Beach visits are the most popular tourist destination in the US, with approximately 180 million Americans making 2.2 billion beach visits annually and contributing more than $640 billion a year to the US economy (Houston, 2013).
Like all of our choices our vacation choices impact the health of our beautiful blue planet. Sustainable beach tourism or eco-tourism is traveling responsibly and conscientiously. It means being careful and respectful of the marine environments you explore and visit. If you have to travel far to the beach, if possible, plan longer beach vacations rather than shorter ones to decrease air travel with a high carbon footprints. Consider supporting a carbon offset program to balance out your carbon footprint.
Seven things you can do to minimize your marine environmental impact and protect marine ecosystems
1. Be careful of marine life in the ocean while enjoying activities like boating, jet skiing, or kayaking. View marine life responsibly without interfering or harassing them.
2. When fishing remember to dispose of fishing line responsibly – recycle it, put it the garbage, and remember NOT to throw in the ocean. Marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish can get entangled in fishing line. We’ve all seen sad photos of entangled marine mammals. Fishing line can take 600 years to degrade.
3. Remember to pack reusable water bottles and containers, tote bags, and skip the straws. Single-use plastic is a huge problem and we can all help alleviate the problem.
4. Pack your trash and clean up after yourself. Leave only your footprints in the sand.
5. Support local businesses and local conservation projects.
6. Use mineral sunscreens rather than chemical sunscreens, which contain oxybenzone and octinoxate. They are toxic and harmful to coral polyps and other marine life.
7. Eat sustainable seafood which helps fish populations stay healthy and also provides marine jobs.
Photo credit: Hannah Arista/Docuvita