Where Conservation and Tourism MEET | Big Tourism

October 4, 2020

Tourism: too much of a good thing?

Pristine coastlines, turquoise waters, dream vacations. It’s the Mediterranean, baby. Before we get too lost in daydreaming let’s ground ourselves in the reality of mass tourism in this incredible region. Is ecotourism a plausible model for countries like Spain, Italy, Greece and Albania? Are conservation organizations knocking on the door of the tourism industry? Is the tourism industry answering the call? Can we bring different types of tourists in order to transform the visitor and community experience of travel? Join host Arica Sears and her esteemed guest, Carla Danelutti, Ecosystem Programme Officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Mediterranean, as they chat about programs and partnerships like DestiMED, Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (MEET), The MEET Network, and all things Med on this episode of Big Tourism.

Show Transcription
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Arica Sears

Arica Sears is a fourth generation resident of a one stoplight town on the Oregon Coast. She was raised in the hand-me-down wetsuits, life jackets, and rubber boots of her two brothers and the waters of the Nestucca River. Her International Studies degree paved the way for her to research the effects of globalization in Peru on indigenous communities, count by-catch on the Ecuadorian coast, teach English in Spain & France, guide scuba diving in Mallorca, and document timber industry practices on the Oregon Coast. Arica currently works for the Oregon Coast Visitors Association as the Destination Management Coordinator for all 363 miles of Oregon coastline. She works with land management agencies, local businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and citizens to inspire travel and strengthen collaboration to create and steward a sustainable coastal economy.