World Tourism Day
Today is World Tourism Day. In a world where overtourism and anti-tourist movements are making mainstream news, let’s remember that tourism has the power to bring change, positive impact, and transformation to individuals and communities across the globe. There are far more destinations desperate for tourism than there are destinations facing overtourism, yet this is what the narrative focuses on. So, on World Tourism Day, let’s think about how as individuals and collectively as society we can make tourism better.
How to be a better tourist.
Firstly, consider your own tourist behaviours and ask yourself questions like:
Am I visiting a destination that is experiencing overtourism?
Am I visiting a destination in peak season, and can I go during a shoulder season instead?
Can I drive or take a train to my destination instead of flying?
Am I staying at accommodation that is locally owned and operated or foreign - am I contributing to economic leakages out of my destination?
Am I staying at a sustainably accredited accommodation or an ecostay?
Who owns the tour operator company that I’m using?
Is the food that I’m ordering locally produced or am I requesting imported food?
Questions like these look at sustainable tourism challenges, and make you think about how much your tourism footprint is impacting the host community and contributing to other issues like environmental pressures. Use these questions as a guideline to help you choose the next destination you visit, along with when you book, where you’ll stay, and what activities you’ll be booking.
As part of my Master’s in International Sustainable Tourism Management that I’m currently studying, we dive deeper into some of the root causes around sustainable tourism issues that are rife within the tourism industry. A lot of challenges are things that the everyday tourist doesn’t consider but could make a big difference, especially when done on scale. Consider if your choices are bringing in direct economic and socio-cultural benefits to the community you’re staying in and/or visiting, or if foreign owned entities are in control. If you are in a situation where there are no locally owned operators, look at the CSR (corporate social responsibility) program to see how the company is contributing to the community they’re operating in. Thinking about the environmental issues with tourism, tourism is never impact-free but consider what options you have that could make a difference as you travel. If you can pack a reusable bottle instead of buying plastic bottles, if you can reuse your hotel towel and minimize your room cleans, these are little things that are easy to do.
It’s easy to get trapped in a state of despair when considering all of the impacts of tourism and all of the changes we could be implementing to do better, but there are a lot of amazing things we are doing. Firstly, the concepts of sustainable tourism and regenerative tourism are becoming widely adopted and used as a basis for new tourism initiatives. Sustainable tourism, as defined by the UNWTO, is tourism that takes full account of its impact on current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of the visitor, the industry, the environment and the host community. By focusing on forms of tourism that encompass the holistic view of the different branches of sustainable tourism practices, we can start to focus on how tourism can promote change.
So, what does tourism mean to you?
For me, tourism is about experiences and creating memories and connections with people you usually wouldn’t meet, in places outside of your home. The human aspect of tourism is so important for me, both with connecting with fellow travellers and also connecting with local guides, community members, and operators. Part of the reason I started my Master’s program was to ensure that my love for travel isn’t going to cost the earth or environment. Whilst travel is always going to have some impact, it is about reducing that impact and implementing forms of regenerative tourism where we can leave environments and communities better than when we found them. I do truly believe that tourism can be used as a tool for transformation but I know that we have a long way to go. I am on the right path though, and if you’re still reading, it sounds like you are too. Together, as a community of like-minded travellers, we can implement change at a global scale when our individual actions align with our thoughts and values.
It’s not just today though - World Tourism Day gives us a day to stop and reflect about the type of tourist we want to be. We must do this constantly though, and strive for making good choices that are going to bring the change in the tourism industry that we want to see. I hope this post has given you awareness of what to ask yourself as you set about your travels, but also as a reminder that these choices can make a big difference. Let this also be a reminder that tourism can fuel transformation, but it requires individual mindset shifts as well. I hope together, we can make tourism a better space as we work towards a more sustainable future.
