Climate Tourism: See It Before It’s Gone

With global warming on everyone’s mind, many are seeking out once-in-a-lifetime adventures for the last time - and travel companies have been quick to begin offering ’see it now before it’s gone’ trips.

According to an article in Tierramérica:

Hundreds of natural and historic sites around the world are at risk, such as the potential loss of ancient ruins in Thailand, coral reefs in Belize, 13th century mosques in the Sahara, and the Cape Floral Kingdom in South Africa, according to the UNESCO study….

And there is a strong, perhaps perverse, desire in many people to go and see rare things: the last few tigers or lady’s slipper orchids or a rapidly retreating glacier.

The question is, do these trips booked by ecotourism agencies actually help to protect the delicate regions on display? Some argue that any additional traffic will have a negative affect on an already fragile environment, while others are dwelling on the potential that a booming new industry has to raise funds and convert tourists into activists.

Figures from The World Travel and Tourism Council show that global tourism grew 4.3 % last year, the same rate it has been for the last ten years - accounting for $ 7 trillion of economic activity in 2007, that’s 10.7 per cent of global GDP! And even more impressive, estimates suggest that ecotourism, which includes climate tourism, is growing three times as fast as the industry in general.

Tierramérica: Tourism at the End of the World

[via treehugger]