Overcrowding of land and roads can place environmental stress on indigenous ecosystems. Noise pollution from airports and powerboats can cause irritation to wildlife, local residents, and visitors. Over-development can destroy vegetation and wildlife habitats, deplete fishing and hunting resources, destroy trails through littering and removal of items for souvenirs, and impinge on the natural beauty of the region through the construction of billboards and obtrusive buildings. This means issues associated with people and their health and well being need to be considered and the planning of tourism development needs to be handled with the participation of local concerned citizens. And, tourism development needs to support the identity, culture, and interests of indigenous peoples.
Tourism is one part of the concept of sustainable development.
Sustainable tourism development is defined as tourism which is developed so that the nature, scale, location, and manner of development is appropriate and sustainable over time, and where the environment's ability to support other activities and processes is not impaired, since tourism cannot be isolated from other resource use activities. Sustainable tourism involves a challenge to develop quality tourism products without adversely affecting the natural and cultural environment that maintains and nurtures them. Sustainable tourism development can fulfill economic, social and aesthetic needs while maintaining cultural integrity and ecological systems by incorporating some basic principles into local policies and practices.