Read the following case and answer the questions:
Ecotourism is generally defined as tourism that is friendly towards the environment and local people, and helps conservation. However, one of the negative impacts of tourism (even ecotourism) is the potential introduction of exotic pests (i.e. insects) and diseases that could endanger some of the very species and environments that ecotourism is trying to protect.
Great ape tourism, to see gorillas and orangutans in their native habitats, is an extremely popular form of ecotourism to travelers. Tens of thousands of visitors each year pay to see the great aps. However, scientists became alarmed following the publication of evidence that great apes are dying form respiratory viruses directly transmitted to them by humans. The findings pose a major problem for those protecting the declining populations of gorillas and orangutans. The tourist dollars are essential for protecting the endangered apes form poachers and funds vital work aimed at halting their decline from commercial hunting and habitat loss. However, the new research illustrates the challenge of maximizing the benefits of tourism to great apes while minimizing the negative side effects.
There are fears that existing safety measures to protect the apes, who are genetically very similar to humans and therefore subject to many of the same diseases and illnesses, do not go far enough resulting in calls for stricter precautions, including mandatory wearing of face masks for all who come into relatively close contact with gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees (Kondgen et al. 2008).
Based on the information in the Great Ape Tourism Case, identify one example of the environmental side that makes up our concept of sustainable development. Label the impact as either a positive or negative impact.
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