the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

used for carvings in Cook Island, for example, is now imported (Hall and Page,
1996). An increase in the rate of deforestation to provide fuel-wood for tourists has
even been noted in Khumbu National Park in Nepal's Everest region (Crossette,
1995). More generally, Ahmad et al (1990) state that tourists visiting the Himalayas
do not respect the regulations when camping, using local firewood for heating and
cooking, thereby creating fire-hazards. Changes in the distribution of land use for
primary production often follows tourism development, through direct loss following
urban expansion or indirectly as a result of changes in land values. The loss of
agricultural land has also been reported in various studies (e.g., Jackson, 1984;
Milne, 1990). Conversely, Sindiyo and Pertet (1984) with reference to tourism in
Kenya, found that the expansion and intensification of agriculture necessary to
sustain tourism led to encroachment and pollution problems.
2.11.1.5 Visual Impact
Litter is a seemingly pervasive consequence of tourist activity and one which can
significantly detract from the quality of the natural environment and act as a hazard
to wildlife. Most mass tourism resort destinations suffer from litter (especially from
the increased consumption of canned and boxed take-away foods), giving the
landscape an unclean and untidy appearance. Even remote destinations, where
tourist use is still minimal, suffer from this particular problem (Hunter and Green,
1995). Referring to litter problems in the Khumbu National Park, Nepal, Crossette
(1995) reported that despite requirements that visitors remove or bury trash,
campsites and trails are becoming increasingly littered. In some places, streams
have become so polluted with rubbish that trekkers are warned not to use the water.
Visual impairments of the quality of the natural environment may follow as a result of
water pollution. Sewage can detract from the visual (not to mention olfactory)
amenity of waters and beaches and relatedly, algal blooms can be very unsightly,
detracting from the appeal of water courses or areas. Venice, for example, the most
famous of all Adriatic tourist destinations, experiences pollution generated algal
blooms in its lagoon. The algae reproduce up to 35 000 tons a year and as it
decomposes it produces a stench that permeates the city and encourages large
infestations of flies. Local estimates are of a resultant 30 percent fall in tourist
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