Tourists photograph the sunset over Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PHOTOGRAPH BY JON HICKS, GETTY IMAGES
With some parts of the world slowly coming out of lockdown and high season due to begin for many, tourist hotspots are starting to consider sustainable tourism options.
This forced ‘pause’ on the planet has been challenging for everyone but has also cleared nature’s path to help rebuild our environment. Waters run clear in Venice’s canals, air pollution decreased so much in India that you can see the Himalayas again, and wild and rare animals are coming out of hiding.
With no real end of lockdown in sight, popular destinations are starting to think of more sustainable ways to reintroduce tourism to them. The now closed tourist trap shops can be replaced by smaller and more sustainable businesses, historic and cultural values can be revisited, and innovation in technology can help shape the future of the industry.
Sustainable tourism will return the destination’s authenticity that made it so special in the first place and attract more sustainable tourists, the kind of tourists that shop local and stay longer than a weekend. Using research and technology will be hugely important as we figure out the best ways to maintain the tourist industry and start the economic ball rolling again, with sustainability in mind.
Source: WTM Team
