It is estimated that every year nearly 4.3 billion people take the plane to enjoy a tourist experience while planet earth is in great danger. At a time when we are mobilising en masse for the climate, the reduction of waste and the fight against soil, water and air pollution, mass tourism appears to be a real aberration.
Changing the way we think about travel
Today and if you have not already done so, it is urgent to ask yourself some questions about the way we conceive our tourist trips. Mass tourism has contributed to the destruction of beautiful landscapes, to the production of devastating effects on local populations etc. Opting for eco-tourist accommodation appears to be a matter of urgency if we are to minimise as far as possible man's impact on nature and the way of life of indigenous populations around the world. Going on holiday and practising essentially ecotourism while respecting the natural environment and the discovery of nature and biodiversity must be a priority for all of us.
Promoting sustainable and responsible tourism
The World Tourism Organization, UNWTO, predicts that over the next 20 years the volume of tourism activity worldwide will double. There is an urgent need to promote and implement structures for a new form of eco-tourism accommodation if we do not want some popular travel destinations, particularly in Asia, with devastating consequences on the environment, to turn into real ecological disasters. Responsible and sustainable tourism is a new phenomenon and it is urgent for the tourism industry to integrate this new travel philosophy into their tourism programmes.
Respect for the environment and the local population
Today the development of eco-tourist accommodation programmes must be a priority for all tourism professionals. It is essential to promote tourism that is respectful of the environment and the local population, which is focused on the preservation of planet earth, its fauna and flora and the entire cultural heritage. The emphasis is on tourism with holiday accommodation that preserves nature and the environment while benefiting the local population. For example, in some disadvantaged regions of southern Europe, it is possible to restore old abandoned estates to enhance and update the tourism potential of an entire region.