Too Many Tourists?
Summer 2019 | By Alan Fyall
Earlier this summer, a photo of聽people queuing to reach the top of聽Mount Everest launched a series of聽articles about the safety of climbers,聽the cause of the overcrowding, the聽impact on the mountain itself and聽how to solve the issue. At the heart聽of these inquiries are the questions:聽Why is there an increase in tourism,聽and what is the negative impact?
Tourism is hardly a new trend, but聽concern about the impact of an influx聽of visitors is a relatively modern one.聽Coined a few years ago, the term聽鈥渙vertourism鈥� describes a reduction聽in the overall quality of life for locals聽and the tourist experience, of which聽the natural environment is so often聽a significant part. Like all complex聽phenomena, there is no quick-fix聽explanation as to the causes and聽remedies.
The biggest challenge remains聽managing the popularity of certain聽locations, from Yosemite in California聽to Everest in Nepal and Tibet, at a聽time when people are traveling more聽than ever.
The biggest challenge remains聽managing the popularity of certain聽locations, from Yosemite in California聽to Everest in Nepal and Tibet, at a聽time when people are traveling more聽than ever. International tourism聽receipts reached $1.7 trillion last聽year, an increase of 4 percent over聽2017, representing nearly 30 percent聽of all service exports globally 鈥斅爀xceeding the economic output聽of the global food and automotive聽industries.
A significant population growth聽across the globe and exponential聽growth in the middle classes in China聽and India, in particular, mean more聽people with more money to spend聽on items once viewed as a luxury.聽Cheaper airfares and the rise of more聽affordable services such as Uber聽and Airbnb have made travel to new聽places less expensive and easier. And聽there has been a growth in global demand, as a result of social media聽(Instagram perhaps being the biggest聽culprit with people even claiming,聽鈥淚 did it for the 鈥檊ram鈥�) and new聽emerging markets.
There are certainly arguments to聽be made for the benefits of traveling:聽learning more about other cultures,聽boosting your confidence, creating聽memories, and learning more about聽yourself.
The tolls, however, can be vast.聽Though tourism to Everest brings聽in $300 million to Nepal every year,聽there is a human toll. More than 300聽people have died on the mountain聽since 1953. This year鈥檚 climbing聽season saw 11 deaths, marking the聽deadliest season since 2015 when an聽avalanche killed 19 people at a base聽camp following a 7.8 earthquake. In聽part, the most recent death toll is聽due to Nepal increasing the number聽of permits issued this year to 381,聽leading to overcrowding, an influx of聽inexperienced climbers and a limited聽amount of oxygen tanks needed for聽climbing at higher levels. Inclement聽weather certainly played a role as聽well, as it does every year.
But there鈥檚 also the environmental聽toll. In June, an expedition crew聽removed 12 tons of garbage from聽the mountain, including 鈥渆mpty聽oxygen cylinders, plastic bottles,聽cans, batteries, food wrappings, fecal聽matter and kitchen waste,鈥� according聽to a Nepal Army spokesperson.
Mount Everest is hardly the聽only locale facing the impact聽of overtourism. Thailand and聽Iceland have both closed popular聽destinations as a result of an聽increase in visitors. After being聽featured in the 2000 film 罢丑别听叠别补肠丑, starring Leonardo DiCaprio,聽Maya Bay in Thailand experienced聽significant environmental damage聽鈥� including decimated coral reefs,聽a declining mangrove population聽and receding beaches 鈥� due to the聽up to 6,000 people drawn daily to its聽once-pristine beauty. And in May,聽Iceland announced having to close Fja冒r谩rglj煤fur, a canyon popularized聽in Justin Bieber鈥檚 2015 music聽video, 鈥淚鈥檒l Show You.鈥� The natural聽formation faced erosion and damage聽to its sub-Arctic flora as a result of聽an additional 127,475 visitors from聽2016 to 2018.
Fortunately, many solutions do聽exist. For example, responsible forms聽of tourism development, preemptive聽policies (especially with regard to聽air and cruise travel), the economic聽and environmental accounting and聽auditing of tourism development,聽and the dispersal of tourists to other聽areas can all play a part in mitigating聽the problem. So, too, can economic聽fees and taxes to limit demand and聽de-marketing strategies to reduce聽or re-direct demand. Solutions need聽to come from governments 鈥� and,聽frankly, from us.
Ultimately, we as tourists need to聽show some self-restraint and consider聽staying local sometimes. By reducing聽the amount of gas used during travel,聽staycations are perhaps the best way聽for us all to limit our carbon footprint聽鈥� if not the most glamorous or social-media聽worthy.
Alan Fyall is the Visit Orlando聽Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing聽in the Rosen College of Hospitality Management聽and is a member of聽91吃瓜网鈥檚 National Center for Integrated聽Coastal Research.
PHOTO聽BY @Nimsdai/Projectpossible.co.uk