Newsletter: Is (eco)tourism compatible with climate change?

This question haunts me for far many more years than G3-guides started to operate in this industry of tourism. In all honesty, I was even reluctant to launch the project. Do I have an answer? At least some positive elements.

In the early 2000’, I worked in the UK a couple of summers as an entomological consultant. Looking back, it was one of my happier periods in life… taking on water beetles and so much more (!). On the BBC, we could already hear at least once a week worrying news about climate change. And we had a long discussion about planes… confronting the necessity of humans to discover the world and to exchange versus the requirement of releasing less CO2 in the atmosphere. 

Recently, some experts have suggested we should only take the plane 3 or 4 times in a lifetime. Is this realistic? Human activities emit CO2… Is it ethical to do so for leisure purposes in the current critical situation of climate change? 

We need to recognize once more the demand of people to travel and that society will not stop at once this industry. After COVID, tourism is increasing strongly once again in Andalusia with over 30 Mº visitors in 2023. So, what can we do?

As travelers, we should focus on short-distance destinations…

For Europeans, there is no much more exotic region than Andalusia and its approx. 200 kg CO2 for a round-trip by plane.

Spending more time in the destination is a way to use the plane less often… that is perfect to discover the biodiversity of a region at a correct pace.

We all should use a carbon-footprint calculator once in a while to assess our CO2 budget. Traveling can actually give us the framing/timing to change some of our habits in a more eco-friendly way.

At G3-guides, we seek to promote ecotourism and fight against the uniformity of destinations. Most tourists visit the same places, eat the same menus, buy the same souvenirs and take the same pictures. Those are mostly boring experiences that destroy local identities. 

Overall, and to put it shortly, touristic infrastructures (accommodations, comestibles, activities) will only become eco-compatible in response to their clients demands.

Having said that, for us, the overall goal should be a notable decrease of the tourist masses.

Traveling opens the mind and gives ideas. Mediterranean gastronomy is rich in vegetarian dishes… It is perfect to learn CO2-wise cooking during an Andalusian holiday, dishes that will remind us later of good moments.

The long term conservation of natural areas depends greatly on its visitors. Even internationally important National Parks are under strong pressure… The continuous visits of wildlife enthusiasts help enormously. Moreover, citizen science focusing on biodiversity contributes considerably to science.

As a final thought… Ecotourism is both the goal and the method to develop a profound appreciation towards nature and species, a necessary step for a world where humans live in ‘harmony’ (Liberté – Égalité – Fraternité). Let’s go nature sightseeing!