Is growth always good, asks WTTC conference
April 30, 2007
Below Brian Hordon expresses amazement at the growth predicted for British tourism spend - a total of 40.6% over the next five years.
But of course it isn't just us Brits who are demanding more travel. Research by the World Travel and Tourism Council puts global growth at 4.3% a year for the next decade.
Great news for the industry, and as the Times travel supplement argued on Saturday tourism can foster both economic development and cultural understanding. (The paper is a partner of this year's Responsible Tourism Awards.)
Unfortunately there are downsides. Even if we forget carbon emissions for a moment, the 'economic development' can come at the cost of local ecosystems, and the 'cultural understanding' at the cost of local heritage and tradition.
In the same Times supplement Fiona Sims complains that we too often travel to far-flung places only to ignore local cuisine in favour of imported European-style grub; and this week the BBC will screen a film on tourism's troubling environmental impact on Hawaii.
It's timely, then, that WTTC's Global Travel and Tourism Summit (Lisbon, 10 - 12 May) will take the problems of growth as its theme, asking:
Is it really possible for the industry to bring useful change to people's lives, to their communities, and to global society? Can we identify where this has been achieved - or is the industry stronger on rhetoric than reality?
There's further reading and a chance to discuss the issues on the summit's web channel.
Nathan Midgley
Martin Couzins
Comments (1)
Carbon offsetting is one thing - but what about towel abuse?
Why do British tourists expect fresh towels every day? Do they get them at home?
I am writing an article for our holidaymakers hoping to encourage them to think further ahead than simply carbon offsetting when they go on holiday.
As I was recently going through our holiday reviews on the www.travelrepublic.co.uk - I noticed this obsession with all things cotton - it crops up all the time. Now I know we all get a bit sandy on the beach sometimes, but really getting clean towels every day is a ridiculous waste of resources. I can understand when the whole package boom started back in the 70s, housewives used to hanging over a mangle half the day must have thought fresh towels were paradise, but we have moved on, and so must holidaymakers.
I am hoping to produce a guide on to encourage travellers to rethink the way they travel - from learning how to say hello and thank you in the local language, to supporting local restaurants and businesses, turning off taps while they do their teeth etc.
I would be grateful for any more ideas for how they can help when they are abroad. After all, some places like Benidorm are suffering from low water levels in their aquifers - so if we don't do more than just worry about the flights, there will be little point taking them, carbon offset or otherwise.
Posted by jayne | May 16, 2007 3:58 PM
Posted on May 16, 2007 15:58