tourism problem and effective solution
Answers
When most people think of tourism they rarely think of tourism as a crisis.
Yet, last year according to the U.N. World Tourism Organization, tourists crossing international boarders reached over 1 billion a year for the first time. Projections are for international tourism visits to almost double to 1.8 billion by 2030.
The tourism crisis is the impacts that adding 800 million additional international visitors per year to the tourism industry, not to mention the increase of tourism visits that may take place within national borders. Adding 800 million visitors a year is the equivalent of adding 8 or 9 Walt Disney Worlds to the tourism industry.
The challenges of how to construct facilities, provide energy, water and waste management, develop new food supplies, and protect cultural heritages of local communities, is a huge crisis, indeed.
The word crisis in Chinese characters has two meanings, danger and opportunity.
The danger can take place in many forms. For example, already we have seen what happens when:
Coastal tourism facilities with poor construction are hit by hurricanes.
Areas like Cancun take the water supply away from the local community to serve tourist resorts.
Areas like the Caribbean going from net exporters to net importers of food.
Increased energy consumption and resulting carbon emissions.
Increased waste and pollution problems.
Increased conflicts with indigenous cultures and land ownership.
On the other hand, tourism can also bring many positive benefits and actually improve the sustainability of a community. Some of the potential positive impacts include:
Financial contributions for community development and environmental protection.
Improved environmental management and planning.
Increased environmental education and awareness programs.
Improved security and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.
Improved zoning and building codes for environmental protection and disaster reduction.
New employment opportunities and economic development for poverty stricken areas.
There are many examples of what individuals and organizations are doing to improve the environment for tourism and local communities.
One example is Captain Don Voss, founder and Director of Marine Cleanup Initiative Inc.
Don has completed over 14,000 dives world wide and joined by his own volunteer divers have removed 350,000 pounds of fishing line, nets, batteries, bottles, cans, anchors, chain, construction debris, fishing tackle, and other sorts of marine debris from the counties of the Indian River Lagoon and four inlets.
Watch the video below to learn more about Don Voss as he reflects on tourism’s impacts and solutions.
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