Conflicts of a 1.5 trillion dollar tourist industry | Transforming Business

Billions of people went on vacation in 2023, almost hitting pre-pandemic levels. Money has poured into the tourism industry, but it’s come at a cost in many other ways. Popular destinations like Mallorca and the Mexican city of Cancún are almost collapsing under the masses of people. This not only pushes locals out – it brings heaps of garbage, polluted water and soaring rents. In contrast, Costa Rica is praised as a pioneer of sustainable tourism in Latin America. But does it live up to its image? And is sustainable mass tourism even possible?