Climate Tourism: Does Travel Create Environmental Awareness?
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 01.21.08
(Picture by goneforawander, from Flick) A recent article published by Tierramerica warns about the growth of the so called ‘climate tourism,’ describing it as, “A mix of legitimate interest in protecting nature, the desire to see rare wildlife on the verge of extinction, and, of course, the search for profit.”
According to the article, tourism companies are now using climate change as a marketing tool, offering to take people to places endangered by global warming or with species in the verge of extinction. We know tourism is many times bad for delicate environments, but some sectors say this could also be a good way for people to grow an interest in protecting the planet.
Keep reading and tell us what you think, Do ‘climate tourists’ become ‘climate activists’?
Exotic travelers’ interest in remote and strange places has grown a lot in the past years, but traffic to those destinations is proving to be a complicated subject.
On one hand, massive tourism to delicate environments most times has a negative impact on them. For example, the increase of traffic to Galapagos was damaging the islands ecosystem and caused the Ecuador government to take measures to protect them. On top of this, accidents like the sank of a cruise ship in Antarctica last December (which left a petrol stain five kilometers long) prove how hard it is for tourism to truly be safe and responsible.
However, travel is growing: 4.3 percent per year for the last 10 years, to be exact. And ecotourism and nature tourism is growing three times faster than the industry in general, states the mentioned article (Tierramerica, 10.14.08).
“Climate change is reshaping the planet. Some islands will vanish and others will be uncovered as glaciers and ice sheets melt. Animals and plants are going extinct at a rate that will accelerate as the planet continues to heat up. And there is a strong, perhaps perverse, desire in many people to go and see rare things,” says the piece.
In response to this, operators are aware of the negative aspects of tourism and are trying to do their parts in not just taking people there, but communicating them details about the dangers of global warming and climate change.
“Although the tourists might not mention climate change specifically, tour guides do tell them about the impacts at both poles. Six in 10 customers say they want to take action to make a difference. They're not climate tourists, but some will become climate activists,” says to Tierramerica Prisca Campbell, of Quark Expeditions, which organizes trips to the Arctic and Antarctic.
What do you think? Does tourism drive awareness? How far can we go in the search for the exotic?
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I believe that turning climate change into some kind of tourist attraction based on the scarcity of species to create profit is wrong. Turning a threat to the world into something attractive subsequently creating an industry only fuels the fire, not create awareness. Awareness is nothing without action.
Though I saw this graffito in Jersey, and it referred to the Nazi occupation, it's as true as ever, all over the world:
"Today's atrocity is tomorrow's tourist attraction"
It's an oxymoronic (and self-serving) belief that you can help raise environmental awareness-activism by practicing activities that damage the environment.
I went to Alaska via a cruise ship. My family all started living green lifestyles. Seeing the world in all its beauty does open the eyes of people.
Of course all this is moot because the sea levels will still rise - as recent as 10000 years ago the water levels were 6 feet higher than the current levels.
How many 'eco-travellers' actually expand other's awareness to the point where those actions outweigh just the impact they made on that trip? David Attenborough is one, maybe Al Gore is another. How many others?
As more of the planet becomes easily accessible, the more adventurous will seek the even more remote areas, helping in time to make them less remote.
Perhaps we just scrap the planes, the 4x4s, the helicopters and the cruise ships and say "if you want to go these remote and isolated places, you do it under your own steam, mate!"
"Vacation all I ever wanted . . ."
Gee, when I think of time off, I think SLEEP !! The most precious of our dwindling personal resources behind $$.
Yes, there are those who have the macabre fascination of watching the train wreck of our impact on the world unfold in real time.
There are those who want to make a difference. There are those who are really curious about the raw beauty that is still left in the world. I think our national parks are the best place for this as they are actively managed in such a way that allows us to witness nature without stepping on the last pair of passenger pigeon eggs as it were.
I am sure that there are many folks who don't want to take other people's word for it and want to see things first hand. I think it should be allowed, just not encouraged. Perhaps let scientists bear witness for the rest of us and report back. Perhaps our presence in these fragile places speeds up some decay.
My time off? I want to sleep and recharge and work on my rainwater collecting stuff... maybe read some TreeHugger and pass along things I learn. But that's just me.
Good Luck and Tread Lightly,
vsk
Eco tourism can be good and it can be bad. It doesn't necessarily have to be a trip to the arctic. I've known people (city folk mostly) who hear all this news about climate, but they've never been in a natural environment. I had a friend from Phily when I was in Pittsburgh who had never been in the woods. We took him out on a hike one day and he was blown away. He just had no idea what it was like to be out in the natural world. I think it is a great thing to introduce people to nature, but it doesn't have to be endangered nature or distant nature. I think in the future we are going to need serious regulations for tourism in sensitive areas.
take your friends on a hike in the closest thing to nature that you can find and discourage them from traveling half way around the world to see something similar but endangered.
I don't know if people who go on 'climate vacations' will become activists, but I do know that my boss at the environmental non-profit I work for became interested in environmental issues after she lived in Hong Kong with her husband for a year and saw dramatic increase in smog in the short time she was there. I'd like to think that vacations can be used as something for the greater good in addition to personal relaxation.
The vacations are not only to go of stroll. To make use of this time to participate in environmentalist activities is not bad idea; we would be contributing to preserve the environment. Although also we must consider not to make it only at time of vacations but whenever we have free hours.
Its important to find a reliable source of information about your eco-tourism plans. You should also obey the golden rules of eco-tourism and always contribute to local businesses and conservation efforts while you visiting.
I did a quick guide for anyone looking to eco-tour on my blog.
http://greenpieceblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/vacations-that-cost-earth-little-less.html
In my experience, taking people to Antarctica and other sensitive destinations, the effect of the first hand experiences is positive and life changing.
We cannot criminalize tourism but we should check on its activities and how they are done around those delicate areas.
You can read an article on Antarctic Tourism at http://www.ipy.org/index.php?ipy/detail/antarctic_tourism_at_the_limit/
Best regards,