Re: “Minister to unveil national tourism strategy,” May 14.
Regularly we read of international meetings and conferences in which various levels of government address our global environmental problems and attempt agreement on measures that can be taken to reduce harmful emissions from our industries and transport systems.
However, no level of government — national, state, provincial, territorial, county, regional, municipal, district — ever links these problems with the effects of tourism. At the same time as posturing about their environmental concerns, they encourage tourist visitors to travel from all parts of the world, by plane, train, cruise ship and road transport, in order to generate revenue.
The new “national tourism strategy” announced by federal Minister of Tourism Mélanie Joly actively encouraging an increase in gasoline-related emissions, is a perfect example of another two-faced and contradictory attitude by a government representative.
Nicky Kew
Victoria
