Eco-tourism for the Responsible Traveller
How Travel Choices can Help Sustain the Environment
Jul 27, 2009
In times of constant worries about the economic downturn, climate change and new virus strains, to name a few, indifference comes at a cost. As lifestyles change and aim to adjust to these growing alarms, people begin to explore alternative approaches to living the same life they've always enjoyed while giving back more to their community and environment. These approaches can be applied to travel, whether local or international.
Ecotourism is for Green Travel
Ecotourism can be defined as travel to unspoiled, uncontaminated destinations out of the tourists' loop, with emphasis on the conservation of the environment and the community around it. Due to sales pitches from travel operators and marketing agents, it is easy to assume that a trip to a conservation site is in itself already ecotouristic. However, the following need to be taken into account:
- How does the trip benefit the local community and its economy?
- How does the tour operator support the local community?
- How many locals are involved?
- Are the businesses certified in ecotourism?
- What are the environmental policies being worked on?
These simple questions help discern genuine ecotourism. It is not enough to visit conservation sites; travellers seeking alternative travel that is economically and ecologically friendly should be prepared to commit to responsible choices from the planning of the trip to the stay in the location to the return home.
Ecotourism Directly Benefits Locals
The travel and tourism industries are the principal source of income in developing countries which rely on foreign exchange and income from the jobs supplied by these industries. It would seem obvious that a trip to Rekawa to watch the nesting of sea turtles would benefit Sri Lanka's economy, but a large percentage still goes to the international circuit that operates on the local scene, from the resorts owned by foreign investors to the expats working as tour guides. Ecotourism promotes the fair involvement and financial benefit of the people whose community and environment are affected by tourism.
Ecotourism Promotes Eco-friendly Destinations
From Panama to the Virgin Islands, from Laos to Patagonia, ecotourism actively promotes green travel to destinations where man can be in nature's untouched form, far from the results of daily life's contamination on the environment. These sites provide unique insights into the interaction between man and land, the cultural heritage of the community, the on-going efforts for the conservation of the environment and man's role in the balance. Ecotourism involves the traveller, the locals and the land.
Ecotourism is About Respect
Travellers often forget they are on foreign land and bring their customs along, much to the detriment of the host location. Ecotourism encourages total immersion in the foreign culture and participation in the learning exchange with the locals. Responsible travellers ought to observe their footprint on both the environment and the community as to help in their conservation.
Wherever ecotourism takes the traveller, making informed choices benefits everyone involved in the trip.
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