Tourism and wetlands, delicate balance to strike

Hangzhou (CNS) – The debate surrounding how to balance both the interests of tourism and environmental preservation was carried forward a step at the Xixi Wetlands of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on February 2, which marked the 16th World Wetlands Day (WWD).

"Wetlands are a natural landscape of incalculable value to human civilization." says Cheng Weishan, a senior official of Zhejiang Province. Wetlands protection is a new type of social undertaking which benefits the whole world, he added.

The theme of the 16th WWD is Wetlands and Tourism and the rallying cry is "A great tourism experience while responsibly supporting wetlands and people". The slogan echoes the currently popular concept of eco-tourism, says Dr. Chen Shuihua, vice president of Zhengjaing Museum of Natural History.

"We can spread knowledge about wetlands protection to the public via eco-tourism, even though tourism is probably a burden to wetlands because a constant stream of visitors may harm an any ecosystem," admits Chen, "So this is the beginning of a long-haul mission to handle the relationship between tourism and wetlands."