Is Ecotourism the Solution to Unsustainable Tourism? by Christina Pellicio I sit down and turn on my TV after a long day. Immediately, a travel commercial to Cancun starts playing on the screen: within 40 seconds, I am presented with the image of a seemingly perfect life, one in which I lounge in a comforting white robe, surrounded by pristine views of the crystal ocean and swaying palm trees, piĂąa colada in hand. The speaker on the screen promises me an all-inclusive 5-star resort for a relatively affordable price. How could I say no?
Research shows that tourism contributes to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a significant portion of land, air, and water pollution. Through the overconsumption of natural resources and improper development of infrastructure, considerable pressure is put on
However, as I continue to gaze at the snippets of white Ecotourism encompasses the many forms of Alternative sand beaches and luxury hotel Tourism. Retrieved from https://tourismnotes.com/ eco-tourism/. rooms, my blindness to the reality of the commercial begins the local resources, resulting in to fade. Such travel experiencthe degradation and loss of vies like this, while surely enjoytal natural ecosystems. able for the consumer, may not be so ideal for the global comIn these ways, mass tourism can munity as a whole.
cause harm that is beginning to have an unignorable effect on the state of the environment and local communities. Ecotourism is a growing alternative travel solution that is often directed towards threatened natural environments and intended as a low-impact alternative to mainstream tourism. Whether it is in the form of becoming educated on environmental issues, providing funds for the conservation of natural habitats, or supporting the development of local communities, ecotourism is emerging as a way to sustainably support and observe wildlife. Ecotourism originated in the 1970s but has risen in popularity in recent decades, largely as a mechanism to combat unsustainable practices that were prevalent within the tourism industry. Mass tourism has Fall 2020 / Perennial 30
