The Dark Side of Travel: How Tourism Has Damaged Local Environments and Economies

A cruise ship passes through Venice, Italy.

Whether your vacation includes fun in the sun and sand, or sightseeing in an ancient landmark, travel is an enriching and exciting way to have new adventures, and experience different cultures.  But is your travel leaving a footprint on the places you’re visiting?

Unfortunately there’s a dark side to travel that many vacationers don’t think about ahead of planning their trip.  While there are moves for tourism companies and destinations to do more to make travel sustainable, travellers should still be wary of the impact that they may have on the local ecosystem in advance of their trip.  Here are 3 times tourism damaged local environments and economies.

1. Venice bans cruise ships

Venice has a love-hate relationship with cruise ships.  On one hand, cruise ships bring tourists with padded pockets directly to the city center, providing countless jobs and bolstering the economy.  On the other, the UNESCO protected world heritage site is officially listed as in danger, and cruise ships are being blamed as the cause.

There have been a number of studies that have analyzed the impact that cruise ships are having, both on the local ecosystem as well as the structure and economy of the city.  High tides and waves caused by the ships are contributing to erosion of historic buildings.  Overcrowding in the city center is making it almost impossible for locals to live in the city.  Cruise ships may even prevent smaller vessels from being able to navigate the area.  For now, cruise ships are being diverted to a secondary port as the city works out a solution.

2. Easter Island

Some destinations have a particularly complex history with colonialism, and visitors must be mindful of this when visiting landmarks.  The Rapa Nui people of Easter Island have a deep spiritual connection to the “Moai” statues that the island is famous for.  But statues, such as the one that resides in the British Museum in London, have been taken from the island.  Though there have been attempts to bring the statues home, they have thus far been unsuccessful.  

It’s a past that has made the Rapa Nui people protective of their culture – a Finnish tourist was fined $17,000 USD for breaking off a piece of a statue as a souvenir.  And it’s a past that tourists should be mindful of when visiting.

3. Galapagos Island’s Invasive Species

The Galapagos Islands are famous for being the source of Darwin’s theory of evolution.  They are so isolated that mini ecosystems formed on and around the islands, and provided habitats for species such as giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies, not found anywhere else on earth.

Although this makes the Galapagos Islands a popular tourist destination, tourists have had a major impact on the local economy and ecosystems.  Illegal poaching of seals and harvest of sea cucumbers out of season is contributing to the species being at risk in the area.  Invasive species, such as pigs, goats, and rats, have been brought to the islands by boat, threatening the local populations and doing major damage to the landscape.

While progress is being made in protecting the islands (Ecuador in particular is tackling the invasive species problem), there are still issues, and tourists are encouraged to practice low-impact tourism on their visits.