‘I’m a traveller, not a tourist!’

How many times have you said that?
I admit, I’ve said it a few times myself.

What we’re really saying is:
Can’t you see that I’m climbing a mountain and not shopping duty free?
Haven’t you noticed the size of my backpack?
Can’t you see I’m wearing a Sari? 😛

Today is World Tourism Day.

Truth is, whether you’re on an indefinite, itinerant and loosely scheduled journey through South America; on your annual 5-day read-on-the-beach fest at the Seminyak or Cancun Club Med; or on 10-day Contiki Tour bar crawl in the south of Spain, your visit contributes to the economic and social wellbeing of the places you visit.

In 2019, 330 million people worked in travel & tourism around the world. That’s a lot of people. 😲
That’s a lot of women, minorities, young people, LGBTQ communities and people living with disabilities.

Even post-pandemic tourism and travel contributed to over 7% of the world GNP, employed more than 22 million people - over 50% of these women and young people.

World Tourism Day is a day for remembering that millions of people are engaged in the tourism industry around the world.
It’s a day to acknowledge its impact is huge and to celebrate the economic, social and cultural contribution that it makes.

It’s definitely had an impact on us.

World Tourism Day can also be a day to remember that biodiversity is currently one of our most precious resources. We’re not only talking about a loss of jobs, or a loss of income or livelihood.

We’re talking about the loss of fresh and breathable air, potable water, genetic capacity to evolve. We’ve moved past sustainability. Sustainability alone will not cut it. Regenerative and conscious tourism is crucially needed.

We’re on the brink of losing 2,000 species in the next ten years.

I was happy to read that this year’s World Tourism Day theme is Tourism and Green Investments, and that some important questions are being discussed, including:

• How to support increased investment in greening the tourism sector?

• How to accelerate climate innovation?

• How to support new climate solutions through investment in new technologies, business models, and practices?

• How to support innovation, technology and entrepreneurship?

• How to accelerate access to capital in both domestic and international markets for women entrepreneurs?

They’re all good and important questions, but there are so mnay more to ask.
About biodiversity loss, engaging with traditional owners, restoration economy.

How can we contribute to a destination & all of its inhabitants (including the nonhuman ones) thriving?

As an ecotourism/nature-based tourism company we are depend 100 % on pristine natural and wilderness environments to fulfil our mission of reconnecting people to nature.

During our Walking with Wildflowers experiences in the Fitzgerald River National Park we walk among species that may not exist in a decade.

Like the Yellow Mountain Triggerplant - Stylidium gladioides
And the Crowned Mallee (Eucalyptus coronata) a species found only within a small area of the national park.

In Australia almost 2,000 species are seriously threatened.

The Biodiversity Conference 2023
10 - 12 October
University of Western Australia

How can we OURSELVES be part of the solution?
How can we help?
This is the question that I asked myself as I prepared an abstract for the Biodiversity Conference in early October at the University of Western Australia.
I’m so thrilled to be sharing my ideas, but also to be surrounded for three days by smart people who live and breathe biodiversity conservation and regeneration.

Check out the program