Summer is almost here—which means so are summer adventures! This year, 73 percent of Americans say they’re planning to take a trip between May and September. Many places around the world welcome tourists because their spending boosts the local economy. Visitors pay for hotel rooms, transportation, souvenirs, and more. Tourism is also responsible for millions of jobs around the world, including almost one-third of all jobs in top vacation destinations. And in places in the Caribbean with amazing beaches—like Aruba and St. Lucia—more than 70 percent of jobs rely on tourism!
But there can be too much of a good thing. “In and of itself, tourism isn’t necessarily harmful,” says Kathy Kupper, who works for the National Park Service. Instead, she says, overcrowding and certain tourist behaviors, such as littering and not following trails or paths, take a toll. That’s why more and more destinations around the world are looking at ways to minimize the harmful side of tourism.
Summer is almost here—and so are summer adventures! This year, 73 percent of Americans plan to travel between May and September. Many places around the world welcome tourists because they spend money. Visitors pay for hotel rooms, transportation, souvenirs, and more. Tourism also creates millions of jobs. At top vacation destinations, one-third of all jobs are in tourism. On Caribbean islands with amazing beaches—like Aruba and St. Lucia—more than 70 percent of jobs have to do with tourism!
But there can be too much of a good thing. “Tourism isn’t necessarily harmful,” says Kathy Kupper, who works for the National Park Service. But overcrowding takes a toll. So do behaviors like littering and not following trails or paths. That’s why more and more places are looking to minimize the harmful side of tourism.