Sustainable Tourism and Eco Tourism Building a Better Future

Although there is no single definition of tourism and the industry’s records can be dependent on local methodologies, we can “guestimate” that the average tourist spends at least US$700 per trip. A conservative estimate of the impact of travel might be around US$700 billion per year. Assuming these figures are correct, then a fair estimate is that tourism produces about 10% of all of the world’s jobs.

Over the last decade one of tourism’s popular phrases has been “sustainable tourism.” Despite the word’s popularity, there are many different interpretations of what the phrase means. Often it appears that there is an overlap between what is called sustainable tourism and eco-friendly tourism. To add to the complexity, just as there are many forms of tourism, there are also many forms of sustainable tourism. For example, sustainable urban tourism is different from sustainable rural tourism, aquatic tourism or beach tourism. For the most part we can define sustainable tourism as a form of travel and tourism that permits outsiders to visit a place without creating a harmful impact to such a degree that the visitors destroy what they came to see. Sustainable tourism seeks to protect the locale’s culture, environment, economy, and way of life. Despite the ongoing efforts by many in the tourism industry it is still not certain that this goal is attainable. Many sociologists and anthropologists would argue that the moment a “foreign” body or substance has entered into the eco-bio system, that system is changed forever.

Eco-friendly tourism might be easier to define. Ecofriendly tourism (often spelled ecotourism as one word) focuses on such things as local cultures, wilderness experiences, or learning new ways to live on the planet. Some people define eco-friendly tourism as travel to destinations where the primary attractions are the locale’s flora, fauna, or even its cultural heritage. Both sustainable tourism and eco-tourism attempt to minimize the adverse effects of what these tourism professionals believe is the harmful impact of overtourism. As such, many who work in sustainable tourism or eco-tourism will argue that they are not trying to stop tourism but rather to package it in a way that the tourism’s impact on the local physical and cultural environment will be the most minimal possible. It is for this reason that major tourism hubs such as Venice, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, and Ecuador’s Galapagos islands have promulgated new laws that limit the number of visitors to their locale at any one time. It is also for this reason sustainable and ecotourism specialists seek to find ways to recycle waste as efficiently as possible, to use water resources sparingly, to control trash locations and to prevent noise, light and water pollution. Because tourism cannot survive if overtourism destroys precisely the reason that people visit that locale,

Here are several ideas regarding ways that travel and tourism are both sustainable and environmentally friendly for years to come.

Take extra care of your water resources

Tourism is beginning to make some long-needed strides in this area, but the recent fires in Los Angeles demonstrate that there is much to do. From asking guests at hotels to use their towels for more than one day to changing bed sheets every three days (during prolonged stays), the industry has succeeded in reducing the amounts of detergents and other toxins that enter into local water systems. Much more, however, can and should be done. Innovations such as the Israeli model of drip irrigation can be applied to golf courses and outdoor stadiums. New forms of detergents need to be developed. Showers and toilets throughout the world need to have water saving devices; visitors should be rewarded for making ecologically sound decisions.

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Promote local products

The use of local products is not only good for the ecology, but it is the basis of tourism. Local products are fresher and provide a local flavor. Some ecologists believe that they also reduce emissions into the atmosphere by at least 4%. Local products are less costly to transport and their transportation uses less energy. Local products then are not only good for the environment but they are also good for your tourism product.

Protect and promote your local flora and fauna

Just as in the case of food, local flora and fauna help to distinguish your location from other locations. Even urban environments have plants and flowers that are (or were) native to their soil. Plants not only add a sense of beautification to the environment, but they increase the supply of oxygen, and beautification is one of the least expensive ways to lower crime rates.

Plant and replenish your locale’s tree population

Trees not only add shade and beauty to a locale but also are a major source in absorbing carbon pollutants. Make sure to plant trees that are compatible with your environment and are in sync with your water resources. Tourism locales should use native trees to add not only beauty but also a touch of what makes your community unique. The need for urban tree planting is especially essential when you consider that half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. In some parts of the world, such as in Latin America, the figures may be as high as 70% and many of these Latin American cities not only suffer from traffic congestion but also lack parks and green areas.

If your tourism locale is by any medium or large body of water, take care of the aquatic areas in addition to the land

Too many of our world’s oceans have become dumping grounds, impacting the beaches and fishing. For example, many of the Caribbean’s coral reefs are threatened or poorly protected. Once these resources are lost, they may be lost forever. Over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water and what happens in the aquatic world will impact the terrestrial world.