ABSTRACT
When the first tourists – following Darwin’s footsteps – visited the Galapagos Islands, they witnessed a breathtaking view of a rich flora and fauna. Nowadays, visitors are discouraged to visit this island group, as their presence may endanger the fragile ecosystem on these islands. This tension between good and bad is known as the ‘tourism paradox’. A glaring example of a recent tourism paradox is the sudden rise in tourist visits to Greenland, – following Al Gore’s awareness campaign – where many visitors want to watch the rapid decay of the historical icebergs, without recognising that their long-distance trip by airplane – followed by a ship or helicopter journey-causes an additional CO2 emission that may accelerate the current unsustainable development of the polar icecaps.
