Rennie, K. (2022, September 20). Can Environmental Conservation and tourism exist together harmoniously? Global Voices. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://globalvoices.org/2022/09/20/can-environmental-conservation-and-tourism-exist-together-harmoniously/
In the article “A green Yellowstone keeps the local economies in the black,” we understand how the great floodings in Yellowstone national park have affected ecotourism by dropping the percentage by 90%. Businesses were shut down due to flooding, and over 60 million dollars worth of infrastructure damages came with the floods. The number of habits, housing, and businesses affected would’ve affected tourism and overall profits. Essential companies like hotels, gas stations, recreation industries, restaurants, and transportation, to name a couple, were heavily influenced and impacted life for the locals.
In a disaster like a big flood, it would be beneficial to support the people affected. In this case, it is hard. It is tough when the primary revenue accumulated is all by ecotourism, and having the yearly season canceled greatly affects the locals and the restoration process. A lot of profits for the park and people have been cut drastically, and necessities for people have been cut too. Not allowing them to get gas, food, and overall transportation could be detrimental to their lives, and the people that lost their businesses and homes have it way harder.
This was a really interesting post, I agree that this situation is a tough one, and their arent many solutions. I wonder if it’s possible to find an alternative source of revenue that is still correlated with ecotourism? This would act as a fall-back plan for these types of situations.
Great post! Definitely a tough situation to be in as a Yellowstone tourist supported business. Do these businesses have another potential source of income to be able to support themselves while environmental events strike their national park. When do we expect tourism to rise again?