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An ethical guide to last-chance tourism.txt
An ethical guide to last-chance tourism13 August 2025ShareSaveCallie Radke StevensShareSaveGetty Images(Credit: Getty Images)As more people travel to destinations that may soon vanish due to climate change,a blaze of feather carousel experts and guides weigh in on how this practice could help preserve these places – if done right.When French writer Cédric Duroux reached the summit of a remote Icelandic mountain where a few lone glimmers of ice remained, his first thought was that it was breathtakingly beautiful – until one of the guides gently told him that everything around him used to be glacier."And then it hit me at the top of that mountain; I'm still having goosebumps telling you about this," Duroux said. "That's when I realised how serious the situation was."This was in 2018, the first of several trips to Ok – formerly the Okjokull glacier – organised by Rice University anthropologists. The professors were scouting the location where Okjokull's highly publicised glacier funeral would take place, and Duroux tagged along. The moment he came face to face with climate change for the first time has stayed with him ever since.AlamyThe Okjokull glacier was declared "deceased" in 2014 (Credit: Alamy)In recent years, a growing number of tourists have started seeking similar experiences as they journey to see landmarks, landscapes and even entire destinations that may soon disappear forever because of climate change. Known as last-chance tourism, this "see-it-before-it's-gone" practice is controversial. Research indicates that the amount of fuel it takes to travel to these far-flung destinations could accelerate their very decline. But advocates say that, done responsibly, it can also inspire travellers to protect the very places they came to see. Increasing tourism demand to places that are rapidly submerging, melting or diminishing often exceeds the destination's capacity – and Iceland is a prime example. Since Duroux's first visit, half a million tourists now descend on the 400,000-person nation every year for glacier tours. Research at six glacier sites in Europe found that roughly half of visitors were driven by the desire to see the ice before it melted. While tourism at these places doesn't necessarily lead to preservation, a tourist's attachment to that place can help lead the way towards meaningful change.Robin Kundis Craig, a professor at the University of Kansas School of Law, studies the legal challenges of ecological preservation. As more people travel to see disappearing coral reefs, glaciers and archipelagos, she warns that without education and careful limits, "millions of people are trampling over an already fragile landscape that's trying to cope with climate change", as has happened in parts of Yosemite National Park. The negative impacts of visitors travelling en masse to fragile ecosystems are well documented. As the seas warm and gas-powered boats bring more people to the Great Barrier Reef, the massive ecosystem recently experienced its worst coral bleaching on record. Coral reefs in Indonesia and Hawaii have also been damaged by tourists, and seafloors can take years to recover from the anchors of expedition boats. Venice has been sinking under the weight of overtourism for a decade. And as more tourists now venture to Antarctica every year, they risk introducing invasive species that threaten fragile ecosystems.AlamyThe Great Barrier Reef recently experienced its worst coral bleaching on record (Credit: Alamy)There are also indications that while visitors to last-chance sites are more ecologically minded after their experiences, few have engaged in a behavioural shift to become effective ambassadors for change. Still, last-chance tourism isn't likely to go away. In 2024, Craig published a paper showing how human responses like grief will impact parks' adaptations to climate change. One of her main takeaways was that those who oversee many "last-chance" destinations aren't prepared for the shifting emotions travellers often experience when they visit – from joy to sorrow. Craig argues that guides and park managers can channel travellers' feelings into action to help preserve these sites, but right now a lot of the responsibility for knowing how to act ethically still falls on the tourists themselves.Craig believes that travellers visiting these destinations have an obligation to do so as responsibly and ethically as possible. To do that, she recommends travellers consider three things.One: are you travelling to the location in an eco-friendly way? Two, are you taking part in an activity that doesn't damage the landscape when you arrive? And three, what conservation actions can you take once back home?The answers to these questions vary across locations and tour operators. Take Antarctica, for instance. Often called "the world's final frontier", Antarctica now attracts more than twice as many visitors as it did during the 2018-19 season. This influx has a high price, both financially and environmentally: cruises typically start at ￡7,500 ($10,000) and emit as much carbon as one person in the UK does each year.AlamyTourism to Antarctica has more than doubled since 2018-19 (Credit: Alamy)Ashley Perrin, a guide with Aurora Expeditions recommends that travellers who want to visit Antarctica look for tour operators that limit landings based on wildlife activity; are members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), which supports environmentally conscious travel; and incorporate education and science into the experience. Perrin explained that communicating clearly with travellers during the trip helps her set expectations once they reach Antarctica. Aurora, which offers small-group tours to the continent, doesn't publicise its Antarctic landing sites, giving guides like Perrin more flexibility to avoid areas under pressure or where wildlife is nesting nearby. Passengers can also engage in citizen science to track clouds and weather, gather data on bird migrations and map debris in the landscape.For Perrin, each trip is an opportunity to share – and protect – some of the places she loves. "I think there's a quote that David Attenborough uses, that people won't protect what they don't know," she said. "We need people to go and see these environments in order to fall in love with them – in order to protect them."It's a similar story on the Great Barrier Reef. Andy Ratter, a Master Reef Guide for Frankland Islands Reef Cruises, has been diving and snorkelling around the reef for decades. For him, tourism to the ecosystem likely has a positive impact; it's a chance to encourage people to care about all reefs, not just this one.AlamySome believe tourism to the Great Barrier Reef encourages travellers to care for all coral reef ecosystems (Credit: Alamy)"Tourism is a positive benefit for educating and spreading the word," Ratter said. "People only tend to care about things that they are in some way involved with, so I think for the Great Barrier Reef that it's a net positive."Ratter suggested tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef for longer than a day trip and learn snorkelling or diving skills ahead of time, if they can. It helps visitors take in the vast reef, he explained, and it can also help them discover ecosystems closer to home, too. Tourists should also opt for operators that have a marine biologist or Master Reef Guide on board and ensure the company has a weekly reef monitoring process. The reef is so enormous that regular surveying from tourism operators helps gather comprehensive data, and some companies (including Ratter's) invite tourists to participate through citizen science projects. More like this:? Why it's time to rethink what it means to be a tourist? Why these new tourism taxes may be a good thing? Why 'best time to visit' no longer appliesRetired scientist Nadine Marshall has studied how the bond travellers and tourists form with the Great Barrier Reef has manifested into "reef grief". She found that people reported a particularly high level of reef grief after bleaching incidents. Unlike locals, who had seen the reef change over time, first-time visitors were grieving something they had never seen – the reef's previous un-bleached state – indicating that people can quickly forge a strong emotional bond to a place, which can increase the likelihood of climate-friendly behaviour.AlamyMany advocates of last-chance tourism argue that visiting these vanishing destinations can inspire climate-related change (Credit: Alamy)"It's good to feel grief because it's motivating and especially when the grief is due to our mismanagement of the planet," Marshall said. "It makes us want to be better and to change or to be constructive." For Duroux, the key is to grieve collectively and then channel that emotion into action. After returning from Iceland, Duroux helped curate and coordinate a festival in Lyon discussing the challenges of and possible solutions to climate change."I think that becoming sad by seeing wonderful landscapes disappear is not enough," he said. "We have a responsibility, and our feelings remind us of this."CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that tourists introduced avian flu to Antarctica. This has now been corrected. --If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Thoughtful TravelEco-tourismSustainabilityFeatures
