‘Last-chance tourism’ at vanishing glaciers accelerating their demise

The boom in glacier tourism is coming at a cost to sensitive ecosystems and accelerating the climate processes causing the demise of these frozen landmarks, say researchers in a warning to the 14 million people going on glacier tours every year.

These thick and kilometre-long fields of ice, lying seemingly motionless in nature, are pulling in more and more tourists by unsustainable means, researchers from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and Rice University in Houston, Texas, write in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Tourists want to see a vanishing world while they still can as part of a trend known as “last-chance tourism.” But by travelling there in environmentally damaging ways, they only accelerate the decline of the world they admire, geographer Emmanuel Salim from Lausanne says.

Some tourists even book helicopter flights over glaciers, leading to more CO2 emissions, he says. Paths are meanwhile being carved into glacier areas specifically for hikes.

“To be near these giant bodies of ice is a powerful experience because they are unique natural wonders that move, creak, whisper and invite reflection,” writes anthropologist Cymene Howe of Rice University in the study, published on February 9.

They also say that the local population in places such as Alaska or Greenland often benefits little from the visitors, since revenues remain primarily with the tour operators. Visitors also often learn little about the concerns of local people.

Many tourists will simply move on to the next popular destination once the glaciers have disappeared, Salim says.

What tourism means for ecosystems needs to be better analysed, he argues. He also says the local population must share in the revenues from glacier tourism. Furthermore, efforts must be made to raise visitor awareness of the environmental issues.