Something to Think About

An article written by The Independent was discussing the potential impacts of tourist rise. Last year 65 million Britons travelled abroad and it is predicted to rise to 77.3 million by 2010. At the moment a vast quantity of these tourists do not consider the ecological impact of their trips on the people and environments they are visiting. Last year there were only 5 million ecotourists and the many of these fell more into the category of wildlife rather than responsible tourists.

For a 100 000km journey consumes 700l of fuel. Put into more relative terms – a trip to Ontario produces the same amount of greenhouse gases a car does in 1 year.

These statistics do not touch the consciences of most of us, but soon it may be the case that the whole world will have to start thinking about the impacts of tourism, not just the affluent.

Buzzword of the Year: Eco-tourism

Here is an article from the Times by Michelle Higgins that we thought might interest the Eco-tourist in you:

RUNNING a country that has giant-winged bugs, toothy reptiles lurking in soupy water and enough humidity to frizz-out anyone's hair? No problem. You might have a great money-maker on your hands.

Eco-tourism - travel that preserves the environment and promotes the welfare of local people - continues to gain momentum. Impressed by the success of countries like Costa Rica and Ecuador, which have lured flocks of travellers for mountain treks and jungle safaris, a growing number of regions across the globe are turning to eco-tourism as a strategy for economic growth.

Omar Bongo, the president of Gabon, a developing country in west central Africa, has set aside about 10 percent of the country's landmass for 13 national parks. Green Visions, a tourism and environment protection company, based in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, is pioneering an eco-tourism development plan in Central Europe with "green adventures" that promote environmental principles and support local businesses. Even Greece, better known for its pumping night life and archaeological monuments, devotes a section of its national tourism Web site to "Greek nature" and eco-tourism.

Over the last four years, at least 48 countries, from Puerto Rico to Portugal, have created or started to define a national strategy for eco-tourism development, according to a 2004 eco-tourism report by Mintel International Group, a market-research company based in Britain.

Though eco-tourism has long conjured images of biodiversity hot spots in countries like Belize, parts of the United States are starting to embrace the trend too. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism will begin testing a new certification program in March called Travel Green Wisconsin. Designed to encourage hotels and tour operators to reduce their environmental impact, the program is aimed at protecting the natural areas that play a significant role in defining the state as a tourist destination. If successful, the program will be rolled out statewide next year.

"As a country we tend to think of eco-tourism as always over there," said John Ivanko, owner of Inn Serendipity, a bed-and-breakfast near Monroe, Wis., that has a solar-powered water-heating system and bathroom floor tiles made from recycled auto windshields. "It doesn't necessarily have to be that way, especially when you have places like the Grand Canyon. We're just not thinking of it as much as a country."

For businesses, eco-friendly initiatives not only offer marketing advantages but can help with the bottom line. Hotels can cut costs by doing everything from installing energy-saving light bulbs to asking travellers to reuse their towels. And some 58.5 million U.S. travellers, or 38 percent, would pay more to use travel companies that strive to protect and preserve the environment, according to a study by the Travel Industry Association of America sponsored by National Geographic Traveller. Of those travellers, 61 percent said they would pay 5 to 10 percent more to use such companies.

However, selecting among the growing number of eco-friendly choices can be daunting, especially given the ever-broadening category, which now encompasses everything from basic campsites to high-end mountain lodges, lama trekking to motorcycle tours through the jungle. Enter the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas- a partnership of certification programs, environmental groups, government organizations and others, led by the Rainforest Alliance and the International Ecotourism Society - which aims to promote sustainability and higher environmental and social standards for tourism. In September, the network designed a series of baseline criteria for certification to help generate credibility among members and promote local conservation. This year, the document will be put up for public consultation before being fully ratified.

"Certification is a way for us to avoid green washing," the practice of promoting something as eco-tourism while behaving in an environmentally irresponsible way, said Ronald Sanabria, director of sustainable tourism at the Rainforest Alliance. "Certification for us is a tool to avoid that and to ensure third-party assessments of requirements and really prove the company."

Within a few weeks, the Rainforest Alliance plans to introduce an online eco-index, http://www.eco-index.org/tourism, which will offer travellers a searchable database of hotels and tour operators that have been certified by a program member of the network.

All our holiday opportunities at Travelroots have been researched in detail to ensure they fall under the category of responsible travel. Check out what we have to offer by clicking here

The New Word is Ethical Travel

Ethical tourism can be the new buzz word for travelling responsibly, and in an article entitled “ETHICAL TRAVEL - Don't have a guilt trip” further issues surrounding the growing acceptance of this type of travel are discussed.

The Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is introduced, which aims to encourage and publicise fair and responsible business practises by local tourism establishments.

And, it even includes a handy definition, if ever you’re in need of one: "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people".

To read the whole article click here.

Who's in Power Now?

It is good to see that some politicians are taking the issue of renewable energy seriously. David Cameron and some other members of his shadow cabinet took a "lunchtime challenge" to switch their household electricity supplies to renewable providers online. In just over 4 minutes the switch was made to a company sourcing its power from a wind-farm. This “challenge” was used as a way to demonstrate how easy it can be to support the prevention of climate change.

This switch over will soon see the modern Conservative HQ office block on Victoria Street, Westminster become entirely carbon neutral, demonstrating that it may not just be a gimmick. However, gimmick or not it still gives much needed publicity to the potential that is out there for alternative power sources.

Why don’t you give it a go?

If you want to read more about this, click here

Prices Should be Soaring

Check out this very interesting Times editorial discussing the governments approach to taxes on aircraft fuel.

Tanzania Rises to the Top

In a recent online poll Tanzania was voted the world’s top eco-tourism destination as a result of its policy of connecting tourism with responsible activities such as conserving wildlife and promoting work within local communities.

Other popular destinations, with an environmentally favourable attitude are Kenya, Tanzania and India, in particular the southern state of Kerala.
Check out our 'eco-friendly' destinations by clicking here