As Purbeck braces itself for another ultra-busy season of staycations, many of us are asking ourselves how we can welcome tourists while at the same time protecting our cherished landscape and wildlife.
One man with the answers is Jeremy Sampson, CEO of The Travel Foundation. And Planet Purbeck is delighted to announce that he will be among the keynote speakers at our open Zoom meeting on low impact ecotourism, scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday March 16.
The Travel Foundation is based in the UK but works globally to ensure the full impact of tourism is well understood by all involved so it benefits communities, visitors and the environment alike. It is also a worldwide advocate for more sustainable types of tourism.
To whet your appetite for what promises to be a fascinating talk, here are some of the topics 44-year-old Jeremy will raise:
- The definition of success when it comes to tourism must be reframed. It’s not just about the numbers.
- Destinations should be better managed, particularly with regard to ecotourism. Planners should be aware of conservation to ensure resources are valued and protected.
- We must realise that along with income, tourism also comes with a cost in terms of infrastructure, waste management, housing.
- Growth of tourism should not necessarily be opposed but needs to be positive for the community.
- There should be a more cohesive and shared agenda among various strands of the community about what tourism should look like.
- Residents have too often been left out of these discussions because the focus has been on visitors. Sometimes residents are left feeling their home area is not for them but for tourists, particularly in high season.
- Residents are beginning to create noise about no longer putting up with problems posed by tourism. Examples of this are in Malaga and Barcelona, in Spain, and Key West in Florida.
- Governments and planners are beginning to pay attention to this noise and some are making budgets available for ecotourism.
- The coronavirus pandemic has made people living in tourist areas appreciate their localities more and have a greater realization of the need to protect them.
