Write about the Introduction to the Visitor Economy.
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where the visitors visit for its value, culture, historical significance or natural attraction. The case study chosen for this report is Gold Coast as a tourist destination. The history and heritage of Gold Coast goes back in the 1700s when European travellers began arriving (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in Australia and the second-largest in Queensland after Brisbane. The coastal city is located in the Australian State of Queensland which is approximately 41 mi south-southeast of the state capital Brisbane and immediately north of the border with New South Wales (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). The city of Gold Coast stretches from the Albert River in the north to the New South Wales border in the south, and west to the coastal mountains. Before the Europeans settled, the river valleys, wetlands and hills were the home of Yugambeh people (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). The city of Gold Coast is a significant tourist destination in Australia as it has a sunny tropical climate, canal and waterway systems, surfing beaches, nightlife, theme parks and rainforest hinterland (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). Moreover, the destination shall host Commonwealth Games in 2018 (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016).
The case study is chosen as it is a perfect destination for business, study, investment, events, tourism and sport. The city welcomes 12 million visitors annually due to is attractions (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). The aim of this report is to analyse positive and negative environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts. A justification and recommendations are provided to manage the negative impacts. The industries involved both directly and indirectly for managing the negative impacts are identified.
This section analyzes the positive impacts economically, environmentally and socio-culturally with Gold Coast as a tourist destination.
There are various economic benefits due to tourism as the money spent by visitors helps in stimulating the economy, employment opportunities and is beneficial for the local business. Tourism creates both direct and indirect employment in retail and transportation sectors. The visitors and residents of Gold Coast spend their money on purchasing goods and services which in turn has a multiplier effect creating more employment opportunities. It is reported that Gold Coast wins the right to host Commonwealth Games of the year 2018 and the event is most likely to create 33,540 jobs in Queensland by the year 2020 (Berg 2011). Moreover, the economic benefit that shall be received from it is specified to be approximately $2 billion (Berg 2011). Massive infrastructure shall be sparkled with the flood in tourism. Moreover, tourism in Gold Coast also provides opportunities to small-scale businesses. Tourism in Gold Coast attracts millions of people which increase tourist activities and income. This income can be used to maintain the infrastructure and roads. The businesses generate extra tax revenue that can be used for housing, schools and healthcare. Therefore, tourism at Gold Coast improves and promotes the development of sporting facilities, public transport and other public facilities (Visitgoldcoast.com 2016).
Tourism helps in the promotion of conservation of natural resources and wildlife which are also considered as tourism assets. Gold Coast is famous for its green environment, golden beaches and has a list of heritage rainforests. Gold Coast’s ecotourism industry runs climate friendly business which support planting of native trees. The city considers climate change seriously and uses greenhouse gases for making a positive difference. The Gold Coast emits approximately nine (9) million tonnes of CO2 equivalents each year – 16 tonnes per resident (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). Our average rate of CO2 emissions per person is lower than the Australian average (20 tonnes) – probably due to the mild weather (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). The total amount of energy consumed by the Gold Coast community each year is equivalent (if it was possible) to driving to the sun and back 100 times (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). This is partially offset with over 50,000 Gold Coast homes producing their own solar power (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016). With better appreciation of the environment and spreading awareness regarding the environmental issues, a safer environment can be created. Gold Coast tourism helps in restoration and conservation of sites. The plant or animal species which might become extinct can be preserved. There are strict laws for protecting the animals for nature-loving tourists that lead to environmental benefit (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2016).
Gold Coast has been one of the famous tourist destinations that imply positive perception of the people. It is evident that a lot of effort must have been made to make Gold Coast such a famous and favourite tourist destination. Huge money is invested to preserve the local heritage. Moreover, better facilities such as education, lifestyle, and social event organization and leisure facilities are also created due to tourist activities in Gold Coast. The local people in Gold Coast interact with the tourists as there is a diverse background of people thereby creating a cosmopolitan culture in the region. Tourism in Gold Coast also encourages the celebration of traditional festivals which enhances civic pride (Kim et al. 2015). There are live cultural performances, handicrafts and special functions to enhance tourist involvement. Most of the people visiting Gold Coast do not know the history or importance of the region. Therefore tourism helps in raising awareness while attracting tourists in the region. The benefits derived from tourism are shared evenly across the community. As tourism showcases religion in Gold Coast, there is a better opinion of the people in the region that encourages future business investment or tourism activities (Deery, Jago and Fredline 2012).
This section analyzes the negative impacts economically, environmentally and socio-culturally with Gold Coast as a tourist destination.
There are various economic disadvantages that are accompanied with Gold Coast tourism. It is reported that Gold Coast wins the right to host Commonwealth Games of the year 2018 and the benefits perceived from it was priceless (Berg 2011). However, it is argued that the major event shall make the economy disruptive. The roads might remain shut. The residents of Gold Coast might have to stay away fearing the crowds and they might not go out for entertainment. The businesses that would not be able to take advantage of the visitors or tourists might experience a decline in sales (Alam and Paramati 2016). Events at tourist destination lead to unnecessary expenditure. The spending priorities are disrupted and the stadiums for the event have only limited use till the event is over. The transportation designed to move from one place to another after the visitors leave. Moreover, the tax-payers money is used to finance the events which disrupt the economic scenario of Gold Coast (Berg 2011). Moreover, the property prices in the region are rising that makes it difficult for people to live. Not only prices of property, but other goods and services also tend to increase (Expatistan.com 2016).
In the earlier section, the positive environmental effects of tourism in Gold Coast were discussed. This section analyses the negative effects of tourism such as threats to natural resources. Tourism harms the Gold Coast environment from increased pollution, natural habitat loss and more. As there is increase in public transportation, there is increased air pollution as one of the major negative effects (Mason 2012). Further, the land resource such as forests, wildlife, fossil fuels and minerals are degraded due to increased deforestation and land clearing. Water is one of the significant resources which are deficit in the region. The tourists blatantly avoid the environmental rules due to excess zeal or ignorance (Voltes-Dorta et al. 2014). Climate change is another great damage caused in Gold Coast. Moreover, the tourists have an attitude of polluting the environment through excessive littering. There is increased sewage production and noise as millions of visitors visit Gold Coast annually (Kim et al. 2015). Many of the negative impacts from tourism occur when the amount of visitors is greater than the environment’s ability to cope with the visitor volume. There is increased waste discharge into the sea and waterways. Moreover, the endangered plant and species become more vulnerable. Hence, due to increased vulnerability, there is loss of biodiversity. With the exceeding environmental capacity, there is strain on scarce resources. There is a need to continually check on tourism so that it can be made sustainable (Kim, Uysal and Sirgy 2013).
This section analyses the negative effects of tourism in Gold Coast. It is observed that there is economic inequality as the locals and tourists spend more than they usually spend. The visitors or tourists might fail to respect the moral values or local customs. The tourist behaviour can inflict behaviour such as drug and alcohol issues. Gold Coast might become a tourist trap which loses the feel of its local community (Mitchell 2012). The tourists who get involved in excess drugs or alcohol may also increase the criminal rate as they might contribute to crimes. The behaviour may also be rowdy or delinquent due to the same reason (Deery, Jago and Fredline 2012). The visitors deny local residents or make the facilities such as sporting facilities, parks, roads, and public transport less available for the local people. The character of region might change for the worse thereby affecting local character (Tang 2015). Further, tourism in Gold Coast might infringe human rights as the locals can be put away for using the land to make new hotels or barring from braches. The interaction with tourist may also erode the traditional culture and value. Tourism may result in overcrowding and the existing infrastructure may not be able to cope up due to overcrowding and poor sanitation. This shall lead to increase in risk of diseases both for the local people and the tourists. Other criminal activity such as fetching money easily from the tourists is also termed under anti-social activities (Stylidis et al. 2014).
Tourism is a fragile industry which is bound to be affected by various socio-cultural, environmental and economic factors which have been discussed in the previous sections. Gold Coast must promote sustainable tourism so that it leaves a positive impact on the society, environment and the economy. The following recommendations are made to develop sustainable tourism practices in Gold Coast (Lee 2013).
Tourism planning shall help in integrating sustainable tourism plan into the regional or national development plans for strengthening the ground. The tourism planners must identify and utilize the information cooperative processes, evaluation tools and others for sustainable tourism. Planning shall help in defining vision for public use development and tourism. The plans shall also help in preserving destination values by outlining processes for monitoring change to evaluate threats and opportunities. Constituencies can be involved in the tourism planning process so that different values related to tourism is involved. Coordination needs to be made between destinations for improving planning (Waligo, Clarke and Hawkins 2013).
The tourism businesses must involve innovative approach for improving the efficiency of resource use and tackling the challenges related to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, waste production, climate change and protecting biodiversity. The tourists must be encouraged to make sustainable choices so that there is better consistency (Jamal and Camargo 2013). The people must be informed and educated so that there is massive participation in sustainable tourism practices. The consumers must be encouraged to use locally developed products so that local employment is generated. Moreover, there is a need for local support initiatives for community development including health, education and sanitation. The sustainable tourism needs must be validated and prioritized. Strategic partnerships must be formed for enhancing technical and financial resources (Andersson and Lundberg 2013).
The Queensland Government plays a critical role in enhancing the tourism scenario at Gold Coast. The industries related to tourism that are involved both directly and indirectly are transportation, food and beverage, accommodations, entertainment and travel services. The food and beverage industry must employ local people so that there is full employment. The food and beverage industry must try to preserve the traditional customs and dishes which can be consumed by the tourists. The offerings of food and beverage sector must be diverse for meeting the needs of tourists. Therefore, the negative impacts can be minimized. The accommodation industry must suit the needs of tourists as they have different choices, tastes, preferences and budget for living. Gold Coast tourism department must ensure that the needs and preferences of the diverse population base are met. Moreover, the government must keep the property prices as it should be so that the local residents do not have to move away from their own land. Therefore, the negative impacts can be minimized (Singal 2015).
The entertainment sector is very important as it comprises of water parks, movie theatres and other entertaining activities. This industry shall help in minimizing negative impacts through sustainable practices. Resource use and integrating sustainability through waste management and other measures can help in minimizing the negative impact caused due to tourism. The transportation industry can involve sustainable transport or green transport where the transport does not rely on natural resources. The travel services also form a part of the tourism industry as the tourists travel from one place to another. With the involvement of green practices, the air pollution level and water pollution level can be minimized thereby negating impacts (Kim, Lee and Bonn 2016).
Conclusion
Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in Australia and the second-largest in Queensland after Brisbane. The city of Gold Coast is a significant tourist destination in Australia as it has a sunny tropical climate, canal and waterway systems, surfing beaches, nightlife, theme parks and rainforest hinterland. The city welcomes 12 million visitors annually due to is attractions. The visitors and residents of Gold Coast spend their money on purchasing goods and services which in turn has a multiplier effect creating more employment opportunities. The city considers climate change seriously and uses greenhouse gases for making a positive difference. There are strict laws for protecting the animals for nature-loving tourists that lead to environmental benefit.
Huge money is invested to preserve the local heritage. Moreover, better facilities such as education, lifestyle, and social event organization and leisure facilities are also created due to tourist activities in Gold Coast. The benefits derived from tourism are shared evenly across the community. The residents of Gold Coast might have to stay away fearing the crowds and they might not go out for entertainment. The tourists blatantly avoid the environmental rules due to excess zeal or ignorance. The tourist behaviour can inflict behaviour such as drug and alcohol issues. The interaction with tourist may also erode the traditional culture and value. The Queensland Government plays a critical role in enhancing the tourism scenario at Gold Coast. Tourism planning shall help in integrating sustainable tourism plan into the regional or national development plans for strengthening the ground. The tourists must be encouraged to make sustainable choices so that there is better consistency.
References
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