TOURISMOS is an international, multi-disciplinary, refereed (peer ...
TOURISMOS is an international, multi-disciplinary, refereed (peer ...
TOURISMOS is an international, multi-disciplinary, refereed (peer ...
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James Leigh<br />
not survive, <strong>an</strong>d be drastically reduced in scale <strong>an</strong>d function, <strong>an</strong>d “tour<strong>is</strong>m<br />
will l<strong>an</strong>gu<strong>is</strong>h in the decades ahead” (2005, p. 193).<br />
The following seems extreme, but it may prompt us to consider the<br />
dramatic imminent challenge of Peak Oil:<br />
“Travel <strong>an</strong>d tour<strong>is</strong>m depend on cheap oil for their<br />
profits. Through oil, consumers drive, fly, <strong>an</strong>d take<br />
cru<strong>is</strong>e ships for vacations. When oil shortages<br />
increase, so will prices for gasoline, airfare, <strong>an</strong>d<br />
vacations on cru<strong>is</strong>e liners. In the future, only the<br />
elite will utilize air travel <strong>an</strong>d vacations on cru<strong>is</strong>e<br />
liners. Remote locations will be holiday spots for<br />
exclusive individuals who c<strong>an</strong> afford obscene<br />
prices for tr<strong>an</strong>sportation. The middle classes will<br />
take more holidays in their own local area where it<br />
will be affordable. Eventually, there will be no oil<br />
left even for the elite minority <strong>an</strong>d the only way to<br />
travel would be by me<strong>an</strong>s not depend<strong>an</strong>t on oil.”<br />
(ProgressiveU, 2006).<br />
The World Travel <strong>an</strong>d Tour<strong>is</strong>m Council (WTTC) has expressed<br />
specific concern that the long term implications of resource depletion are<br />
extremely serious. For example, in the next few years the travel <strong>an</strong>d<br />
tour<strong>is</strong>m industry may find that higher fuel prices could lead to operational<br />
price increases <strong>an</strong>d corresponding decreases in the number of travelers in<br />
th<strong>is</strong> price-sensitive market (WTO, 1993).<br />
Goeldner <strong>an</strong>d Ritchie (2006, pp. 464, 465) express <strong>an</strong> interesting<br />
observation: “Ex<strong>is</strong>ting patterns of economic activity [including travel <strong>an</strong>d<br />
tour<strong>is</strong>m], <strong>an</strong>d the global consumption <strong>an</strong>d pollution of natural resources,<br />
are not sustainable at current levels.” And of course “… we c<strong>an</strong>not<br />
continue to exploit the global environment like we have in the past.” It <strong>is</strong><br />
also highly topical that they also suggest: “The use of nonrenewable<br />
petroleum <strong>is</strong> perhaps the best single example [that] tour<strong>is</strong>m depends<br />
heavily on the fuel that <strong>is</strong> burned to tr<strong>an</strong>sport travelers both around the<br />
block <strong>an</strong>d around the world. … <strong>an</strong>y policies that affect the use of<br />
petroleum-based fuels will affect the tour<strong>is</strong>m sector.”<br />
The following caution from Ringbeck et al (2009, p. 46) may also be<br />
topical for our present <strong>an</strong>ticipation of future challenges in travel <strong>an</strong>d<br />
tour<strong>is</strong>m:<br />
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