World beauty spots may limit visits

FAMOUS attractions around the world including the Great Barrier Reef and the Florida Everglades could have limits imposed on visits from tourists by 2020 to prevent them being destroyed forever, a report predicted yesterday.

The ravages of climate change and mass tourism could mean many must-see destinations are denied to thousands of travellers each year.

The report, by the Centre for Future Studies, says restrictions could be applied to destinations including Croatia's beautiful Dalmatian coastline, the Taj coral reef in the Maldives and Goa in India.

In response to tourists' concerns about the environment, many operators now offer tailored "ecotourism" packages.

However, last night Catherine Pearce, of Friends of the Earth, warned that without a radical change in lifestyles erosion of beautiful sites would continue.

She said: "If we continue to travel and fly around the world to our hearts' desire, the levels of carbon this will pump into the atmosphere will mean that eventually there will be nothing left of the world to appreciate - never mind keep safe behind fences."

And Tricia Barnett, of the pressure group Tourism Concern, added: "This report is a wake-up call to people to think about the environmental impact of their holiday plans."

VisitScotland said it was already working to protect vulnerable sites from the environmental damage of tourism. It was encouraging businesses to join its Green Tourism Business Scheme.

A spokeswoman said: "Scotland has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. To ensure these locations can be enjoyed for future generations and that our industry continues to thrive we have an ambition to become the most sustainable tourism destination in Europe."

The report, drawn up for Churchill, the insurance firm, said a number of popular world tourist sites could have reached their full visitor capacity by 2020.

It predicted that such destinations may opt to minimise visitor numbers by continually raising entry costs or by charging additional taxes.

And the report said it was likely that some destinations would go as far as to introduce visitor capping where travellers will either have to "win" or "earn" the right to holiday in a particular place via a holiday lottery.

It added that some tourist areas, particularly those that involve long-haul flights from the UK, may require travellers to store up "air mile credits" based on their personal needs and their overall energy use.

Mike Ketteringham, head of Churchill Travel Insurance, said: "By identifying areas at risk from tourist damage and climate change now, we can encourage tourists who are visiting these places to consider the environmental impact their visit is having.

"In doing so, hopefully we can extend the life of the destination for future generations of holidaymakers."