- 10
ways to tell if your eco-lodge is really eco!
 By
Justin Francis, responsibletravel.com. " 'Eco' and
'eco-lodges' have become buzzwords used by both terrific
organisations dedicated to conservation and benefitting local
people, and those seeking to exploit its marketing potential
for economic gain with little or no regard for destinations. Without
getting into the intracies of composting toilets how can
the tourist decide between the genuine and the not so genuine?
10 ways to tell if your eco-lodge is really an eco-lodge
(rather than just 'greenwashing').
- What is ecotourism?
The Guardian (UK) "Is ecotourism a contradiction
in terms? How can places of great natural beauty, or wildlife,
be preserved once tourists start visiting in their thousands,
bringing with them the need for services and development?
Is it possible to have a guilt-free holiday? Can you visit
a place without damaging it in some way?" A
collection of Guardian reports, articles, stories and advertising
features themed around ecotourism. Some items are amusing, while
others will evoke a sense of unease which will get you thinking,
with most offering useful insights, suggestions and/or links to
additional resources.
- Codes of Conduct, Practice & Operational
Guidelines Links, with descriptions, to operator and
travellers guidelines for ecotourism, sustainable tourism,
outdoor and nature based tourism activities.
- Ecotourism Accreditation &
Certification Programs Links, with descriptions, to various ecotourism
and sustainable tourism accreditation and certification programs available
in various localities around the world.
- Ecotourism Association of Australia Code of
Practice for Operators Originally developed in the mid
'90s, it's been superseded by NEAP,
and other geographically localised programs, but for tourism
operators wanting a brief bullet style introduction to
the concept, it's a good place to start.
You may find that you're already well on the way!
- Ecotourism Association of Australia
(EAA) Guidelines for Ecotourists Published in the mid
1990s, intending
"ecotourists" can still benefit from keeping these guidelines
in mind when travelling.
- Ecotourism - Taking Your
Next Vacation to New Heights from Wild New Jersey. Lovely
introduction to the concept of ecotourism for travellers,
from this wonderful site which also features guidelines
on appropriate behaviour around marine animals, Recreational
Boating Etiquette and Snorkelling/SCUBA Diving guidelines.
- Educating
the Travelling Community and the Investor Presented
by Noah Shepard at the 9th PATA Adventure Travel and Ecotourism
Conference, Malaysia, 1997. The potentials and perils
of ecotourism in a nutshell, and still one of the most
relevant introductory articles on ecotourism available
online.
- Ecotourism:
can it save the orangutans?
Inside Indonesia. #51 July- September 1997. "RACHEL DREWRY
investigates ecotourism as a conservation tool. 'We were in the rainforest
for fifteen hours and spent eleven of those waist-deep in a swamp
looking at orangutans'. Trekking through the swamps and rainforests
of Kalimantan may not be everyone's idea of a fun and relaxing holiday,
but to an increasing number of ecotourists there is no better way
to spend a couple of weeks."
- Exploring
Ecotourism in the Americas: Definitions by Ron Mader,
Do we need a definition or should "ecotourism" simply
lead by example?
- Looksmart
- Find Articles - News and Society = Ecotourism An excellent
service from Looksmart, providing access to articles from
magazines worldwide.
Presents
a brief excerpt
linked to full
article, with
source, author
and date of
publication
shown, where
available. You
can also sort
your search
by date, relevance,
publication
name and article
length. If
you want more
ecotourism related
stories, just
select "all
articles" in
the search box,
top right of
the page and
click the "look"
(search) button.
- The
Challenge of Ecotourism: A Call for Higher Standards by
John Shores.
" 'Ecotourism' today unfortunately is used as an all-inclusive
term. People are using the term so loosely that nearly all travel
qualifies. The goal posts are spread so far that every attempt scores
a goal. This adversely affects protected areas and biodiversity in
several ways."
Read John's proposals for "preliminary criteria for defining the
Ecotourism Level (EL) of different stages in the greening of the travel
system."
- "There's No Such
Thing As Eco-Tourism By
Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. Posted August 14, 2006. "Tourism
in the post-9/11, post-colonial era remains a minefield of
moral issues -- and living as a sin-free travel writer is
damn near impossible." Almost a polemic, funny and biting
in places. Comments for and against.
- Treading
lightly?: ecotourism's impact on the environment. "(Cover
Story) Environment, June, 1999, by Martha S. Honey." This
article, hosted on Looksmart's findarticles.com, does
a thorough study (15 web pages including ref.) of the
history and development of "ecotourism"
as an industry, with a number of examples, primarily focusing on variable
results in Africa.
- The
tour operator's dilemma: Keeping the customer happy while
not disturbing the wildlife. Originally presented at
the 2002 EAA International Ecotourism Conference in Cairns,
Ronda Green asks "... as a tour
operator, I really want to know what effect we have on the wildlife.
Are our activities gradually affecting the wildlife in ways
that will either improve visitor experience or might they
ultimately destroy the very things we are trying to show
them? Are the animals going to start avoiding the areas
we use? Are they going to behave less naturally? Are we
likely to cause, however gradually, any changes to their
habitat?"
- The Global Development
Research Center (GDRC) distills the essence of "sustainable"
and "eco" tourism, and provides a veritable feast of resources
to enjoy. Students and operators will find the Sustainable Tourism
Info Sheets useful. "Sustainable tourism in its purest sense,
is an industry which attempts to make a low impact on the environment
and local culture, while helping to generate income, employment,
and the conservation of local ecosystems. It is responsible tourism
which is both ecologically and culturally sensitive."
See also Sustainable Design & Management,
Development and EnvironmentEcologically Sustainable Development,
Ecotourism Associations and Organisations and
Ecotourism Papers & Articles |
|
"The
Tourism Planning Toolkit is a set of tools to help
local authorities plan for tourism and tackle specific
tourism-related issues. In the Toolkit you
can: * Use checklists - to quickly assess what
you already know, what you need to find out. *
View examples - including resources and surveys
to fill any information gaps. * Get guidance -
on how to handle tourism issues. The Tourism
Planning Toolkit covers four broad areas, ... #
Situation Analysis Toolkit # Strategic Planning
Toolkit # Implementation Toolkit # Monitoring Performance
Toolkit. Complete all four Toolkits and you
will be equipped to produce a tourism strategy." Isn't
it great that resources like these are available
online? Thanks TNZ.