Image of the sky from the view of a right side plane window (taken by author).

People are always looking for an escape. Want to beat the summer heat? Enjoy the snow in Australia! Tired of cold winter months? Have a tropical getaway in Bali! Everyone wants to avoid problems and international travel is easy (with the right amount of money), but what if that same solution came with costs beyond just our paychecks?

Tourism has the potential to create large impacts on the local culture, communities, and the environment. Unfortunately, those impacts are currently causing more harm than good. In a 2015 report, tourism alone resulted in 130.28 million tons of CO2 being emitted in Germany—that is equivalent to the amount of gasoline that could be used to drive over 28 million gasoline powered passenger vehicles for a year. What can we do to change it?

This is where sustainable tourism comes in. Sustainable tourism is what the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) describes as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” The UNWTO and its goals were created as a direct support to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus to encourage and support national entities in developing policies that can best achieve these practices.

Sustainable tourism is not a new concept and many countries do have policies in place, including South Africa. The Western Cape of South Africa boasts a richly biodiverse ecosystem with beautiful kelp forest and reefs that are home to seals, penguins, and also fishing communities. Rather than restricting access to these sites completely, marine protected areas (MPA), a system allowing for varying levels of protection, were established. The flexibility of MPAs not only ensures conservation of wildlife but also allows for the continuation of local fishing businesses and even touristic activities, such as diving.

The protection of important cultural and natural sites can be an effective way to combat environmental degradation while promoting tourism. Acting on these solutions, however, will not always be easy. Collection and analysis of data focusing on tourist activities, the development of green infrastructure and technologies, and implementation of policies will also be necessary to ensure such practices.

In Bali, Indonesia, increased foreigner presence has led to the need for new housing developments, some of which encroach on agricultural land. One place at risk are The Jatiluwih rice terraces, a UNESCO Heritage site with an important history of sustainable and collaborative water management. To curb tourism, the Regional Government of Bali (Indonesia) implemented a new tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah ($9.78 USD), which will be used as support to preserve the island’s nature and culture. 

Holiday escapes can be a nice way for us to find relief, but they can come with dire consequences. Throughout this semester, I will explore how different tourism policies and practices around the world are addressing such issues.