Sustainability is a trending buzzword in every field. The concept of sustainability centres around avoiding the depletion of resources — whether environmental, tourism, economic, or cultural.
Issues like climate change, endangered and exploited animals and inequality are one of the main concern across the world. Tourists travel around the world and they can make an impact in the places they travel. Now more than ever we need to prioritize sustainable tourism!
What is Sustainable Tourism?
Sustainable tourism is a way of travelling and exploring a destination while respecting its culture, environment, and people. A common man may think that it is a simple definition of travel and that the term ‘sustainable’ is unnecessary. Unfortunately, most people do not travel this way.
Why is Sustainable Tourism Important?
Most of the people travel in mass tourism. Mass tourism is an industry that brings a lot of profit. Therefore mass tourism companies usually do not prioritise local traditions, resources, and residents. Moreover, money generated by mass tourism goes into developing the business and will not help the local communities in the country you visit.
Tourism can often leave a heavy footprint, and the cultural treasures are not always easily accessible. It is important to reduce the impact of tourism.
“In one simple way: we can preserve the world where we live and the cultures that are around us.”- Lourdes and Nicky of PlaceOK
Example: The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has suffered irreparable damage. The coral population and biodiversity have reduced drastically. This coral reef attracts a lot of tourists. If not protected future generation might miss a scenic view of undersea.
These fragile destinations may not be accessible in the near future. Sustainable tourism helps to ensure that the coral reef is protected and be saved for the future generation’s tourists.
How to Travel Sustainably?
Not everyone is familiar with sustainable tourism. An important step toward making sustainable travel more accessible is increasing knowledge, education and awareness. Well, few tips to travel sustainably are:
• Research about your destination.
• Select eco-hotels for accommodation.
• Request your tour guide to help plan an eco-friendly trip.
• Choose to do environmentally friendly activities and respect local populations.
It may be disappointing to tell kids that they can’t swim with dolphins. But the kids will be happy to know that dolphins are being protected. It’s a perfect opportunity to educate them on the importance of animal-friendly tourism.
• Check if there is any volunteering program near your destination. By participating in it, one can learn more about local people and their problems. After all, travelling is all about knowing more.
Will Sustainable Tourism Make a Difference?
Every year a billion people travel throughout the world and the number continues to grow. It is expected that, in 2030, the number of tourists will increase to 1.8 million.
Imagine if all the tourists learn about sustainable travelling. Tourists get impressed with the idea and start travelling sustainably. This would decrease the footprint caused by the tourism sector. This increases environmental concern among travellers.
When will all travel become sustainable?
It is not an easy question to answer, but we should not stop trying to solve. More people are being intentional about sustainable travel. According to a survey, almost 68% of travellers intend to stay in an eco-accommodation in 2018, reassuringly up from 65% in 2017.
Hope very soon in future sustainable travel is no longer a form of travelling, but rather the only way to travel. To get there, businesses groups, governments and travellers should work towards creating a healthier planet. Together let us ensure tourism in the future by supporting sustainable tourism.