As we tour more and more of the world, we also observe tremendous damage done to the environment. By its very nature, the effects of tourism are synonymous across the entire globe. We can boil the effects of tourism on the environment to three main points: depletion of natural resources, pollution, and physical impacts.

Tourist attractions are often generous with the number of natural resources they use in an effort to make financial gains. Hotels alone are, on average, responsible for 100-400 gallons per day per room. Many travellers who find themselves in a vacation setting put a mental pause on their responsibilities in favour of convenience and ease. Unfortunately, these responsibilities may include those relating to environmental care. Meaning someone who wouldn’t normally use an excessive amount of resources may find themselves indulging in unnecessary and environmentally harmful luxuries such as swimming pools, water parks, golf courses, or even just using a few extra hotel towels than needed.

It’s no secret that transportation is one of the greatest contributors to air pollution. Cars, trains, and planes are almost always the mode of transportation for tourists. In fact, tourism accounts for over half of all plane-related air pollution. Noise and light pollution have also been increasing as tourism becomes more and more popular. Both of these have been proven to disrupt an ecosystem’s natural cycles.

As tourism increases, so does the need for more attractions. As a result, there is unavoidable physical damage to the natural world. The construction of hotels, airports, roads, and tourist attractions must expand to keep up with the increasing numbers of tourists. Even in environmental utopias such as Yosemite National Park, the number of roads and parking lots are growing at an alarming rate, turning the park from a safe haven for nature into yet another tourist attraction.

An expectation for tourism to decrease as the global population increases is unrealistic. Instead, we can take extra steps to ensure our travels are eco-friendly. Next time you’re travelling, try the following to conserve the beauty of the world we put so much effort into tour:

1. To combat air pollution, select eco-conscious airlines such as B.C’s Harbour Air, opt to fly economy and try to choose direct flights.

2. Try local services – they’re often more environmentally friendly than international corporations. Plus, they offer a more authentic, unique, and traditional experience!

3. Bring your own reusable water bottle. Plastic bottles make up a huge percentage of waste when travelling due to their convenience. Take a few seconds to fill up your own bottle instead!

4. Keep in mind that just because we are on vacation, doesn’t mean the natural world is.

If we take these small steps to reduce our environmental impacts while travelling, we can preserve our beloved Earth and all its wonders for future tourists to discover.

Works cited

“Environmental Impacts of Tourism.” Environmental Impacts of Tourism,

https://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/envi/one.html#:~:text=TOURISM’S%20THREE%20MAI

N%20IMPACT%20AREAS&text=It%20can%20put%20enormous%20pressure,heightened

%20vulnerability%20to%20forest%20fires.

“Air Travel and Climate Change.” David Suzuki Foundation, 2 Aug. 2022,

https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/air-travel-climate-change/.

“The Negative Environmental Impacts of Tourism.” Greentumble, 14 Jan. 2022,

https://greentumble.com/environmental-impacts-of-tourism/.

Richardson, Jennifer. “12 Sustainable Travel Tips for an Eco Escape: Skyscanner.” Skyscanner

Canada, 30 Sept. 2020,

Is sustainable travel possible? Here are easy ways to travel green

Image credits: 

By © Mosbatho, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110375410