Traveling to Rishikesh, a small historic Indian town on the foothill of Himalayas was meant to offer silence. Instead, I was welcomed by the plastic waste around the banks, beer bottles buried in the sand, and the deafening thump of party music echoing across the Ganges where young tourists indulged in festivities. The holy river, once a refuge for sages and seekers, now flows past bonfire ash, selfie crowds, and littered banks exhausted, not just polluted.
This isn’t just about one town losing its charm. It’s a stark reflection of what irresponsible tourism is doing across India and the world. Places built for reflection, reverence, or retreat are now crumbling under the weight of crowds, consumerism, and chaos.
Which raises a critical question:
Is our idea of travel destroying the very places we claim to admire?
From Rishikesh to Shimla, from Venice to Bali, tourism is booming. But much of it is unsustainable, exploitative, and damaging to ecosystems, heritage, and local communities. We speak of “eco-tourism” and “responsible travel,” yet our actions rarely reflect those ideals.
So what does sustainable tourism really mean? Is it just a buzzword or can it still be a blueprint for saving our most fragile and sacred places?
30 million tourists visit Venice every year, dwarfing the local population, which has now dwindled to less than 50,000. In Bali, up to 8 million tonnes of plastic are collected from its beaches annually. Even the most iconic destinations are under pressure.
Standing there, surrounded by noise and waste, a question kept coming back to me: Are we travelling sustainably at all? What does sustainable tourism really mean? Are there any rules or global protocols guiding us? And how do we fix the mess we’re leaving behind?
What Is Sustainability and What Does Sustainable Tourism Mean?
Sustainability is about meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs economically, socially, and environmentally.
Sustainable tourism, as defined by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is tourism that:
- Makes optimal use of environmental resources
- Respects the socio-cultural fabric of host communities
- Provides long-term, inclusive economic benefits
In simple terms: don’t trash the place, don’t exploit the people, and don’t treat culture like a costume.
This isn’t just theory. There are countries trying to do it right. Bhutan, for example, charges visitors a daily sustainability fee. The goal isn’t to make money off tourists it’s to limit overcrowding and fund healthcare, education, and environmental protection. The idea is simple: if you want to enjoy the place, help preserve it.
Costa Rica is another standout. Tourism there supports rainforest conservation, wildlife protection, and community-run eco-lodges. Visitors hike, zipline, and explore but they also leave money in local hands and learn about the land they’re walking on.
What this really means is that sustainable tourism isn’t about restricting travel. It’s about doing it in a way that doesn’t wreck the very thing we came to see.
What’s going wrong
Here’s the thing: tourism is booming, and it’s breaking things. In 2018, 1.442 billion people travelled internationally. By 2030, that number is expected to hit 1.8 billion (UNWTO). But this kind of growth doesn’t come free; it comes at a cost, and we’re already seeing the cracks.
- Overtourism: In cities like Jaipur, Rishikesh, and Shimla, the number of visitors often exceeds what the place can physically and ecologically handle. You get traffic jams on mountain roads, overcrowded heritage sites, and locals priced out of their own neighborhoods. What used to be seasonal rushes have turned into a year-round flood.
- Waste generation: Tourists produce twice as much solid waste as locals (UNEP, 2023). That’s not a vague stat, it’s an avalanche of plastic bottles, food containers, wet wipes, beer cans, and discarded gear that chokes rivers, trails, and public spaces. Infrastructure can’t keep up, and nature pays the price.
- Environmental damage: Mountain trails get trampled, forest areas scarred by bonfires, and rare wildlife disturbed by loud music, drones, and intrusive selfies. In places meant for quiet or conservation, the noise and intrusion have become relentless.
- Water and energy consumption: In dry zones like Jaisalmer or Ladakh, hotels suck up precious groundwater to run pools, power showers, and offer “luxury” in a place that can barely spare a bucket. Meanwhile, locals face water cuts and shrinking aquifers.
- Carbon emissions: Globally, tourism accounts for about 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. Think: flights, car rentals, imported food, air-conditioned hotel rooms. Travel’s carbon footprint is huge, and growing especially with cheap flights and low awareness.
The deeper issue? Cheap travel, influencer culture, and a total lack of regulation. Instagram turns quiet villages into viral backdrops overnight. Suddenly, thousands of people show up, not knowing how delicate the place is. Travel companies don’t explain the limits. And most rules are weak or not followed at all. So the damage keeps happening, and no one’s really in charge of fixing it.
This isn’t just about a few careless tourists. It’s a bigger issue. Travel is easier than ever, but we haven’t learned how to do it responsibly yet.
Are There Any International Protocols on Sustainable Travel?
Yes, and they offer a solid foundation though implementation remains a challenge.
UNWTO Guidelines
The UNWTO urges governments to create long-term tourism strategies that protect the environment and involve local communities. These are part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12 for responsible consumption and production, aimed at making tourism less wasteful and more mindful.
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
The GSTC sets universal criteria for sustainable tourism under four key pillars:
- Sustainable Management
- Socio-economic Benefits for Communities
- Cultural Heritage Preservation
- Environmental Conservation
These criteria help destinations, hotels, and tour operators assess their sustainability efforts and get certified.
This is an international standard that offers measurable indicators to track sustainability in tourist destinations, including waste management, energy use, and community impact.
Countries like New Zealand, Costa Rica, and parts of Europe are already applying these standards. They limit tourist numbers in sensitive areas, run awareness campaigns, and push eco-certification for businesses. But in India? We’re still catching up. Awareness is low. Implementation is patchy. And most policies focus on promotion, not protection.
What Can We Do?
Sustainable travel isn’t just a government problem or a tourist’s burden it’s both. Here’s how we can fix it, one choice and one policy at a time.
For Travellers:
- Travel less, but travel better: Instead of hopping from place to place, slow down. Longer stays reduce pressure on resources and give you a deeper experience.
- Stay where sustainability is real: Choose hotels or homestays certified by credible bodies like GSTC, EarthCheck, or Green Key. They meet real sustainability standards not just pretty websites.
- Offset your carbon footprint: Flying? Use verified programs to neutralize your emissions. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step.
- Ditch the disposables: Carry your own bottle, bag, and cutlery. It’s small, but it adds up.
- Support the locals: Buy from artisans, hire local guides, eat at family-run spots. Skip the chains—they don’t need your money as much.
For Governments & Businesses:
- Put a cap on crowds: Some places just can’t handle unlimited visitors. Cap numbers, especially in fragile ecosystems.
- Get serious about waste and emissions: Enforce rules on hotels and tour operators. If they’re polluting, there should be consequences.
- Let locals lead: Community-based tourism puts the power (and money) in the hands of people who actually live there.
- Invest in clean mobility: Better buses, EV charging stations, waste treatment plants—tourism infrastructure should help the planet, not hurt it.
- Make sustainability non-negotiable: Regular audits. Mandatory certifications. If a tourism business isn’t following the rules, it shouldn’t be in business.
Some Indian states are already showing the way. Sikkim’s plastic-free eco-tourism zones and Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Mission are examples worth scaling.
That day in Rishikesh wasn’t just a disappointing moment. It was a wake-up call. Travel connects us to people, cultures, and places. But if it leaves behind waste, pollution, and harm, what are we really gaining?
Here’s the truth: travel isn’t the problem. How we travel is.
Sustainable travel isn’t about guilt. It’s about mindfulness. It’s about making choices that help, not harm. Supporting the local instead of the convenient. Staying longer instead of rushing through. Respecting the silence of forests and the sacredness of rivers.
So next time you plan a trip, ask yourself:
Am I leaving this place better than I found it or worse? Because real travellers don’t just collect memories. They protect them.