Economics of eco-tourism

Flip through a travel brochure, and you are likely to see pictures of sun and sand in Southeast Asia, of luxury lodges in the Serengeti, of scuba diving in the bejewelled coral reefs of the Caribbean.

What the brochure will not reveal, though, is tourism's dirty little secret: the environmental cost of your trip.

That beach in Thailand may once have housed precious mangroves, which were ripped up to make way for your hotel.

To provide you with a piping-hot shower and tempting meal after an exhausting safari, your Serengeti lodge may be tapping into precious water supplies, dumping waste in exchange and paying your waiter just a dollar a day.

And to get you to the Caribbean, your plane will spew out tonnes of carbon pollution, thus stoking the global warming which is killing the very corals you want to enjoy. This is where eco-tourism comes in.

One of the fastest-expanding and well-heeled sectors of the travel industry, eco-tourism aims at serving the growing numbers of people who want to see exotic sights, rare wildlife and remote cultures, but feel guilty about the footprint they will leave.

"About 70 million people each year travel to places with fragile eco-systems and cultures under what you might call eco-tourism," said Tensie Whelan, executive director of the green group Rainforest Alliance.

According to the Washington-based group The International Ecotourism Society (Ties), global eco-tourism has been expanding at rates of between 20 and 34 per cent a year since 1990 – and in 2004, the business grew three times faster than the tourism sector as a whole.

The typical eco-tourist is an experienced traveller aged 40-plus with higher education and in the top earning brackets, said Ties.

The Worldwatch Institute, a United States green group, defines eco-tourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people."

Under this broad umbrella comes a wide range of activities.

They can operate on a scale that ranges from the personal to the mass market, and their green benefit is highly variable.

Projects include tiny groups of people who accompany conservationists into the Amazon to document wildlife or who are given a close-up look at chimpanzees in ancient forests in Africa.

At the other end of the numbers scale, South Africa's well-run National Parks plough fees from visitors into sustaining and policing the reserve.

Energy efficiency, water conservation, transport and renewable resources are big features in eco-tourism. Asking environmentally-sensitive guests to re-use their towels is not enough.

To win credibility with this upscale, demanding slice of the market, hotels and lodges have to offer such things low-flush toilets, bicycle hire, solar-powered water heating and solar-powered electricity, intelligent lighting or air conditioning panels.

Many pledge donations to preserve the local nature reserve or promise to help the local community with good jobs or locally-sourced materials.

Another inducement in eco-tourism is carbon "offsets" to compensate for the pollution of the client's holiday. "Offsets" are schemes by which a polluter buys into a project elsewhere that will compensate for the carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from his trip.

For instance, a 10,000-kilometre flight would emit around 1.5 tonnes of CO2. An "offset" to counterbalance this, such as planting trees or investing in cleaner energy in the Third World, would cost around $27 (Dh99) at present prices. The rise of eco-tourism has in turn spurred fears that it can be exploited cynically as greenwash, masking projects that are environmentally destructive and culturally erosive.

Tricia Barnett of the British campaign group Tourism Concern complained there are more than 400 certification schemes for eco-tourism around the world, a good many of which are simply "good marketing."

"You can go to a tented encampment in Zambia or somewhere and find that you have porcelaine toilets fitted in. Those are the people who say their projects are eco-tourism, when it's really about making a niche product."

Neel Inamdar, an expert with the US group Conservation International, agreed that the issue of classification "is a major problem," as there is no universally accepted definition of sustainable tourism.

From next year, though, a panel comprising non-profit groups, UN agencies and conservationists will take the first steps towards establishing a global label.

Whelan, whose group, the Rainforest Alliance, has joined with Conservation International and others in the certification scheme, said travel cannot be ignored and the only option is to coax it into greenness. "There's always going to be mass tourism. The question is: do you allow cheap mass tourism that's going to be very destructive, or do you try to change that mass tourism?" (AFP)


Top five tips

Five ways to be eco-friendly on holiday:

- Keep your showers short, and shut off the water while you are brushing your teeth

- When you leave the room, turn off the air conditioning, heat, television and lights and other electrical appliances

- Re-use sheets and towels instead of having them changed every day

- Bring your own toiletries and drinking cup rather than using the prepackaged ones provided by the hotel

- Learn about your hotel's recycling programme and sort yours accordingly. If your hotel doesn't recycle, consider taking your empty bottles or other items home with you to recycle them there

Top five eco-tourism destinations

Costa Rica: Costa Rica is practically synonymous with the term "eco-tourism," and for good reason. Misty cloud forests, black sand beaches and rushing river rapids offer outdoor activities for both casual nature enthusiasts and hardcore adventure travellers. Environmentally conscious travellers have their choice of eco-friendly accommodations; the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and Key to Costa Rica maintain lists of green hotels, resorts and lodges.

Norwegian Fjords: Their remote location and strict environmental regulations have helped preserve the pristine beauty of Norway's famous fjords, with their snowcapped mountains, tumbling waterfalls and crystal-clear waters. Visitors can go hiking or biking over the rugged terrain, or take a scenic boat ride through the towering fjords. A wide variety of wildlife lives here, including eagles, seals, porpoises and seabirds. Along with the region's natural attractions, the fjords are also home to many small fishing villages where local cultural traditions have survived for hundreds of years.

Kerala, India: The small state of Kerala, on India's southwestern coast, is often referred to as "God's Own Country" – a label that doesn't seem at all hyperbolic once you've visited its clean sandy beaches and lush virgin forests. This is one of India's most unspoiled corners, home to hundreds of unique animal species and nearly a quarter of the country's 10,000 plant species. In the past Kerala's ecosystems were threatened by excessive forest clearing, but these days many of the state's forests are now protected, and tourist officials are encouraging environmentally responsible travel to the area.

One encouraging step in the direction is the development of Thenmala Ecotourism, the first "planned ecotourism destination" in India.

Kenya: Kenya's incredible natural diversity is protected in some 50 national parks and reserves across the country, from the virgin rain forests of the Kakamega Forest Reserve to the wildebeests who migrate to the Maasai Mara National Reserve every July and August. All tourism occurs under the watchful eye of Ecotourism Kenya, which works to protect the local environment through community outreach and education projects. The organisation also rates lodges throughout Kenya based on their environmental policies.

Palau: The island nation of Palau has been recognised for years as one of the world's foremost diving destinations. In the crystal-clear sea just off the coast is a colorful underwater wonderland, featuring more than 500 species of coral teeming with some 1,400 kinds of fish. On land, travellers can wander along unspoiled beaches or go trekking through dense jungles. Palau's remote location in the westernmost corner of Micronesia has helped to shield both its natural resources and its cultural traditions from the detrimental effects of mass tourism. The Palau Conservation Society manages nearly two dozen conservation areas and encourages sustainable development to protect the islands' fragile ecosystems.

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