I believe that traveling is an activity that we all love, the desire to know the world around us leads us to visit the beaches of our region, the biodiversity of its parks and to know the cultural legacy of our country, and can also lead us to cross to another part of the world to know the nature, history or culture of other countries.
The beauty of nature attracts many tourists. Source: pxhere.com.
Not surprisingly, tourism is a very important economic activity for any country, but like other economic activities, the tourism industry has a great impact on the environment. Apart from the pandemic situation, every year millions of people move from one part of the planet to another, attracted especially by the natural and cultural wealth of other countries.
But this mobilization represents a burden for the environment, sometimes very difficult to bear, I remember once when I visited a very popular small island in a park in my state, when it was time to leave the place, the beach was covered with garbage, many of the tourists left without even lifting the garbage they had generated from the sand, And to my astonishment, in the only garbage deposit located on the island where I went to place my garbage, one of the food service providers of the place lit the container on fire to incinerate the garbage inside, right there, in the open, in that small and beautiful place of the Caribbean.
Many tourists leave the beaches without even looking at the garbage they leave behind. Source: pixabay.com.
And it is a situation that is repeated in many places, precisely for this reason I was surprised to read that a few years ago Thailand banned tourism on the island of Koh Tachai, according to the authorities, this Asian island was visited by too many tourists, local and foreign, attracted by its peculiar beauty, causing the degradation of its natural conditions and destruction of corals.
On the other hand, in addition to causing environmental deterioration, tourism is also capable of causing social degradation of the place where it arrives. Suffice it to mention the case of Venice, a few years ago the authorities were looking for a solution to the effects of mass tourism, which turned the historic city of canals into a mere attraction for visitors, the EFE news agency reported in 2014 that the degradation reached such a point that the inhabitants complained about the bad manners of tourists, who dirtied the city, bathed in its canals and even had sex under its bridges.
Faced with situations like these, we must ask ourselves the question: can we travel without damaging the place we are going to? In other words, can we generate tourism that is both profitable and environmentally responsible?
The truth is that yes, thanks to the closing of their borders, the authorities of many countries have had enough time to evaluate how to offer their tourist destinations in a way that does not destroy the environment, in some cases controlling the flow of visitors and in others even looking for the tourist to leave a positive impact.
And a strategy that goes beyond "do not litter" and seeks to integrate the tourist to the regeneration of the environment, that is, to leave it even better than how he found it, leaving a positive impact on the community he visits, is becoming known as regenerative tourism.
Tourism based on respect for the environment is possible. Source: pxhere.com.
For example, if you want to plan your next vacation as a regenerative tourist, the first thing to consider is to try to offset your carbon emissions, for this there are organizations such as Greenflet, which are dedicated to capturing carbon or planting trees for you, receiving a donation equivalent to the type of trip and means of transport you plan to make.
You can also choose tour operators that are responsible with the environment and the community where they are located, and not only those that sponsor party and consumption trips. There are travel agencies that promote activities of non-profit organizations that seek to raise funds for charity, and in exchange for their donations travelers can enjoy outdoor activities in environments of incredible natural beauty. A good example is Playa Viva in Mexico, a resort that is completely solar-powered and its regenerative initiatives are based on sourcing food only from local producers, and even the producers are part of the tourist attraction, as tourists have the option to visit the farms and become familiar with the people and the means of production in the region.
Contribute to the cleanliness of the environment, nobody likes to go to a place full of garbage, we should all value the importance of keeping clean the environment we visit, and for this it is enough to always carry a bag and dedicate a little time of the walk we do to collect the garbage we find, and yes, all that we find and not only the one we generate.
Contributing to the cleanliness of the environment will not take much time out of your trip. Source: pixabay.com.
Taking care of our planet is something we should not forget when we are on vacation, and we are increasingly aware of it, we must join this trend that seeks a way to travel sustainably and relieve pressure on the biological, social and cultural environment of tourist destinations.
Thanks for coming by to read friends, I hope you liked the information. See you next time.