Can tourism ever be a good thing?

The short answer is that yes, it can be, but in its current form, the answer is probably no. Without even knowing it, your travel choices often directly contribute to most of the worlds ills: poverty, deforestation, overfishing, species extinction, human rights abuses, erosion of culture, racial intolerance, climate change.

More and more people are turning to tourism as their only hope for a sustainable future however. We believe strongly in the ability of tourism to change lives for the better. The responsible travel, green travel or ecotourism movement is gathering pace, and now needs to take it's place as the mainstream travel choice.

If you want the longer answer, keep reading....

Travel is big business and it is here to stay

Over the last 50 years ago a tourism boom has unfolded before us. According to the WTO, we are now approaching 1 billion international tourism arrivals in a single year, and growth shows no sign of slowing. They estimate that 1 in 10 of the world workers is to be found in what is now the world's largest industry.

Things have only just begun to get going. This is not yet even a global tourism boom: the overwhelming majority of leisure tourists come from a handful of the most economically developed countries. The potential economic windfall from tourism has been impossible for many governments and global institutions to ignore, and since the 60's money has poured into countless tourism projects all around the world. With the proliferation of cheap flights, and rising living standards in many developing countries, it is fair to say that tourism might not even have taken off yet.

Why tourism is bad

Despite the promised riches, to many people and places around the world, tourism has been nothing but a curse.

Exploitation of people and places. Not only has it spawned the growth of large scale, poorly managed developments which pollute and destroy the very beauty of areas that attracted people in the first place, but it has brought with it the exploitation and abuse of both local people, especially women and children, and of natural resources such as water, land and fuel. In many cases it has presided over the collapse of both environmental and economic diversity, leading to total dependence on a famously unreliable beast.

Erosion of culture.Tourism is also often the main cause of cultural tensions and conflicts, and is frequently charged with the erosion and destruction of local cultures, which are packed in the form of a commodity to be consumed and discarded by western tourists.

Financial ruin. On top of this indignity, all too often the financial benefits of tourism are not even seen by the hosts who have to endure this invasion in the first place. According to Polly Patullo, writing in the excellent Ethical Travel Guide from Tourism Concern, up to 4/5th of the money you spend on a holiday could be staying at home. Not surprising when you consider that 90% of your tourism services could be controlled by American and European countries, as is the case on the Maya Riviera on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

Climate change. We haven't even mentioned the environmental impact that comes with sending millions of people around the world on a jet plane, putting them up in huge air conditioned hotels and driving them around in big motorised vehicles. Read our denate on the pros and cons of flying. If climate change fears are realised, this will impact most heavily on the worlds most vulnerable, not to mention ruin so many of the stunning natural landscapes we are so intent on exploring.

An excellent in depth guide to these issues is found on the Tourism Concern website. It is compelling, maybe even dis-heartening stuff. But it doesn't have to be this way. 

Why tourism is good

When properly planned, managed and operated at all levels, travel can be a very positive experience for visitor and host alike. Travel operations which makes an effort to minimise their environmental impact and maximise their beneift to local communities will often be said to practice responsible travel, green travel or ecotourism.

Empowerment. From the developed to the developing world, tourism provides jobs, training, education and aspirations in communities where otherwise there may not be any.

Alternatives. It also offers an alternative to more destructive industries like logging and mining, as well as the cash incentives to look after the world's beauty, not chop it down, dig it up or build on it. As many communities in the great rainforest areas of the world are discovering, a tree can only be cut down for cash once, but it can visited again and again. Likewise an animal can only be hunted, killed and eaten once, but visited in the beauty of it's natural habitat, it can attract much more income. 

Changing perspective. Take people out of the grind of their everyday lives and they are far more open to new ideas and ways of being and thinking. Holidays are times for inspiration and reflection as well as relaxation and hedonism. They can be the catalyst for new ideals to be brought back home to be nurtured.

Cultural tolerance. Travel also increases exposure to and interaction between cultures. This helps people develop an awareness, understanding and acceptance of different cultures and societies.

But good green tourism can be hard to find.

Examples abound of places where tourism has been a blessing, and plenty more of places where people are starting to prove that things can and should be done better. There are more and more small-scale projects being set up, with the aim of advancing conservation and sustainable development goals.

Cambodian cycle rides that fund educational programs, surf tours funding community development in Peru, rainforest conservation funded by jungle lodges, scuba diving in Mozambique to combat rural poverty and environmental degradation. Up to now, such grass roots, community led, socially just forms of travel have been hard to find. Having worked for, travelled with, and met many of them, we know they are out there, but they are often overshadowed or struggle to be seen in a travel market dominated by large advertising and marketing budgets and ‘green wash'. You can read more about that here.

Many of them are now to be found on this website, so do browse around to find out more. Though to really get a feel for how good they are, you need to visit them...