Debate on Eco-Tourism's Environmental Harm: A Detailed Analysis

This assignment presents a debate arguing that eco-tourism is detrimental to the environment. The author posits that increased tourism leads to habitat destruction, resource excavation, and pressure on native species, disrupting ecosystems and cultural interactions. The argument highlights the negative impacts of building infrastructure, waste disposal, and pollution from flights. It also addresses hunting and its impact on endangered species. The counter-argument addresses the perceived benefits of eco-tourism, such as conservation efforts, but ultimately concludes that the negative impacts outweigh the positives, advocating for the preservation of natural habitats by limiting human interference. The author references supporting materials to strengthen the position.

ECO TOURISM IS BAD FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC: ECO TOURISM IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT...................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................2

TOPIC: ECO TOURISM IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Position: For the motion
Premises 1:
The argument for the motion that eco tourism is bad for the environment is that the
increased level of tourists that are arriving in the natural areas are destroying their habitat and
excavating the natural resources. This has increased the pressure on the native species to free up
the space for building the hotels, businesses and the other basic amenities for the tourists (Nag,
2018). This is causing the severe impacts on the natural ecosystem of the place and spoiling its
balances and the interactions among the species. There is enough for a man's need but not for the
man's greed which simply means that the humans must sort to stay in their own culture and
should not interfere through travelling at these natural destinations whose indigenous culture is
affected by the human actions.
Premises 2:
The eco tourism that is being undertaken for the purpose of generating awareness
regarding the natural habitats and the culture, gathering the biological information and also
ascertaining the management of these resources and its conservation for the future generations.
These motives of the mankind are not solved rather they are excavating these natural resources
and spoiling the sustainable development and maintenance of the same (The Pros and Cons of
Ecotourism, 2021). The native communities have to be reallocated to the separate region with the
concern to provide accommodation and the required facilities to the tourists. This has been
posing significant impact on its indigenous culture and the interaction in the environment
causing them to loose their habitat.
Some major examples of the over-exploitation that is caused to the environment are that
the humans visiting a place shall be causing the waste that is disposed then and there causing the
soil erosion and other damages. The flights that are arriving shall be causing the pollution in the
environment further damaging the original beauty of the nature. Hunting is one such activities
that are undertaken in the natural forests which has been resulting in endangered species further
degrading the natural ecosystem of the place (Nurhayati, Aisah and Supriatna, 2019). For
example in the country Africa, the 70% of the area is covered under the natural forests and
ecosystem. When travelling is made to the place neither just for the sightseeing purposes or for
staying it shall be putting tremendous pressure on the natural habitat as well as its inhabitants.
1

This is because man shall be needing resources to meet the basic needs of the livelihood and this
shall then acquired from the native species thereby causing disturbances in their ecosystem and
imposing threat on their culture.
For instance if a human visits the forests than some animals shall be scared and won't be
able to hunt for their prey to eat them. This will spoil the entire cycle that is going on between
the predators and their prey. Even if a single specie are excluded from the cycle then the whole
process gets disturbed. Apart from that as these natural habitats are fit for the native inhabitants
and if the human tries to adjust staying their it will further distort the environment. This can be in
the form of improper sewage or drainage facility which will pollute the rivers through the waste
disposal.
Counter-argument
The concern of the opposition regarding the research work that is undertaken by the
environmentalists in the area of conservation and the natural resource management, proves to be
the diplomacy of thoughts. The environmentalists are conducting the eco tourism with the major
purpose of protection and conserving the natural habitat through the research that is made. But
how can they manage to protect and conserve the ecosystem when they themselves are
destroying it with the visit (Choi, 2020). The tourism to these areas are disturbing the natural
interaction among the species leading to the imbalances in their cultural environment. The best
way to preserve and sustainably develop the natural ecosystem is by leaving it to itself so that the
destruction is not caused by the human element.
As per my opinion a journey of thousand miles begin with a single step, the
environmentalists who are earlier with the opinion that the environment can be protected by
making the biological research should now generate awareness that eco tourism is very bad for
the environment and its sustainable development. So the eco tourism must be abolished and the
natural habitat and its inhabitants must be left to its freedom to interact in the nature and balance
the ecosystem.
It is believed by the opposition that the eco-tourism is being conducted with the motive to
empower the local communities and upgrade their lifestyle socially and emotionally by creating
an influence. The people from the urban area believe that they shall be changing the culture for
better and contribute to their development through building shelters, food and other basic
facilities. But on the contrary it can analysed that none of this actually happens but man fulfils
2

their own needs and greed and ultimately the culture that is belonging to these communities is
not preserved and they are separated from their roots. Man disturbs the whole eco-system
artificially creating a misbalance. This leaves them with no option than to migrate to other
places.
3

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Nag, A., 2018. A study of Tourism industry of Himachal Pradesh with Special Reference to
Ecotourism. Sumedha Journal of Management. 7(1). pp.85-106.
Nurhayati, A., Aisah, I. and Supriatna, A. K., 2019. Model Development of A Synergistic
Sustainable Marine Ecotourism—A Case Study in Pangandaran Region, West Java
Province, Indonesia. Sustainability. 11(12). p.3418.
Choi, M. A., 2020. Multiple environmental subjects: Governmentalities of ecotourism
development in Jeungdo, South Korea. Geoforum. 110. pp.77-86.
Online
The Pros and Cons of Ecotourism. 2021. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.worldtrips.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-ecotourism>
4