Arabia Weather - European Union tourism ministers will participate in the Sustainable Tourism Summit in Palma, Spain next Tuesday. This summit focuses on issues of social sustainability of the tourism industry.
Prior to the summit, a forum considered the impact of climate change and the importance of sustainability to date in the context of tourism. The participants in this discussion were not from the tourism sector but were researchers and activists.
Joan Boades, a researcher on the relationship between tourism and climate change, pointed to a famous photo of a forest fire in Washington state, where golfers were playing next to the fire without paying much attention to it. In her opinion, this situation represents the real crisis of climate change, as it shows society's disregard for the global warming crisis that has developed over the decades.
She continued by saying: “We live in one of the areas that is considered a zero list for climate change issues. There is a 20% increase in sea temperature above the global average.” The effects will be catastrophic, but will particularly affect one sector, making it largely responsible for this acceleration. "Sun and beach tourism may have a future, but it will mainly happen in the Nordic countries. There is an underwater desert in the Mediterranean."
Nora Müller, a specialist in human geography, added: “They talk a lot about sustainable tourism, diversification, quality tourism and combating seasonality, but in reality, these efforts have likely increased visitor flows that leave a negative environmental impact without talking about it.” Alternatives that were supposed to reduce the impact of tourism have actually increased it thanks to the expansion of business and the increased duration of the tourist season.
Masia Blasquez, professor of geography at the University of the Balearic Islands, pointed out that the human pressure on these islands during the peak period during the summer exceeded two million beds, and noted that the benefit from this elite sector is very little and is often in the hands of the state, and he said regarding hotel owners in particular. In 2019, the Balearic Islands increased by 28% in profits per tourist bed compared to the national average.
In Palma, the number of hotels in the historic center has increased and traditional shops have been replaced by souvenir shops. Efforts are also underway to expand ports and airports, establish desalination plants and water treatment plants, as well as develop road infrastructure.
Sarah Oppenheimer, a committed activist, noted that the tourism industry has benefited greatly from the islands' resources. Now, it faces major challenges as it plays an important role in the fight against climate change. Transitioning to clean energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are very urgent.
The challenges facing it demonstrate the urgent need to take urgent action to preserve the environment, maintain the ecological balance in the region, and effectively deal with the impact of the tourism industry on climate change.
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