Final Thoughts on Tourism
April 30, 2009
Johnny Appleseed by Joe Strummer
As I have mentioned previously, tourism has as great a capacity for good as for destruction. Ecotourism for example has a simple goal of maintaining areas that have high tourist rates by teaching the inhabitants sustainable living methods which they then require of their visitors. The song above is an appropriate tribute to how we tend to travel/tour when we do so. We want to enjoy the fruits of world, but in doing so we forget (or fail) to take care of and repair the damage which is done. In the words of Joe Strummer, we want to drink all the honey but we are killing all the bees… If there is to be a beautiful Earth to live in and enjoy in the future, it will require us taking the time care for it.
Voluntourism is also becoming a popular means of helping people while traveling. The group Fly For Good gives travelers the means and opportunity to volunteer while touring a country or place that they want to visit.
Although a very simple means for an individual to lend a hand in creating social justice as well as making environmentally sustainable choices the result is quite meaningful. Everyone has the choice and I might argue the responsibility to travel in a manner that encourages and promotes global justice for those who suffer from unfortunate situations.
Let’s keep in mind that we share the world with everyone and everything else; we don’t own it.
Very well said and great summation of your arguments in this final blog. I also enjoyed the song and video you found and feel they both apply to your topic. I have taken an interest in tourism as a result of reading your blogs this semester. Well done!
It was short, but a very good end note to the blog. Not many people are traveling now but as we come out of the recessions, it is important to be able to balance seeing amazing new places and not destroying them for future generations. Just curious, which places around our world are destroyed the most by apathetic tourists?