4.6: ecotourism and central place theory
the positives and negatives of ecotourism
- ecotourism: an environmentally responsible way of travel with the intent of visiting natural areas and wonders
- positive impacts * educate tourists about local conservation efforts and research developments in fragile natural areas * travelers can acquire firsthand experiences with these places * gain knowledge on ecosystems, biology and geology of environments * money spent on ecotourism can aid conservation efforts * eg. repopulating endangered species, reforestation initiatives * many natural sites are located in less-developed countries (eg. Ecuador, Nepal, Madagascar), so tourism helps boost their economies fairly significantly
- negative impacts * tourism → development → increased popularity of natural areas as tourist destinations → demand for hotels and other construction in the area → pollution, destruction of the natural environment, and displacement of indigenous peoples * this decreases the integrity of local communities and depletes community benefits from the economic gain from ecotourism * not all “ecotourist” organizations are actually environmentally friendly
- advantages of ecotourism * can educate travelers and provide jobs to local residents, but may negatively impact the environment * ecotourism lets countries profit from natural wonders rather than destroying them for land * builds economies from the preservation rather than destruction of the environment * ensure genuine ecotourist intentions by checking website for waste management, recycling, renewable energy use, and energy efficiency policies * economic benefits include increased employment for local population and increased quality of the available jobs
- problems with ecotourism * ecotourism can increase appreciation for nature and commitment to conservation while being bad for the people and animals it’s supposed to help * the international ecotourism society and international union for conservation of nature have created standards for ecotourism; trips must: * visit natural environments * do nothing to change or adversely affect these areas * provide cultural and economic advantages to local communities * greenwashing: the act of businesses advertising themselves as ecotourists when they’re not really environmentally friendly * environmental impacts * increased popularity of destination → decreased resources → decreased natural attractions * can foster exploitation of these areas
central place theory
- helps find the most profitable locations for new stores
- theory developed in the 1930’s by Walter Christaller, elaborated upon further by August Losch and Brian Berry in the 1950’s
- market area of a service * central places are located centrally and have many business competing with one another within them * this forms a settlement pattern, market areas create nodal regions * hexagons are drawn around nodes as a compromise between circles and squares
- range of a service * range is the radius of the circle/hexagon drawn to portray the area of a service market * people will travel short distances for daily necessities (consumer services) such as grocery stores and pharmacies * they will travel longer distances for not strictly necessary services such as concerts, professional sports games, theater performances, etc. * people go to the nearest available service * irregularly-shaped circles encapsulate all area where one store is closer than all competitors * it is also adjusted in relation to time (eg. 1 hour = 60 minutes on a free way but 30 in a city)
- threshold of a service * after identifying range,
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