Overtourism, a time period that has develop into an integral a part of the worldwide discourse up to now years, has proven the staggering results of unchecked tourism on locations worldwide.
Based on a World Tourism Group (UNWTO) report, worldwide vacationer arrivals skyrocketed to 1.5 billion in 2019, placing a pressure on beloved landmarks and fragile ecosystems as native cultures attain a tipping level. Including to the urgency, studies have pinpointed the tourism business because the supply of roughly 8% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
As nations and cultures crack below this weight, the shift towards sustainable journey has develop into crucial.
Steven Garcia, the founding father of Empire Excursions and Productions, has lengthy been conscious of the hazards overtourism poses.
Steven’s strategy to the business is fueled by a novel ardour: to discover a method to let folks discover the world with out leaving it worse off. His firm, which operates in a number of cities from Chicago and Charleston to New York, has set itself aside not only for its charming tour experiences but in addition for its uncompromising dedication to balancing tourism with conservation.
“After we speak about sustainable tourism, we’re speaking about extra than simply the atmosphere. It’s about sustaining cultures, economies, and traditions,” he shares. “As professionals within the sector, we should be certain that all of the world’s wonders are right here to remain for the generations to return.”
The spine of Garcia’s strategy to sustainable tourism is the emphasis on strolling excursions. Whereas, at first look, strolling excursions would possibly seem as simply one other journey choice, within the context of sustainability, they bear immeasurable potential. Not solely can they scale back the carbon footprint by steering away from transportation-dependent excursions, however in addition they provide vacationers a slower, extra intimate connection to their vacation spot.
The slower tempo additionally naturally reduces congestion in common spots, and with fewer autos, a discount in air pollution is a pure consequence. In reality, by working strolling excursions as a substitute of bus excursions, Empire Excursions alone has eradicated over 5,000 hours of bus carbon emissions a yr.
“Journey has all the time been about connection. We should join deeply with the locations we go to, guaranteeing that our footprints are each mild and constructive,” Steven Garcia says.
However Garcia’s mission reaches past the atmosphere. He highlights that overtourism doesn’t simply erode seashores or crowd the streets. It threatens native economies and cultures. Overwhelmed by a sea of vacationers, locations usually see their cultural essence diminished as customs and traditions get overshadowed by commercialized experiences.
Garcia seeks to vary this as his dream is to see folks not merely visiting a spot however actually understanding its soul.
The huge vary of strolling excursions that Garcia’s firm presents definitely displays the sentiment. From meals excursions in Chicago, New York, and Charleston that take guests on a scrumptious journey of savoring native flavors to the extra thrilling and mysterious Ghosts and Gangsters Excursions in Chicago and New York, the place people stroll within the footsteps of legendary and (in)well-known historic figures, Empire Excursions and Productions presents folks an intimate view of every metropolis’s spirit whereas guaranteeing the native landmarks, in addition to the folks, will neither be broken nor disturbed.
Concerning his efforts to protect native communities, Steven Garcia has additionally actively been hiring native guides and workers to make sure that tourism immediately advantages the individuals who name the locations dwelling. As he explains, “This not solely brings a way of authenticity to the journey experiences however, this manner, income can flow into inside the neighborhood. It’s a win-win scenario for each the locals and the folks having fun with the sights.”
As spectacular as Garcia’s efforts are, their true energy hides in his deal with schooling. Reasonably than stopping at experiences, he all the time endeavors to interact and enlighten his purchasers by giving them an academic journey that fosters deep connections with the locations visited.
By actually understanding the importance of the landmarks, alleys, and small native eating places they see, folks can forge an unbreakable bond, which Garcia believes can promote accountable conduct.
“Actual transformation comes when vacationers shift from being spectators to turning into considerate individuals on this planet they discover,” he states.
Whereas it’s not unusual to search out enterprises that prioritize earnings over sustainability, Garcia and Empire Excursions and Productions have set the next normal within the tourism business. Via their instance, it’s evident that it’s potential to discover the world with out inflicting hurt – a mannequin that each one companies would do effectively to observe.
As Garcia says, “Journey needs to be about connection – with the atmosphere, with tradition, and with one another. Revenue ought to all the time be secondary.”
