The global tourism industry is booming now more than ever. More people consider traveling both in local and international scenes to be more rewarding experiences that can benefit their lives. Traveling to foreign lands also offers an escape from the daily routines that people live through every day.
But like in all industries, there are good and bad sides to tourism. On the one hand, tourism can benefit a local community because more people are being exposed to their culture and products. On the other, irresponsible tourism can have adverse effects on the natural resources and wildlife of a certain location.
Find out how sustainable and ecological efforts are changing the tourism industry worldwide. This can include anything from considering the social impacts of travel planning to the rise of the home-sharing economy.
What is sustainable tourism?
This is a movement in the tourism industry that encourages tourists to become more engaged in local communities than be mere visitors. Sustainable tourism pushes tourists to embrace their lives and experience different cultures instead of just traveling to distant countries or cities to escape their daily lives.
Choosing to venture into sustainable tourism lets tourists build local communities by meeting the people living in them and supporting their small businesses. This effort to move towards sustainability encourages tourists and culture-enthusiasts to spend their money on unique experiences and not just things.
Why is sustainability important in the tourism industry?
Sustainability is important because recklessness in the tourism industry causes damages to the environment and wildlife and their habitats. Developments in the tourism industry have significant impacts on the natural resources, consumption patterns, and pollution in the communities they are placed.
With the ever-rising demand for traveling nowadays, it seems futile to make small changes because they won’t do much to help preserve and protect the natural resources. But the accumulation of small efforts can create big impacts, especially if more people opt to become more socially aware of their decisions and the repercussions that these decisions can have on the environment.
How are shared accommodations contributing to sustainable efforts?
Luxury hotels all over the world use millions of liters of water annually to maintain their operations, even in locations known for water scarcity and drought. To add to that, an average of 1,800 liters of water are being used daily by guests in these hotels because there is an unlimited supply provided.
Although there are efforts already implemented to lessen the impact caused by the operations of commercial establishments, such as recycling water or using green energy, these aren’t enough to replace the number of natural resources being used up. It can also greatly contribute to global warming and alarming levels of pollution.
The home-sharing economy is a great alternative to traditional accommodations, especially if tourists opt for transformational and sustainable travel. These options are proven to contribute to green practices, generate less waste, and lessen water and energy consumption compared to hotels and other commercial accommodations.
And because tourists are staying in local communities, the chances of them being exposed to the communities they are in are higher. Tourists can experience authentic activities, buy local products, and support the livelihoods of the community at the same time.
Why should you enter this industry while it’s on the rise?
Sustainability is vital to the overall survival of the tourism industry. Deciding to choose sustainability over luxury as early as now can allow the industry to cater to more people in the future because the natural resources are maintained rather than taken advantage of.
There are plenty of ways you can enter the tourism industry while still promoting sustainable efforts. One way is to begin a property management business where you can offer temporary home-sharing accommodations to travelers and professionals seeking a place to stay.
Penetrating the industry while it’s still making its mark in the world can be beneficial because you can raise awareness about sustainable tourism to more people and profit from them simultaneously. You can also offer more unique travel opportunities to tourists while still valuing the social impact of their activities.
It’s not too late to reverse the impacts of human activities in the world. The damage has been done, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing people can do to halt the further destruction of natural resources and wildlife. All it takes is a conscious decision to put the needs of the earth first and yours second. Take the necessary steps to protect the environment and its occupants.
