The relationship between coastal tourism,sea pollution and public health: A case study from Turkey

Summary Among the different impacts of coastal tourism on the environment, the effect of tourism on public health has special importance. The large increase in population during the high season results usually in an increase in the amount of waste water produced. If the necessary infrastructure for handling these wastes is not available, the sea is polluted, causing serious problems.To investigate the effects of sea pollution on the public, a health survey was conducted in Bodrum and Çesme, the two most important tourist coastal resorts of Turkey. A questionnaire about the health problems which tourists suffer, as well as their culinary habits, swimming habits,etc. was distributed. At the same time the pollution level in the sea was determined in the form of coliform concentration. As a result it is shown that those swimming in polluted waters suffer more from gastro-intestinal diseases than others. Furthermore, foreigners (usually Scandinavians) and children are proved to be more susceptible to pollution, possibly due to their lack of immunity.Dr Günay Kocasoy is presently Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Bogaziçi University. Her fields of interest are in environmental engineering, water pollution and marine sciences. She obtained a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Robert College, Istanbul, Turkey, and subsequently a BA in Industrial Administration from Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Following more recent studies she possesses both an MS and a PhD in Marine Sciences from Istanbul University.     

Environmental management policy in a coastal tourism municipality: the case study of Cervia (Italy)

The sustainability concept applied to human activities implies the need to harmonise the protection of environment with a satisfactory economic and social development. This is particularly true for tourism development: a misuse of the natural resources can cause a degradation of the tourist appeal of the destination, bringing it finally to its economic decline. This problem is particularly important in coastal tourism destinations. The implementation of an environmental management system is a powerful way for progressing towards better environmental performances. In this paper, the main results obtained in applying the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme procedure to the municipality of Cervia, a well-known tourist destination located on the Adriatic coast of Italy are described. This research puts into evidence that the main environmental pressures in the summer season are related to the supply of potable water, the production of solid wastes and wastewater air pollution and noise, etc. However, if correctly planned and managed, tourism can also contribute to environmental protection, to the conservation of biodiversity and to a sustainable use of natural resources.     

四川省广安市旅游环境承载力评价研究

本文构建了旅游环境承载力模型，对广安市旅游环境容量进行定量分析，提出了提高环境承载力的对策与建议。     

The consequences of tourism for sustainable water use on a tropical island: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Many developing countries in the tropics have focused on tourism to generate additional income sources and to diversity the economy. Coastlines in particular have been on the forefront of tourist infrastructure development. Here, the presence of a large number of tourists has often had negative consequences for the sustainable use of the available resources, which in turn has had an effect on the integrity of the ecosystems. In this paper, the situation is described for the use of freshwater resources on the east coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania. This region is water poor, relying on freshwater derived from seasonal rains and stored in less efficient aquifers, which consist of freshwater lenses floating on the underlying seawater. Tourism in the area has grown rapidly in recent years and is expected to further increase in the future. This development is expected to put additional pressure on the freshwater resources of the east coast, which show already signs of over-use. The consequences of overexploitation can include the lowering of the groundwater table, land subsidence, deteriorating groundwater quality, and saltwater intrusion. These, in turn, determine the living conditions in coastal areas and the effects will be felt both by the local populations and the tourist industry. An investigation is made into the causes and consequences of water abstraction by the tourist industry. The results show that present levels of withdrawal are not sustainable, and parts of the local populations are already experiencing water deficits on a daily basis. In the future, if the expected increase in tourist numbers occurs, the pressure on the aquifers will correspondingly increase. The results could be that the tourism in the area becomes unsustainable, which could have an adverse effect on the national economy and also on the local population and environment. Therefore, a precautionary water-management approach is suggested.     

PROFILE: Tourism Contribution to Agro-Ecosystems Conservation: The Case of Lesbos Island, Greece

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of tourism activities on olive tree cultivation and the human population of the island of Lesbos. The presence or absence of tourism is related with the maintenance or abandonment of olive tree cultivation and population changes for each community. A spatial segregation of the island is evident, related to tourist development, olive tree cultivation, and population change. The results of the study demonstrate that in communities where tourism plays an important role olive tree cultivation is preserved and the population is stable. The preservation of the agro-ecosystem is assured while the olive groves remain productive. Simultaneously, the landscape, which provides specific attractions for tourism, is not altered.     

The use of forests for the purpose of tourism: the case of Belek Tourism Center in Turkey

The main aim of this article is to examine and review the usage of forests for the purpose of tourism in Turkey with the case study of Antalya-Belek. The use and conversion of forest lands is central to tourism development. Land use change is responsible for the majority of the negative environmental impacts of tourism on natural resources. Worldwide, forests and coastal zones are converted for the construction of tourist facilities. The rapid emergence of mass tourism development in Turkey, encouraged without considering protection and sustainable use of natural and cultural resources, has resulted in serious problems in forest areas. This paper is particularly concerned with land use change in forests (or deforestation) created by the allocation of forest lands to build tourist facilities. In Belek, a tourism center located in Antalya province's coastal areas and the fastest growing destination of the country, all tourist facilities have been established in forest lands under the status of conservation forest. Today, the Belek Conservation Forest is under severe pressure from tourism.     

Hotel water consumption at a seasonal mass tourist destination. The case of the island of Mallorca

While it is true that tourism is one of the main driving forces behind economic growth in several world regions, it is also true that tourism can have serious negative environmental impacts, especially with regard to water resources. The tourist water demand can generate big problems of sustainability, mainly in those regions where water is scarce, as occurs in most coastal and small island destinations where a large part of world tourism is concentrated. Given the shortage of literature on the subject, further research into the tourist water demand is required, with particular attention to the hotel sector, since hotels are the most popular option for tourists, displaying higher levels of water consumption. The main purpose of this study is to develop a model to analyse hotel water consumption at a mature sun and sand destination with a strong seasonal pattern and scarcity of water; characteristics shared by some of the world's main tourist destinations. Our model includes a set of different hotel variables associated with physical, seasonal and management-related factors and it improves on the capacity to explain water consumption at such destinations. Following a hierarchical regression methodology, the model is empirically tested through a survey distributed to managers of a representative sample of hotels on the island of Mallorca. From the obtained results, interesting recommendations can be made for both hotel managers and policy makers. Among these, it should be highlighted that the strategic move contemplated by many mature destinations towards a higher quality, low-season model could have significant negative effects in terms of the sustainability of water resources. Our results also conclude that managerial decisions, like the system of accommodation that is offered (i.e. the proliferation of the "all-inclusive" formula, both at mature and new destinations), could give rise to the same negative effect. Development of water saving initiatives (usually introduced in response to demand-based factors), also reveals significant effects over water consumption. Finally, other key factor in explaining hotel water consumption is the management system under which the hotel is run.     

A method for prediction of extent of microbial pollution of seawater and carrying capacity of beaches

The increase in the number of tourists visiting a coast is desired by most of the countries for economic reasons. However, this increase in tourism may cause pollution of the sea. This can be only avoided by proper planning and by predicting the carrying capacity of the coast in terms of sea pollution. This is especially important for developing countries where part of the wastewater is discharged without any treatment into the sea.In the present study the beaches were classified according to their use — and consequently the amount of waste discharged into the sea — into four groups: (1) coasts that are used only for swimming and recreational purposes; (2) coasts used simultaneously for dwelling, swimming, and recreational purposes; (3) coasts along which only dwellings exist; and (4) natural and man-made harbors, i.e., coasts used as shelters. During the survey,40,320 observations were made between December 1985 and February 1988 to determine the effect of the number of tourists on seawater quality. The results obtained were analyzed by a multilinear regression program to obtain an empirical equation giving the extent of the sea pollution in terms of coliform concentration as a function of population density and some other environmental factors.The equations derived in this study enable the determination of the carrying capacity of a beach in terms of pollution as well as the expected degree of pollution corresponding to a given population density. Furthermore, it allows the prediction of the extra carrying capacity that can be obtained by improving the waste-disposal conditions.     

天柱山旅游环境承载力研究

研究构建了旅游环境承载力模型，对天柱山旅游环境承载力进行了定量分析，并采用问卷调查方法进行了深入探讨。研究表明，天柱山具有良好的旅游环境承载力本底值，风景区尚未大片开发，空间环境容量与实际接待游客量之间尚有很大的空间，基础设施容量突显制约性作用，提出了提高环境承载力的对策与建议，为天柱山旅游可持续发展提供了理论依据。     

Review of studies on environmental impacts of recreation and tourism in Australia

The paper provides a review of available information on the impact of recreation and tourism on environments, particularly on vegetation and soil, in Australia, with an emphasis on forests. Efforts have been made to compare the current research and development situation in Australia with some overseas countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. While many documents reveal that Australia has been experiencing an increasingly high level of recreation and tourism use in its environments, only limited studies of environmental impacts of recreation and tourism have been published. Compared with other developed countries, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, Australia lags behind in undertaking research in this area. The results of these limited studies and some observations indicate that the most common recreational and tourist activities (such as bush walking, camping, horse-riding) can, if not well managed, adversely affect the values of Australian natural and semi-natural resources. Overall, they can affect the vegetation and other recreational sites physically and biologically. Physical effects include track formation, soil loss and/or compaction and an increase in fire frequency. Littering and water pollution are also seen as impacts associated with bush walking and camping. Biological effects include causing damage to vegetation, increasing risk of myrtle wilt disease and the spread of the soil pathogen,Phytophthora cinnamomi, as well as assisting weed dispersal. Based on the information reviewed, the authors suggest the following areas as priorities for future research into the environmental impact of recreation and tourism in Australia: determine the type of natural features that attract recreation use; determine the quantitative relationship between the impact and the level of recreation and tourism use for different activities within major vegetation habitats; ascertain site carrying capacity or environment thresholds for major vegetation habitats and recreation activities; and determine the impacts of recreation and tourism for major regions and major vegetation habitats where there have been considerable nature-based recreation and tourism activities.1998 Academic Press     

城市旅游综合体发展模式与对策研究

旅游综合体顺应了世界休闲业发展的潮流,它以旅游为主导,是一种全新的生产力形态。界定了城市旅游综合体的基本概念,归纳了城市旅游综合体的主要特征,探讨了城市旅游综合体形成的机制,认为旅游消费转型发展、地方特色文化传承、城市商业发展、旅游供给能力升级、政府的城市发展政策支持是城市旅游综合体形成的主要因素。依据城市旅游综合体发展的核心驱动功能不同,将城市旅游综合体的开发模式分为娱乐旅游综合体、休闲度假游综合体、会展旅游综合体和商业旅游综合体4种类型,在此基础上,提出了促进城市旅游综合体健康持续发展的对策。     

浅谈秦皇岛外语语言软环境的优化策略

秦皇岛作为著名的沿海旅游城市,外语语言环境作为旅游软环境的一个重要因素直接影响着整个旅游产业的综合竞争力。鉴于此,对秦皇岛市外语语言软环境进行调查摸底。调查结果表明,旅游景区标示语及城市公示语的翻译存在不同程度的问题,旅游从业人员总体素质不高,市民的外语能力普遍偏低。以调查结果为依托,从政府导向、行业把关、全民参与三方面提出了优化秦皇岛市旅游业外语语言软环境的建议。     

Energy and resource basis of an Italian coastal resort region integrated using emergy synthesis

Sustainable development of coastal zones must balance economic development that encourages human visitation from a larger population with desires that differ from the local residents with the need to maintain opportunities for the local resident society and conserve ecological capital, which may serve as the basis for residents.We present a case study in which the sustainability level of a coastal zone (Riviera del Beigua), located along the Ligurian coast of north-western Italy, was assessed through the lens of systems ecology using emergy synthesis to integrate across economic, social and environmental sub-systems.Our purposes were (1) to quantify the environmental sustainability level of this coastal zone, (2) to evaluate the role of tourism in affecting the economy, society and environment, and (3) to compare emergy synthesis to Butler's Tourism Area Life Cycle model (TALC). Results showed that 81% of the total emergy consumption in the coastal zone was derived from external sources, indicating that this tourist-heavy community was not sustainable. Tourism, as the dominant economic sub-system, consumed 42% of the total emergy budget, while local residents used the remaining 58%. The progressive stages of the TALC model were found to parallel the dynamic changes in the ratio of external emergy inputs to local emergy inputs, suggesting that emergy synthesis could be a useful tool for detecting a tourist region's TALC stage. Use of such a quantitative tool could expedite sustainability assessment to allow administrative managers to understand the complex relationship between a region's economy, environment and resident society so sound policies can be developed to improve overall sustainability.     

中国沿海城市化推进对海洋污染的影响及作用机制——基于面板空间计量方法

探究沿海城市化推进与海洋污染间的关系对沿海城市绿色发展具有重要意义。本文基于2006—2013年中国沿海46个地级市的海洋污染物浓度数据和遥感所得的夜间灯光亮度数据，运用面板空间计量技术从深度推进和广度推进两方面系统考察了沿海城市化对海洋污染的影响及作用机制，结果表明：以紧凑集约为特征的城市化深度推进与海洋污染之间存在着非线性的“U形”关系，而以规模扩张为特征的城市化广度推进只会单纯地加剧海洋污染。城市化深度推进会通过集聚效应和技术进步效应对海洋污染产生积极影响，而城市化广度推进过程中所带来的人口规模的扩大会加剧海洋污染，此外产业结构和绿色技术未能转型升级也是城市扩张加剧海洋污染的关键因素所在。本研究提出在海洋环境管理过程中，一是要加强区域合作，实现海洋污染的区域联防联控；二是应注重城市的紧凑集约化发展，发挥沿海城市化推进对海洋污染防治的正外部性影响；三是需推进海洋经济的绿色可持续发展，实现海洋经济发展与海洋环境污染的脱钩。     

我国滨海地区入境旅游流空间结构研究

以我国滨海11个省（市）1995--2011年17年间入境旅游资料为基础,从旅游流流量、旅游流客源地空间结构和旅游流目的地空间结构方面研究入境旅游流空间结构。结果显示,滨海省（市）入境旅游流流量一直呈现持续增长态势;滨海省（市）入境旅游外国客源市场的地理集中指数处于31—34．5之间,总体趋势减小;入境游客密度指数说明滨海地区入境旅游流目的地呈现明显的非均衡态势,整体上是从中心向两翼递减的空间格局。     

风景区旅游环境容量的经济学分析--兼论黄金周规模经济现象

在分析旅游黄金周部分景区超载规律的基础上,指出了在景区经营中旅游环境容量是规模经济性的度这个关系,景区超载即会产生规模不经济;并从规模经济学的角度提出了开发多元产品和调整产品线路结构等提高旅游环境容量的方法和措施.     

旅游中心地空间外向度及等级体系研究--以全国27个优秀旅游城市为例

采用旅游流强度模型，比较了全国27个主要旅游城市的旅游外向功能量及旅游流强度，并在此基础上运用主成分分析和聚类分析方法，将它们划分为5个等级体系，并对各级旅游中心地进行了评价。研究表明，我国旅游中心地区域发展不平衡，发展态势与我国经济发展态势基本吻合，从发展水平看，沿海高于内陆，东部高于西部，南方高于北方；旅游流强度能较好地刻画旅游中心城市的等级，旅游流强度大的城市，旅游中心地级别愈高，旅游业愈发达，反之亦然。     

内蒙古乌兰布和沙漠旅游资源开发研究

旅游业对于开发区域丰富的资源及提高区域经济竞争力有着不可忽视的作用。沙漠是一种特殊的旅游资源，国际上沙漠旅游正成为一种新兴的旅游方式。积极开发沙漠旅游资源，既利于区域人地关系的和谐演进，又利于全面推进区域的可持续发展。以内蒙古乌兰布和沙漠旅游资源为研究对象，通过对沙漠中自然和人文资源的分析，探讨了沙漠旅游资源在开发利用中的优势和劣势。最后对乌兰布和沙漠旅游可持续发展的对策进行了探讨，并结合区情，提出了开发的具体措施，目的在于全面推进乌兰布和沙漠旅游业的发展。     

我国海岛的旅游资源

我国海疆辽阔、岛屿众多，在６５００多个大小海岛上，既有迷人的山海天象、洁净的海湾沙滩、奇特的山石形胜和丰富的海珍特产等自然风光旅游资源；又有历史古迹、宗教文件、建筑工程和渔乡风情等光辉灿烂的人文景观。海岛旅游资源以其强烈的海洋韵味和海陆兼备的景观特色，及其毗邻沿海开放城市的区位优势，在各类旅游资源中独具风采。     

基于GIS技术的安徽省城市旅游空间关联分析

运用空间相互作用理论中的威尔逊模型,结合GIS中网络分析技术和空间自相关分析对安徽省17个城市的旅游空间关联进行分析。结果发现,安徽省的全局旅游关联显著性水平不高,全省旅游空间关联度很低;而局部旅游空间关联在黄山和池州形成热点区,在皖北和皖中的巢湖、滁州形成冷点区,其他城市的旅游空间关联呈现明显的差异性。计算结果表明,对旅游空间关联影响最大的指标是城市旅游供给量,因此增强城市的旅游供给水平对增强旅游吸引力具有决定性的意义。