Impact of Tourism Development on Physical Environment: A Study of Gujarat

Contemporarily, tourism is seen as a tool for regional development as it stimulates the economic growth of the region. The ability of tourism in exhorting positive impact on the society and economy of a region is, of course undeniable. Exposure to tourists from far and near, tends to influence the mind-set and attitude, traditional and dogmatic social rules, customs and practices, demand for enhancement in the standards of education, adoption of healthier and hygienic practices among the host population and creation of suitable health, transport and hotel infrastructure at the tourist center, leading to overall social transformation and human development. The economy of the center tends to get diversified and provide varied employment opportunities to the host population. The negative impacts of tourism cannot, however be overlooked, particularly in case of the developing countries like India, where management of resources is yet to match with that of the developed countries. Unplanned growth of the tourism sector results in the deterioration of both physical and human environmental quality, particularly in areas of nature or historical and cultural heritage based tourism activity. Actually tourism satisfies the desire of people for adventure and thirst to discover places of natural, historical and cultural significance. The value of these places is threatened by teeming visitors who seek to explore them. For the purpose of attracting tourists, artificial environment is created making alterations in the physical environment, which in turn brings in changes in the behavior and skill of the host population. The huge inflow of people from outside creates infrastructural crisis, which impels the residents and the tourists to overuse the available resources. Lack of or insufficient public utility services prompt the tourists to depreciate the quality of the environment. Overcrowding leads to rise of socio-economic crisis with thriving crime rates most of the destination.