The Relationship Between the Perception of Environmental Pollution With the Tourist Experience of Visitors to Chimbote Bay

Abstract

Several studies have addressed the impact of tourism on the environment, but few have focused on how the
environment can influence the tourism activity and visitor's experience. Visitors’ perceptions of environmental
contamination could pose a significant barrier to the optimal development and success of tourism destinations. This is the
case of the Chimbote Bay, that has - high levels of contamination due to industrial activity and untreated waste. The main
objective of this research was to determine the relationship between the perception of environmental pollution and the
tourist experience and in intention to revisit Chimbote Bay. A mixed methodology was employed with the qualitative phase
following an interpretative design and the quantitative phase used a non-experimental correlational design. The results
showed that visitors to the destination perceived three types of environmental pollution in the bay namely air, water and
soil, which highlighted the evidence of an environmental problem in the area. The study also determined an inverse
relationship existed between the perception of environmental pollution with the tourist experience. As the perception of
pollution increased, the tourist experience decreased. Similarly, an increased perception of environmental pollution reduced
the intention to revisit the bay.