Tourism carrying capacity management issues

Abstract

Paralleling tourism's rapid expansion in recent years has come a concern for managing its future growth and impacts. Tourism like other economic enterprises is well recognized as an agent of change. When managed properly, it has the potential of being a relatively low user of resources and a sustainable industry. When left to expand in an unbridled fashion, it has the capability of developing beyond sustainable economic, social, ecological and political limits. Central to this issue of tourism's growth has been the notion of carrying capacity management. Along with recent thinking on sustainable development, as well as appropriate and low impact tourism, the concept of carrying capacity management suggests an approach to tourism which permits growth within acceptable limits. Consequently, it is not surprising that people intuitively support the concept of carrying capacity in tourism, even though they may not fully appreciate what it entails from a management perspective.