Tourism is an exciting, powerful and adaptive economy for any country. So are its effects on the local environment.
For example, an average golf course in a tropical country like India can use the same amount of water as 60,000 rural villages, along with 1500 KG’s of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides a year. Each climber to Mount Everest generates 8kgs of trash, which is most often left on the mountain, and there are more than 600 people each season.
So how do we mitigate the problem? The short answer is responsible or sustainable tourism. Let’s take a brief look at what this entails.
ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
These are mute spectators to the biggest drawbacks of tourism. According to the UN, sustainable tourism must make optimal use of environmental resources by maintaining essential ecological processes and conserving natural heritage and biodiversity. This can mean everything from incorporating existing trees into building design, protecting eco-sensitive zones including nesting grounds and coral reefs from activity and ensuring proper sewage and waste management, to supporting the use of indigenous flora over non-native varieties which can be invasive (such as water hyacinth) or high-maintenance (such as turf).
LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Local communities and indigenous populations are most often overlooked in tourism and other ‘development’ plans. Insensitive projects under the guise of ‘hinterland tourism’ can threaten the future of their culture and land ownership. Sustainable tourism involves respect for socio-cultural authenticity as described by the populations themselves. It should include stakeholders understanding cultures; keeping them invested in their homes by giving them ownership of tours, treks and other activitie within their spaces; and also respecting their rights if they do not want to participate.
HISTORY & CULTURE
Often, tourism celebrates histories and cultures that are already popular while leaving others to fade with time. In Goa, for example, Portuguese history and culture is well-known and even celebrated. However, sustainable tourism must also acknowledge history that dates back to prehistoric times. Petroglyphs in Usgalimal, the popularisation of Buddhism in Goa in the 5th century and relics from the Bhoja empire rarely find space in tour information. Authentic cultural tourism also helps preserve heritage while educating visitors about rich local tradition and history.
PLASTICS & NON-RENEWABLES
The tourism industry is one of the biggest contributors to plastic pollution, and also among the most impacted by the problem. The fact that plastic is also made from non-renewable fossil fuels poses a double whammy in terms of pollution and effects on climate change. The whole industry must actively consider banning single-use plastics in all forms and supporting more renewable sources of energy including solar, wind and biogas.
GIVING BACK
Tourism has excellent potential in job creation, conservation of nature, protection of natural and cultural heritage and promotion of social integration. Through activities that benefit the industry itself, tourism can ensure truly sustainable development that brings prosperity all around. These include beach cleaning and preservation, carnival parades that accurately celebrate local culture, promoting low impact tours such as ethical dolphin watching which avoids feeding, chasing and
forced interactions, etc.
GREENWASHING
Slapping an ‘eco’ tag on a website and offering paper straws to patrons does not amount to environment-friendly tourism. Being truly sustainable takes work, and many companies are adept at glossing over reality with a misleading ad campaign. That’s green washing. Tourism initiatives must get recognized green certification, adopt long-term waste management and energy consumption goals, source supplies locally as far as possible and actively work towards new environmental achievements to be considered eco-friendly.
