irresponsible tourism; From the millions of Halloween tours to the damage to the mythical peak of Iran

Some other tourists follow the recommendations of bloggers on Instagram and YouTube and implement them in nature; without harming nature. At the same time, many countries of the world are looking for the development of the tourism space; But they do not face this amount of destruction.

“Hamid Abolqasmi”, CEO of Rafsanjan Nature Lovers Group, tells “Kejaro” about the behavior of tourists towards nature:

With the significant increase in the human population, the exploitation of natural resources also increases; Therefore, the human population is forced to use natural resources to meet all kinds of needs, both material and spiritual. Tourism can be one of these forms of human use of nature. We cannot be indifferent to nature, nor can we prohibit or limit the use of natural resources.

He continues about the importance of sustainable tourism development:

If the way we use nature is unsustainable, the result will be the destruction of natural resources; Especially when we talk about nature-oriented tourism; Because in this form of tourism, we are directly facing ecosystems and natural habitats. If we do not think about sustainable tourism, we cannot expect that nature will not be damaged and destroyed; However, for the exploitation of nature, specific solutions must be developed, the definition of specific mechanisms, laws and frameworks for the sustainable exploitation of nature in the field of tourism must be developed. It should be made clear to the people that their activities outside these frameworks are considered violations and will be dealt with legally.

This wildlife supporter says about the different behavior of some tourists in different situations:

Sometimes we see that people’s attention is drawn to the protection of a specific species in stories like the “Pirouz” story; But at the same time, in other places, for example, by cutting down trees and holding various tours, they harm the environment, and such behaviors can only be evaluated as a result of a lack of environmental awareness and education. Since the 80s, educational activities in the field of environment have been formed in the country and a significant part of the society has become more aware of the importance of protection. But in the field of natural tourism, such as being in forests, islands, or in sensitive habitats, this awareness has not yet spread enough. For this reason, the amount of damage increases with the increase in the number of visitors; Therefore, increasing public awareness about the importance of natural resources is the key to preventing these damages, and tourists should know what behaviors they should not do in nature.

According to the extensive advertisements of tour operators in the virtual space, he explains:

When extensive advertising is done to hold different tours, routes and related facilities should be provided in a standard way; Otherwise, even good intentions for tourism and nature tourism can inadvertently lead to the destruction of nature. For example, we advertise, consider the need for development, and may even provide training; But if we don’t create infrastructure and if we don’t consider each of these things, we can’t reach the right result.

Abolghasemi says about international experiences in the field of sustainable tourism:

If we refer to international experiences, they operate specifically in protected areas, on the site of parks and even in national parks around the world; But they also have the highest level of nature protection and at the same time accept a high amount of tourists; At the same time, there is no destruction. In this situation, planning, zoning and protection and exploitation frameworks are determined, comprehensive plans are determined and implemented, training and awareness are also done, and after exploitation, it is also managed seriously.

The CEO of Rafsanjan Nature Lovers Group, stating that if tourism is advertised and they are invited to the forest, peak or mountain, all the needs of a tourist will be measured and met, he adds:

A professional nature tourist, professional mountaineer or wildlife expert or family and friend groups may enter nature, each of them has a different need for exploitation and their view of nature. A professional hiker may need a campsite; But a family needs accommodation, food, bathroom, etc.; Therefore, all these needs are measured and provided. For example, in this situation, a family knows where they can take advantage of nature and if they deviate from the specified path, or if they throw garbage, or if they stay overnight in a place other than the specified place, they will be fined; Therefore, infrastructures, definitions and training should be given first, and then crimes should be defined. In this situation, sustainable tourism development can be achieved.

Finally, it should be said that the issue is neither against traveling nor celebrating; Rather, it is a matter of our presence in nature. One should not look at nature only as a photo background or a scene of night celebrations in the forest; Nature is a place where different animal species live and life flows there, and with the slightest neglect, they may not be restored at all. If Damavand is going to be registered globally or the Hyrkanian forests are still alive, first of all, travel culture, tourism education, and the development of infrastructure and monitoring should be taken seriously.