Date: 3/20/2018

To: Head of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

From: Mohamad Aboufoul
Subject: Current Desert Tourism and Sustainability Research Report
Reference: Examination of desert tourism across various nations and efforts made to
sustainability
Action Required: Study of the impacts of tourism on deserts and implementation of policies
to ensure that tourism sustains those environments
Distribution List: UNWTO Executives and Research Team

Deserts are one of Earth’s greatest wonders, spanning every continent with unique ecosystems,
making them diverse, marvelous regions. As such, they have become a prominent destination for
tourists across the globe, attracting large numbers and spurring global tourism industries,
providing many economic benefits to the nations that host such lands. However, the delicacy of
deserts and their ecosystems, which often attract tourists, can be negatively affected if tourism
interferes too much with the environment.

This report seeks to examine and clarify the current forms of and standards for tourism in desert
regions as well as identify ways that tourism needs to be improved to ensure the sustainability of
these regions. Deserts in various nations across the globe from Iran, to Egypt, to Chile are
studied to show the current effects of tourism on their environments, and “ecotourism” is
analyzed to understand ways of preserving these fragile ecosystems while still accommodating
for large numbers of tourists. Suggestions for and promotions of solutions to desert
environmental sustainability will be made in this report as well.

Summary
Because of their pristine nature, deserts annually attract millions of tourists seeking unique and
exciting new experiences. They bolster economies and provide job opportunities through the
hospitality and construction sectors that work to make tourism possible. They can also result in a
more educated general public that learns more about the unique and fragile ecosystems of deserts
as well as the brilliant cultures that surround them.

Desert tourism does have some downsides, however, many of which involving potential damage
to their delicate environments. The construction and industrial efforts put forth to make tourism
possible often result in the overuse of resources that are already scarce in the region. Motorized
travel for tourism in deserts can damage deserts’ pristine image, contribute to erosion, and
decimate plant life. Waste and pollution to deserts from visitors is also of major concern as much
of it does not decompose for hundreds of years and can harm native flora and fauna as well.
Aside from environmental concerns, tourism may not always benefit the local population, as
their scarce resources may become even scarcer with the onset of tourists.

There are some forms of tourism that can allow for economic prosperity while simultaneously
protecting the ecosystems. Much of it involves government action and regulation, however,
standards for it can be made the norm in cases in which local businesses and tourism-based firms
adopt and implement environmentally friendly policies.

Benefits of Desert Tourism

Tourism provides many opportunities for the numerous countries that have pristine desert
environments. Their unique landscapes and diverse plant and animal species that managed to
survive the harsh climates are what typically attract tourists, who may be in search of a new,
exciting experience. Additionally, the myriad of vibrant cultures that exist in these regions
provide another incentive to attract visitors.

Perhaps the most prominent benefit that tourism may bring to a desert and its host nation is
economical. The annual number of people who visit a nation’s desert region can be astronomical.
For example, Egypt’s annual number of tourists in 2010 was 12.5 million, and its consistent large
annual number of visitors results in tourism making up 11% of its GDP (Zedan). However, this
isn’t simply due to the number of tourist-specific industries that flourish like travel agencies and
hospitalities. As access to the desert must be made easier, large construction endeavors are
undertaken in building roads that connect them to major cities, expanding amenities and access
to resources such as water in those areas, and in providing access to telecommunications
(Zedan). All of these infrastructure projects provide many job opportunities that may not
necessarily relate to tourism itself. As can be seen with Egypt, many economies may heavily rely
on desert tourism to support their economies.

Figure 1. The Oasis Eco Resort in the Liwa region of the UAE is a project guaranteed to bring construction jobs to
the region (Rae, 2016)

Aside from economic benefits, tourism may lead to a greater appreciation of desert ecosystems
by visitors who, along with governments, may in turn become more active in trying to protect
and sustain them (“Some Thoughts on Desert Tourism”). This “ecotourism” is centered on
providing sustainability and reducing human interference as much as possible; it is discussed in
more detail later on. In accordance with actions taken to maintain desert environments, tourism
can also lead to a more educated public who may use their newfound knowledge of the
ecosystem to influence policies that would reduce other forms of desert exploitation like
excessive mining for oil and minerals (“Some Thoughts on Desert Tourism”).

Finally, desert tourism can lead to a maintenance of local culture as well as a better
understanding of them across the globe (Zedan). This may result in a more educated global
public and can promote unity amongst various ethnicities.

Issues Desert Tourism Raises

Impacts on Ecosystems
While the benefits of desert tourism are noteworthy, there are still many issues that it raises.
Regarding the industrial efforts that are undertaken to expand roads, increase hospitality
construction, and produce access to resources like water further into the desert for tourism, many
negative environmental consequences follow. These endeavors make luxurious desert attractions
possible and make the regions more enticing to visitors, yet they typically result in an excessive
use of water and power and increased water erosion due to the constant stream of resources
necessary to maintain such amenities (Haynes 202). And because of the scarcity of water in the
desert, tourism may lead to limited sources of it like aquifers running dry as well as the
destruction of vegetation (Haynes 202).
The means of travelling to and throughout deserts can negatively impact them just as much as the
excessive use of resources. Aside from the fact that motorized travel that has become
increasingly common can leave tracks that ruin the pristine image of deserts that attract tourists
in the first place, they can have severe impacts on the flora and fauna of the region (Tourism and
Deserts: A Practical Guide to Managing the Social and Environmental Impacts in the Desert
Recreation Sector, 2006). The trampling of dunes and the constant, unnatural traffic can
decimate delicate vegetation and increase erosion, further killing other plant species (Haynes
202).

The negative impacts on desert ecosystems are further increased with the reckless pollution that
tourism typically brings. Much tourist litter is composed of tin, aluminum, or plastic, all of which
can take hundreds of years to decompose. In deserts, however, such materials as well as
“biodegradable” materials can take 10 to 1,000 times as long to decompose (Tourism and
Deserts: A Practical Guide to Managing the Social and Environmental Impacts in the Desert
Recreation Sector, 2006). Any waste dumped will clearly last for a long time, which can damage
the delicate plant life of deserts or be mistakenly eaten by wild animals.
Figure 2. Pollution in the desert can take hundreds of years to break down, putting the vegetation and animals native
to those regions at major risk (Sherif et al., 2012)

Impacts on Natives and Locals

Local populations can also suffer from tourism as the industry may not always benefit them. For
example, in Chile, the Atacama Desert is a hot tourist attraction, bringing in over 300,000
visitors each year. However, the Lickan Antay, Chile’s indigenous people, have suffered greatly
from it. The Lickan Antay have a limited amount of land under their control due to the effects of
centuries of colonization (Gauthier and Pravettoni, 2016). Although there have been efforts
between them and the Chilean government to sustain the desert environment and “channel
tourism,” tourism has put a strain on their water supply, forcing the Lickan Antay to obtain water
from another, saltier source for their agriculture needs (Gauthier and Pravettoni, 2016). Because
of this, the Lickan Antay can’t even sell their fruits and vegetables to tourists since they can’t
guarantee that the new water source isn’t polluted (Gauthier and Pravettoni, 2016). It’s very
likely that there are more cases of locals suffering from the effects of tourism.

Sustainable Means of Tourism

“Ecotourism”
Ecotourism is a form of tourism focused on sustaining the environment and reducing negative
human impact as much as possible (“Some Thoughts on Desert Tourism”). While it is definitely
beneficial for individual tourists to practice it, governments and other organizations of authority
can also step in to ensure that the ecosystems are protected. This can be seen with the Egyptian
government’s actions to protect part of the Siwa Oasis, an area in Egypt’s Western Desert
located far away from its major cities (Zedan). This lush region is noted for its serenity with
hundreds of thousands of trees, one thousand natural springs, and a small population just above
21,000 (Zedan). Although there have been roads connecting the oasis to Egypt’s major cities,
and although the region only has an influx of ~20,000 visitors annually, the government has
designated ~7,800 square km of it as protected land (Zedan). Additionally, the relatively few
local hotels and other tourism businesses in the area have implemented environmentally friendly
policies. As of now, that, along with the low number of annual visitors and government
protection of the land, has resulted in little environmental interference and much sustenance
(Zedan).

Figure 3. Map of the Siwa region, much of which the Egyptian government has designated as protected land in the
name of ecotourism (Zedan)

Conclusion
Desert Tourism has certainly provided many benefits for growing economies and continues to do
so. For many nations, tourism isn’t simply a source of extra income, but rather key sector of their
job market. With that being said, it is crucial to ensure that any actions taken to promote
environmental sustainability guarantee that economies don’t take a hit.

However, the environmental issues that desert tourism often brings are of significant concern.
While industrial expansion projects to make tourism more convenient and luxurious result in
many jobs, it also often results in the overuse of limited resources like water. The traveling to
and throughout the desert in accordance with tourism leads to the trampling of dunes and
interference with the native flora and fauna. Locals also may not always benefit from tourism as
can be seen with the Lickan Antay in Chile.

Ecotourism does provide a balanced alternative approach. Although it has been conducted on a
relatively small scale thus far, it shows much promise and could very well lead to large scale
sustainability for major desert regions. As such, it should be taken into serious consideration to
guarantee that economic progress derived from tourism continues without compromising the
safety and sustainability of the desert ecosystems.

Recommendations
Because desert tourism can produce many benefits and raises many concerns, actions must be
carefully selected to ensure the sustainability of ecosystems as well as economic and cultural
growth. As discussed previously, ecotourism can be a sustainable solution, allowing for
economies that rely heavily on tourism to continue to flourish while protecting the fragile
environments of their deserts. Given that the UN World Tourism Organization is responsible for
promoting tourism that is sustainable and prolific, it should take the following course of action to
ensure that this happens:

 Dispatch delegation to study the effects of tourism on various deserts around the world to
examine the differences and gravity of those effects in each.
 Measure the overall revenue that desert tourism brings for each nation as well as the
implicit and explicit costs.
o Study and measure the short-term effects and the long-term effects of desert
tourism.
 Work with UN member nations to have their governments ensure the protection of desert
regions while guaranteeing that their economies can still profit from sustainable tourism.
References
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of the Atacama Desert Dry.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 31 Aug. 2016,

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atacama-desert-chile-los-flamencos.

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region-to-be-world-s-greenest-1.188250#1.

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tourismplanningprofessionals.com/?p=273.

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