Managing the Physical Environment

What are the effects of the growth of recreation and tourism?

National Parks Case StudyThe Lake District

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Lake District National Park

• National Park was formed in 1951

• North West England• 1999 - 20 million

visitors• Resident population

of 40,000

Honeypot site – places with special appeal that attract large visitor numbers e.g. Lake Windermere (Lake District)

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Why do people visit the Lake District?

• Spectacular scenery including mountains, rivers and coasts

• The area has good access with motorway links (M6)• There are many small attractive settlements e.g.

Windermere and Grasmere• There is good opportunity for activity holidays

including:– Walking– Climbing– Water sports– Horse riding

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What are the effects of recreational development?

• The most popular footpaths and lakeside and being eroded.

• Local shops have been replaced by gift shops.• Overuse of the lakes causes pollution and conflict

between users.• Demand for holiday homes pushes up local house

prices.• Money from tourism helps the upkeep of the area.• Recreation and tourism creates many and direct and

indirect jobs.• Tourism gives people the opportunity to experience and

understand the environment. • Tourism gives a boost to many local industries.

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How can recreational areas be managed?

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Close some of the roads to traffic

Provide cheaper houses for local

people

Fence offmore areas

Put artificial surfaceson the most used

footpaths

Encourage peopleto use areas that

are less busy

Provide morecar parks

Restrict buildingin some areas

How could the pressures

on the area be reduced?

Adopt stricterplanning regulations

Advantages and disadvantages of management?

Advantages• Reduction in pressure

on honeypot areas• Less traffic

congestion• Protection of the most

valuable areas• Less unrestricted

building

Disadvantages• Reduction in the

numbers of visitors• Fewer tourism related

jobs• Local income decline• Less money for local

service and environmental protection

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How can the lakes be managed?

• There has been a growth in leisure activities on the lakes in recent years and this has:

• Increased the possibility of water pollution• Increased the rate of bank-side erosion• Created a problem between different groups of users

(sailing/fishing/water skiing etc.)

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Responses to this have been to:• Ban all water-based activities on some lakes• Zone lakes so that individual activities can only take

place within specified zones• Impose speed limits e.g. Windermere

Lake Windermere: Honeypot

• Attracts millions of visitors each year• 10mph speed limit on Windermere came

into force in 2005• It will allow smaller vessels such as

sailing boats and kayaks to enjoy the lake safely, unhampered by the jetskis, water skiers and fast motor boats.

• However many local businesses will lose money. Tourists bring jobs and money into the area but increase traffic congestion and have a significant environmental impact

• Anti 10mph Speed Limit Site

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