MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2021

20 words & photos :: Scott Parent Tourism has long been regarded as a mutually beneficial industry—a win-win for both the destination town and the visitors. The latter enjoy their experiences while the local businesses glean the economic benefits. But in recent years, questions have emerged about “over- tourism” and its negative impacts across the globe. Residents of the Bruce Peninsula (as well as some visitors) are pondering these same questions. Visitor numbers have risen steadily on the Peninsula for years, with crowded parks turning away day- trippers by the hundreds and sometimes thousands on summer days. Too many visitors can change the character and experience of a destination. For visitors, destinations may begin to lose their original authenticity. Meanwhile, the responsibility of cleaning littered and damaged beaches, shoreline and parks falls to locals. When tourism operators and agencies can’t manage the crowds, many of those visitors end up sprawling through the neighbourhood and beyond—often leaving a trail of trash behind them. The term “over-tourism” suggests the problem is just one of quantity—too many people want to travel to certain places, including the Bruce. I suggest the problem isn’t that we travel, but how we travel. It’s been said tourism is travel without a purpose. It’s a lot of walking around, looking at stuff. Humans no longer roam to hunt and gather—or to discover new worlds. Mostly we shop, dine and search for Instagrammable images. Of course this doesn’t describe everyone. As a paddling guide, I’ve met thousands of visitors to the Georgian Bay area over the years and have heard a wide range of reasons why people come here. Many are searching for inspiration and for a place of regeneration to help them through their day-to-day lives. But some show up for that selfie on a TOP A plastic bag in the nesting area of a smallmouth bass and fry. MIDDLE Beach litter in Black Creek Provincial Park, which has seen a dramatic rise in summer day-trippers. BOTTOM Peninsula youth take water samples for microplastics research with students from Ocean Bridge, an educational conservation program.