Going… Going… Gone.

Did you know that environmental changes are taking their toll on some of our world’s most well-known tourist areas and travel destinations?

Severe changes being brought on by global warming are producing drastic occurrences such as sinking, melting and might even be the cause of entire places disappearing from the face of the earth.

Global warming combined with tourist wear and tear are breaking down and causing some major problems for some of the world’s most popular attractions.

The Maldive Islands are located in the Indian Ocean and are approximately three feet above sea level. More than 600,000 people visit the Maldive Islands every year which accounts for 30% of the country’s gross domestic product. Scientists fear that it is possible that this chain of islands could be completely submerged by 2050. A buffer was constructed in the 1990s but it has not solved the problem. The government is considering relocating all 386,000 of its residents to Sri Lanka, Australia or India thus bringing an end to the Maldives’ tourism industry.

The Great Barrier Reef located in Australia is 135,000 square miles of live coral off Australia’s northeast coast which are shrinking rapidly due to heavy tourist traffic, ocean acidification and rising water temperatures. In attempts to slow erosion, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has imposed limits on ship passage and has blocked off some areas surrounding the reef to oversize yachts and cruise lines. These measures have had little impact. The Australian Institute of Marine Science released a study in January stating that the coral’s natural growth has decreased by 14% since 1990. Experts say that by 2050, water temperatures will rise by 1.5°C and the reef will have lost about 95% of its living coral.

Mount Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania is one of the world’s most popular climbs and every year approximately 15,000 climbers show up to make their attempt. The glaciers that cover this stately landmark are receding rapidly. 84% of their ice has been lost since 1912 and today covers less than one square mile. Scientists believe the glaciers could be gone completely by 2020 directly effecting Tanzania’s main tourist draw.

The Switzerland Alps attract more than 8 million people to travel to Switzerland every year mainly to ski the country’s world-famous Alps. Because of global warming, it is estimated that about 40% of the mountain range’s pristine skiing areas will disappear by 2100. Low-altitude destinations are especially susceptible because of their warmer temperatures, and owners have already had to turn to artificial snow to get through the season. Making a preemptive move in an attempt to deflect future losses the $125 million InterContinental Davos which is scheduled to open in 2011 is adding attractions that don’t require snow, such as indoor sports facilities and spas.

The Galápagos Islands located in Ecuador has experienced an increase in the number of visitors to the archipelago (where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution) from 40,000 to 180,000 since 1990. Air traffic has risen by 193% since 2001. Those trends are likely to accelerate this year, the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. Scientists consider the Galápagos to be the world’s purest biodiversity environment which makes them especially concerned about the way the traffic surge will affect the islands’ life forms. They consider 39% of animal species, 50% of marine species, and 59% of plant species to be threatened. In an effort to help control the problem, Ecuador is considering setting a yearly tourist cap and imposing an entry fee of up to $300.