How to save tourism from itself | Doug Lansky | TEDxStockholmSalon

Summary

This script addresses the unsustainable growth of the tourism industry, highlighting the negative impacts such as overcrowding and environmental damage. It proposes a redefinition of success in tourism, emphasizing the need for strategies that protect local quality of life, maximize local economic impact, elevate visitor experience, and protect key assets. The speaker suggests practical solutions like time-ticketed entry, advanced spending, and supporting sustainable practices to ensure tourism benefits both travelers and destinations, while preserving the planet for future generations.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The global tourism industry has grown exponentially from 25 million international travelers in 1950 to 1.4 billion in recent years, becoming one of the world's largest industries.
• 📈 The current global strategy for tourism has been to continually push for 'more', which has led to over-tourism and negative impacts on the environment and local communities.
• 🚫 Over-tourism has resulted in overcrowding at popular destinations, damage to natural resources like coral reefs, and pollution in various forms, including air and marine pollution.
• 🛑 The speaker suggests that the tourism industry needs to 'pump the brakes' and reconsider its strategies to avoid further damage and ensure sustainable growth.
• 🏡 Protecting the quality of life for locals is identified as a key goal, as they have often been overlooked in the pursuit of tourism growth.
• 🌍 The concept of 'over tourism' is challenged by the speaker, who prefers 'unbalanced tourism', implying that a more balanced approach to tourism is needed.
• 🎟️ Destinations should implement measures such as ticketing systems and visitor limits to manage tourism growth and maintain a balance with local infrastructure and resources.
• 💰 The focus should shift from merely increasing visitor numbers to maximizing local economic impact, considering the costs and leakages in the tourism industry.
• 🛍️ Enhancing the visitor experience through better facilities, extended opening hours, and reducing queues can lead to increased spending and profitability with fewer visitors.
• 🌟 Protecting key assets, such as natural and cultural attractions, is crucial for the sustainability of tourism and requires proactive management and preservation.
• 🛫 The script raises the question of flying and its environmental impact, suggesting that while reducing flights is important, supporting the development of eco-friendly planes is also a viable path towards sustainable tourism.

Q & A

How has the number of international travelers changed from 1950 to the present day?

In 1950, there were 25 million international travelers, and by the last year mentioned in the transcript, the number had grown to 1.4 billion, indicating a massive increase in tourism as one of the world's largest industries.

What is the speaker's main concern regarding the current state of tourism?

The speaker is concerned about the negative impacts of over-tourism, including environmental degradation, disturbance to local communities, and the need for a more sustainable and balanced approach to tourism growth.

What does the speaker suggest as a solution to the problem of over-tourism?

The speaker suggests a redefinition of success in tourism, focusing on four key areas: protecting the quality of life for locals, maximizing local economic impact, elevating the visitor experience, and protecting key assets.

Why does the speaker argue that the term 'over-tourism' might not be entirely accurate?

The speaker argues that 'over-tourism' might not be accurate because it implies that there are too many tourists everywhere, whereas the problem is often more about unbalanced tourism, with certain areas being overcrowded while others are underutilized.

What is the speaker's view on the economic impact of tourism on local communities?

The speaker believes that the economic benefits of tourism should not come at the expense of the quality of life for locals. They argue for a strategy that ensures tourism works for locals and contributes positively to the local economy.

What is the concept of 'destination capacity' as discussed in the script?

Destination capacity refers to the idea of balancing the number of tourists with the available resources and infrastructure in a destination. It's about ensuring that growth is organic and sustainable, rather than overwhelming the destination's ability to accommodate and cater to visitors.

How does the speaker describe the current situation of tourists taking over certain areas in cities?

The speaker describes a scenario where tourists have effectively taken over certain areas in cities, making it uncomfortable for locals to access their own neighborhoods and services, which can lead to resentment and a decline in the quality of life for residents.

What is the speaker's suggestion for a more sustainable approach to tourism growth?

The speaker suggests that destinations should grow organically, similar to how theme parks expand by adding new attractions and facilities in tandem with increased visitor numbers. This approach ensures a balance between tourism development and the destination's capacity to accommodate.

What is the 'Palau Pledge' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to sustainable tourism?

The 'Palau Pledge' is an initiative by the island nation of Palau where visitors sign a passport stamp committing to act in an environmentally responsible way during their visit. It is a cost-effective and impactful way to encourage sustainable tourism practices among travelers.

How does the speaker address the issue of carbon emissions from air travel in the context of sustainable tourism?

The speaker acknowledges the dilemma of air travel's carbon footprint and suggests that while reducing flights is important, it's also necessary to support the development of eco-friendly planes and airlines that invest in sustainable energy solutions. They also encourage travelers to make more conscious choices, such as flying less or choosing more fuel-efficient flights.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Over-Tourism and the Need for a Sustainable Strategy

The speaker reflects on the exponential growth of tourism from 25 million international travelers in 1950 to 1.4 billion in the present day, emphasizing the industry's impact on the environment and local communities. The concept of 'over-tourism' is introduced, highlighting issues such as overcrowded attractions, environmental degradation, and the negative effects on local quality of life. The speaker calls for a reevaluation of tourism strategies, advocating for a balanced approach that considers the needs and well-being of both tourists and locals. The goal is to redefine success in tourism with a focus on sustainable practices and long-term benefits for destinations.

05:00

📈 Addressing Unbalanced Tourism and Economic Impact

This paragraph delves into the concept of 'unbalanced tourism,' using the analogy of a dinner party to illustrate the mismatch between tourist numbers and local resources. The speaker argues for organic growth in tourism destinations, similar to how theme parks expand. Examples of successful management, such as the Wave in Utah and Cinque Terre in Italy, are provided to demonstrate how limiting visitor numbers can enhance the experience and protect local economies. The speaker also addresses the need to maximize local economic benefits, suggesting that destinations should focus on profit rather than just visitor numbers and revenue, while considering the costs and leakages in their calculations.

10:03

🛍 Enhancing Visitor Experience and Promoting Unique Attractions

The speaker discusses strategies to elevate the visitor experience, acknowledging that modern tourism is a relatively new concept for humans. Suggestions include extending shopping hours, implementing time-ticketed entry to reduce queues, and promoting advanced spending to keep tourists engaged in the consumer loop. The paragraph also touches on the importance of creating unique, one-of-a-kind experiences to draw tourists, rather than replicating successful models from other locations. The need to protect key assets that tourists value is emphasized, along with the idea that tourism organizations should be promotional and managerial to ensure the sustainability of destinations.

15:03

✈️ The Role of Sustainable Practices in Aviation and Personal Travel

In this paragraph, the speaker explores the dilemma of air travel's environmental impact and the potential for sustainable aviation. The discussion covers the progress made in electric and hydrogen-powered planes, the importance of continued investment in eco-friendly technologies, and the consumer's role in demanding sustainable options. The speaker also addresses the improvements in fuel efficiency for long-haul flights and the significance of making informed choices about travel. The paragraph concludes with the idea of making travel more purposeful and committing to sustainable practices, such as the Palau Pledge, to ensure a better future for tourism and the planet.

Keywords

💡International Travelers

The term 'International Travelers' refers to individuals who cross international borders for purposes such as tourism, business, or visiting family and friends. In the context of the video, it highlights the exponential growth of this demographic from 25 million in 1950 to 1.4 billion in the present day, underscoring the immense scale and impact of tourism on a global level.

💡Over Tourism

Over Tourism is a concept that describes a situation where there is an excessive number of tourists in a particular area, leading to overcrowding and negative environmental and cultural impacts. The video script uses this term to discuss the imbalance caused by an unchecked growth in tourism, which can strain local resources and detract from the quality of life for residents.

💡Quality of Life

Quality of Life refers to the general well-being and satisfaction of individuals in their environments. The video emphasizes the importance of protecting the quality of life for locals, who are often overlooked in the pursuit of tourism growth. The script suggests that if tourism negatively affects local residents, it is not sustainable or successful.

💡Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Tourism is a form of tourism that aims to maintain and enhance the cultural, environmental, and economic aspects of a destination while ensuring the well-being of its residents. The video calls for a redefinition of success in tourism to include sustainability, advocating for practices that balance economic benefits with environmental stewardship and social equity.

💡Destination Capacity

Destination Capacity pertains to the maximum number of visitors a location can accommodate without causing degradation to the environment, culture, or quality of life. The script uses the analogy of a dinner party to explain the concept, suggesting that tourism should be managed to ensure that the infrastructure and resources of a destination are not overwhelmed.

💡Economic Impact

Economic Impact refers to the effects that tourism has on the economy of a destination, including revenue generation and job creation. The video argues for a shift in focus from the number of visitors to the profit generated, advocating for strategies that maximize local economic benefits while minimizing negative externalities.

💡Local Economic Impact

Local Economic Impact is the direct effect that tourism has on the local economy, such as supporting local businesses and generating income for residents. The script criticizes the leakage of profits to international franchises and booking sites, advocating for strategies that keep more money within the local economy.

💡Unbalanced Tourism

Unbalanced Tourism is a term preferred by the speaker over 'Over Tourism', as it implies a solvable issue. It refers to the uneven distribution of tourists in a destination, causing overcrowding in certain areas while other potential attractions remain underutilized. The video suggests that addressing this imbalance could lead to a more sustainable and enjoyable experience for both tourists and locals.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural Heritage encompasses the tangible and intangible aspects of a culture that are passed down through generations and are considered valuable. The video script touches on the importance of protecting cultural heritage sites, which are often the main attractions for tourists, from damage and over-commercialization.

💡Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of sustainable travel that focuses on preserving natural environments and promoting conservation efforts. The video suggests that ecotourism can be part of the solution to the problems caused by over tourism, as it encourages responsible travel practices that minimize the ecological footprint of tourists.

💡Travel Purpose

Travel Purpose refers to the reasons why people embark on journeys. The script notes that modern tourism is often travel without a traditional purpose, such as migration or trade, and suggests that making tourism more purposeful, such as through ecotourism or cultural exchange, can contribute to a more meaningful and sustainable experience.

Highlights

The growth of international tourism from 25 million travelers in 1950 to 1.4 billion in recent years, emphasizing the industry's massive expansion.

The concept of 'more' as the global strategy for tourism, suggesting a need for reevaluation to avoid negative impacts.

The 'tipping point' in tourism due to over-visitation leading to environmental and societal issues.

The negative environmental impacts of tourism, such as coral reef destruction and pollution.

The need for a new strategy in tourism to balance growth with sustainability and local quality of life.

The importance of protecting the quality of life for locals as a key aspect of sustainable tourism.

The phenomenon of 'over tourism' and its consequences for local communities and attractions.

The preference for the term 'unbalanced tourism' over 'over tourism' to imply a solvable issue.

The concept of destination capacity and the need for balanced growth in tourism infrastructure.

Examples of successful destination management, such as the Wave in Utah and the Cinque Terre in Italy.

The idea of maximizing local economic impact by focusing on profit over visitor numbers.

The issue of economic leakage in tourism and the importance of keeping money within the local economy.

The potential for destinations to grow too fast, as illustrated by the case of Iceland.

Strategies for increasing profit in tourism through reducing queues and enhancing the visitor experience.

The importance of elevating the visitor experience by providing unique and authentic experiences.

The need to protect key tourism assets to ensure the sustainability of destinations.

The role of tourists in promoting sustainable practices and making informed choices about travel.

The potential of technology and innovation in aviation for sustainable tourism, such as electric planes.

The Palau Pledge as an example of a cost-effective and impactful commitment to sustainable tourism.

The call to action for individuals and the industry to be part of the solution for sustainable tourism.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

in 1950

there were 25 million international

travelers

last year

1.4

billion

tourism now one of the world's largest

industries

it's amazing when you think about it

it's come an awfully long way and i can

sum up global strategy for tourism with

one single word

more

more

wait for it

more

we've been driving this tourism bus with

a gas pedal for way too long if you want

to get where you actually want to go

avoid the obstacles get there safely

even get there quicker you got to pump

the brakes every once in a while and

we've been neglecting that so it's no

real surprise that we've hit a tipping

point in a lot of ways

too many visitors

at attractions

in cities

in national parks

on hiking trails

and beaches

ruining coral reefs

clear cutting forest to make golf

courses

pumping sewage into our beautiful oceans

and polluting our beautiful blue skies

by ship

by plane

and leaving trash just about everywhere

we go

how do we put a stop to this insanity

if we don't come up with a better

strategy than

more we're not going to be able to save

tourism

from itself

and without a strategy we're likely to

fall for the next attractive thing that

comes along

only to regret it soon after

so what i want to do today

is redefine what success means in

tourism so we have some real goals to

try to go after so we know when to hand

out the bonuses

i've got a plan for four things that are

going to improve tourism for the

traveler

and for the destination in other words

they're going to improve things for you

whether you're traveling or living in a

city that gets travelers

so here's the game plan protect the

quality of life for locals that's number

one they've been left out of the

equation for far too long in my mind if

tourism doesn't work for locals it

doesn't work

now i'm going to go ahead and assume

that you all like to travel

but let me ask you this

do you like to travel so much

that you wouldn't mind if say 50 tour

buses pulled up on your street and

parked there right in front of where you

live

every single day kept the buses running

offloaded about 1500 tourists they

walked up and down your street were loud

in the morning loud late at night threw

trash in your bushes took over the

playgrounds where your kids played took

over your favorite cafe on the corner

but they left a little extra money in

that cafe and they gave a nice economic

boost to your neighborhood

would that be worth it

is that trade-off worth it i don't think

so

i don't think it's worth it for any of

us the thing is this is what's happening

everywhere we go

cities around the world the most

beautiful cities and the most beautiful

parts of those cities have been handed

over to the tourists and what have the

locals done we just kind of backed off

we're like ah that's a tourist areas now

we're not going to go there just down

the street from where we are now this is

happening in stockholm in old town

tons of tourists and the locals kind of

stay away

it's happening in copenhagen

it's happening in bergen

just to name a few nordic examples it's

happening in places all over the world

what are we going to do about this i

don't think it's okay

do you

it's not

we need to do something a city can have

tourists but the tourists shouldn't have

the city

i'm going to say that again a city can

have tourists but the tourists

shouldn't have the city

so here's the thing this is the word

that describes it over tourism it's a

phenomenon but i don't think it's quite

the right word it makes it sound like

there's too many tourists everywhere and

that's usually not the case it's not

like this

it's more like this where that one road

that takes you to the center of town

that's rush hour traffic that everybody

needs is the one that's crowded and

that's like those must-see super popular

attractions

and the rest of the capacity those other

roads those are like the attractions you

never heard of probably didn't want to

go to

and the thing is

would you drive on those roads just

because they're empty

even though they don't take you where

you want to go would you be happy

traveling halfway around the world and

then not see the attractions you most

want to see

this is what's happening everywhere

right now

and this is where it gets to destination

capacity and here's a really simple way

to think about it think of it like a

dinner party right you want to have 12

guests so you do a quick inventory check

you're like okay we got 12 plates but we

only have two forks we have seven spoons

and seven knives etc etc you could run

to the store but if the guests showed up

right now

would you say you were over guested

or under forked

and this is why i don't like the word

over tourism i prefer unbalanced tourism

it implies you can have an action to fix

the problem and this is exactly what's

happening in cities there's a balance

right if you want to maximize the

passengers and planes that can come into

an airport well maybe that means there's

too many people for the hotels or the

walking street or the parking lots or

the attractions same thing if you max

the hotels maybe that's too many for the

airport or for the walking street and

the hotels et cetera et cetera if you

want to grow a destination it needs to

grow

organically and this is what i try to

help destinations do around the world

and you know who does it really well

theme parks

if they want to grow they had a new ride

if they had a new ride they had a new

ticket counter they had a new ticket

counter they had a new bathroom a new

snack stand a new restaurant

and they grow organically and this is

how it works the thing is there are some

people who are doing it right there are

some stakeholders like here in utah the

wave it's called this beautiful rock

formation they only allow 20 people per

day and they give it out lottery style

at the tourist office because they want

everyone to have a really cool

experience and get a picture like this

or here in the cinque terre in italy on

the coast

before they didn't have any tickets and

about 2.5 million people walk that trail

between these beautiful villages every

year and they just implemented a

ticketing system but they only printed

up

1.5 million tickets they intentionally

wanted one million fewer visitors that's

a bold move

or here in the island of fernando de

neruna off the coast of brazil they only

allow 460 at one time

can they even earn more money this way

by capping it

by putting the cap back into capitalism

can they become more profitable

all the other stakeholders do it

airplanes do it they have a max capacity

so do hotels so do tour groups so do

attractions

why not entire destinations

this gets me to point two

maximizing the local economic impact

presumably most people in this industry

are in it to earn some money but instead

of looking at number of visitors

or revenue

why not profit

they're not looking at it now and they

need to because they need to look at

some important costs and leakages costs

like electricity water picking up the

beach after the tourists cleaning up the

streets and all these international

franchises the money doesn't always come

in like a hotel for example those

international franchise hotels about 16

goes straight to the mothership

in the international headquarters never

even arrives in the destination or those

really convenient booking sites about 25

goes right to their corporate

headquarters never enters the

destination now i'm not saying these

things are bad they're evil that they

should not have them i'm just saying a

destination needs to be smart and factor

it into the calculation because after

all it's the tourists who are there

sorry the locals who are there who are

paying the price by having all those

tourists that they have to put up with

and this is another problem destinations

can grow too fast

it's happened just recently in iceland

the global average for growth and

tourism is four percent they were

growing at 24 per year

i spoke to the ceo of their tourism

cluster she said they were growing so

fast having to build so much

infrastructure to handle all the

additional visitors they had trouble

earning money

they were growing so fast they couldn't

earn money

it's a crazy phenomenon and it doesn't

need to be that way

this is an attraction you've all heard

of in orlando florida one of the world's

most famous they went down three years

ago they went down in visitation

and they went up four percent in profit

fewer visitors

more profit how did they do that

here's how they did it and this is

something that destinations can do right

now this is the trick you want to have

nice bathrooms all over the place

cleaned after every use because with the

most affluent travelers and maybe some

of you are among them they go back to

their hotel room and use the bathroom

there

and while they're there they turn on the

tv they take a nap the kids start

playing on their phones and they're out

of the consumer loop you want to keep

them shopping which means you also want

great opening hours 30 to 40 percent of

the shopping occurs after 6 p.m

and so many places close at 6 p.m

the other thing you want to do is get

rid of queues when people are in lines

they're not spending they're out of the

consumer loop and they're miserable

there's something called time ticketed

entry that is available to all

attractions it means you book a specific

time you show up you go straight in

there's no waiting for anybody

the other thing is advanced spending so

when you're booking a ticket for a

museum maybe they can sell you a lunch

while you're there or an audio tour and

the more you spend in advance that's

last month's budget you booked it last

month when you show up that day you're

not reaching for your wallet for the

entry fee you're more likely to impulse

shop at the gift shop and spend more

money and then you want to separate

spending from the money this is why

casinos make you change your money to

chips doesn't feel like real money it's

why hotels let you sign drinks to the

room doesn't feel like you're buying

anything

if you use these tricks

you can get more money with even fewer

visitors this is the low hanging fruit

of tourism

third you want to elevate the visitor

experience

here's the thing for about the last 200

000 years or so we've been

hunter-gatherers we've been only doing

this modern tourism thing about the last

75 years and we're not really hardwired

for it you know the thing is if you look

at the thing that it's evolved most

easily

hunting and gathering has evolved to

dining and shopping

it's what we're best at it still feels

like what we're best at

it's crazy because tourism is travel

without a purpose we're not fleeing from

a disease outbreak we're not fighting a

religious war we're not opening new

trade routes we're just walking around

and looking at stuff

and the thing with that is it's kind of

hard to know when you're done there's no

clear beginning and an end and so you

got your kids are tugging at your sleeve

saying can we go now after five minutes

and we've created this little funny

tourism ceremony you may have done this

yourself in fact many of you probably

have you've said

take a picture and let's go

not that you're trophy collecting it's

just a nice little ceremony that adds

closure to this thing with no beginning

and no end

and another thing that's happening is

we're copying too much best practice

you're probably familiar with this as

well you saw the london eye was a huge

success and everyone saw that so they

said oh well we should put one in

helsinki we should have one in singapore

we definitely need one in seattle and we

need one in cape town and we need one in

chicago and we should have one in

shanghai and there's another dozen that

i could have put up here

it kind of waters down the travel

experience doesn't it takes away some of

that motivation to leave home

strange that way but there is an

opposite there is a success story and

here's just a little nugget of what that

looks like this is just a food hall in

brooklyn but they have an interesting

policy

if you want to be here

you can't be anywhere else they want a

unique one-of-a-kind experience so

people have to go there

to experience it it's a smart idea

and the last one is protecting the key

assets this is so

simple i can't even believe i have to

say it out loud but you got to protect

the things that tourists are coming to

see and so many people aren't you see

the headlines for this all the time this

thing's in disrepair this resorts and

just in real they don't want you to swim

in the water the beaches are nasty all

this stuff is crazy we're damaging reefs

even unesco signified resorts are

getting unescocied

this is insane

and the reason this happens

is that tourism organizations are set up

to be promotional only that's what i

meant when i say driving the bus using

only

the gas pedal what we need for

politicians to do around the world is

start new organizations to manage the

destinations or they're not going to

have anything to promote very soon

so these are the four things again

they're not just for the industry these

are things that affect all of us

but you might be wondering what can we

do right now to help

let me just um start with a funny survey

it's kind of interesting 69 percent of

people in this survey said that

sustainable tourism is very important to

them but in that same very survey 75

said they don't even know what it is

it sounds crazy but in a way it's hard

to know it can mean just about anything

these days but the thing that might be

most topical

should we be flying

this is the big question we have the co2

guilt that we're talking about and some

people are saying that we shouldn't be

well i kind of feel two ways about it

part of me says we definitely should

stop flying

and there's another part of me that says

well

i can kind of still imagine that

someone's going to be flying in three

years from now and five years from now

and 10 years from now there will be

planes in the sky and wouldn't it be

great if they were all

hydrogen powered or electric powered

eco-friendly sustainable energy planes

how cool would that be and how do we get

there

if we stop flying if too many of us do

how are an airline suffer financially

how are they going to get the money for

research and development how are they

going to buy these really cool eco

planes

and we actually have come a long way so

far this is an electric plane that

actually flies

nasa is working on it there's lots of

companies developing these things right

now we may be closer to this than you

think

but it's going to go out of business if

everyone stops flying

it's kind of a weird catch-22 that way

and norway has this brilliant idea they

have a nationwide plan for electric

planes for their domestic flights in the

near future how cool would it be if more

governments signed on with such a plan

and more airlines started investing this

and we the customers started demanding

it that's something we can all do today

and here's the other good news in the

last 10 years airplanes long-haul

flights have gotten more fuel efficient

by 27

but this also creates confusion right

because there's planes in the sky that

are less efficient and more efficient

and when you go to book a flight like

say from new york to singapore you can

see how much it costs when it leaves and

how long the flight is but you can't see

how much petrol they're burning and

that's a really important question

because there's a huge difference

between planes currently servicing that

route between 1.3 tons per passenger

or 0.9 it's hard to know that's a huge

difference if we're looking at a round

trip for two people that adds up to 1.6

tons of co2 and if you're not sure what

that looks like here's what one ton

looks like

it's hard to imagine that there's

anything we can do once we get to that

destination like reusing our towels and

taking an ecotour that's going to add up

to that much co2

but we can do a few things for starters

we don't have to fly really really far

to get to a beach we could choose one

that's a little closer to home and if

we're flying or if we want to travel

closer to home we don't have to fly we

can take trains or buses when possible

there are other things we can do

to have a better effect on the

environment but not everything has to

cost money or require technology this is

one of my favorite solutions the island

of palau puts a stamp right in your

passport and they ask you to sign it and

take the palau pledge

it's beautiful it's almost poetic if you

look there at the bottom it says the

only footprints i shall leave are those

that will wash away

how amazing is that what a great and

cost-effective way that is to get us to

help commit to this thing of course we

should be doing it anyway whether they

put a stamp in our passport or not

now i said before that tourism is travel

without a purpose but that doesn't mean

we can't make it more purposeful

it doesn't matter if you're responsible

for an entire destination

or responsible for booking your next

trip

why not be part of the solution

a solution that brings us to a better

future

in a future that allows the next

generations of travelers to see this

amazing planet

in the same way that we have

and that is how we save tourism from

itself