Let’s reinvent travel.
Leisure Lab is a think tank and media lab to promote sustainable tourism, or as we like to call it BREAK-EVEN TOURISM. In this LAB REPORTS section we publish news articles and create inspirational travel stories to help bring about positive change in the way we travel.
What is 'extractive tourism' and what can we do about it?
Facilitated largely by the advent of budget travel, the world has never been more accessible and affordable to explore, says David Walsh from Euronews Travel. But […] there is a human, environmental and ethical cost to our lifestyle choices – especially when it comes to travel.
Greenland Is Approaching Tourism Slowly – And Taking Lessons from Iceland
As the changing climate alters livelihoods across Greenland, the territory needs travelers more than ever, says Stephanie Vermillion from Condé Nast Traveler.
The Italian gardens hoping to change tourism
With destinations slowly opening up for tourism again, […] travels that take in the great outdoors look set to boom post-pandemic. It's in that brave new outdoor world, CNN’s Antonia Mortensen and Sharon Braithwaite say, that Italy's gardens are seeing a resurgence.
These UNESCO World Heritage sites could lose their status due to environmental damage, development or overtourism
From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the city of Budapest and the watery wonderland that is Venice, several gorgeous sites risk losing their treasured UNESCO World Heritage status because of environmental damage, excess development or overtourism, Lifestyle Asia reports.
If you're not a 'high value' tourist, some places don't want you any more
Travelling for leisure is a privilege, says Ben Groundwater from Traveller, but New Zealand is looking at taking that privilege away from some people.
3 Destinations Leading the Charge for Sustainable Tourism
[These] destinations […] are taking measures to protect their land and communities for generations of visitors (and residents) to come.
In Empty Amsterdam, Reconsidering Tourism
Before Covid-19, the city was packed with visitors. Now efforts to rein in the expected post-pandemic crowds are ramping up, but not without controversy, says Paige McClanahan from The New York Times.
Venice finally bans cruise ships from its lagoon
For years, campaigns to oust cruise ships from the [Venice] lagoon have been gaining traction, with locals claiming that the ships' massive structures erode the seabed, effectively turning the lagoon into an offshoot of the Adriatic Sea. And now, finally, the Italian government has agreed with them, passing a decree to ban cruise ships and other large vessels from the lagoon.
'From now on, we want quality tourism'
The coronavirus pandemic has forced famous tourist destinations to question their business model.
How can destinations spread demand?
In this series, the World Travel & Tourism Council looks at how over popular destinations can find ways to spread demand, encouraging people to visit at less busy times.
How tour operators are tackling over-tourism
Operators of all sorts – from industry innovators to smaller enterprises – have introduced a range of strategic approaches to address the issues of overtourism, whether it’s tweaking tour dates or adjusting itineraries to minimise the impact on popular places.
Can Venice turn the tide on mass tourism?
In recent years, mass tourism in Venice has driven up rents and driven out locals, leading some to call the city a “historical theme park”. However, some believe that coronavirus is offering an opportunity for change, and Venetian residents are campaigning to protect the heritage of their city. Watch BBC’s The Travel Show episode here.
Article NRC: ‘Mass tourism is dead’
Mark Duursma interviewed Els Doets for the Dutch newspaper NRC about the future of her travel agency Doets Reizen. Since the Covid pandamic, she embraced a new course with her company: "Deep" holidays and European destinations. Her words: “Mass tourism is dead. Passive travel - beach holidays in Spain and Turkey, cruises - no longer returns to its old form. We are going to travel with a purpose, to do something ”. We at Leisure Lab totally agree with Els Doets! The article is in Dutch.
Overtourism – The case of The Netherlands
Most of the tourism efforts [in The Netherlands] are [geared towards] places like Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Giethoorn and Keukenhof. But many places in the Netherlands are equally as nice and promoting those lesser known areas will help spread tourism across the whole country.
Overtourism – What can we do to avoid it?
[T]he solution can be to travel as a responsible tourist; to travel in ways which maximise positive impacts and minimise the negative ones. Two things to think about are the place [and] time.
Overtourism – What is it, and what caused it?
Tourism’s potential benefits are clear. However, the mistake is to think that it can only bring good. […] In summer 2017, the media and the travel industry finally began to turn their gaze to the negative impacts of the holiday industry, and the term ‘overtourism’ was coined.