Introducing... Positive Impact Tourism

Let’s face it - the world is experiencing various crises that cut across social, environmental, cultural and economic lines. From pollution to climate change to habitat destruction. And from economic marginalisation to the erosion of heritage values to the loss of community control and ownership over local assets.

Conventional models of tourism have often been part of the problem.

Some of the things that are most concerning about mainstream approaches are: 

• The social pressures caused by overtourism
• The over-reliance on single-use plastics
• The estimated 12% of global emissions the industry is responsible for

How Is Positive Impact Tourism Changing That?

There is a new way of doing things. Positive impact tourism seeks to rebalance the equation, placing the needs of visitors alongside host communities, and setting out to make things better for the people and places where businesses operate.

At its core, positive impact tourism is about using the power of tourism as a force for good. It is both an intention and a set of actions aimed at leaving things better than how we found them.

 Broadly, it works in three ways:

• Respects and works within ecological boundaries

• Supports, amplifies and adds value to community priorities

• Fosters change by educating, inspiring and involving visitors

Is It Relevant To Tasmania?

Many of the examples out there of how tourism can benefit people and the environment are based around community-led models of tourism in less developed countries.

So how does positive impact tourism apply in a place like Tasmania - a relatively affluent part of the world with what seem to be large areas of untouched wilderness?

In reality, many of our regional areas continue to experience a complex web of disadvantage, the state’s wilderness values and biodiversity face various threats from industry and land use changes, and we have a LOT of ground to make up in terms of supporting Tasmania’s Aboriginal community and celebrating cultural identity.

In 2019, 1.35 million visitors came to Tasmania. By 2030, that number is expected to top 2.2 million. With that kind of growth, the tourism industry in Tasmania is nearing a tipping point and represents a massive opportunity for change.

Now is the time to harness the transformative power of travel and tourism to:

• Contribute to robust regional economies

• Protect wild landscapes and seascapes

• Build pride in our unique Aboriginal heritage

• Provide inclusive opportunities for communities to share in the benefits of tourism

Recognising this, Tourism Tasmania released its 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy in 2023, which has a strong emphasis on ensuring tourism continues to have a positive impact on the state's environment, economy and way of life, and - importantly - how future growth will be managed sustainably. 

At the end of the day, having a positive impact through tourism very much depends on what individual tourism operators do to deliver on this promise.