Researchers from the University of Turku found that social media has created an "explosion of nature photography," leading to a situation they liken to the modern equivalent of "nature's death by a thousand likes."
The study—published recently in the journal Nature Communications—highlights the impact of "nature-based tourism" on the planet's ecosystems. The authors point to a number of ways that social media fuels the problem:
- Photo challenges and competitions: Platforms often host competitions for nature photos, which encourage people to seek out increasingly rare or endangered species.
- Influencer culture: The researchers note the influence of a "handful of extremely influential nature photographers," such as those with social media followings in the millions, who create "hyper-idealized" images of nature.
- Viral images: Certain nature photos go "viral," encouraging others to visit the same locations, which can harm sensitive habitats.
The researchers analyzed social media posts and hashtags associated with nature tourism in 2018, finding that nearly half (45 percent) of these posts were geotagged.
Geotagging, where users provide the exact GPS location of their posts, makes it possible for "anyone to reach this location by accessing the data from the social media post."
This can potentially lead to increased visitor traffic for a "previously little-known or unknown location," the authors write.
Impact on ecosystems
The researchers say their findings suggest that the "increased popularity of nature-based tourism through social media is putting significant and unsustainable pressure on ecosystems."
They note a few examples where nature-based tourism has created problems:
- The nesting site of the great crested grebe: Photos of these nesting birds went viral on social media, which inspired a surge of tourists wanting to take their own photos. This caused a decline in nesting success.
- Whale shark tourism in the Philippines: The popularity of swimming with harmless whale sharks sparked a tourism boom, which generated local revenue and conservation of ecosystems, but also increased stress on the sharks and their habitat.
- Overtourism in Iceland: The country's tourism industry has grown so rapidly that tourism-related infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the visitor demand, impacting the environment and causing local resentment.
Mitigation strategies
To counter these problems, the authors suggest a number of mitigation strategies:
- Raise awareness of potential harms: Inform nature-based tourists of the potential impacts of their activities, so that they can "avoid harmful behaviors."
- Provide better information: Offer up-to-date information about visitor volumes and wildlife conditions at specific sites.
- Promote dispersed tourism: Encourage visitors to explore less popular locations to avoid overcrowding and give high-traffic areas time to recover.
- Foster sustainable tourism practices: Encourage hotels and other tourism businesses to adopt environmentally friendly standards.
- Develop management strategies: Work with local communities, conservationists and tourism operators to develop sustainable management plans for popular nature-tourism destinations.
Rapid extinction
The authors also speculate on a more drastic but potentially "realistic future scenario":
"With millions of people traveling the globe to take photos, the rapid decline in biodiversity due to overtourism could contribute to the acceleration of extinction, potentially leading even to the annihilation of nature itself."
They acknowledge that their scenario may seem "exaggerated or even dystopian," but the idea is to sound the alarm before the damage is irreparable.
"While nature photography and responsible nature-based tourism can certainly bring people closer to nature and can also benefit ecosystems, the scale of the current, social-media-driven surge in nature-based tourism is putting the balance between nature and societal well-being at risk."
