All Votes Go to Sustainable Tourism

NEW TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDE PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CARE. HOWEVER, THE EXISTENCE OF A TRUE CONSCIENCE IS FUNDAMENTAL

Sustainable tourism should be construed as the commitment and actions aimed at slashing impact on each and every destination's environment and culture, in a bid to contribute to generating better job opportunities for the local populations. The development of smoke-free industries hinges on the need to grow on and on, but this development must necessarily be linked more and more to responsible practices.

Excessive consumption of water is one of the most serious problems, which implies taking urgent actions in order to promote the saving of this precious liquid. According to statistics, a tourist consumes more water when he is on vacation than at home. The use of water for swimming pools and golf courses can also be extremely high. Also, a cruise generates approximately 3 to 4 kg of solid waste per passenger every single day. On the other hand, roughly 51 percent of tourists rely on airborne travel, something that's usually a high environmental pollutant.

Although it is possible to list the damages caused by the tourism industry in certain parts of the world, it is also true that there are positive examples in hotel chains, regions and countries that are being increasingly governed by the basic principles of sustainable tourism. In this sense, the UNWTO and the environmental groups battle on a permanent basis for attaining comprehensive mindfulness on this issue, especially by coming up with regulations and promoting pollution-free practices.

The technological development of these times offers us a set of possibilities. First, the increasing use of clean energies or green energies, such as photovoltaic power generation, solar heaters, biogas plants, the use of electric or hybrid buses, cars and motorcycles, water purification and the reutilization of water for uses other than human intake, as well as the designing of tourist facilities that rely on bioclimatic concepts, are good cases in point.

Another example in terms of cutting-edge technology is the development of the so-called eco-lodges or sustainable hotels, in which in addition to applying the aforementioned alternatives, they incorporate the concept of totally ecological food –entirely stripped of any kind of chemical agent.

In Latin America, some countries such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba and Mexico are taking advanced steps in this goal. There are similar examples in Spain, Greece and Cyprus.

Every effort will always be insufficient when it comes to delivering a positive ecological situation to the next breeds of earthlings. Today's generation, known as the millennials and boasting a tremendous wanderlust spirit, has understood this concept and calls for environmental protection and the preservation of travel-oriented culture. These are no doubt the tourists of today and tomorrow.

One of the most recent trends is the development of the so-called Sustainable Hotels, which also add the concept of totally-ecological food