Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, contributing almost ten per cent of world GDP (7.2 trillion US dollars) in 2015. And the tourism industry is projected to grow, fuelled—in particular—by the emergence of a strong global middle class. However, this rapid growth has provoked questions of environmental sustainability, as mass tourism puts pressure on local resources (such as water and energy), causes various forms of pollution, and leaves a physical impact on the landscape.
The 140 Million Miles project (2016) takes a glance into the future of the tourism industry to ask whether we will have learned from our past mistakes.