But our happiness comes at a high cost: it could harm local landscapes and communities, as we discussed last week.

So, is there anything we can do to minimize the negative impacts?

The pillars of sustainable tourism

The term sustainable tourism refers to eco-friendly practices, as well as taking social and environmental responsibility.

More specifically, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism in the following way:

“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.”

To put it simply, sustainable tourism should be based on three main pillars:

1) Environmentally friendly practices – reduce, reuse, protect and care for natural heritage and biodiversity.
2) Positive socio-cultural impacts – consideration of host communities, their cultural heritage, and traditional values.
3) Socio-economic benefits – using our money to contribute to the local economy and support the fair wages for local employees.

How to travel more sustainably (3 tips)?

Here`re some practical things you can do to enjoy your trip while reducing your impact on the planet:

1. Join the slow travel movement

Ever happened to you to come back from a trip exhausted rather than recharged? Wonder if there`s another way to do it?
Slow travel.
It`s an emerging travel trend that involves visiting fewer places at a slower pace. Imagine living in an Italian village cottage for a week, eating locally produced food, sipping wine on the balcony, and taking leisurely strolls in the region.

Sounds good? It will work wonders for your psychological well-being. But there`s more: slow travel can decrease our carbon footprint (as it usually involves train rides) and support family-run guest houses and local producers.

2. Use less plastic

When traveling we tend to use a lot of plastic – from water bottles and coffee cups to shopping bags that will take hundreds of years to degrade. If you take a closer look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, you`ll see why this is a serious environmental issue.

You might be wondering: how to avoid being part of the problem? Take with you tote bags and a reusable cup, if you have some space left in your luggage.

3. Think when you shop

Go off the beaten track, avoiding the overcrowded touristy spots. When buying presents and souvenirs, opt for authentic products that`re locally produced and support smaller local producers.

Also, bear in mind that by buying wildlife goods, you`re unconsciously supporting the illegal trafficking of endangered species.

For instance, turtles in China are kept in captivity and illegally traded as food and medicine products. Research published in 2008 found that a total of >300 million turtles are sold per year and are worth about 759 million USD. So, whenever you feel like buying a turtle, a tiger claw, a horn or any other (part) of a wild animal, think about how this might affect the biodiversity in the region.

Over to you

Can`t live without traveling? You don`t need to leave your passion behind. But you can enjoy your trips in a more sustainable way. Thus, your adventures will turn into something more than a feel-good memory. They`ll also contribute to preserving the unique local regions and communities for the generations to come.

The post Sustainable Travel: why it matters? (Part II) appeared first on 203Challenges.

You may as well be spending all your savings on travel and restlessly planning your next trip at this very moment.

But there`s another side of the coin: tourism can put its strain on destinations, local landscapes, architecture, and communities.

Let`s take a quick look at some of the possible negative impacts:

A rising threat

In recent years, there have been growing concerns about the impacts of overtourism, among other issues.

Imagine overcrowded beaches, churches, and sightseeing sights, as well as outrageously high prices for both tourists and locals.

In fact:

You don`t have to imagine it. Because it`s already a reality across popular destinations like Barcelona, Paris, Bali, and many others.

Statistics published by Destination Barcelona show that the city had to welcome 30 million overnight visitors in 2017.

“Overtourism stays in the way of daily life, pushing locals outside of the heavily overcrowded touristy areas.”, tells me my friend, Sergie, who was born and raised in Barcelona.

About 45% of the residents living in the area of the main street of La Ramblas, for example, have had to move elsewhere, according to research conducted by Becker and quoted in Saara Taiminen`s MA study.

Additionally, other negative consequences remain hard to avoid: from rising rents and shopping prices to changing product selection (for example, pharmacies are replaced by souvenir shops).

Problems stretch beyond Europe

These concerning tendencies are stretching far beyond the Spanish (and the European) borders.

For instance, the small island of Koh Phi Phi Leh in Thailand is reportedly being visited by up to 5,000 people per day, according to Sky News.

The island has turned into a major tourist attraction due to Danny Boyle`s movie The Beach, starred by Leonardo DiCaprio. The result? Researchers have reported some serious environmental damages as 80% of the corals have died.

The widely popular Peruvian Machu Pichu has also registered 1,420,000 visitors in 2016, according to the System of Tourism Statistics of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.

So, what were the main consequences?

1. Lack of capacity and congestion
2. Tourists complain about tourists
3. Uncivilized behavior

Plus, researchers say that the large number of visitors caused water pollution, as well as damage to the local endemic vegetation. Not to mention the fact the quality of visitor`s experiences has worsened.

Looking for solutions

The United Nations choose 2017 to be the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

Why? The organization wanted to raise awareness about the importance of more sustainable tourism.

In the next part of our series, we`ll explore the notion of sustainable travel and a few practical tips on how to achieve it.

Because we should keep doing what we love (travel) but with care for the places, we visit. Stay tuned and don`t forget to share your experiences in the comments! 😊

The post Sustainable travel: why it matters? (Part I) appeared first on 203Challenges.

Is Whale Watching Sustainable?
It is a question that makes an appearance more often than not. Ecotourism is all about sustainability and recognizing the tourist attractions that have the lowest impact on the world around us while being profitable enough to keep it going. The thing about whales is that there’s a long history of them being more profitable as a commodity rather than being kept alive as a fellow, intelligent creatures that they are. It might take a bit more convincing for some people, but the factual truth is that whale watching can indeed be quite sustainable. Before discussing this in greater detail, some real, negative sides of whale watching must be pointed out.

Dangers of Whale Watching
As is the case with most other things in life, there’s always a dark side to everything, no matter how noble the cause, just as every coin boasts both head and tails. When it comes to whale watching, this darkness stems mostly from human greed and our inability, or at least extreme difficulty, in handling something with just a pinch of moderation.
The lucrative nature of whale watching has attracted many a sailor and prompted them to get in on this slice of eco cake. Some of them operate as legitimate tour agencies, but most of them don’t. Those who operate under the radar so to speak, run at least ten whale watching tours a day. Not only does the constant rattling and raving of boat engines disrupt the whales’ ability to communicate over long distances but recent studies have also shown that they decrease their ability to rear the young. Moreover, the abundance of boats disables the whales from feeding at what would otherwise be a buffet of fish. Ultimately, the overwhelming number of boats can more often than not lead to a deadly collision with a whale, killing it instantly.

Supporting Ecotourism
While these dangers do pose a real threat to the gentle giants of the sea, there’s no alternative. Going back to hunting the whales is out of the question. Luckily, International Whaling Commission, or IWS for short, is doing their best in their attempts to preserve this majestic creature. They’ve proven that, with more stern regulations on how many whale watching tours per day are allowed, these animals can indeed be well protected. With quieter boats and harsher punishments for those breaking the regulations, whale watching is the way of the future. Which brings us to the topic at hand! Whale watching supports ecotourism by rewarding the local populace for avoiding activities such as fishing and whaling. Instead, they take small groups of tourists out into the open sea and teach them about how harmful we’ve been and the hazards of plastic and chemical pollution. This way, we’re discouraging activities that put whales in harm’s way and promote a healthy and humane view of the world around us. This is the very heart and soul beneath the idea of ecotourism, and whale watching is just another way of supporting life. Another amazing byproduct of these tours is decreased interest in aquariums and water tanks. No living creature should ever be forced to live in such confines. So, no matter where you’re planning on going whale watching, whether it be Norway, Iceland, Scotland, USA or even Antarctica, be certain that you’re doing the right thing. Whale watching is fighting for life. Whether we’re driven by guilt, or by the purest, most honest wish for improvement does not matter, so long as we make the change happen.

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