INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS

Running head: INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
A STUDY TO ANALYZE THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CAUSED
BY INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN MAURITIUS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to analyze the social and environmental impact caused by increasing
investments in the tourism industry in Mauritius. The researcher for the attainment of this end
had taken the help of pragmatic research philosophy, descriptive research design, deductive
research approach, primary data collection method (interviewed 5 local residents of Mauritius)
and qualitative data analysis method. The results of the study indicate that although the
increasing amount of investments that the tourism industry of Mauritius had received in the
recent years positively impacted its economy however the same cannot be said regarding its
society and environment. For instance, the condition of the environment had deteriorated,
increased amount of deforestation is being undertaken for the construction of five-star hotels,
resorts and others, natural ecosystem of the nation is getting disrupted because of the increasing
amount of water sports, forest tourism activities and others, the air quality had deteriorated
because of increasing amount of pollution and others. On the other hand, the society of the
concerned nation had also been adversely affected since the culture of the nation had undergone
commodification to cater to the needs of the tourists, the common people are losing touch with
the cultural values, beliefs, ideologies, traditions and others that had dominated the nation and its
people since the traditional times, they are being forced to embrace the language and the culture
of the tourists and others. Thus, the researcher on the basis of the results of the study
recommends measures like usage of the framework of sustainable tourism or responsible
tourism, restricting the number of tourists who visit the nation, reducing tourism activities near
the water bodies and the forests, reducing deforestation and others

2INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would firstly like to thank my Professor, Mr. .........., for offering me the opportunity to
complete my research on the topic “A Study to analyze the social and environmental impact
caused by increasing investments in the tourism industry in Mauritius”. Furthermore, I would
also like to thank my Supervisor for helping me during each of the stages of the study.
Lastly, I would also like to thank my friends and family members for the constant support and
help offered by them.
Thank You
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(Name of the Researcher)

3INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................7
1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................7
1.2 Background of the Study.......................................................................................................7
1.3 Tourism Industry of Mauritius...............................................................................................8
1.4 Problem Statement.................................................................................................................9
1.5 Research Aim.......................................................................................................................10
1.6 Research Objectives.............................................................................................................11
1.7 Research Questions..............................................................................................................11
1.8 Rationale of the Study.........................................................................................................11
1.9 Significance of the Study.....................................................................................................12
1.10 Structure of the Study........................................................................................................13
1.11 Summary............................................................................................................................14
Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................15
2.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................15
2.2 Tourism Industry and Investments......................................................................................15
2.3 Factors which have contributed towards increased investments in the tourism industry....18
2.3.1 Industry Growth Rate...................................................................................................18
2.3.2 Government and its Policies.........................................................................................19
2.3.3 Infrastructure and Tourist Attractions..........................................................................21

4INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
2.3.4 Hospitality Industry and other associated industries....................................................22
2.4 Impact of increased investments in the tourism industry....................................................23
2.4.1 Economic Impact..........................................................................................................23
2.4.2 Environmental Impact..................................................................................................25
2.4.3 Social Impact................................................................................................................27
2.5 Concept of Sustainability.....................................................................................................28
2.6 Sustainability and Tourism..................................................................................................30
2.7 Literature Gap......................................................................................................................30
2.8 Summary..............................................................................................................................31
Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................32
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................32
3.2 Research philosophy............................................................................................................32
3.2.1 Justification for the selection of the Pragmatic Research Philosophy..........................33
3.3 Research Design..................................................................................................................33
3.3.1 Justification for the selection of the Descriptive Research Design..............................34
3.4 Research Approach..............................................................................................................34
3.4.1 Justification for the selection of the Deductive Research Approach............................35
3.5 Data Collection Method.......................................................................................................35
3.5.1 Justification for the selection of the Primary Data Collection Method........................35
3.6 Data Analysis Method.........................................................................................................36

5INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
3.6.1 Justification for the selection of the Qualitative Data Analysis Method......................36
3.7 Ethical Considerations.........................................................................................................37
3.8 Research Limitations...........................................................................................................37
3.9 Summary..............................................................................................................................38
Chapter 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.................................................................................39
4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................39
4.2 Interview Transcripts...........................................................................................................39
4.2.1 Interview 1....................................................................................................................39
4.2.2. Interview 2...................................................................................................................41
4.2.3 Interview 3....................................................................................................................43
4.2.4 Interview 4....................................................................................................................45
4.2.5 Interview 5....................................................................................................................46
4.3 Discussion of the Findings...................................................................................................48
4.4 Summary..............................................................................................................................56
Chapter 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................57
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................57
5.2 Linking with Objectives......................................................................................................58
5.3 Recommendations................................................................................................................60
5.4 Future Scope........................................................................................................................61
References......................................................................................................................................62

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Appendix 1: Interview Questions..................................................................................................71

7INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM AND ITS EFFECTS
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
This chapter highlights the research aim, research questions, research objectives, problem
statement and other important aspects on the basis of which the entire study had been conducted.
Furthermore, the researcher had also outlined the structure that had been followed for the
completion of the study along with the significance of the study as well.
1.2 Background of the Study
According to the report of Wttc.org (2020), the global tourism industry in the year 2018
generated annual revenue of more than $8.9 trillion with a growth rate of around 4.9% while
offering employment to more than 319 million people from all over the world. Dabeedooal et al.
(2019) are of the viewpoint that the profitability earned by the global tourism industry accounts
for more than 11.9% of the total GDP of the world and the resultant effect of this is that the
tourism industry had become the backbone of the national economy of the different nations of
the world. More importantly, because of the economic benefits offered by a well-developed
tourism industry towards the national economy it is seen that the different nations of the world
like Mauritius are trying to facilitated the development of tourism industry for undertaking the
growth as well as the development of their national economy (Pirthee, 2017). Furthermore, along
with the initiatives undertaken by the national government of these nations in collaboration with
their tourism board it is seen that these nations had been able to attract numerous investments in
the present times which in turn had substantially enhanced the scope of their tourism industry
along with the services offered by them to the tourists (Bingemer, Grimme and Maertens, 2019).
However, at the same time it had been seen that although these investments had offered