At various industry conferences there have been verbose talks on sustainable tourism. Association Congress’ & Conventions have time and again seen industry leaders and experts talking about the way forward, but the use of single-use plastic on a large scale continues unabated. Barring a handful names in India, achieving something overtly visible continues to remain a far-fetched dream.
But the recent news of Japan administration abolishing the decade-old crowd-puller Cherry Blossom Festival is a bold move. Citing protection of environment of its citizens while choosing dignity is a strong sentiment. This follows after Japan blocking views of Mt Fuji last year. The words dignity and environment are rarely used in the same context, but when push comes to shove, the inevitable becomes reality.
Overtourism is a global challenge, from Uttarakhand to Venice, and the damage is visible. But measures that put an end to mass influx of tourists at one go is where the industry has been forced to land. Overtourism, especially in the Indian context, is invariably accompanied by indiscriminate littering and environmental degradation. This adds a much more immediate concern. It makes me think, is India the next in line for something more meaningful while haphazard developmental damage has become the norm, or do we still want to reap benefits of selfish interests?
