RR Tourism by Faith Lim

I agree with the writer that mass tourism threatens to destroy a country's environment. Tourism requires a lot of land space as it is necessary to expand successful businesses and commerce to attract more tourists. Thus, habitats for various animal species are cleared to make way for further land development, increasing the loss of biodiversity. The writer stated that "When coastal areas are converted into beach resorts, mangrove areas and corals that serve as fish sanctuaries are damaged or even completely removed." These animals are forced to be driven out of their homes to live in unsuitable environments. They might die due to them not being able to adjust to the new living environment. With these animals dying out, they will soon be endangered might even go extinct. Land reclamation contributed to 17% more land for development in Singapore. However, according to research, coast areas shrunk and mangrove areas have been reduced to only 0.5% of the total land area. This led to the loss of coastal ecosystems as habitats of animals are destroyed. Hence, I agree that tourism threatens to destroy a country's environment due to an increase in the loss of biodiversity.