Introduction

This document has been prepared to provide basic information on the environmental impacts of tourism accommodation facilities. The target audience of this document includes the public, investors, and other relevant institutions and organizations and their representatives who want to have an idea about Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and want to be informed about the basic environmental impacts of planned investments.

The facilities covered by this document fall under Article 42 of Annex-I of the EIA Regulation: “Tourism accommodation facilities: Hotels, holiday villages and/or tourism complexes and similar, (500 rooms and above)” and Article 32 of Annex-II: “Tourism accommodation facilities: Hotels, holiday villages, tourism complexes, etc. (100 rooms and above).”

Brief Introduction of the Sector

Basic tourism categories are divided into holiday, business, academic, and medical. Holiday tourism is subdivided into the following subcategories:

  • Coastal and Marine Tourism: travel conducted on beaches, islands, river mouths, coral reefs, oceans, including boat trips and diving.
  • Natural Terrestrial Area Tourism: tourism aimed at experiencing wildlife and visiting other natural and cultural/archaeological sites not located on the coast.
  • Cultural Heritage Tourism: travel undertaken to learn about and experience a new culture.
  • Urban Cultural Tourism: travel undertaken to see tourist sites in the city, visit museums, and take historical tours.
  • Sports Tourism: travel undertaken to watch or participate in a specific sport (e.g., professional teams, tournaments, Olympics, World Cup).
  • Health Tourism: travel undertaken to feel better at the end of the journey (going to a spa, doing yoga, or traveling just to relax).

Environmental Impacts

Pre-Construction and Construction Process

The following environmental impacts should be considered during pre-construction and construction activities:

  • Noise and Vibration: noise from infrastructure (transportation roads, etc.), excavation and construction machinery, noise from traffic (transportation of excavation soil, delivery of construction materials to the site, etc.), and vibrations from machinery used in construction activities.
  • Air Pollution: dust emissions caused by dusty surfaces and excavation exposed to wind especially in sandy and dry areas and/or traffic activities related to construction, emissions from construction machinery and traffic (NOx, PM 10, and benzene).
  • Waste: non-hazardous waste from construction (concrete, bricks, scaffolding, cables, lines, pipes, etc.), hazardous waste from construction (used oil filters, contaminated cleaning materials, etc.).
  • Soil: excavation soil, contamination of excavation soil due to previous activities at the site, soil pollution due to accidents or machinery failure, soil erosion caused by rain and wind during construction activities (site cleaning, excavation).
  • Water: changes in drainage systems during excavation and earthworks, changes in groundwater levels, sediment accumulation in water sources near activity areas.
  • Natural Elements: soil compaction, erosion, and sedimentation caused by changes in the topography of the affected area; impacts on river, sea, or river water quality when water sports facilities (piers, artificial beaches, pools, etc.) are included in projects; effects on flora, fauna, and ecosystems due to site cleaning, access roads, and mandatory facilities (water source, energy, sanitary facilities, etc.); impacts on fauna due to noise, human presence, and heavy machinery use; effects on panoramic landscapes (including cultural resources); impacts on archaeological and cultural heritage sites; effects on densely populated centers; restrictions on traditional land use and related activities (hunting, fishing, mining, etc.) in the environment caused by tourism facilities.
  • Water Consumption: water use for construction (concrete), recreational infrastructure (swimming pools), or cleaning and maintenance activities.
  • Raw Material Consumption: building materials (wood, stone, sand, etc.) vary depending on the size of the project.
  • Energy Consumption: fuel for machinery and electricity for lighting.

Operation Phase

  • Noise and Vibration: noise and vibration caused by human activities, noise and vibration from traffic and maintenance machinery.
  • Air Pollution: pollutant emissions from heating, cooling, and kitchen ventilation systems; gas emissions from vehicles and machinery; smoke from waste burning; odor emissions from wastewater treatment plants or kitchens.
  • Waste: non-hazardous waste, increased need for waste management systems, hazardous waste containing fuels, solvents, oils, hydraulic fluids, antifreeze, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., sludge from wastewater treatment plants.
  • Soil: soil pollution due to accidents or machinery failure; risk of soil erosion caused by increased number of walkers on roads and trails.
  • Water: changes in water levels due to construction of more impermeable surfaces (parking lots, sports fields, etc.), changes in water layers and groundwater quality, sediment accumulation in water sources caused by human and vehicle traffic, water pollution from use of ships and motors (beaches, ports, marinas, etc.), temperature changes due to discharges from cooling systems.
  • Natural Elements: soil compaction, erosion, and sedimentation due to changes in the topography of the affected area; changes in river and sea water quality if water sports facilities (piers, artificial beaches, pools, etc.) exist; impacts on flora, fauna, and ecosystems due to intense human presence and resource needs (water source, energy, sanitary facilities, etc.); effects of noise on fauna caused by human presence and machinery and vehicle use; disruption of migration routes and breeding, nesting areas; harm and displacement of local and/or migratory wildlife (negative effects of noise, vibration, lights, and human presence on fauna); impacts on villages and settlements (due to intense accommodation, transportation, communication, health, etc. needs of visitors at certain periods); restrictions on traditional activities (hunting, fishing, mining, markets, etc.) due to tourist presence; increased load on public services (health, security, transportation, etc.); positive impact such as increased job opportunities or income for local population; addition of services such as guiding, food services, transportation, shopping.
  • Water Consumption and Wastewater: increased water source demand for drinking water needs, recreational (swimming pools), and irrigation (golf courses, gardens) activities; need for new wells and reservoirs to meet demands; increased amount of wastewater sent to local wastewater treatment plants.
  • Raw Material Consumption: food and water needs caused by visitors; construction material needs due to maintenance activities.
  • Energy Consumption: energy demand for lights, sound, and machines used in shows, discos, amusement parks, and night activities in large holiday villages.

Closure / Decommissioning

The following environmental impacts should be considered during closure activities:

  • Noise and Vibration: noise from machinery used in dismantling technologies and equipment, demolition of buildings and facilities, and noise from traffic.
  • Air Pollution: dust emissions caused by excavation and dusty surfaces exposed to wind and/or traffic during closure activities; pollutant emissions from machinery used in dismantling, demolition, and excavation works.
  • Waste: hazardous solid waste from closure activities (asbestos may be released during demolition of old buildings), non-hazardous solid waste from closure activities.
  • Soil: use of soil to fill holes resulting from removal of tower foundations or underground channels; landscape restoration can help the environment return to its original state as quickly as possible.
  • Other Impacts: temporary effects during dismantling operations disappear after all facilities are removed, and as the virgin areas in the region recover, flora and fauna can return to their original state.

Summary

The main environmental impacts related to tourism accommodation facilities are noise, air emissions, wastewater, waste, and effects on nature (flora and fauna, ecosystems, protected areas, landscape, etc.).