“Being a (good) tourist is learned”

In the summer of 2022, the threat of climate change was a little more materialized, especially in tourist territories, which we have seen that with the emergence of COVID-19 they were certainly dependent on arrival tourists, but remained essential to the balance of socio-economic systems at all scales.

The ecological, ethical or even metaphysical dilemma between, on the one hand, the limitation and the search for better supervision of international tourist flows and, on the other hand, the need to perpetuate a tourist activity source of jobs , economic benefits and whose real role but underestimated in the imaginations and mental health of the populations worn by the pandemic due to Sars-Cov-2 has only strengthened.

The globalized paradoxical tourist, that is to be gifted with reason, sensitive to environmental issues but who cannot help but travel pretty much when and where he wishes, finds himself stuck in his ambivalent position. However, the civic, political and media pressure which is now exercised on places, actors and tourist practices is intensifying in recent years and does not seem to slow down.

sensitize all actors in Tourism

The emergence then the multiplication of binding devices (filtering, toll, partial or temporary closure of sites, compulsory reservation, regulation, reduction of quotas, control, etc.) in certain destinations contribute to generalized bashing tourism, symbolized by the Fight against “mass tourism”, expression ill-used but commonly accepted.

If the rapid end of this model is desired by a number of observers, it is clear that it does not “reinvent” as quickly as expected. Worse, it continues to exist and strengthen. Consequently, the current governance strategy aimed at restricting tourist freedoms cannot be satisfied with itself. To be effective, it must necessarily be accompanied by a real education in tourism at school, from an early age.

In addition to the geo-historical education provided in college and high schools about forms of spatial organization of tourism, the analysis of actors and consequences for receptive spaces, but also in parallel with the countless training in Tourism in the superior for future professionals in the sector, awareness of adequate tourist behavior, direct and indirect effects in the territories must be provided.

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/Media reports.