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GreenMoney Journal - publishing since 1992
Fall 2010 issue
Socially Responsible Investing – Better Companies, Better Communities
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THERE MUST BE NO VACATION FROM RESPONSIBILITY
M.J. KIETZKE
I have witnessed tremendous change in travel since I became a travel agent in the late 70s. This
was before the term ecotourism was coined. I had just returned from Peace Corps and had a hard time
seeing pristine beaches overrun and fishing villages devastated by development. I remember the
rationale; “Tourism creates jobs for the local people.” I didn’t want to be part of such a
destructive industry. I realized getting out of the industry was not the answer so I made it my
mission to create positive change in the industry and promote peace and understanding among people
through travel.
“Raising consciousness about environmental and cultural implications of
travel, from the 'mega' hotels to cruise ships as well as small scale nature based tourism, is one
of the greatest outcomes of the ecotourism/responsible movement” claims Kurt Kutay, owner of
Wildland Adventures. There is much information available today to educate the traveling consumer
about the impacts of tourism.
Experience has taught us that conservation must be
economically viable. A great example of this is the creation of the marine park that surrounds the
Caribbean Island of Bonaire. In the early days of scuba diving, there was little awareness of reef
protection. There were pioneers like Captain Don Stewart of Bonaire who realized visitors were
willing to pay to see live coral in its natural habitat. That same piece of coral alive is worth
more in its underwater coral reef ecosystem and is being protected through tourism dollars. Dive
operators have learned that their guests want to do the right thing and it is their responsibility
to educate the diving public. I recently returned from diving in Little Cayman and was very
impressed with the guides of Paradise Divers who insisted on a “no touch” rule and no wearing
gloves.
Megan Epler Wood, The International Ecotourism Society Founder and
President states that she is extremely impressed with and optimistic about the increasing expertise
of local entrepreneurs and project leaders in managing tourism on the ground in remote areas around
the world.
“Some communities still find they receive limited financial benefits
from ecotourists; ecotourism organizations compete with bigger and better marketed tourism products
and wildlife is in danger of being loved to death,” stated Carol Patterson in a recent article,
“Are you part of the problem?”
Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to
natural areas that conserves the environment and helps sustain the well being of the local people.
“One of the greatest concerns regarding ecotourism going into the next decade is the reliance on
long haul travel and foreign exchange,” states Epler Wood. “The lack of low priced fuel and the
September 11 terrorist attacks on America are forcing countries to look at designing ecotourism
experiences for their own people. Domestic tourism is an important new paradigm for ecotourism
especially for developing countries. Pricing is the biggest challenge with this market.”
Kurt Kutay’s greatest concern is controlling commercial interests and corrupt government
officials who still control a lot of tourism development. “My major concern is the uncontrolled
hunting in Tanzania,” states Kutay. He explains that there are private hunting concessions that
trap and slaughter wildlife and then abuse the Maasai landholders so they won’t say anything. The
government ignores the Maasai concerns and the wildlife killing continues.
So
what can we do as travelers? We need to learn about the cultural and environmental issues of the
places we visit and act accordingly. We need to support organizations like The Maasai Environmental
Resource Coalition, a local Maasai non-profit set up to create a voice for the Maasai to help them
protect their land and stop hunting in Tanzania.
Megan Epler Wood is concerned that our
North America operators are not taking a hard environmental stand to make their bottom lines
include environmental sustainability. After September 11, environmental officers were among the
first to be laid off.
It is time for all of us to evaluate our travel habits.
Travelers are becoming more demanding, wanting travel activities and comforts that mimic today’s
frantic lifestyles and at the same time are cost conscious. An ecotour often requires that the
group size be small, which gives travelers a level of customer service they can enjoy. However,
this makes the tour more expensive; if the tour operator is making a donation to a local
conservation organization, again this adds cost. As a responsible traveler, you can’t base your
choices only on price; you must be willing to make your dollars make a difference.
It
is only through responsible travel choices that visitors in the future will be able to enjoy
pristine wilderness areas and different cultures. Conservation must become a way of life.
Article by MJ Kietzke CTC, Founder, The Travel Specialists, a full service retail travel
company committed to responsible business practices. MJ has been serving Co-op America members
since 1990. For more information call (800) 648-2667.
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