Many tourism destinations across the globe are known for their natural wonders—beachfront properties, jungle foliage, mountain peaks, and the list goes on. The impact of tourism on these natural areas can have a devastating effect, which creates the demand for tourism professionals who also understand sustainable economic development. In order to protect these natural wonders for future generations, today's tourism industry leaders must use sustainable practices.

If you’ve ever lost your luggage, there’s a good chance that it ended up in Scottsboro, Alabama. The small Southern town is home to Unclaimed Baggage, a 40,000-square-foot warehouse stocked with items that airlines failed to reunite with their owners, all for sale to the thousands of yearly visitors who walk its aisles and shop the orphaned goods.

Today, you can snag a flight on an e-travel site like Travelocity, Expedia, or Kayak with a few clicks. But you could be missing out on details and deals that make your trip more enjoyable and cheaper had you proceeded with the guidance of a travel agent. That’s why many travelers still use travel agents to plan their trips.

New year, new travel adventures. According to Johnson & Wales University professor Eldad Boker, Ed.D., these are the trends you should know about before you pack your bags for vacation in 2020.

“Peru? Why Peru?”

It’s 2019, and the topic of sustainability—whether it relates to retail, general living practices, or tourism—is top of mind for most consumers. As a traveler, it might seem like the best way to “go green” is to Uber more, drive less, and recycle when you can. But there are so many other things you can do in addition to become a sustainable traveler who is contributing to a lower carbon footprint and a better world for future generations.

After a deadly plane crash in Ethiopia killed 157 people in March, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered an emergency grounding of all Boeing 737 Max aircraft operated by US-based airlines or in US territory. Boeing, the company that manufactures the planes, announced changes to its control systems, which were linked to both the recent Ethiopian crash and another deadly crash that happened last year in Indonesia.

As the tourism industry continues to evolve, new travel trends pop up as people explore the world, themselves, and their interests. The World Travel & Tourism Council believes that the number of international travelers will increase in the coming 12 years from 1.3 billion to 1.8 billion.

It might seem as if sustainability is a relatively new concept, but the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that the United States declared sustainability a national policy in The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The country’s commitment to sustainability was in order “to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.”

When Professor Tiffany Rhodes isn’t teaching travel and tourism courses on-campus and online at Johnson & Wales University, she’s traveling all over the world for recreation, work, and sport. Not only is she an adventure expert, former research biologist, and humanitarian, but she’s a competitive mountain biker who ranked sixth overall in the Eastern States Cup Downhill series this year.

Here is a little bit more about Rhodes, who uses her unique experiences to make an impact on her students in the online classroom.