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Positive and Negative Effects on Regions Developed for Tourism

"With its stunning scenery and wide range of recreational activities, the Cairngorms area has long been An attractive visitor destination and National Park Status will no doubt increase that popularity "

The lone traveller pauses for a moment at the foot of a grassy hillock. Gathering their breath quickly after an exhausting hill climb, they gaze about, drinking in the stunning view. They feel at one with nature; after all it's been an intensive day skiing and walking and with prospects for a meal and drinks in the town pubs nearby, before back to the hotel, it will only get better. The Cairngorms has changed massively in the last few decades and it is easier than ever for tourists to stay and take advantage of the activities on offer. Is this a good thing though, or is the area being raped of its natural beauty. Perhaps the economy needs the tourism boost or is it nothing more than the gradual destruction of another piece of earth's natural paradise.

The Cairngorms Mountains boasts its highest peak of 1100 metres; the highest plateau in the British Isles, and amongst its many glacial landforms, wonderful examples such as The Corries, glacial troughs, moraines and arêtes. It is a natural phenomenon, easily accessible from the British Isles and an increasing haven for tourists. Hill walkers, climbers, mountain bikers and skiers all enjoy the facilities on offer, amidst those who just want to see the reindeer(!) and during the 60s and 70s, a range of services and facilities, including hotels, guesthouses, chalets, a swimming pool and a new shopping centre were provided for tourists. Since then, more such accommodation and guesthouses have been added and, supported by the Scottish Tourist Board and new National Park status the Cairngorms have been awarded, this trend looks like continuing.

The tourism boom has long been a much debated issue. On the one hand it cannot be denied that it brings much needed money into whatever area it touches - It has revolutionised the economy of places like Thailand and closer to home, regions such as Devon and Cornwall, but as critics have long established, negatives are abound within the industry. Whether it is tacky souvenir stalls springing up around scenic wonders in Madrid, litter being strewn across what used to be perfect beaches in the Caribbean or ancient artefacts gradually being destroyed by the touch of thousands of visitors, there is surely a price to pay. Tourism is undoubtedly a mixed blessing.

One of the major impacts that the increase of tourism into the Cairngorms, and worldwide, has had, is the boom in the job industry that has occurred in the region since visitors, and most notably skiers, have begun to arrive in their droves. Everything from local building contractors, labourers, bar staff and ski instructors have found new and extended opportunities for work in both the construction and maintenance of the buildings and services in the area, leading to a general lowering of unemployment. Indeed, not only has the employment ratio increased but with more disposable income available, the local (and to a smaller extent - Scottish) economy has improved overall.

However, far from being carried away with this, it must also be remembered that not only are some of the jobs distinctly temporary and seasonal (although the skiing goes on all year round trade obviously falls off during some seasons and staff have to be lain off); the wages are often low in line with the unskilled nature of a lot of the work, as well as the fact that much of the money from tourism leaves the country since many of the hotels and facilities are owned by foreign companies who skim the major profit from the monies coming in. Coupled with this, it has been suggested that as these companies are not local and in business in the Cairngorms for reaping the maximum profits possible, some of them will not take any significant steps to preserve the local environment, rustic atmosphere or natural beauty spots and end up causing considerable environmental degradation. Of course, this criticism cannot be levelled at all multinational companies but local anger has been forthcoming.

It is not only the companies that have set up within the region that are causing a problem amongst the locals, but also the influx of visitors that the tourist trade obviously brings. "There is too high a density of visitors to the area. This carries a range of problems; visitors affect the ground directly by trampling on vegetation. Walkers with uncontrolled dogs can disturb wildlife, particularly during the breeding season " and of course, littering also becomes more of an obvious problem. The pollution, 'snarled-up roads,' increased noise and lack of respect for the environment that 'out of town' day visitors can sometimes bring manifests itself, causing deep upset to local people and a degeneration of what once was a natural beauty spot into a polluted, grimy town devoid of the life and character that made it so popular in the first place. Indeed, any changes made to an environment, however insignificant they seem, can have a profound effect. For example, the availability of commercial waste in nearby rubbish dumps since tourism has been on the up has increased the number of scavenging birds/ seagulls etc. As a result, many species they may compete with have been become scarce and cannot easily survive with this new invasion.

This has become most obvious in the Cairngorms with the escalation of the skiing trade especially, perhaps the most destructive of the outdoor pursuits that has become so popular amongst visitors. "Some outdoor recreation facilities in Scotland [The cairngorms] are now experiencing damage from over-use " Firstly, as an all year round ski resort, the snow is not allowed any time to recover from the exertions of thousands of skiers, allowing unsightly erosions to perpetuate the hillsides resembling scars that do much to mask the beauty of the mountainous region. Then, reseeding of the battered areas leads to shifts in the vegetation structure which in turn leads to changes in the local bird and animal life. Secondly, coniferous forests are desecrated in the building of ice rinks and rings, not only dismaying local conservationists but also, over time, weakening the soil and allowing it to erode more quickly, destroying the local habitat.

Of course, the growth of the skiing industry will therefore lead to the need for more chair lifts, ski tows and snow fences to be littered across the slopes of the majestic Cairngorm Mountains, perhaps affecting the skyline as well as spoiling views for tourists and habitats for animals. Car parks, access roads and other such pathways will also need to be bulldozed through the Cairngorms. More cars will obviously be present in areas where wildlife congregate, perhaps changing their lifestyle patterns and putting creatures like deer and pheasant at far greater risk. Similarly, the town's water supply has also been affected. A large proportion of the local rainfall falls in the winter months, yet the highest demands for the tourists, their need for consistent water supply and the process of irrigation tend to be paramount through the summer. AS well as this, a severe lowering of the water table has led to salt water seeping into supplies.

However, looking at the issue of tourism in the Cairngorms from a very different slant is it right for the few that inhabit the area and some concerned conservationists to object to the locality being utilized for human pleasure. "Because scenery is plentiful in Scotland it need not be squandered. " After all, the majority of tourists are not going to let their dogs loose, trample on wild flowers or purposely cut up the mountain and is it not right that the earth's resources be open to be used by anyone who wants to explore them. After all, what good is a mountain standing unobserved by all but a tiny proportion of the world's population? Why shouldn't we use these natural resources to offer as much fun to families as possible? Alright, so the odd ski hut might blot the view of a hill for a few but are they just whinging over necessary change that allows locals to find work, however menial, expand the economy and bring a well needed cross section of continental folk in to share the beauty that the area provides.

Also, along with the improvements in skiing and other tourist attractions, more investors have been attracted to the area, pumping money into the bulging economy. The town has been spruced up with houses renovated and extra care taken on the beauty of the place. Accessibility to public amenities has improved, facilities for locals bettered, and generally the local towns and villages have been dragged into a modern way of life. Of course, this has also been responsible for some prices rising in local hotels and drinking establishments to tourist levels, but without doubt, in terms of pure, capitalist growth, the Cairngorms is embracing the future.

As well as that, the money that has gone into the local area and subsidized agriculture has been used to preserve some alpine meadows that were under threat, partly as a conservation concern but also as an incentive for visiting tourists. Now, the Cairngorms has Britain's only free range herd of Reindeer that pull in a sizeable tourist trade and have become quite synonymous with the region as one of its prime attractions. You can even adopt one ! Of course, the habitat may well still be there if the Cairngorms had not become a tourist region, but the fact that there is money to maintain the creatures/land and indeed, give young children the chance of coming face to face with a real live Reindeer (or more accurately a herd of Reindeer) must be seen as a good thing.

Really, the only answer to the conundrum that is 'tourism in the Cairngorms' seems to be in Scottish authorities promoting and tourists following the new brand of 'eco-tourism' that is proving so popular in theory at least, amongst tourist hot-spots around the globe. Although this 'eco-tourism' is not yet strictly regulated, some tour operators are beginning to jump onto this globally positive bandwagon, investing 'vacation profits' back into the conservation of areas that provided the income in the first place. Coupled with this, encouragement for tourists to avoid littering, despoiling vegetation and fisheries or in any other way wilfully destroying the natural habitat can only be a step in the right direction, allowing the Cairngorms to yield its wonderful, natural amenities whilst boosting the economy without all the extra damage that is currently inflicted.

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