China’s plans to build a highway to the top of Mount Everest as part of their overall preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics have raised an overflow of environmental concerns. The highway, which will consist of a tarmac route complete with guardrails, will extend from the base camp to the top of the mountain (approx 17,000 ft) and will cost the Chinese government a reported 20 million dollars.

The purpose of the highway is to create easier access to the top of Mount Everest for the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic torch, as well as to pave the way for increased tourism to the remote location:

“The highway will become the major route for tourists and mountaineers who are crowding on to Mt Qomolangma, known in the west as Mt Everest, in ever larger numbers,” the Xinhua news agency reported.

In keeping with its towering ambitions for next year’s Beijing games, China has designed the most far-reaching Olympic torch route in history. The 85,000-mile, 130-day relay will cross five continents and reach the peak of Mt Everest.

The highway is already stirring up quite a bit of controversy from environmentalists, and also from campaigners for Tibetan rights who dispute China’s claims to the region. Environmentalists fear that further development of Mount Everest will have irreversible negative impacts on its fragile ecosystem, which has already been damaged by the boom in climbers seeking to conquer the mountain’s heights.

Everest is currently home to myriad rare flora and fauna, as well as the endangered snow leopard and the Tibetan antelope. Evidence suggests that a massive influx of tourism will further undermine a natural habitat already under threat.

Virgin’s Responsible Tourism Awards are nominated by fellow travelers, and awarded to travel organizations and operators that seek to decrease their impact on the environment, and teach us how to holiday responsibly through the world we travel in. and get some travel inspiration from the 2008 nominees.