Tourism Naturally Conference 2022: Day 2 – Plenary Speaker: Andy Wirth
Channel: Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
Date: 01/11/2022

Tourism Naturally Conference 2022: Day 2 – Plenary Speaker: Andy Wirth
Cofounder & CEO, Peak Ski Company, LLC, and The M Bar W Group, LLC

Intro: Ethan Billingsley, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University

Protected Areas, Tourism, and a Changing World

Nature and human well-being are inextricably linked – neither will be achieved without the other. Protected areas are a beacon of hope and support for mental and physical health for those with access, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. For those without access, it has made clear that more work needs to be done on accessibility, especially
for marginalized communities. In some parts of the world, total closure of protected areas to visitation has led to the collapse of local economies and rapid job losses. With the loss of jobs and opportunity, protected areas have seen spikes in illegal extraction activities – dramatic shifts that are also happening in the context of global climate change, deteriorating global human health, economic uncertainty, and a global population increasingly living disconnected from nature.
Tourism Naturally 2022 will bring together researchers, practitioners, private sector partners, and interested communities to discuss how we can shape protected areas and tourism for the improvement of nature and the human condition. Thoughtful, responsible tourism to protected areas provides us with a great opportunity to repair connections, build economic opportunity, and provide us with a buffer to the rapidly changing world.
Why: Our mission is to increase professionalism and effectiveness in the travel and tourism field.
About: Tourism Naturally is a conference designed to address the myriad issues that arise as tourism businesses, infrastructure, travelers and hosts interact in overlapping economic, cultural, social and environmental spheres. Tourism Naturally was started in 2016 by Colorado State University’s Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources in partnership with the University of Sassari, University of Derby, University of Pisa and Central China Normal University.

The Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources is a part of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University.