Ecotourism after nature: Anthropocene tourism as a new capitalist “fix”

Traditional ecotourism has long been defined by the pursuit of pristine, untouched nature. However, as the concept of the Anthropocene—a geological epoch defined by human impact—gains prominence, the tourism industry faces a paradox: how to market nature when it is increasingly perceived as degraded or 'over.' This paper argues that the industry is responding by pivoting to 'Anthropocene tourism,' where the decline of the natural world itself becomes the primary attraction.

Drawing on the concept of the 'Capitalocene,' the author posits that this shift is a form of disaster capitalism. In this model, the tourism industry treats environmental crises as opportunities for capital accumulation. By framing the destruction of ecosystems as a unique, time-sensitive experience, the industry creates a 'spatio-temporal fix.' This allows capitalism to renew itself through creative destruction, maintaining its growth trajectory even as the original 'natural' assets that once grounded the ecotourism model disappear.

Fletcher identifies several emerging tourism niches that exemplify this trend. These include disaster tourism, where travelers visit sites of environmental catastrophe; extinction tourism, which encourages tourists to see endangered species before they vanish; and various forms of voluntourism and development tourism. These activities allow the industry to continue marketing environmental awareness and action, even as the focus shifts from preserving nonhuman nature to consuming the experience of its loss.