Tourism impact research methods and case studies

Economic Impacts
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Applied to the general population (residents) 
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Answers questions: How much income does tourism generate for 
households and businesses in the area? Answers are perception based 
usually. Can be personal or general. 
Personal: E.g., Are you employed in tourism (directly or indirectly)? ….. Has 
tourism improved economic situation of your family?
General: E.g., Tourism creates employment opportunities …… tourism 
improves economic situation of families …..

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TOURISM IMPACTS RESEARCH: THE SURVEY
Economic Impacts
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Applied to tourists
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Answers questions: How much do tourists spend in the area? Answers 
are direct about spending.
E.g., How much do you spend per day per person at the destination? ….. 
How much do you spend on (A) accommodation; (B) meals; (C) activities; 
etc.
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For economic analysis the number of tourists is required
Economic Impact of Tourism = Number of Tourists * Average Spending per 
Visitor * Multiplier
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TOURISM IMPACTS RESEARCH: THE SURVEY
Environmental Impacts
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Environmental impact evaluation: field evaluation of real impacts 
through observation and field data collection
- Applied to specific and geographically determined locations (e.g., beach 
water quality, tourist trail, noise, etc.)
- Factors considered: soil composition, soil/water/air quality, coverage of 
flora, composition of flora and fauna
- Working with indicators (e.g., at least 50% of area covered by primary 
vegetation; or the water quality threshold is no more than 200 fecal 
coliforms (baceteria) / 100ml of water)
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TOURISM IMPACTS RESEARCH: THE SURVEY