The Effects of Tourism on Pescadero

The problem I am researching is the effects of tourism on Pescadero. There are a few problems with tourism, but there are also good sides to it. One of the problems is the negative impact it has on the environment. There also may be less natural resources. (Glup, 2021) However, tourism isn’t that bad because many places rely on it for a stable economy. Tourism may also lead to changes in local resident’s lives, whether it be positive or negative. (Glup, 2021) It could also possibly lead to prices going up, which may make products and other things unaffordable to locals.

Tourism helps towns and places make money. Sometimes the economy is reliant on tourism. Tourism can affect places in positive and negative ways. Some of the positive impacts of tourism are that the place can gain popularity, and make more money. But, there are also negative impacts of tourism, such as environmental effects. Tourism can be bad for the environment, and can lead to less natural resources. How does tourism affect a small town like Pescadero?

In my survey I got twenty-one responses from Pescadero High School Students. The majority of respondents said they think Pescadero has a lot of tourists. Surprisingly, not many respondents shop at Norm’s Market/Arcangeli Grocery Co. A lot of people buy things at the gas station, which makes sense because it is very useful. Not many people eat at Duarte’s. A large amount of people don’t buy things at Pie Ranch or Harley Farms. It is almost 50/50 for those who have visited the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The majority of respondents don’t buy things at the coffee shop. From these results I can infer that some shops/places in Pescadero are not frequented by locals. This leads me to believe that some of these shops/places rely on tourism to make money. Most people said that tourism affects them in both positive and negative ways.  However, the majority of respondents said that they think tourism helps Pescadero. Most people responding to the question “Why do you think people visit Pescadero?” said because the scenery is pretty and it is a small town.

In conclusion, I learned that some businesses in Pescadero may be reliant on tourism. Tourism does annoy some locals, but not all. There are common places locals visit, such as the gas station. On the other hand, there are places that locals rarely visit, which are the ones I believe may rely on tourism. Overall, I’d say tourism can be good and bad for an area. There are positive benefits, like making more money, but also negative sides to it, such as being bad for the environment.

Tourism to Pescadero’s community means many things. It can mean profit for businesses, popularity, and more, but it also means negative impacts on the environment, it can lead to things being overpriced, and more. Some businesses may become reliant on tourism to stay open.