In many places, tourism is one of the most powerful economic drivers, so it’s unsurprising that many destinations prioritize bringing in tourist dollars at all costs, regardless of the effect on local communities and ecosystems. However, much more good can come of a place prioritizing the environment and its people and making connection with them core to the experience for visitors.
Even a single hotel or resort directing its energy and resources to lessen its impact on the planet can have a profound effect, exemplified by waste-lessening initiatives at Bali, Indonesia’s Potato Head and sustainable power generation at Dominica’s Coulibri Ridge. However, leveraging those sustainable tourism initiatives at scale throughout entire destinations is fast becoming the standard globally for places looking to ensure their future economic and environmental well-being.
Dominica, the jungle-covered Caribbean destination known as the “Nature Island” for its wild and wonderful outdoor pursuits, such as diving and hiking, is a model in this regard. The island is prone to hurricanes and is officially designated as disaster-vulnerable by the World Bank. Since 2017, however, the island has been working to be the first climate-resilient nation in the world, and the Indigenous Kalinago people and their customs are at the heart of the effort. With input from Kalinago chief Sylvanie Burton, more sophisticated weather-monitoring systems are already in place, such as new meteorological stations and a network of monitoring points that use hydrometeorological sensors to track and anticipate extreme weather.
The island has also deployed enhanced water storage and supply practices, more storm-resistant infrastructure and greater access for Indigenous populations when evacuation or other protective measures are needed. The conch shell warning systems long used by Kalinago have been adapted to today, blending ancient practices with modern technology that covers all the bases, from a certain long-blowing conch sound to radio and smartphone alerts.
Some of this is being funded by the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program, which gives international individuals dual citizenship in the nation in exchange for investing $200,000 in the island’s Economic Diversification Fund.
Another project demonstrating the nation’s comprehensive approach to sustainability is the new Sperm Whale Reserve of around 300 square miles off the island’s west coast. The first in the world, the reserve is expected not only to generate tourism income (visitors can view the behemoths from a boat or swim with them in tightly monitored numbers) and help protect the threatened species but also to sequester carbon through a chain of events that involves the megafauna’s iron-rich feces creating plankton blooms that capture carbon dioxide and later sink, burying many metric tons of carbon in the deep sea.
Fortunately, Dominica is not the only place putting in the work to make tourism dollars do more for the environment. After a trial month this summer, Copenhagen has extended its CopenPay incentive program that encourages visitors to act more sustainably and responsibly. Essentially, doing a good deed results in a reward. If a tourist helps clean up litter from a canal, they can get a free boat trip or two-hour kayak loan. Volunteering to tidy an urban garden gets them a tasty communal lunch, for instance. Each business’s participation guidelines can be found on the CopenPay map.
The initiative echoes Hawaii’s Malama Hawaii program, which began handing out hotel perks in exchange for purposeful engagement in an environmental or cultural preservation project during the coronavirus pandemic.
In Australia, Queensland’s new Guardian of the Reef platform takes a similar approach. Travelers who plan to visit the iconic Great Barrier Reef may watch educational videos on the dedicated website and earn coupons to use for Expedia bookings. They can eventually reach the “ocean floor,” where they could enter to win a trip to the stunning destination and its rare underwater accommodation, Reefstay with Cruise Whitsundays.
Going deeper and connecting more meaningfully is also the aim of Panama’s recently launched Sostur network, part of the government’s $310 million Sustainable Tourism Master Plan. It is a grassroots digital portal for travelers to book sustainable activities in parts of the carbon-negative country that are well off the tourist track.
By staying in locally owned accommodations, visitors can experience authentic encounters while helping support environmental preservation and needs in local Indigenous communities. Around the UNESCO-listed La Amistad International Park, travelers can take jungle hikes, learn to cook traditional local recipes and harvest cacao with the Naso people. They can also sleep at a female-run inn, where the revenue goes toward advancing the formal education of local women. In an even more remote region, there are pygmy sloth safaris, plant fiber-weaving classes and snorkeling adventures to be had.
Other countries have implemented visitor fees to raise funds for environmental programs. As of 2024, Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee is $100 per person, per day, and it goes to environmental conservation, infrastructure development and cultural preservation. Bali began charging a 150,000 Indonesian rupiah ($9.50) per person international tourist levy that is allocated to maintain the island’s environment and culture. On Oct. 1, 2024, New Zealand tripled its tourist tax from 35 New Zealand dollars ($21) to NZ$100 ($60), signaling its refreshed focus on higher-spending travelers and protecting its natural resources; the Galapagos Islands recently doubled its entry fees to $100 to $200 depending on travelers’ citizenship in the hopes of reducing overall traveler numbers and directing more dollars toward conservation efforts.
Though it can mean more money out of travelers’ pockets, the critically important trend of prioritizing sustainable tourism growth and environmental preservation is worth every penny in terms of experiential value. For these nations, and hopefully more soon, connecting with their natural and cultural roots is proving the best way to innovate, enrich and thrive in the future.
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