The False Burden of Sustainable Tourism

Waste produced by venues, not tourists themselves, is a real issue, especially in Chicago. Leading institutions for sustainability have easy fixes that can lead to a circular economy and more enjoyable community and tourist experience for all.

———

Tourism is the bedrock of many communities. It is also an issue disrupting daily life and increasing property and other prices for residents from Maui to Madrid.

In addition to economic consequences – both positive and negative – tourism has specific environmental impacts, unsurprisingly, but ones that could easily be avoided.

Chicago, in particular, is a tourism mecca, recently named “Best Big City in the U.S.” for the eighth year in a row.

On a visit last year to the Willis/Sears Tower with some friends visiting the area, I was not surprised that we were shepherded through gift shops and other additional paid experiences while on our already $40+ experience.

However, I was horrified when the goofy photos we were forced to take in front of a green screen were pre-printed and lay on a table as we exited elevators and before entering another gift shop.

A similar experience happened at the Field Museum while attempting to visit the dinosaur known as “Sue.” We were told to take a photo before entering and upon leaving, our photos were sitting there. When we declined to purchase, they were discarded right then and there.

Most attractions make you take such photos. However, at a similar tour at the John Hancock building, we were given a postcard with a code to access our photos - displayed on a digital screen as we exited - and available for printing if we desired. Many a rollercoaster at an amusement park does the same.

The Willis Tower and Field Museum did have screens up with photos rotating, but opted to print in advance anyways. Perhaps to induce guilt or because it is proven to sell more photos. Who knows?

The Field Museum has a LEED certification and whole exhibits on conservation. At the end of one claiming we are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, there is a digital screen counting the dozens of species that have disappeared that day – it is dozens every single day.

The museum does incredible work and its education of the community and tourists alike is important.

I do not seek to throw all of this at their feet as the institution, like others, is contributing to solutions, educating many, preserving, saving, and conserving, but they can do more and the hypocrisy, of course, is glaring.

If pre-printing photos does make people more likely to purchase and that funding stream is so critical to maintaining the museum’s operations and its own preservation – a fact I doubt – a much different, but serious conversation needs to be had on long-term funding for the museum.

While some people may enjoy these photos and happily fork over money for the memory, supporting the museum or building in the process, many do not. I hope Sue the dinosaur need not peddle souvenirs to exist, but again funding could be better understood as an obligation of the board, donors, or even the government as the US has long been derided for its inability or indifference to funding of museums, artists, and other cultural institutions.

As a commercial building sustainability professional, I can anticipate that the facilities operators at Willis and John Hancock, like the Empire State Building and other mixed office and tourist landmarks, will tout actions they have taken on sustainability. Great actions that have had amazing benefits.

They have installed LED lighting, overhauled HVAC systems, and reduced water use. However, doing good – and arguably what will be necessary to avoid the worst of climate change – does not excuse an unnecessary and harmful practice. The same goes for the Field Museum and its educational purposes.

I may be pinpointing a specific, relatively small practice with the printing of these photos, but glossy, ink filled, fancy pieces of paper are trashed in front of tourists daily and this seems like a very public facing, egregious practice, emblematic of a larger lack of thought for the environment in places where it is less likely to receive attention.

It is easy to fault airlines for their emissions and about 100 companies are truly responsible for the bulk of climate change. They should be held accountable for past and current actions and the majority of efforts to address climate change should be directed to large scale efforts by those companies and governments.

The creation of the individual carbon footprint and recycling efforts have been designed to create an individual sense of environmental guilt – not necessarily unwarranted, but successfully diverting attention from bigger originations and systems that could and should make a difference.

If I could change one thing about US tourism tomorrow, I would accelerate the development of high-speed rail as transportation contributes significantly to emissions and sustainable transportation benefits commuters and other trips in addition to tourist travel. That is a large-scale, multi-faceted issue and solution worth our advocacy and attention.

That said, again, individual action in the face of an injustice, an inefficiency, a waste, is no small feat and can have a tangible impact – potentially reducing tons of waste in Chicago – while also challenging our economy to exist in a more circular fashion.

I was impressed with the offering of a lightweight reusable cup ( Hiccup Earth ) for runner use at water stops at last year’s Chicago Marathon to reduce the use of paper cups. However, much litter by runners and spectators remains despite all this cleaning and even what is picked up often ends up in the trash.

While recycling and composting are great and often available options, the “best” waste is still avoided waste. It avoids the energy of a product being created and transported to you.

Chicago is a climate haven meaning it should face lesser effects from climate change than other areas, though certainly still plenty. That said, additional resilience, mitigation, and adaptation measures should be implemented by the city, region, and state in anticipation of climate changes and climate refugees from across the US and world.

I do not have all the answers when it comes to designing communities and economies to benefit from, but also avoid the negative impacts of tourism. However, when it comes to sustainability, I know that sustainable tourism is not only possible, but something actively ignored to the detriment of many.

If you are a tourist, ask questions, aim to travel with less or somehow better support the community you are visiting. If you have any role in a corporation or tourist economy, give thought to what practices you might be able to adjust because there are likely many that are not helping you or those around you.

Printing photos that someone does not purchase is a waste of resources, but also a loss of money for companies. It is in their financial interest to stop this practice as well.

To be clear, I had an amazing time showing tourists around Chicago and would do much of it again. I just wish I did not have to remind the organizers of our experiences to not be wasteful, but that is the situation we are faced with.

If tourism is a part of your life and sustainability is an ideal you or your community strive for, then sustainable tourism is simply another area to explore your role – big or small.

———

Cover photo courtesy Tony Wu : https://www.pexels.com/photo/museum-building-and-train-in-mountains-landscape-16722096

Piece originally published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/false-burden-sustainable-tourism-kyle-rosenthal-tgahc/