User:Redhead0227/Sustainable tourism

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By educating tourists, indigenous communities can foster a newfound appreciation toward their “country’s natural, cultural, or historical uniqueness” (Cohan, 1978). Overall, tourists are motivated to learn more, and in return, this can ‘help to shape the self-image of the natives” (Cohan, 1978). Meaning, the natives that live on these indigenous lands can better understand their own history while simultaneously educating foreigners.

The large impact that tourism has on remote locations results in a great deal of destruction to the environment. Due to the influx of visitors, natural habitats deteriorate, biodiversity is lost, and overall climate change has increased (Hall, 2010). The permanent destruction of these natural lands has increased due to tourists seeking more adventurous experiences, such as places where they feel challenged by the change of scenery and lifestyles. Therefore, the desire to explore challenging locations, along with the need to experience authentic cultures, drives tourists to remote travel destinations. However, with the growing number of visitors, the number of untouched remote locations is decreasing. Fewer and fewer pristine environments exist today, and once human alterations have occurred, the environment cannot be returned to its natural state.

This may be done for economic reasons, but the damage to the environment cannot be undone. However, it is important to note that changes to the environment may occur for a variety of reasons. For instance, drastic changes may be made because of “evolving generational differences and changing socio-political structures” (Butler, 2007). As time goes on, the wants and needs of tourists will also evolve, therefore requiring the structure of tourism to change. Amidst all these developments, it is the duty of community members to work within the policies set in place to manage conservation (Carr et al., 2019) while also introducing new changes to the environment.