World tourism is facing an interesting challenge ahead of the Kyoto meetings in Bali next month. Often criticized as a luxury pursuit causing unnecessary emissions, tourism is also a lifeline for many developing nations.

Francesco Frangialli, head of the World Tourism Organization, a division of the U.N. is urging environment ministers not to be overly simplistic with a tourism solution, since curbing it significantly could be disastrous for many impoverished people. At the same time, global warming is starting to bleach coral, melt glaciers and raise sea levels, causing additional tourism problems for developing countries, particularly small island states. The solution is not an easy one.

Read the full article at Reuters Environment

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