For this article, we interviewed four experts in ecotourism and its impact on the environment and tourism. Ecotourism is growing in popularity but will this bode well for the environment due to over exposure? Some biodiversity environments are so fragile, it’s best not to tamper with them so can ecotourism be justified? TravelWeekly Asia speaks to four interviewees: Lee Choon Loong, president/CEO of Discovery Mice, Frans Betgem, Co-founder, Khiri Travel Group, Fanny Lai, Group CEO, Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Louise Nathan, Group Product and marketing manager, Exotissimo Travel Group to find out more.
Why is ecotourism growing in popularity?
Lee Choon Loong: The popularity of ecotourism is fueled by greater public awareness of the negative impacts of tourism be it on the destination or natural environment . There are strong indications that the popularity of new social media and satellite cable news played an important role as well. There is wide coverage on environment degradation and destruction, loss of biodiversity, natural calamities and climate change, of which scientists have in one way or another blamed not only the tourism industry for their irresponsibility (more likely to be ignorance) but also the travelling consumers as well. As governments, environmentalists and conservationists raced to address the global environmental issues; these initiatives were broadcasted throughout the world, inspiring both tourism industry players and travellers to be more eco-conscious.
Will this ‘popularity’ affect the environment and why?
Lee Choon Loong: What’s happening around the world is that more and more nature tourism destinations and operators are adopting ecological best practices and more nature tourists are becoming eco-tourists. What this means is that nature tourists become more aware of their ecological impact when they visit natural areas and are willing to support and contribute to the local communities. Based on a perfect model and in a specific site, ecotourism practices will have a positive impact on the ecosystems where local authorities and communities have previously little regard for preservation of cultures, nature conservation and protection of the environment. Where there are tourists, there are always some conflict with environment and nature. The introduction of green tourism and ecotourism provides relief and initiatives to lessen the conflict and reduce the impact on the environment. On the other hand, there are many instances where operators irresponsibly label their businesses as “green” to tap on this popularity, which is termed as ‘green washing’. Under these circumstances, the public has been confused and disillusioned that ecotourism has any positive impact on the environment.
Fanny Lai: As more people are travelling, all forms of tourism activities should be sustainable, including mass or niche segments. We need to be conscious of the environmental, economic and socio-culture aspects of tourism development, to achieve the right balance between these three elements so as to guarantee its long term sustainability.
What can be done to conserve nature and yet promote its appreciation?
Louise Nathan: There are numerous ways in which conservation can be implemented, and in the tourism industry this starts with knowledge, management, education and changing behaviors. These methods span every sector of the industry, from the individual traveller to the destination management bodies, and all levels in between; Individual tourist’s can use their travelling behaviors to impact positively, for example by reusing towels in hotels, disposing of litter correctly, interacting with locals in a respectful manner. Tour Operators and Destination Management Companies can educate their travellers through marketing materials on how to travel responsibly, choose to work with areas and attractions that are managed conscientiously, train guides and other staff members to communicate these messages to travellers, and implement internal policy for green behavior of working practices both in and out of the workplace. Destinations also need to be managed in an appropriate way to monitor and control the development and number of visitors to an area, with policy put in place on how to reap the benefits of tourism to an area while managing any negative impacts. The combination of actions at every level of the tourism chain will enable appreciation and experience of destinations, hopefully for generations to come.
Frans Betgem: Setting strict standards and proper management. All good ecotourism should have an educational component . But it isn’t just about townies playing in the forest. Local villagers and rural dwellers should be a major part of local ecotour activities. It is about learning about the many gifts that nature has given us and the importance of preserving our biodiversity and preserving cultural traditions and values.
What do ecotourism operators need to know before conducting green tours?
Frans Betgem: At Khiri Travel we emphasize knowledge of natural history which shows in our guide training. Nature should be unaffected by the presence of your ecotour. We also educate our guides on the environment , on cultural sensitivities and teach our guests to be aware of the beauty of the natural environment.
Louise Nathan: The term ‘ecotourism’ operator is a very niche one and one that can be expanded to ‘responsible’ or ‘ethical’ or ’sustainable’ operators. There are many different levels of commitment that companies can take on in order to work in an ‘eco’ manner which need to be implemented internally as well as within touring products offered. Operators need to understand both the positive and negative impacts that tourism can have on a destination, on both a micro and macro level, not only on the environment but as mentioned, on cultures and communities. From a ‘green’ perspective, some of the most negative environmental impacts that need to be understoodand managed are to water supplies, physical erosion, loss of habitats, air and noise pollution. The flipside is to understand the positive impacts, including that tourism can be a catalyst for environmental improvements; it can lead to improved environments in tourist destinations, can encourage inward investment and increased awareness of environmental problems. With this knowledge operators can move forward and offer tours that enable tourists to travel as responsibly as possible and give back to the destinations visited.
How is the ecotourism sector faring and what can be done to improve it?
Lee Choon Loong: It has been reported that ecotourism accounts for 10 percent of the global tourism traffic and is growing faster than any other sector in tourism. However in developing countries, there are insufficient statistics to assess the growth and health of ecotourism as governments are still struggling to understand the significance of ecotourism in relation to nature tourism and adventure tourism. Generally ecotourism thrives as small operations and in far flung rural areas and jungles where keeping tabs on them is extremely challenging.
To improve the ecotourism sector, we need to look into the development perspective as well as the marketing perspective. The developmental challenges that the tourism industry faces, when it comes to ecotourism is that they need to work hand in hand with ecotourism site managers, conservations, academics, scientists and non-governmental organizations, whose academic perspectives can be intimidating to the business oriented tourism entrepreneur. The multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary nature of ecotourism is deemed technical and complex, deterring the entry of enterprising investors.
Ecotourism conferences, forums, dialogues, symposiums and networking events bringing together the private, public and academic sectors to talk, learn and collaborate with each other is an important step towards the betterment of ecotourism. Certification is required to weed out the ‘fakes’ from the professionals. In the World Ecotourism Conference 2009 in Vientiane, there was a concerted call for mainstreaming ecotourism in all levels of tourism developments in developing countries, taking into consideration that there are extensive rural and natural areas with pockets of poor communities.
From the marketing perspective, successful operators must provide adequate ecological interpretation and unique experiences of the attraction or activity as well as demonstrate that there is direct contribution to conservation and communities. The social media like Facebook has become an important platform for ecotourism promotion as social activists debate freely on environmental degradation. Some have also set up Facebook pages promoting ecotourism trips and attracting thousands of fans; a positive and encouraging scenario for ecotourism.
Can ecotourism be lucrative or is this a fallacy?
Lee Choon Loong: Ecotourism, like any other businesses can be lucrative if it is done right and based on business sense. First of all, ecotourism advocates business sustainability. Generally ecotourism businesses need higher initial development costs but in the longrun, the sustainability of the business ensures returns. Sustainable tourism guidelines include energy savings, recycling, rainwater collection, composting and many other cost saving initiatives. Generally in the long run, these initiatives can offset some of the higher initial costs in selecting the right building materials and construction methods to ensure low impact on the environment. Targetting at high income and intellectual tourists with an appetite for ecological interpretation of nature and environment as well as seasoned tourists who value ultimate experiences and appreciation of nature, it is a high income service sector with lucrative returns provided that the entrepreneur or operatorfully understands not only the principles of ecotourism but also able to deliver equally high level of services manifested by rich experiences and knowledge imparted by professionals.
Frans Betgem: It is still a financially marginal proposition in many cases. Ecotourism should have a price tag. Consumers are willing to pay for that if it is well organized and the benefits are clearly visible. Overall we will have to clean our act up to become sustainable.