With advancements in transportation, one long-distance flight consumes as much fuel as a car uses over several years. They, however, produce the same amount of pollution. As a result, the question arises whether we should discourage non-essential flights, such as tourist travel instead of minimizing the use of cars. While it might seem unethical as flights might bring economic benefits, I agree with the view since negative sides of flights – environmental impact and its too much fuel consumption- carry more weight.
One should admit that tourism is a lucrative source of income in some countries so it might appear unreasonable to discourage tourist travel by plane. More specifically, Both local government and residents in popular tourist destinations often rely heavily on visitors to make profits, meaning it is of great importance for nationwide economic growth and locals’ livelihoods. Consider, for example, nations, in the southeast of Asia like Thailand and Malaysia. For them, it is tourism that mainly keeps the wheels of economy turning. From this perspective, once flight which might not seem trivial at first glance is minimized, it is far more likely to harm the economy of such nations.
That said, the downsides of non-essential flights are far more concerning. Clearly, it is estimated that the carbon emissions of one flight are equivalent of dozens of cars releasing exhaust fumes simultaneously. If the number of such non-essential and recreational flights is not minimized, we are set to bear environmental consequences in the form of air pollution and climate change. In fact, the situation is already bad and it could be exacerbated if a concerted effort is not made on a global scale. Additionally, the more flights are allowed to serve for non-essential travels, the more likely fuel is to deplete in the long haul, thereby not only deteriorating the environment but also contributing to fuel depletion.
In conclusion, although air travel has its own unique benefits for certain countries in terms of stimulating economy, it is my firm conviction that it will do more harm than good because the excessive use of fuel may lead to fuel depletion in the long run and also it has dire impacts on the health of the environment.
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