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<blockquote TYPE=CITE>I'm running a research project looking at the potential
effects of an =
<br>increase in diver tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands, based mainly
=
<br>around methods for establishing the carrying capacity of the reefs
here. =
<br>Does anyone know of any papers / web-sites / journals that would be
=
<br>useful?
<p>Iain Ellis,
<br>Marine Policy Lecturer,
<br>Center for Marine Resource Studies,
<br>PO Box 007, South Caicos</blockquote>
Iain,
<p>Here are a few papers and websites. You may want to check out the broader
literature on carrying capacity in tourism as well. The diving papers have
not really addressed the changing view of carrying capacity. For a number
of years, carrying capacity has been viewed as a management philosophy
rather than the application of a number as in the past. Several methods
are more common, such as LAC (limits of acceptable change) and TOMM (tourism
optimization management model). see <a href="http://www.forestry.umt.edu/personnel/faculty/borrie/planning.html">http://www.forestry.umt.edu/personnel/faculty/borrie/planning.html</a>
(excerpt below).
<p><font size=-1>Essentially, carrying capacity focuses attention on the
question, "How many is too many?" when the question confronting managers
is, "What are the appropriate or acceptable conditions for visitation and
how do we achieve them?" An example of a planning system that builds upon
the framework of LAC is the Tourism Optimization management Model (TOMM)
developed in Australia. TOMM is a management approach designed to monitor
and manage tourism on a resort and farming island off the coast of South
Australia. Like LAC, the first component of TOMM is an analysis of the
context in which the planning must occur. Just as step 1 of LAC identifies
the social values, issues and concerns, the first phase of TOMM identifies
the community values, as well as the policy and planning directives of
the various stakeholders. TOMM’s contextual analysis also includes examination
of the island’s tourism products and the trends and opportunities</font>
<br><font size=-1>for the tourism market, much as step 2 of LAC maps out
recreational opportunities. While LAC emphasizes the quality of the environment
and visitor experience, TOMM places more emphasis on the sustainability
of the tourism industry. Toward that end, TOMM goes on to identify and
inventory potentially optimal conditions for tourism to occur (economic,
market, environmental, experiential, and socio-cultural). TOMM, like LAC
was designed to meld the technical expertise of industry and government
with community and conservation group knowledge.</font>
<p>best,
<p>karl
<p>Davis, D., and C. Tisdell. 1995. Recreational scuba-diving
and carrying capacity in
<br>
marine protected areas. Ocean and Coastal Management 26(1):19-40.
<p>Davis, D., and C. Tisdell. 1996. Economic Management of
Recreational Scuba Diving
<br> and the Environment. Journal of Environmental Management
48:229-248.
<p>Dixon, J. A., L. F. Scura, and T. van’t Hof. 1993. Meeting
Ecological and Economic
<br> Goals: Marine Parks in the Caribbean. Ambio 22(2-3):117-125.
<p>Hawkins, J. P., and C. M. Roberts. 1992. Effects of recreational
SCUBA diving on fore-
<br> reef slope communities of coral reefs. Biological Conservation
62:171-178.
<p>Hawkins, J. P., and C. M. Roberts. 1993. Effects of recreational
scuba diving on coral
<br> reefs: trampling on reef-flat communities. Journal
of Applied Ecology 30:25-30.
<br>
<br>
<p>Karl Fellenius, Masters Candidate
<br>School of Resource & Environmental Management
<br>8888 University Drive, Simon Fraser University
<br>Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, <a href="http://www.rem.sfu.ca">http://www.rem.sfu.ca</a>
<br>karlf@sfu.ca ph & fax (604)464-9140 cell (604)377-7597
<p>Research:
<br>-Tourism for the Community Coastal Zone: Official Community
<br> Plans in the Canadian Georgia Basin
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