"McElroy and de Albuquerque (1998) cite some of the negative impacts of tourism as: 'filling-in of wetlands and mangrove destruction from resort construction, beach loss and lagoon pollution from sand mining, near-shore dredging and hotel sewage dumping, and reef damage from diving, yacht and cruise ship anchoring and marina development'.
Also of significance is the physical transformation of coastal environments by hotel and marina construction, which reduces ecosystem productivity.
Additional problems may arise as a consequence of 'the frequency of large recreational outings by tourists, often to offshore islands and caves, which disturb the wildlife and can destroy the fragile habitat of aquatic life'. Beach destruction can be further aggravated by the continuous use of motor vehicles on sand beaches, which destroys both sand stability and anchoring vegetation.
Sea pollution by faecal coliform and other pathogenic bacteria is another environmental concern as many hotels do not have adequate or properly maintained disposal facilities and consequently raw sewage is flushed into the sea.
Finally, Caribbean tourism is dependent upon imports of goods and services ranging from construction material to furnishings, toiletries, food and staff. These imports directly affect the local balance of payments as well as stimulating a shift in local consumption patterns from domestic to imported goods."
From: CEO1999:7
UNEP: Caribbean Environment Outlook (1999) ISBN: 92-807-1791-X
Cited: McElroy, J. and de Albuquerque, K. (1998). Tourism Penetration Index in Small Caribbean Islands. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(1), pp. 145-168.