The Research of Ecotourism Carrying Capacity

Tourism carrying capacity' is an important concept for assessing local environmental impact. Tourism carrying capacity is a specific type of environmental carrying capacity and refers to the carrying capacity of the (biophysical and social) environment with respect to tourist activity and development. It represents the maximum level of visitor use and related infrastructure that an area can accommodate. If it is exceeded, deterioration of the area's resources, diminished visitor satisfaction, and/or adverse impacts upon the society, economy and culture of the area can be expected to ensue . In this study, the author reviews the development of the ecotourism carrying capacity theory, integrating the theory with the tourism planning, and finally, the paper discusses problems in measurement of carrying capacity.