Re: Fwd: Ecotourism Guidelines/Dianne Brause

Ecoturismo Internacional de Nicaragua S.A. (einsa@IBW.COM.NI)
Sat, 19 Sep 1998 11:51:17 -0600

Dear CANGONET, Greenbuilder, Mountain Forum, et al,

I applaud Dianne Brause's efforts to develop guidelines for people who
want to support environmentally sensitive businesses. However, I find that
her definition of ecotourism, "Tourism or visitor-related activities or
services that support the local people, culture, and economy in a positive
way, while at the same time contributing to ecological protection and
sustainability" is both overly broad and at the same time too limited. A
rental car agency (visitor related service) that provides a dollar of the
rental fees to a local environmental protection fund would fit this
definition. While possibly environmentally sound business, this is not
ecotourism. The definition is limited in the sense that ecotourism should
support environmental education and awareness both at the local level and
more globally. Ms. Brause's definition does not address the education issue.

In addition, Ms. Brause's guidelines, and the examples given, pertain to
businesses and services that have little or nothing to do with ecotourism.
The guidelines are excellent for judging the environmental awareness of a
business - something that all consumers should take into consideration -
but most are not specifically travel and tourism related (some can and
should be applied, but the majority are too broad). Given that businesses
today must make an effort to be more environmentally conscious or lose
market share (ex: McDonalds changing from styrofoam to paper to wrap their
sandwiches under pressure from their consumers), these guidelines are good
for determining which businesses to patronize. However, using them to judge
a tour operator or travel agency whose focus is ecotourism doesn't make a
lot of sense. In essence, using these guidelines, if the operator or agency
doesn't own a hotel in a community-based development that provides
artisania products, then it will fail Ms. Brause's test for ecotourism. For
example, my company, specializing in science-based ecological tourism, with
an excellent reputation and impeccable scientific and environmental
credentials, would not fit her definition or many of her guidelines.

What's the alternative? After all the years of debate, I still keep coming
back to The Ecotourism Society's 1993 definition of ecotravel. To whit:
ecotourism is "purposeful travel to natural habitats to create an
understanding of the cultural and natural history pertaining to the
environment, emphasizing care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem,
while producing economic benefits that encourage the preservation of the
inherent resources of the environment." (with appologies to TES if I've
slightly misquoted them). To accomplish this, a commercial operator or
agency should have at least something similar to the following two primary
objectives for their business:
- to provide their customers with a distinctive and educational nature
experience while avoiding any negative impact that might damage or destroy
the integrity and character of the wildlands and preserves visited;
- to enhance the sustainable development of their community, area or region
through a structured campaign of environmental and ecological education
aimed at both their customers - to increase the visitor's awareness of and
appreciation for the beauty and fragility of the local environment - and at
the local populace by working with/through non-profit and other
environmental organizations to provide alternatives to traditional
exploitation patterns.

Of course, there are any number of additional objectives that can be added
to these, depending on the particular focus of the organization. For
example, my objectives don't address the subset of cultural or
archeological tourism, etc. The best guidelines I have ever seen for
judging the "green-ness" of a tour operator are those published by Deborah
McClaren of the RTP project. They can be seen at
http://ww2.planeta.com/mader/planeta/1196/1196agents.html
Deborah's guidelines REALLY provide a tough act to follow!

I think Ms. Brause's guidelines are excellent for judging the green
qualities of normal businesses. But let's not confuse that with ecotourism.

Warmest regards to all,
Tom Fletcher
President
Ecotourism International of Nicaragua, S.A.
einsa@ibw.com.ni
http://www.eco-nica.com