Download Benidorm model answer

Ref. w2013/6b
(b) Assess the impacts of tourism on the environment, society and
economy of one tourist area or resort you have studied. [15]
Benidorm was the model for many Spanish holiday resorts, so it is makes a good case
study for assessing the impacts of mass tourism. A far-sighted decision was taken in the
1950s by the town council to turn a small, attractive village bordered by fine sandy
beaches into a holiday resort. The magnitude of the impact of tourism can be assessed
in both positive and negative changes.
The first impact can be seen in environmental terms, the most noticeable being rapid
urbanisation. However, the 1963 revision of the 1950s General Urban Development
Plan (GUDP) proposed a high-rise model for a hotel building programme to welcome
large numbers of tourists. Due to the deliberate policy of high-rise building which was
an essential ingredient in the GUDP, the loss of agricultural land bordering the coastline
around the previous small village was minimised. High-rise buildings are also efficient,
with lower water loss (street water piping is the main reason for wastage), and the need
to conserve water in one of the driest regions of Europe is paramount.
This is not to say there were no problems with water: in fact there was a very serious
water shortage after the vast increase in water consumption drained the aquifers in the
area and led to influx of salt water from the sea, contaminating the wells. This can be
considered as a major negative environmental impact. Each tourist uses 880 litres of
water a day. The peak tourism figure in 1977 - when Benidorm entertained 12 million
visitors – coincided with a water crisis so serious that fresh water had to be brought in
by tanker ships. While this crisis led to a remarkably successful regional water plan –
using piped water from Guadalest reservoir and other transferable conduit supplies –
another problem was created: increased water use meant the old sewage disposal system
was inadequate. Sewage was pumped directly into the sea at Sierra Helada – on the
north east updrift side of Benidorm, so it began to contaminate the beaches. A new
sewage plant had to be built to process the waste. This in turn successfully generated an
environmentally positive benefit, as grey water was recycled for agricultural use in
exchange for agreements from remaining agricultural interests to use fresh water to
supply urban needs.
The positive environmental impacts of tourism can be seen in a number of other ways,
such as the increased leisure facilities, parks and sports facilities such as golf courses,
together with a re-kindling of interest in countryside and mountain preservation,
conservation of landforms, wild flowers and animals. This has been possible due to the
economic input from tourism.
Secondly, in terms of Benidorm society the impact of tourism can be seen at its most
positive in employment opportunities. The majority of local people are either directly
employed in tourism or benefit in some way from associated sources of employment:
e.g. retail, food supply, building, and transport. The gradual social changes brought
about by increased foreign residents led to a rich international mix, with many cultural
events reflecting a wider European influence and a cosmopolitan feel to the social life of
the town. Some negative social consequences can also be observed, with the increase in
crime, vandalism, alcohol related behaviours, all associated with mass tourism. The
loss of traditional local Valenciano culture and society are also negative impacts on
social structures, and changing family patterns begin to reflect a more homogenised
western European norm of nuclear families, single parent families, and even minority
lifestyles, instead of the traditional extended family associated with past social life.
The third major impact of tourism is in the economy of Benidorm, with a revenue of 17
million Euros every day of the year. This constant massive injection of foreign
currency into the resort has made a positive contribution in a number of ways. The rapid
growth of the tertiary sector in the consolidation period of growth in the 1960s meant
that the local authority income was greatly increased. Consequently this benefited the
town by providing funds for such services as education, health and social welfare
spending, as well as improvements to the general infrastructure.
The loss of local economic activities such as farming and fishing are sometimes cited as
a negative consequence, however it can be shown that the original fishing method – the
almadraba tuna industry – was already in decline before the arrival of mass tourism, and
agriculture in the immediate area of Benidorm was on a much smaller and unproductive
scale than further north in Callosa or Valencia, and further south in Murcia, so there was
no match for these greater local agricultural economies. Added to that, agriculture is
also in natural decline because of climate change, as witnessed by recent drought
conditions.
In conclusion, it can be confidently claimed that the impacts of tourism on Benidorm
have been overwhelmingly beneficial on all three counts. Although some minor
negative consequences have been identified, some of these – like the environmental
problems – have been overcome. Social changes may be regarded as for better or worse,
depending on a person’s outlook, but in general we can assume that social change will
happen anyway, tourism or no tourism. Finally, in economic terms, we have seen that
Benidorm has become one of the most successful parts of the Spanish economy. None
of the negative impacts can take away from the positive impacts I have identified above.