carrying capacity

When is enough enough?

• Refers to the number of

individuals who can be supported

in a given area within natural

resource limits, and without

degrading the natural social,

cultural and economic

environment for present and future

generations.

• The maximum number of people

that may visit a tourist destination

at the same time, without causing

destruction of the physical,

economic, socio-cultural

environment and an unacceptable

• decrease in the quality of visitors'

satisfaction”.- WTO

“The use an area can

tolerate without

unacceptable

change”-(Hendee, et al. 1990)

• The maximum number of people

that may visit a tourist destination

at the same time, without causing

destruction of the

physical, economic, socio-cultural

environment and an unacceptable

• decrease in the quality of visitors'

satisfaction”.- WTO

• Carrying capacity for any given

area is not fixed.

– It can be altered by improved

technology, but mostly it is changed

for the worse by pressures which

accompany a population increase.

• As the environment is degraded,

carrying capacity actually shrinks,

leaving the environment no longer

able to support even the number

of people who could formerly have

lived in the area on a sustainable

basis.

• Physical Carrying Capacity

• Economic Carrying Capacity

• Social Carrying Capacity

• Bio-physical Carrying Capacity

Physical Carrying Capacity

• The maximum number of tourists

that an area is actually able to

support.

• The maximum number that can fit on

the site at any given time and still

allow people to be able to move.

• PCC per a day = area (in meters

squared) x visitors per metre x daily

duration

Economic Carrying Capacity

• This relates to a level of acceptable

change within the local economy of a

tourist destination, it is the extent to

which a tourist destination is able to

accommodate tourist functions without

the loss of local activities.

• Describe the point at which the

increased revenue brought by tourism

development is overtaken by the

inflation caused by tourism.

Social Carrying Capacity

• The negative socio-cultural

related to tourism development.

• Reduced visitor enjoyment and

increased crime are also

indicators of when the social

carrying capacity has been

exceeded.

Biophysical Carrying Capacity

• The extent to which the natural

environment is able to tolerate

interference from tourists.

• Deals with ecology which is able

to regenerate to some extent so in

this case the carrying capacity is

when the damage exceeds the

habitat's ability to regenerate.

1. Define the carrying capacity that needs to be

established for the study area

Options:· tourism carrying capacity· recreation

carrying capacity· others

Consider the above from one or more of the following

perspectives:

physical carrying capacity, ecological carrying

capacity, social carrying capacity, economic carrying

capacity

Consider factors that affect the overall capacity of an

area:

Options:· access capacity· commercial capacity·

construction capacity· service capacity· transport

capacity· others

2. Consider the type of tourism existing or being

planned from the following contexts:

physical

social

cultural

infrastructure

economic benefits

tourism image

indigenous environment

others

3. List the objectives of the area

Options: conservation of natural resources;

preservation of areas of unique scientific,

historical and cultural value; preservation of

heritage; tourism and recreation; employment

opportunities; others

Ecological and social consequences of use should

be consistent with area management objectives.

If an area has more than one objective, then

state the objective of highest priority

4. Establish criteria that affect capacity

- Physical area size, accessible space, visual impact, climate,

aesthetics, accommodation quality , availability of facilities,

transportation, number of people that can be

accommodated, others

- Ecological the need for conservation, fragility of the

environment, wildlife resources, topography, vegetative

cover, behavioral sensitivity of species, diversity,

uniqueness of species, concealment, resilience of

ecosystem/species, impact of use on the area, others.

For coral reefs, the following must also be taken into

account:· size and shape of reef, composition of coral

communities, type of underwater activity, level of

experience of divers/snorkellers, other.

- Economic investment, volume of tourists, cost of the

holiday, level of economic benefits provided, level of

enjoyment suited to the residents, others

4. Establish criteria that affect capacity (cont’d)

- Cultural volume of tourism with no detrimental

effects, cultural attractions, quality of crafts and

food, involvement of local communities/residents, others

- Social visitors' choice, visitors' opinions, visitors' attitude

and behavior, expectations and preferences, perceptual

and behavioral response, response to rising use

levels, visitors' activities, visitor satisfaction, acceptable

level of crowding, involvement of local

communities/residents, others

- Availability of resources and infrastructure cash

incentives, public utilities, transport facilities, essential

facilities e.g. hospitals, availability of water supply, proper

disposal of solid and liquid wastes, others

4. Establish criteria that affect capacity (cont’d)

- Administrative and political factors level at which management is

implemented, legal restraints, policy incentives, others

Variations in criteria should also be considered

• Seasonality

• Developing tourism areas : optimize benefits ; ensure negative impacts of

saturation do not occur

• Developed tourism areas : emphasize management rather than planning

• others

5. Establish thresholds or tolerable levels of use that can

act as management guidelines

Options: physical; economic; ecological; perceptual;

social/cultural; political/administrative; others

Bear in mind that thresholds may be eventually reached, or may change with

time.

6. Assess the carrying capacity of the area

a. Physical carrying capacity

i) Consider in terms of time and space variables, and

tourist function rates

Time : peak capacity, daily capacity, weekly

capacity, yearly capacity,

seasonal and diurnal, others

Space : space coefficients, unit measures,

density zones,

equipment ratios, others

Tourist function rates : ratios, others

Threshold capacities : economic viability, water

resources, others

Non-measurable criteria (use comparative analyses):

ecological

impacts, cultural impacts, psychological effects, others

6. Assess the carrying capacity of the area (cont’d)

a. Physical carrying capacity (cont’d)

ii) Apply Boullon's (1985) formula.

b. Social carrying capacity

i) Establish conditions requiring judgmental inputs

- relationship between use levels/management

parameters and experience parameters

- agreement about the type of recreational

experience to be provided

- agreement about the appropriate levels of

experience parameters


b. Social carrying capacity (cont’d)

ii) Document visitor particulars and activities, as

well as their expectations and preferences. Then

a theoretical evaluation based on

experience and accumulated knowledge

can be used for comparative analyses.

Options : Frequency of site visits, group

size, length of stay,

activity patterns, expectations and preferences,

others


d. Recreation carrying capacity (requires an

assessment of both

environmental and social capacities)

i) Establish the acceptable numbers of visitors

suited to each zone: visitor surveys, density

guidelines, others

(ii) Describe observable characteristics and carry

out evaluation which involves judgments on

acceptability of impacts:

Description: management parameters;

impact parameters

Evaluation: measurable; non-measurable;

absolute; empirical terms; others

• Survey perceived tolerances

Visual surveys

Questionnaires

• Based on history

• Demand

• Perceived and actual impact

• Estimate (annual; monthly; daily;

seasonal)

• Daily: “A” programs x #

participants/group

Or, #of estimated users /day (based on

LAC)

Estimate this on how many hours/day;

How many hours/program or event;

How many staff can support the

programs;

How many participants and events can

facilities and equipment handle

• Monthly: “B” Programs x estimated #

participants/program

• Annually or Seasonally: “C”

programs/month x 12 (or how many

months are functional)

• Finally: Can the land, facilities, and staff

handle this number? Cost effectiveness

= feasibility.

carrying capacity

Documents