This is an article we’ve been wanting to write for a while now. It’s not a new topic, we’ve actually come across it a couple times over the last few years. But lately, it is jumping out at us more and more. You could call it, the latest ‘travel trend’, but it’s more like an epidemic. The ‘bucket list’ epidemic that is.
What is the ‘bucket list’ epidemic you ask? The concept is that prominent tourist destinations are becoming so popular that the economy, environment and culture associated with the property are starting to become compromised.
Tourism hit an all time high with over 1.3 billion international travelers in 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing.
Source – Data.WorldBank
Over the last couple decades, the growing middle class and it’s urge to see the world has stared to take a toll. There are also several additional factors that have contributed to this ‘effect’ over the years, including climate change, an overall increase in the world’s population and the ever growing bargain travel industry, as well as the more recent, and very obvious, rise of social media (more specifically Instagram).
What Have We Heard?
During our attendance at the Travel & Adventure Show in Boston back in February, the idea was introduced by Pauline Frommer in her presentation ‘Spend Less, See More: Strategies for Creating Dream Vacations in All Price Ranges’. Pauline is the Editorial Director of the Frommer’s Guides and Publisher of Frommers.com, so she’s a solid resource for these kinds of things, and she covered ALOT of ground in her one hour presentation. One of her main points addressed the fact that there are many popular tourist destinations that are so popular they have become overrun! A concept I’m not sure many of us could fathom as a possibility.
Even more recently, Airbnb published an article called ‘Endangered Destinations’ in their bi-monthly magazine. [This is a magazine we receive as Airbnb hosts. If you’re interested, you can subscribe here.] The six page article by Rachel Chang highlights the various reasons certain beloved tourism spots are going endangered:
- overtourism
- coral bleaching
- overdevelopment
- pollution
- rising tempratures
- rising seas
Chang goes on to list seven ‘bucket list’ destinations that are affected by each of the causes listed above. It’s clear to see that there are two major categories here: anthropogenic activity and climate change (which, depending on who you talk to, can ultimately be considered anthropogenic as well).
Affected Destinations
Here are a few of the more popular destinations on her list:
- Barcelona, Spain
- Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Amazon, Brazil
- Florida Everglades, Florida
- Stonehenge, England
In an attempt to try and regulate the amount of tourists flooding these sites, places like the Taj Mahal (India) and Machu Picchu/Inca Trail (Peru) have started limiting the number of guests to each location on a daily basis. The former, apparently had a limit of 2,500 people per day set by UNESCO, which was not maintained. Other places, like Venice (Italy) have started discussing handing out fines to tourists caught sitting in designated areas. Another famous Italian attraction, Cinque Terre is said to have installed pedometers along the trails connected it’s five villages to monitor foot traffic and shut down once a set limit has been reached.
And then there’s Maya Bay (from the movie The Beach), which has apparently been closed down to visitors indefinitely. Or the Icelandic canyon that has been inundated by Justin Bieber followers and as a result is undergoing seasonal closures to allow it to recover from severe trampling.
Even our beloved sand bar we currently call home is at risk! The Outer Banks in North Carolina is also listed by some websites due to the continuous occurrence of sand erosion.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also has it’s own, ever growing list of properties deemed ‘World Heritage in Danger‘. This list now includes a combination of natural and cultural heritage sites, 54 properties in total, from around the world that are in need of corrective action.
Other Examples
Interestingly, this not only applies to properties but also to certain species, an industry known as ‘extinction tourism’. Species like polar bears and Galapagos tortoises for example draw a significant number of wide eyed tourists to their home bases each year. This type of tourism however, ultimately affects the properties and communities where these species are located (ie. the Arctic and Galapagos Islands).
One of the smaller scale examples that comes to mind, is the story of the sunflower farm that shut down as a result of and influx of visitors in a matter of hours just outside Toronto, Ontario last July (2018). It’s said that the small farm saw nearly 7,000 visitors on that faithful day. The unfortunate cause of the shutdown is said to have been the blatant disregard of several individuals who arrived on site. From risking personal safety, to public indecency and lack of accountability for property damage, this story is a micro version of what some of the world’s greatest sights are exposed to regularly.
Are we Guilty?
Absolutely! We were a little surprised to see some of these ‘bucket list’ epidemic destinations on the list ourselves. As budget travel bloggers and eco-minded marine biologists with a lust for these beautiful destinations, this is both a frustrating and heart breaking revelation. But it’s kind of a catch 22 right? How do you tell people they need to stop visiting these places for risk of destroying them and not expect people to rush there and see it before it’s gone?
Here are the destinations that have been deemed ‘endangered’ that we’ve traveled to:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Grand Canyon, Arizona
- New York City, New York
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Barcelona, Spain
AND we are in the process of planning a trip to Costa Rica. So we definitely are guilty of contributing to the trend, because let’s be honest, we want to see all the sites too! But ultimately, if we want to continue to visit these places, there are some considerations each and every one of us need to make to attempt to minimize our impacts on these largely visited destinations.
Traveling Sustainably
All of this being said, there is hope! So what can we do to reduce our footprint when traveling? A good place to start is thinking green and being mindful overall when you travel. Ultimately, the goal is to leave a positive impact on the local community, environment and economy.
Think Green
- book direct flights
- using public transportation or travel by bicycle
- adopt a zero-waste lifestyle
- reef-safe sunscreen alternatives
- use trash bins
- travel with a reusable straw
Be Mindful
- visit in the off-season
- support local businesses
- consider slow travel
- stay on designated paths
- be accountable
Next, we need to start entertaining new locations to visit, discovering alternatives that are just as good. And so it goes, we need to stop lusting after everyone else’s experiences and starting to create our own.
“By searching for ways to be more respectful of local communities, we’re also more likely to discover authentic experiences.”
Kelley Louise, Founder of Impact Travel Alliance
Overvisited Sights vs. Comparable Gems
In part, it comes down to finding comparable alternatives. During her presentation at the Travel and Adventure Show, Pauline Frommer posted a slide with known, overtourism destinations mirrored by her recommendations for alternatives, sort of a ‘try this, not that’ approach.
Avoid These ———————————- Try These
Cinque Terre & Amalfi Coast —————– Basilicata & Puglia
Barcelona —————————- Girona, Figueres, Roses
Costa Rica ————————— Belize or Panama
Iceland ——————————– Faroe Islands
Maya Bay —————————– Similan Islands
Bali ————————————– Komodo
Machu Picchu ————————— Choquequirao
Dubrovnik ——————————— Rovijn
Great Barrier Reef ———————— Ningaloo Reef
We realize, this is somewhat of a heavy topic, but we’ve come out inspired and open to suggestion on how to better our own tourism practices. What are your thoughts on the bucket list epidemic and endangered destinations?
Other resources:
Check out our Sustainable Travel board on Pinterest.
https://www.hipmunk.com/tailwind/endangered-destinations-go-before-theyre-gone/
https://www.smartertravel.com/
