Tourism is fantastic. Tourists can bring income into areas without alternatives sources like industry. Tourism can help promote global awareness. Tourism helps promote conservation of natural areas.
But the price can be high if the “big” picture is not kept in focus. Here is a glaring example – the Maldives “dirty” secret of rubbish disposal
The Maldives is a tropical paradise for tourists but in truth the area is under huge amounts of stress. As the article highlights, they have a problem processing the large amounts of waste generated. They have very little water. The ocean is rising up and threatening to flood low lying land (that is most of the Maldives). To top it all off the political situation is a little unstable so long term focus on environment issues has been severely set back.
Don’t cancel your trip, just make yourself more aware of the your potential impact and the positive impact you can have if you get involved.
A more positive article involving conservation in Mozambique . The government appears to be learning from their mistakes and is protecting a vast area by declaring a new national park. This sounds like a brilliant way to prevent mining companies from operating out of control in the area (Tete) in future. Hopefully the locals already living in the area are included and their needs thought of. Hopefully the Mozambican government learns from others mistakes on this issue!
Happy travels fellow tourists, just don’t forget you are still my fellow human too.