An Investigation of the Tourism Industry in Mongolia and its Affect on the Environment

For my independent project in Mongolia I plan to study Mongolia’s emerging tourism industry and its effects on the national ecology, culture, and environment. Mongolia’s tourism industry is increasing by between 15 and 20 percent a year. This boom in visitors is a great for the economy, but with it comes the need for more infrastructure and development. This threatens many Mongolian ecosystems, species, and natural areas. As a dual biology and environmental studies major, someone who loves to travel, I am very interested in environmental degradation caused by travelers and tourism companies. I am also interested in trying to assess the degree of human impact in areas with heavy tourism and come up with possible solutions that strike a balance between economic growth, cultural preservation, and environmental management. I plan on doing this by working with various community based tourism and eco-tourism companies such as Ger to Ger that run trips into the countryside. Also, I want to gathering scientific data on the amount of human impact in high use areas such as paths, ger camps, and other sites routinely used for tours. To do this I will adapt methodologies used in the US to assess impact on campsites and trails to work in Mongolia. From this project I hope to gain a better understanding of the complex relationship between often conflicting things, development (in this case the tourism industry) and the environment. More and more attention, on a global scale, is being given to environmental issues. By doing this project I will gain valuable hands on experience, and help preserve the environment and biodiversity in Mongolia.