No one plans a European holiday thinking of fleeing from fire or sheltering from intense heat. But the climate crisis is forcing a reckoning – tourism as we knew it will have to change.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Cruise liners are back and demand is reportedly strong. But given their environmental impact and relatively low economic benefit, how sustainable is this kind of tourism?
There has always been a strand running through P.E.I.’s history of some Islanders expressing ambivalence, displeasure or outright hostility towards the tourists and tourism that the island relies on.
The future of tourism depends on ensuring visitors do not wear out their welcome. Giving locals more of a say in tourism can help ensure they share in the benefits and minimise the costs.
Can tourism ever be sustainable? Only if operators and consumers start looking beyond the idyllic postcard images and take undesirable consequences of tourism into account.
As many of the world’s most popular tourism destinations are overrun by visitors, operators could pay attention to the UN’s sustainable development goals.
People think migrants are draining Australia’s resources. But if we were to cut down on migration, it would also make sense to introduce policies that limit numbers of international tourists.