Tourism is a catalyst for growth in any country whether it helps in the advancement of the country’s economy by creating various job opportunities and demands in different groups of industries, or the development in the community and place itself. Almost every country in the world strives to expand its tourism sector and numbers which brings about a big problem — mass tourism.
While mass tourism is a blessing for many of us travellers by allowing us to appreciate the beauty each place has to offer, the rise of tourists travelling solely as a breakaway from life instead of considering the economic impact towards the country, comes at a great price — Mother Nature.
Huge carbon footprints, a growing rate of pollution, and an increased number of unsustainable activities, like overproducing products, for the purpose of mass tourism, has restructured our ecosystem, the places we love, and the quality of life for the different communities.
Before you unpack your luggage, cancel your next holiday plan, and give up all hope on travelling (even when the relaxed movement control order allows for it), there is a solution to the double-edged sword of mass tourism — sustainable tourism which is a way of travelling that leaves minimal negative impact towards the environment and the destination’s culture, buildings, as well as local communities.