Sustainable Tourism Starts with Listening to Local Voices

In 2019, international tourism generated over $1.7 trillion in revenue. But while travelers collect memories, many local communities are left managing the cost.

Take Venice, Italy. With just around 50,000 residents in its historic center, the city hosts over 20 million tourists in 2023. The pressure is visible: rising rents, overcrowded streets, pollution in fragile canals, and a steady exodus of locals.

The story repeats itself across the globe.

As tourism grows, the balance between economic benefit and social burden becomes harder to hold. Local communities, often seen as part of the backdrop, are at the frontlines of change facing loss of identity, rising inequality, and growing environmental stress.

So, what does sustainable travel really look like when seen through their eyes?

• Can we rethink tourism as a two-way relationship?
• What does it mean to visit a place without consuming it?
• Can eco-tourism actually empower and protect local lives?

These are not just questions for travelers, but for all of us.

Source: UNWTO, Fortune

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