Eco-Tourism(Sustainable-Tourism)

 Eco-Tourism (Sustainable-Tourism)

Travelling is a part of modern life and is one of the most fascinating and enjoyable experiences one can get in a small life. Accordingly, the number of people who are on the move to explore other cities, experience nature or simply take time out from everyday life is increasing daily. But traveling consumes many resources and is often accompanied by ecological and social side effects. Put simply, tourism often destroys those which the travelers are looking for. How can this be changed?

So far, the most popular approaches are those where it’s directly worthwhile for companies to operate more sustainably. This applies, for example, when energy or water is saved. Because that is also good for the company’s finances. We know this as guests at hotels: “Please use the towels for several days. This saves on the water for the laundry, it’s good for the environment and the hotel budget.” In other areas, however, more sustainability is connected with investments or is more costly in the permanent operation. For example, when a hotel complex is ecologically modernized or social standards are raised, better wages will be paid to the locals. Here the development has been slow.

 

In the field of mass tourism, the greatest hope is based on new and green technologies. In its central paper on sustainability, the global industry association World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) holds out the prospect of a drastic reduction in CO2, but mainly from 2030 onwards. By then, new technologies should ensure that planes fly climate-neutral, cruise ships travel without exhaust fumes and other emissions can be offset. This implies a great deal of optimism and ignores many other areas. So, for the time being, it’s just running as a usual business but in a sustainable way.

However, the business model itself is usually not up for discussion, and this leads to effects that can be described as 'greenwashing'. Certain parts are operated in a more sustainable way than before and thus advertised as sustainable. However, such approaches don’t stand up to critical scrutiny or even a simple look at the overall balance.

A vivid example of this is the cruise industry. Cruises are not nearly sustainable and due to the general conditions, huge ships consume enormous resources since many of the journeys take place in other parts of the world, cruises also involve traveling to and from the destination by plane. Even if the newest cruise ships are equipped with less climate-damaging propulsion (LNG), most of the big ships run on heavy oil and the overall environmental balance is simply devastating.

Other holiday offers labeled as sustainable or responsible can be found in the catalogs of more upmarket travel agencies. They often come as exclusive long-distance trips such as hiking in the Himalayas or the Andes, cycling tours in Cuba and cultural tours through India in a fortnight. These trips might have some bits of responsible and conscious traveling as they offer special experiences in nature and culture. But they’re still not sustainable if strict measures are applied in terms of resources needed for a week or two of holidays.

To improve things, there needs to be a fundamental change in the way tourism is organized. If the aim of sustainability is taken seriously, the focus should be on traveling less and especially on traveling far away less often. This applies especially to air travel and cruises. So, this is a simple guideline for journeys to faraway places that travel less often but stay longer. By doing this, you’ll get a better impression of the place and experience the country with its culture, climate and landscape. In the end, you might have a better travel experience and more rewarding holidays as well.

Developing sustainable tourism is a task for all travel lovers. Travelling has long been a privilege for a few people only. Now it’s easy and affordable. We have to find a good balance between how much tourism is and in which forms we want and need.

Written by: 

Sabrina Sultana 

Student id: 22299072 

Section:M_49