An Analysis of the Carrying Capacity with special references to Malta in 2007/2008.
Social carrying capacity is used as a generic term to include both the levels of tolerance of the host population, as well as the quality of the experience of visitors to the area.
Levels of capacity for the components may be expressed in terms of:
• Number of tourists and tourist/recreation activity types which can be absorbed
without affecting the sense of identity, life style and social patterns and activities of
host communities,
• Level and type of tourism which does not alter significantly local culture in direct or
indirect ways in terms of arts, crafts, belief systems, ceremonies, customs and
traditions,
• Level of tourism that will not be resented by local population or pre-empt their use of
services and amenities.
• Level of tourism (number of visitors and compatibility of types of activities) in an
area without unacceptable decline of experience of visitors
Carrying capacity is a powerful concept for policy making although from a scientific
perspective it has met with considerable controversy due to the analytical difficulties in arriving at a “calculated” capacity (threshold or limit). This difficulty stems from the multiple dimensions of the concept and the inherent constraints in estimating limits in natural and human ecosystems. Getz (1987) identified six different approaches of interpretations or methods of determining carrying capacity: Tangible Resource Limits, Tolerance by the Host Population, Satisfaction of Visitors, Excessive Rate of Growth of Change, Capacity based on the evaluation of costs and benefits, The role of Capacity in a Systems Approach.
In this assignment first we are going to go a bit through aspects, notions and discussing a bit of Carrying capacity, then after exploring and defining certain aspects we are going to analyse tourism numbers in Malta. We are going to see Statistics from NSO 2007/2008 Figures and checking...