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| Eco Tourism: Do We Practise It? |
| Remember, it all begins with our behaviour |
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Heather Hapeta (kiwiwriter)  |
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Published 2008-06-23 09:31 (KST) |
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Most of the world cannot travel. With a far higher rate of people with passports than Americans (for example) means living in New Zealand I have a better chance than many. And, of course, poorer countries are much more likely to be visited than to produce travellers.
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TODAY'S TOP STORIES |
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FROM THE SECTION |
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| I'm a travelophile. Like Asians need rice, Italians pasta, the British curry, and Kiwis their fish and chips; I need to travel. When travelling I feel good and being a traveller who writes means I get to visit places I want to go to rather than have to go the flavour of the month.
It also means I frequently arrive in places that are not on the tourist trail. As a slow traveller I also get to be a cultural tourist in that I stay longer and can get to know people and absorb the local flavours.
This also means that although I don't often sign up for an eco-tour, I practise many of the principles of eco-tourism. But what is eco-tourism?
My understanding of the word and the concepts behind it are, very briefly, that it's an activity that has minimum impact while providing maximum benefits to the locals.
Independent travellers are most likely the closest to being real eco-travellers. By staying in cheaper, locally-owned accommodation, eating at small food outlets and using local transport, they leave much of their travel money in the country.
Those who travel on tours often have paid for their whole trip before they leave home- giving very little to the country they are travelling in but adding huge costs -- in water, sewerage, rubbish, and roads.
Worldwide, many places say they are providing an eco-tourism experience but is that really so? It seems that as long as it has a nature component many tour operators claim it to be eco-friendly. That has not always been my experience.
Life on a marine reserve sounds wonderful, a great eco-experience? True, the sights and walks are fantastic; money spent on food and accommodation does remain with the locals.
Unfortunately, the big money is skimmed off the islands in diving lessons given by Europeans who come for the tourist season then leave taking the money with them. Because of the lack of a robust infrastructure, the rubbish that travellers always complain about and is bought to the islands by them, remain: Water bottles are not refilled, plastic bags abound, recycling non-existent.
No matter what the tour company describes, remember to be an eco-tourist, it all begins with our behaviour.
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©2008 OhmyNews
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