We have all become more conscious of the fragile nature of our world these days. While we are in the depths of economic recession, we are also aware that our climate is undergoing radical change. We know that this will impact on our world and change it forever. Areas of the world that we took for granted may no longer be around in 20 years time.
In a global society, everything begins to look the same. In order to drive down cost, mass production processes create homogeneous products. Waking up in a chain hotel, eating in a chain restaurant or walking through your average shopping centre, you’d be hard pressed to identify whether your in Dublin or New York. The big brand names appear everywhere.
This has led many to think about what we can do to protect our planet. Throughout the world, people and organisations are working to address the issue of climate change and globalisation. Those involved in travel and
tourism are working hard to ensure the survival of the industry by developing sustainable products and making travel more interesting for customers.
Responsible and sustainable tourism is all about diversity, natural and cultural. What makes a destination unique is an
asset, both to the local enterprise and the visitor. Increasingly visitors to a region want to experience local culture, enjoy local food and meet local people. ‘Getting away from it all’ means finding something new to do while on holidays and coming home refreshed.
So seek out something different this year, try out a new experience and support a sustainable tourism project. You will come home with a new perspective and you will feel better for having helped our planet along the way.