Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the environment. Pollution can take the form of air, water, land and noise pollution (Spengler, John, and Sexton, 1983). Of importance is the fact that these contaminants enter the environment through human activity. Human activities like farming, mining, construction, and transportation have contributed to environmental degradation. Pollution harms the environment. Environmental degradation, in turn, causes considerable damage to the leisure and recreation industry. This paper will critically examine the sources of pollution and how pollution impacts the leisure and recreation industry. This paper will also suggest some possible solutions to this problem.
Water pollution can cause long term damage to the leisure and recreation industry. The sources of water pollutants are varied and may be due to human activity on land or at sea. Both sources yield pollutants that have devastating effects on the marine ecosystem. A notable source of off-shore pollutants is untreated industrial effluent. Industrial effluent carries many harmful chemicals in concentrations that cannot be tolerated by marine life (Selna, 2009). Another important source of water pollutants is surface run-off contaminated by farm chemicals (Burton & Pitt, 2001). Some sections of the recreation industry depend on water bodies for business.
Swimming and surfing are the most affected leisure and recreation activities. Some regions attract surfing enthusiasts keen to achieve a certain ‘high’ associated with surfing in these areas (Baker, 2002). Some other regions attract swimming enthusiasts. Both these activities cannot thrive in polluted water. Water pollution drives away potential sports tourists. No one wants to spend their free time in murky and toxic water. Though water pollution may initially affect small regions, it may spread to other areas causing extensive pollution (Michael, 2010). Therefore, water pollution may cause loss of business in many regions in a short time.
Air pollutants have various sources. They range from anthropogenic to natural sources. The most common air pollutants are gaseous chemicals and particulate matter (Goldstein et al., 2009). Gaseous chemicals are from motor vehicle exhaust fumes and burning biomass. In the recent past air sports like skydiving have grown in popularity. These activities rely on clean air to thrive. Increasing pollution has become a challenge to these sporting activities. Areas that are heavily polluted have recorded a declining number of visitors (Roman, 2010). This may be because pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide have been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular system illness (Goss et al., 2004).
Agriculture has profound effects on the ecosystem. As the human population increased need for more agricultural land also increased proportionately. Increasing agricultural production encouraged further population explosion. This exerted more pressure on the environment. The clearing of bushes and forests to create more land for development activities causes degradation of natural habitats and the destruction of flora and fauna unique to an area (Michael, 2010). Some leisure activities are centered on these life forms. In the absence of these living things, the hospitality and leisure industry that owes its existence to tourism-related to these organisms may be destroyed (Garrett, 1999).
In the tropical regions improper liquid and solid waste disposal has had negative effects on leisure and recreation activities. Littering of game parks may cause negative health effects. Animals may swallow poisonous littering materials causing a decline in their population. It is important to note that tourists go to these regions to see and watch the animals. Littering also has the additional effect of producing unsightly scenes. Recreation and leisure activities cannot be sustained in areas that are severely polluted.
In some regions, tourism revolves around coral reefs. Some coral reefs like the great coral reef in Australia attract thousands of visitors each year. Before this reef received proper protection, it was reported to have been undergoing degradation at an alarming rate (Spotts, 2005). Visitors go to these places to spend their free time as well as to observe the various life forms present in these reefs. Destruction of these reefs would undoubtedly cause a collapse of thriving businesses in the sector.
Oil spills have contributed to the destruction of these habitats. Oil spills kill marine life causing a decline in tourist numbers. Additionally, oil spills pose a danger to ships. Navigation in oil-polluted water is difficult resulting in route diversions away from the affected areas (Mercer, 1977). Luxury cruise ships also avoid these areas. Other than obvious safety concerns luxury cruise ship customers do not want to be in areas that do not satisfy their needs.
The leisure and recreation industry has also contributed to environmental degradation. With the boom in the industry, more and more land has been cleared to build hotels to meet the demand for bed space and additional services like massage. In the process of creating space for hotels, animal habitats have been destroyed. Tourism activities have destroyed the tourist attraction sites. Tourists have been accused in the past of littering coastlines, game reserves, and game parks with non-biodegradable material. Tourist hotels are the source of dirty water that may end up in freshwater sources. This would contaminate the water sources.
Cruise liners have also contributed to the pollution. The size of luxury cruise liners has been increasing almost at the same rate as the growth in the number of clients. Big cruise ships carry an increased risk for environmental degradation. Emissions from these cruise liners may increase with the increase in engine size (David, Michael, and Caroline, 2010). The leisure and recreation industry has caused an increased demand for water.
The development of golf courses is a priority in areas that target high spending tourists. Golf courses are known to use very large amounts of water. Depletion of water encourages and indeed it can be the beginning of environmental degradation (Allan, 1980). Hotels have also put pressure on freshwater sources. Delicate ecosystems like the coral reefs have suffered degradation in the past. Vibrations from engines of motorboats can disturb marine life. Tourist activities in game parks and game reserves have may destroy the grass cover. Trampling on the grass leads to a loss of soil cover. This predisposes the area to erosion.
To mitigate the negative effects of pollution on the leisure and recreational industry, several actions can be taken. The single most effective action is creating awareness at the household level. Most pollutants can be traced to farming and gardening activities. Families should be aware that some of their activities cause environmental degradation (Denton, Morrison and Riley, 1986). Families and individuals should be sensitized to the need to use fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides carefully. That is, using them sparingly when necessary. The households should also be sensitized to best waste disposal practices.
Governments in consultation with other stakeholders should enact legislation on environmental protection. This will help specify ways of waste disposal and management. All stakeholders should take an active role in protecting the environment. Delicate ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef should enjoy protection given by interested groups.
The leisure and recreation industry should reduce its contribution to environmental degradation. The industry should put in place measures to reduce pollution. For instance, hotels in this subsector should encourage their clients to use water well. They should also treat wastewater properly before discharging it to designated areas (Jefferson & Joseph, 2010). They should never discharge it to water bodies even if the waste is properly treated. Players in this industry should encourage and adopt the use of renewable energy to run their activities. Renewable energy has no known negative impact on the environment. The hotels and tour firms should sensitize their clients on proper waste disposal. They should provide waste receptacles at strategic points in game reserves and game parks.
This paper looked at the relationship between the leisure industry and pollution. Pollution has poisoned the industry to a large extent. Pollution may come from human activities onshore or offshore. Water pollution affects surfing and swimming activities. Water pollution was also found to have a negative impact on the cruise ship industry. The analysis also revealed that air pollution has the potential to harm a wide range of leisure activities. Air pollution poses a great danger to leisure activities like skydiving. The leisure and recreation industry is a source of pollution. Some of the mitigation measures suggested in this paper include reduction of water wastage, enacting of legislation, provision of waste receptacles, and reducing pesticide and herbicide use in farms and gardens.
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