It's now or never!
With last-chance tourism becomig the biggest travel trend this year, these destinations are on the top of tourists' wish-list
- After Hrs Correspondent
- |
- Mar 05, 2018, 08:33 PM IST
Last-chance tourism brings into the spotlight places that are at a risk of getting wiped out. These are the places that are now finding themselves on many a traveller’s wish-list. Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings, tells us about which destinations are likely to see more footfalls due to this trend and why...
)
1/7
Venice | The Italian city, long heralded as one of the most romantic in the world thanks to its charming canals, is facing ruin. The city of canals has long been sinking, but an uptick in the number of increasingly severe floods each year could leave Venice uninhabitable by this century’s end.
)
2/7
Dead Sea | The Dead Sea is the site of both history and healing. Yet in the last 40 years, the lake has shrunk by a third and sunk 80 feet. Experts believe it could disappear in as little as 50 years, due to neighbouring countries drawing water from the River Jordan (the Sea’s only water source).
)
3/7
Maldives | The Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, is slowly sinking due to climate change. Scientists predict that within 100 years, it will be completely submerged. The stunning locales are picture perfect and make for amazing postcard-like pictures.
4. The Great Wall of China
)
4/7
The Great Wall of China | The largest man-made structure in the world, the Great Wall of China has survived for over 2,000 years and is a must-see destination. However, recent over-farming has led to nearly two-thirds of the wall having already been damaged or destroyed. The wall could be reduced to ruins by erosion in as little as 20 years.
)
5/7
Antarctica | Currently, Antarctica remains the world’s last great wilderness — but it’s not as untouched as you might hope. The change in just over a century has been dramatic. Some Antarctic species are on the verge of extinction. Human intervention is contaminating the soils, discharging sewage into the sea, and leaving rubbish, cairns and tracks in even the remotest parts.
6. The Great Barrier Reef
)
6/7
The Great Barrier Reef (Australia) | The world’s largest coral reef, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, has decreased by more than half its size due to rising temperatures in the last 30 years. Increased acid pollution has also begun to lead to coral bleaching, slowly turning its famed vibrant corals white. Scientists predict the site could completely vanish by 2030.
)
7/7
Galápagos Islands | These may be extraordinarily remote, but they remain one of the world’s best- known and most sought-after travel destinations. Darwin’s finches and the Galápagos giant tortoise are just two of the many species that make this one of the world’s great wildlife destinations. However, each year more than 170,000 tourists head out to the tiny archipelago – and the strain is beginning to show. There’s also the threat of rising water temperatures, which are bleaching coral and reportedly causing the deaths of marine species, as well as pollution and illegal fishing.
