Doing ecotourism right

Look for tour operators that meet standards of ethics and non-exploitation

By: outdoors columnist Jack Christie

  Feel that cold snap in the air? This is the time of the year many Canadians begin to make travel plans. Whether you intend to explore inside Canada or see the world, you're bound to have come across more than one travel brochure that expounds the benefits of ecotourism.
  These days, ecotourism is as catchy a term as organic. And about as suspect. The last time I checked, there was twice as much organic produce sold in North America as was actually grown on certified organic farms. The same is true of ecotourism. Over the past decade, the prefix "eco" has been used to sell everything under the sun. Ecotourism has become a buzzword for all nature-based activities. But many of them have negative environmental consequences. Not surprisingly, the term has lost much of its credibility within the tourism community.
 

Ecotours must: 1. not damage the environment. 2. respect social and cultural traditions. 3. be non-exploitive of local people and ensure benefits flow to local residents.

  At the same time, interest in participating in ecotours has continued to swell. We want to travel to more and more exotic locales before they disappear! Places such as Banff National Park have really felt the impact. Last year, eight million people visited the park That's four times as many as twenty years ago. At the same time the grizzly bear population continues to dwindle. Although you might not get Parks Canada officials to admit it, I don't think that's a coincidence.
  Tourism is the world's largest industry. These days Ecotourism is its star performer. It grows between ten and thirty percent annually. You can see why many tour operators are rushing to attach the eco-label to their product. But if more and more of us are stampeding to sign up for ecotours, what are the consequences? Here at home, just ask the whales and bears. Wildlife viewing is one of the most popular reasons for joining a nature or eco-tour. Unfortunately, this may disturb their feeding and migration patterns.
  The chance to view culturally-significant locales is another reason to sign up for an ecotour. If unchecked, what follows may be tantamount to a looting of unique local resources. This applies equally to native artifacts and geographical landmarks. Several years ago, the largest Sitka spruce tree in the world was discovered on Canada's west coast. The rush to see it was almost akin to its death sentence. Fortunately, it is now off-limits to bootprints.
  What's the solution? Obviously education takes a front seat, not just for participants but for tour operators themselves. Groups such as The Ecotourism Society of Canada, the Travel Media Association of Canada, and Vancouver-based Ocean Blue Foundation are actively promoting environmentally-responsible tourism through education and awareness. Even the United Nations has entered the fray. A UN conference on environment and development recently called on ecotour operators to take into account three things. Ecotours must not damage the environment; instead, they must be ecologically sound. They must respect social and cultural traditions. They must be non-exploitive of local people and ensure, as far as possible, that benefits flow to local residents.
  When planning a vacation, keep these guidelines in mind. If you're considering joining an ecotour, ask the company how closely their itineraries and objectives meet these standards. Remember, you want a quality travel experience. You also want that experience to enrich not only your life but the overall health of the environment you're visiting.

Jack Christie is a outdoors author-broadcaster based in Vancouver. Contact him by e-mail through his Web site at www.jackchristie.com

[ Front Page ]