Carrying Capacity

When is enough enough?

What is Carrying Capacity?

• 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.

What is Carrying Capacity?

• 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)

What is Carrying Capacity?

• 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 Characteristics

• 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. 

Carrying Capacity Characteristics

• 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. 

Types of Carrying Capacity

• Physical Carrying Capacity• Economic Carrying Capacity• Social Carrying Capacity• Bio-physical Carrying Capacity

Types of 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

Types of Carrying Capacity

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.

Types of Carrying Capacity

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.

Types of Carrying Capacity

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.

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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.

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

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

GENERAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING CARRYING CAPACITY

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

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

Common Approaches

• Survey perceived tolerancesVisual surveysQuestionnaires

• Based on history• Demand• Perceived and actual impact• Estimate (annual; monthly; daily;

seasonal)

Common Approaches• 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.