With National Parks in Danger, Travel Companies Are Filling the Gaps

Hey, sun seekers, it’s Nikki Ekstein—travel editor and the current reigning cheerleader of the “hot Caribbean summer.” This weekend, I’m off to Turks & Caicos, a choice I normally wouldn’t have thought prudent in mid-July—but then I saw the flight prices and compared the destination’s average temperatures to those of Greece and the Hamptons. Turns out, wind-swept Caribbean islands are typically cooler than both of those other summer hot spots.

While climate change is transforming our summer vacation patterns in many ways—like Scandinavian “coolcations”—these shifts are simply intended to keep us more comfortable as luxury travelers. But a trend playing out here in the US shows the inverse is true too: With our growing appetite for national parks, the destinations themselves are increasingly relying on travelers to help protect them.