Sustainability to support tourism

On September 27 we celebrate World Tourism Day. The event seeks to “raise awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.” While on the topic of the importance of tourism, what needs to be discussed, and perhaps more emphatically, is the impact of it on natural resources and social systems. International tourist arrivals have increased from 527 million globally in 1995 to 1.1 billion in 2015. They are expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. With the exponential increase in tourist arrivals, sustainability has to be at the top of our priority list. We need to understand that the very resources we promote through tourism are in danger of degradation and think long term. Let’s focus on the key areas and adapt accordingly to bring about a significant change. Let sustainability be the mantra this World Tourism Day.