Why is Excessive Travelling Bad For Tourism Industry

For all those who have travelled to Shimla before, you would agree that it is one of the perfect places to spend your summer holidays.

So, when the ‘Stop visiting Shimla’ posts went viral this summer, travellers were taken aback.

The water crisis had hit the hill station so severely that the residents took to social media to appeal to the tourists to not visit the place.

Similarly, the Philippines announced the closure of their famous Boracay Island for six months in April due to the environmental damage caused by the influx of tourists. The last I got to know, the island has become cleaner, and the marine life has started thriving again. Following the same strategy as the Philippines, Thailand’s famous Maya Bay has been shut indefinitely thanks to the damage caused to the ecosystem by excessive tourism.

This month, when we went to the serene Dal lake, we were in for a shock. The water was covered by algae, and the place was crowded. Of course, as we went ahead in the Shikhara, we saw the real beauty of the lake. But the condition of the lake worried us.

Tourism is important. It helps the locals to earn a livelihood and is a great way for the countries to earn revenue. However, excessive tourism can be dangerous to that place and locals. Of course, we cannot do much to improve the condition of places that are damaged. But you can still do a few things as a tourist to preserve the places.

At Travel Dosti Etc, we encourage people to travel to offbeat destinations. No, not because they make for lovely pictures on social media. That’s just one part of it. There are over 193 countries in the world, and each of them has hidden gems waiting to be explored. A resort owner whom we met during a recent recce trip told us that popular tourism covers only 3% of the world. Those 3% places bear the brunt of tourism explosion. So, go offbeat! It’s the responsibility of the travel advisor and agent to tell you about offbeat places. But if they haven’t, ask them to suggest less explored places when you plan your next trip. Believe me, you will be thrilled to see the beauty of these unexplored places. You can also enjoy a peaceful time away from the hustle and bustle of noisy tourists.

If you still want to visit the popular destinations, then we recommend you to go off-season or before or after the peak season. The hotels, flight prices will be cheaper, and you can enjoy the beauty of the place at your pace. It will give you the satisfaction that you have not added to the burden of the place, a feeling that we usually get when we see too many tourists around us dirtying and causing an imbalance in that place.

Know the do’s and don’t’s of the place before you visit. Know the culture of the locals, the practices they follow and adhere to them strictly when you go. Few places that you visit could be ecologically sensitive, so check with your travel advisor or agent before you travel. It’s good to be adventurous, but adventure without knowledge is foolishness. So, be well-informed about the place you plan to visit.

It’s not the responsibility of the tourists alone to safeguard the ecosystem of the tourist places. Tourism flourishes due to the collaborative and collective efforts of tourism boards, hotels, resorts, locals, and the travel advisors and agents. The onus, thus, lies with everyone to protect the ecosystem. One must not wait for a catastrophe to strike to remind us of our responsibility. Everyone has to take a proactive and a multi-pronged approach to protect the place. Here are a few things that can be done.

Tourism boards and ministries across the world have realized the significance of preserving the eco-sensitive places. That’s why a lot of them have started providing permits to restrict the number of tourists. Kas Plateau, Gurudongmar lake, Amarnath are a few places where the tourism board has made permits compulsory. It’s the responsibility of the travel advisors and agents to inform their clients about it, so they are prepared for it. Similarly, as in the case with Maya Bay and Boracay Islands, the popular destinations should be closed during off-seasons for cleaning. Strict instructions should be issued to tourists to comply with the rules to control the damage.

Conclusion

We live in a beautiful world. There are so many ethnic cultures, amazing architecture, rare flora, fauna and marine life to admire. Let’s not damage them for fun or to take a few pictures for a few likes and followers. Respect the place and do your best to preserve its sanctity. Be a responsible tourist, so your grandchildren do not miss seeing the beautiful places that you once did.

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