Environmental Impacts of Mass TourismVocabulary and Expressionstrivialize

Environmental Impacts of Mass Tourism
   Mass tourism can ruin landscapes, destroy communities, pollute air and water, trivialize cultures, bring about uniformity, and generally contribute to the continuing degradation of life on our planet.
   More specifically, mass tourism has five negative impacts on the environment. The first of these is air, water, site, and noise pollution. Contamination of the air occurs because of motor traffic and the production and use of energy. Many seas, lakes, rivers, and springs are also affected by the numerous travelers who are enjoying their vacation. Water contamination is due to the discharge of solid waste from pleasure boats. Site pollution occurs because of the absence or inadequacy of waste disposal facilities. Lastly, there is noise pollution resulting from motor traffic and the tourists themselves.
   The second negative effect of mass tourism is the loss of natural landscape. Mass tourism brings with it the construction of housing, facilities, and infrastructure for tourists which inevitably encroach on previously open spaces. These landscapes are lost forever, for hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions have taken their place.
   The third consequence of mass tourism is the destruction of flora and fauna. Many of the aforementioned types of pollution along with the loss of natural landscapes results in the disappearance of many of the plant and animal species that once lived in these natural habitats.
   The fourth effect of mass tourism is the "aesthetic degradation" of the surrounding landscape and sites. For example, the style of architecture of newly constructed tourist facilities may not be in harmony with the traditional buildings in the area. As a result, a traditional-style town might soon look like any modernized city.
   Another ill effect of mass tourism is congestion. The concentration in time and space of tourists to visited areas causes considerable harm to the natural environment. This congestion also detracts from the overall quality of life in the toured area. A major consequence of congestion is traffic, leading to the loss of free time, high fuel consumption, and horrible air and noise pollution.