Ski – resort and regional development: profile of visitors ... - E-Journal

The carrying capacity of mountainous tourist areas: the case of plastira’s lake
manufacture). (d) In the last decades, important socio-economic transformations and
developments have taken place that basically result from demographic development, the
tendency to residence and employment, the reformations and changes of the rural sector, the
increasing needs for the protection of the environment, the new possibilities that the area
offers for alternative forms of tourism and recreation, but also from the more general
developmental process (GTO, 2003).
All the actions that were developed form a complete program of rural innovation that does
not cover of course all the needs of the rural industry, but is a multi-sector intervention whose
experience can support the local society and contribute substantially to new developmental
prospects, that promote the area, improve the quality of life, create new knowledge and
techniques, new products and services.
CONCLUSION
To conclude what has been discussed in the paper, it is clear that tourism is having an impact
on the environment and changing the character and structures of the mountainous areas.
Negative externalities on the environment also decrease the environmental quality. In other
words, tourism planning is typically a short period policy but its aim must be a long period
policy because tourism is a rapidly developing industry and is having negative impacts which
threaten to destroy the historic and architectural heritage (Gunce, 2003).
The mountainous tourism is a basic developmental factor for the less favoured areas of Greece.
We can not argue its contribution to the economic development, despite any criticism it has
faced because of its negative impact. The version of the sustainable mountainous tourism
development should be placed theoretically between the maximum and the minimum of the
carrying capacity of each area.
In this article firstly we investigate the tourism carrying capacity of a mountainous area, which
presented a big increase in the number of tourists in the last decade. The results showed that
potential for development without any environmental problems still exist.
Under a general regard, we appreciate that the mountainous tourism in Greece still has not
attained such sizes, in order to decide between a scenario of intensive tourism or in a moderate
one of alternative tourism. A scenario of mountainous sustainable development can offer
enough choices for the tourism development and the carrying capacity of the area.
We estimate that the scenario of a "mild tourism" is more suitable for the Plastira's Lake area.
Despite the fact that the area has reached the limits of its capacity, efforts from central and
local institutions to the sustainable development of area promoting soft forms of tourism
development must be undertaken. This development must be harmonised with the principles
of viable development. Moreover, must contain elements of "nature tourism" or "sustainable
Tourism Today - Fall 2007 - Full Paper
121