:: March 2008: Volume 7/Number 2

the promise of eco tourism

from Panama to Thailand to Uganda, sustainable traveling catches on

by Matt Kettmann

I’m hiding on a densely forested trail in the Bolivian Amazon, trying to spot a pack of peccaries that are rustling in the bushes a few feet away. It’s the summer of 2003, and like the rest of the American tourists in my group, I’m listening intently to our guide, who grew up in an isolated village an hour’s walk from here. As the beasts snort and scamper, he’s recounting to us in whispered tones about the time the pig-like creatures chased his relatives up a tree. We’re simultaneously excited and terrified as he urges us to consider escape routes if the peccaries charge.

Though we eventually see little more than flashes of fur as the peccaries catch our scent and disappear into the endless jungle, the experience enlivens us for hours – at least until we hear from another group who saw a jaguar, or those who took a canoe ride in the morning and spotted a rare female tapir and her baby, sipping dawn drinks near floating caimans. And that’s not to speak of the capybaras we spotted on our two-hour canoe ride upriver to reach our location, the monkeys who taunt us from behind the kitchen when we first arrive, or the swarms of cantaloupe-sized blue butterflies that suck the salt from our hiking boots after a day’s walk.

These experiences are everyday affairs at the Chalalan Lodge in Bolivia’s sprawling Madidi National Forest, as are intriguing cultural lessons, locally grown gourmet meals, and even the chance to try traditional medicines if your stomach goes south. Best of all, the lodge is run by villagers from nearby San José de Uchupiamonas, so the money we spend goes straight to sustaining their traditional ways of life rather than to the pockets of some carpet-bagging developer.

Chalalan serves as my first full-blown ecotourism experience, and I’m immediately hooked. In the nearly five years since, I’ve visited ecolodges and sustainable tourism hotspots from the spider monkey-covered beaches of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula to the highlands of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, from the rustic savannah lodges of Uganda’s hippo-filled Lake Mburo to the remote outposts of the Caucasus Mountains between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Then last summer for my honeymoon I found Panama, the country where ecotourism is fighting a most important battle.

ecolodge goes international industry

Most of us set out to travel in the name of fun and adventure, and ecolodges always guarantee both, but also much more: They’re intimately educational experiences, fostering a better respect for your hosts and for the planet’s fragile yet invigorating environment. And since the locals eventually benefit from a properly run ecolodge, you go home proud that your tourism contributed positively rather than being ashamed that all you did was take away.

Of course, I’m not the only one who’s figured this out. Since the phrase was coined sometime in the 1980s, ecotourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors in global tourism. Its popularity reflects our society’s growing care for the environment and concern for indigenous peoples, both of which are often the biggest losers in the tourism game. Ecotourism is now a viable industry in more than 100 countries around the world, and it is the loudest buzz word for travelers in the twenty- to forty-something age range. Most telling about its global footprint is that the United Nations celebrated 2002 as the “International Year of Ecotourism.”

it’s really up to you to ensure that your footprint on the environment is minimal and your positive impact to the local community is as powerful as possible

But like any potentially lucrative trend, not everyone who says they’re eco-friendly actually is. I’ve seen numerous dubious “ecolodges” from Asia to Africa, places that hold stake to the claim seemingly because they serve fruit smoothies or arrange white-water rafting trips. Meanwhile, Western owners pave over pristine wildlands and exploit the indigenous folks while reaping profits in the name of pseudo-sustainability. As such, it can be difficult for tourists to find legitimate eco-experiences.

Luckily, there are organizations like The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) willing to help the rest of us sort this out. “We’re the world’s largest and oldest ecotourism association and organization…so we’re really at the forefront of the movement,” explained Christina Cavaliere, the director of training and education for the society. Founded in 1990, TIES boasts nearly 1,000 individual members from about 100 countries, ranging from green builders and lodge owners to universities, governments, nonprofits and tourists.

TIES’ primary mission is to define ecotourism: “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people,” and then disseminate information on responsible traveling. The organization also hosts ecotourism events every year, including its annual international gala, to be held May 1, 2008, in Washington D.C. (see ecotourismgala.org), and its third conference on sustainable tourism in North America to be held in October 2008, in Vancouver, British Columbia (see ecotourismconference.org).

In doing so, TIES leads the fight against “greenwashing,” the practice of cashing in on the sustainable revolution by pretending to be an ecolodge. Impostors, explained Cavaliere, “undermine the progress and the businesses that are really doing sustainable practices.” The way to best handle greenwashing, according to Cavaliere, is through certification programs that assess environmental and socio-cultural programs, of which there are about 90 in existence across the globe. TIES, she explained, is also “working now on a committee of individuals and nonprofit organizations to develop a global certification scheme.” That could come as early as this year.

But it’s not just the business side that matters – Cavaliere makes it clear that the onus for responsible tourism is equally on the traveler. “What we’re doing in essence is talking responsibility,” she explained. “Really educating yourself about the cultural norms and practices makes you more prepared to be a more sustainable visitor.”

So no matter if you’re heading to a luxurious, all-inclusive eco-resort in the tropics or a barebones hut in the arctic backcountry, it’s really up to you to ensure that your footprint on the environment is minimal and your positive impact to the local community is as powerful as possible. “We’re traveling all the time, whether we’re traveling next door or traveling to the other side of the globe,” said the very passionate Cavaliere. “We all need to look at how we are living sustainably and how we are making sustainable connections. That can happen everywhere.”

ecotourism on honeymoon

Last summer, after five years of alternating discoveries and disappointments since Chalalan, I once again found ecotourism gold. This time the country was Panama, but it wasn’t just one lodge. It was everywhere I stayed, and the two weeks of traveling there on my honeymoon proved what I’d been hearing about since my Bolivian adventure: Panama is becoming the world’s hottest spot for ecotourism, successfully blending environmental awareness and respect for the indigenous cultures with loads of wildlife both above and below the ocean’s surface.

Our adventure began in the San Blas Islands, which are run entirely by the Kuna Yala tribe whose success as indigenous governors and ecotourism providers is respected throughout the Americas. We stayed at the Dad Ibe Lodge near the island village of Ailigandi, and shared our tiny, sand-swept isle with just one other couple. Our days were spent being shown the natural and cultural wonders of the area by a tribesman named Sam, who also took up our nights by telling us the legends of his people. As we learned and enjoyed, our dollars went straight into the local economy, and the gratitude was clear.

From there, we flew across the isthmus to the mountains of Boquete, where a forward-thinking Canadian couple runs the Coffee Estate Inn, employing their Panamanian neighbors as housekeepers, cooks, gardeners, and coffee growing experts. One morning, we were given the tour of their coffee fields, which are shade-grown in the traditional way and meander amongst native flora and fauna. Throw in tremendous views of Boquete and hikes up the nearby Baru Volcano, and the inn serves as a shining star in agricultural ecotourism.

Our final adventure was at the La Loma Jungle Lodge in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, where odd birds and fluorescent frogs are visible from your hillside doorstep, the food is homegrown, fresh and fancily prepared, and the interaction with the locals is earnestly meaningful. There’s a butterfly farm and cocoa plantation, a support network for the neighboring village, and more concern for conservation and the environment than anywhere I’ve every stayed, as evidenced by everything from green buildings and gravity-fed faucets to lessons on why a massive development nearby will only harm the indigenous folks and ruin the island. La Loma reigns as my top entirely ecotouristic experience since Chalalan, perfectly blending exploration with education.

Despite such treasures, Panama, like much of the developing world, sits at a crossroads. Down one path is sustainable tourism, which is already showing success. But down the other path is frightening overdevelopment, which will make corporations a fast buck, but ultimately kills the charm and natural beauty that makes Panama and other developing nations special. Its seems clear to me which is the preferred path, and I’ll continue to spend my travel money supporting responsible operations. I urge you to do the same.

For more information on these locations: chalalan.com, thejunglelodge.com, coffeeestateinn.com, dadibelodge.com

For more information on TIES, visit ecotourism.org.

Matt Kettmann is the senior editor at The Santa Barbara Independent and also writes for TIME, Wine Spectator, Sunset, Ode, and other magazines.

how to plan your eco-trip
Scour the web:	Ask specific questions:
Many websites including ecotourisn.org specialize in sustainable travel, and they’re easy to find.	Demand info about the business’ environmental practices and their commitment to their community. Legitimate lodges are happy to share.
Hit the books:	Make a judgment call:
Most guidebooks dedicate portions to eco-travel, and give you good background on where you’re going and what cultural norms to expect.	In lieu of certification or awards, the intelligent traveler can spot greenwashing from continents away. Does it pass the sniff test? Use your noggin, and choose wisely.
Send some emails:
Responsible eco-lodges usually love to connect with prospective clients. If they’re reluctant, usually something’s wrong.
how to be a responsible ecotourist
Educate yourself about the host region’s culture.	Buy as directly from artisans as possible.
Ask about your hotel’s contributions to locals and environmental practices.	Don’t haggle unnecessarily with vendors.
Use carbon neutral forms of transportation.	Take home trash that can’t be recycled.
Learn some words in the local language	Drink potable water in refillable water bottles.
Always ask before taking photographs of people.	Use chemical-free bug repellent.
Stay on designated foot trails.	Use biodegradable soap.
Pay a fair price for souvenirs.	Turn off the lights when not using them.
Pay entrance fees to parks.	If you can’t walk or bike, take local transportation.

 

All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2002-2008
LA Yoga Ayurveda & Health Magazine

.