental pollution and are therefore an important area to address for reducing emissions in the tourism sector. Measures to increase energy efficiency in accommodation and the promotion of sustainable energy sources help to minimise the environmental impact and make the tourism sector as a whole more environmentally friendly.

Tourism and the scarcity or waste of resources

The main tourist seasons usually fall in dry, rainy seasons, when water is scarce and important for supplying the population and securing agriculture. If these resources are also utilised by tourists, who often have a higher per capita consumption, there is a double shortage. One example of this is Zanzibar. During the arid period, a particularly large number of tourists flock to the island in Tanzania in East Africa. If you look at the water consumption per capita in luxury hotels, it is 35 times higher than in a private household. In addition to water consumption, tourists can also cause other vital local resources to become scarce, such as wood, living space, etc.

The handling of waste is no less problematic. Due to a lack of disposal systems, rubbish is still being burnt under the open sky or dumped in the sea in some places. The consequences are either the generation of greenhouse gases and highly toxic microparticles and their distribution in the soil, water and air or the enormous burden on marine ecosystems. If additional waste is generated by travellers, possibly due to the consumption of imported goods and disposable products instead of unpackaged regional goods, this puts a strain on an already fragile system.

Tourism and environmental damage

Tourist infrastructures pollute nature and seal off areas. In addition to airports and multi-lane motorways, complex infrastructures for tourist attractions and accommodation are being built in many places. The focus is often on economic interests rather than the protection of species living there or threatened with extinction. 

Furthermore, if a destination receives more tourists than it can cope with, this has a lasting detrimental effect on nature. You probably know the story of Maya Bay on the Thai island of Ko Phi Phi, also known as "The Beach"? Overloading with masses of tourists and boat arrivals led to massive environmental damage in the water and on the beach. Extensive remediation was essential. The authorities also recognised this and ordered its closure in 2018. Since January 2022, the beach has been accessible to holidaymakers again under strict conditions and is closed during the rainy season to allow the ecosystems to recover (Germany radio, 2023). 

Tourism and social inequalities

Let's go back to the example of Zanzibar: here, as in many other less legally secure countries, the problem of tourism infrastructure is not only visible in terms of environmental damage, but also for the local communities. The construction of hotels and resorts along the coastline blocks access to the sea for traditional industries such as fishing. This development is not only problematic in that it jeopardises the livelihoods of many families. They also exacerbate social inequalities - on beaches, the mere presence of fishermen is penalised as they destroy the tourist image.

In addition, dependencies can be created through the import of services, e.g. in the construction of tourism infrastructure or international (hotel) chains. Corresponding companies skim off profits locally. Well-paid jobs go to foreign labour. This significantly reduces local value creation and local social development opportunities. There is little positive effect. An increase in the price level can even reduce the level of prosperity and displace residents. In Germany, for example, effects such as an increase in the cost of living, housing shortages and rising rents as a result of increasing tourism figures are increasingly being recognised. (Statista, 2019)

Tourism and poor working conditions

One major advantage is that employment opportunities in tourism are accessible to many people. Many jobs do not require highly specialised qualifications and offer the opportunity to get involved in different areas. However, this also means that labour can be replaced quickly and social factors, such as fair pay, are usually poorly developed. This is particularly serious in the informal sector, which is characterised by a lack of social security and poor working conditions, but which unfortunately accounts for around 50% of jobs in tourism. 

The social and economic challenges have become particularly apparent during the coronavirus pandemic. The hospitality industry was affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic more than almost any other sector. The Hans Böckler Foundation also came to this conclusion in its sector analysis of the hospitality industry (Hans Böckler Foundation, 2023). Many employees in tourism, particularly in hotels and catering, have been confronted with job insecurity, reduced working hours and loss of income. The industry is now faced with the task and opportunity of becoming an attractive employer again and remaining so in the long term.

Tourism and cultural loss

While we spoke at the beginning about the possible positive effects of tourism on the preservation of cultural identity, this can be equally jeopardised by a lack of mindfulness. Local culture and tradition can be lost or lose authenticity through commercialisation and the permanent excessive presence of other cultures. This often happens in the sense of westernisation. Western products, services and food are more in demand than local ones. The consequences are far-reaching. Original economic sectors are dying outbecause they are no longer attractive and fuel social inequalities. We all know the sad stories of local craft and agricultural businesses. Behaviours and traditions can be irretrievably altered, even in everyday life. 

Preserving cultural identity requires the active involvement of local communities and the promotion of understanding and respect for local culture among travellers. 

Overview of the positive and negative effects of tourism on sustainability:

Shape tourism with a future now!

Sustainability is self-preservation

Tourism has both positive and negative effects on a variety of ecological, social, cultural and economic resources. Ecological and cultural damage in particular can be serious and have a negative impact on the economy and society. This alone is reason enough to Sustainable development in tourism and thus ensure the self-preservation of the industry.

• The aim of sustainable tourism should be to take into account the needs of both travellers and the population in the destination and to use resources in such a way that economic and social needs can be met in the long term while preserving culture and the environment. (based on the UNWTO definition)

More exciting articles on the topic of sustainability in tourism

Read our blog post to find out how to turn the risks of climate change into opportunities Climate change and tourism: Which regions are affected and what can be done?. Read more about climate protection in tourism in our blog articles Climate protection in tourism: 4 strategies that help along the way and Implementing climate protection in tourism: 40 valuable measures.

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Tourism or travelling?
Here is a conceptual classification: Tourism refers to and encompasses the totality of all activities and relationships associated with travelling to and staying at a destination outside the usual centre of life or place of work. While travelling tends to reflect the activity itself, the term tourism focuses on the economic classification as an industry. In linguistic usage, both terms are sometimes used interchangeably.