The Phillipines declares six villages as “ecotourism” zones

Image via Wikipedia

An author in the Phillipines, and head of the town of Nueva Vizcaya in that country, has a measure to declare six villages as eco-tourism zones.

“While our municipality is endowed with Mother Nature’s blessings such as mountains, forests, waterfalls, rivers, creeks, springs, hills, peaks and caves which are ideal for trekking, campsite and other eco-tourism destinations, there is a need to institutionalize their protection and further development for its eco-tourism potentials,” said Councilor Roland Carub, author and sponsor of the proposed measure.

The proposed ordinance which seeks to declare barangay Commonal and the Singian mountains within barangays Aggub, Bangar, Bascaran, Concepcion and Tucal as an eco-tourism zones, is set for final reading, he added.

Once approved, Carub explained that these eco-tourism zones will be opened-up for further development based on a crafted tourism development plan which shall trigger the enforcement of standards and collection of statistical data for tourism purposes.

“With this ordinance, management, conservation, development, protection, utilization and disposition of these zones will be assured, including entry of government agencies and institutions which are deemed beneficial,” he said.

These eco-tourism sites, Carub said will be opened and used for educational and scientific researches, cultural, livelihood and tourism purposes.

Any violations based on existing environmental laws and other administrative issuances requires an individual and any organizations to pay the penalties of P1,000.00 for the first offense, P2,000.00 for the second offense and P2,500.00 for the third offense.

Eco-tourism is a form of sustainable tourism within a natural and cultural heritage area where community participation, protection and management of natural resources, cultural and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics as well as economic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and satisfaction of visitors

Related articles

• Eco tourism in KUPPAM (Andrapradesh) (katavakar.wordpress.com)
• Tourists (enviroho.wordpress.com)
• Borneo Megadiverse Reef Set To Entice Further Eco-Tourism (prweb.com)

Green Living Project and Filming Sustainable Travel

Image via Wikipedia

The indie media production company Green Living Project (GLP) is building a good reputation when it comes to documenting the globe’s sustainable travel sector–covering the best practices in eco-tourism, wildlife conservation, geo-tourism, eco-lodges, community development and education.

The latest location on their push-pin map? Central America–specifically Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. Whether you feel a strong connection to the region or are perhaps curious about the strand of rich, biodiverse countries connecting the Americas, you’ll want to tune in. Wanderlusts like me will delight into the bounty of do-good, low-impact projects and companies to see and support. And the tourism industry will hopefully follow suit!

Fresh from the field, GLP’s journey can be tracked on their blog. From the crews romp at Rios Tropicales, a Costa Rican low-impact river rafting company supporting the sustainable development of a local community, to their flight on Nature Air to destination Leatherback Trust, an organization working to protect the leatherback turtles nesting on the beaches around Playa Grand–it’s an adventurous read chock full of inspiring companies and people making a difference.

“As we document more regional projects across North America, Central America has become a popular request due to it’s close proximity and the breadth and depth of compelling sustainability initiatives,” said Rob Holmes, president of Green Living Project. “These issues along with strong leadership and diversity with these cutting-edge projects means consumers will be very excited to get involved with the projects and visit the featured destinations. Businesses and organizations will also learn first hand about these important best practices with sustainability initiatives…”

Some of the sponsors showing GLP some love and support just happen to be eco-cool too like Nature Air, Rainforest Alliance, Patagonia, and PACT.

Check GLP’s website and Facebook page for ongoing updates and stay tuned for video from their Central American voyage.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Transat lends its support to four new sustainable tourism projects in Mexico, Peru, Morocco and Turkey (newswire.ca)
• Transat relaunches its support program for sustainable tourism projects in destination countries (newswire.ca)
• Designers Accord Tokyo Town Hall: Reflections and Photographs (core77.com)

Dubai makes steps towards being eco-friendly

Leading environmentalists, academics, government officials and eco-tourism experts visited Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa yesterday, after a three-day conference identified the award-winning property as the region’s leading sustainable eco-tourism development.

Image via Wikipedia

Organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, the Sustainable Eco-Tourism in Desert Ecosystems conference in Dubai was arranged to discuss sustainable development, conservation of natural resources and tourism growth.

A benchmark in the conference discussions was the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR); the first and largest protected wildlife conservation area in the UAE, formally recognised as a Protected Area by UNEP, and also home to Emirates’ exclusive Al Maha property.

In 2003, the Government of Dubai decided to create a nationally significant conservation area and charged Emirates with its management and protection. Since then Emirates has invested over Dhs10m in support of wildlife conservation programmes, scientific research, and protection of this 225 square kilometre area.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, and also the Chairman of the Dubai Conservation Board, commented, “We are honoured that Al Maha and the DDCR have been held up internationally as a foremost example of sustainable tourism development at this prestigious conference. We are determined to preserve a balance between conservation and Dubai’s rapid urban expansion. Emirates and Al Maha have contributed enormously to ensure the management of conservation, research and tourism within the DDCR is at the highest international standards.”

Sheikh Ahmed added, “Much of the region’s natural resources, habitats and wildlife are under pressure; however, sustainable developments such as Al Maha offer the biggest opportunities to develop the tourism economy, while also protecting natural and historic heritage into the future.”

Since the opening of Al Maha in 1999, the successful re-introduction of the Arabian Oryx, Arabian Gazelle, Sand Gazelle and large-scale indigenous flora re-seeding programmes are just some of the major projects that have been delicately carried out in the DDCR. It is the only location within the UAE where visitors are able to experience completely free-roaming wildlife within their natural desert and dune surroundings.

The reserve is the most actively researched and carefully managed conservation area in the region. It is registered with the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), audited by UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and is a member of the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN). The DDCR has joined some of the world’s most treasured conservation areas, including such reserves as Yellowstone National Park in the USA and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Confirmed by scientific research, the environment and habitat within the DDCR has greatly improved from what it was ten years ago. Quite apart from the wildlife which has been reintroduced, many species that had disappeared from the area are now returning on their own accord.

The DDCR is segregated into four utilisation zones. In some areas, only researchers are allowed to enter on foot. In another zone a select number of safari operators – who worked closely with the reserve management to create a foremost example of sustainable desert tourism in the region – can conduct safaris for visitors, providing an experience of the desert and dunes, and its unique fauna and flora, and gaining a better understanding of Dubai’s conservation efforts.

Related articles by Zemanta

• World will miss 2010 target to stem biodiversity loss, experts say (scienceblog.com)
• Supervisors sought for conservation district (theolympian.com)
• Yellowstone bison conservation program in limbo (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Interior head ends 1st year with vows of reforms (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• First global scientific conference supporting UN efforts to curb desertification opens in Argentina (scienceblog.com)

Is Eco-Friendly Tourism even possible?

Image via Wikipedia

Reminder:  Our Blog Contest – win beautiful mounted photographs from Brazil – is ongoing until December 15th.  Leave a comment to have a chance to become a winner!

I found the following article in the London Guardian, and thought it would be interesting for my blog readers.  Lucy Siegle has a great point about defining what eco-tourism is, and whether or not it is even possible to become an eco-friendly tourist.  I think that the very nature of travel has always involved using resources, but the benefits of travel, and the benefits to the environment in having an eco-aware group in the world, outweighs the negatives, in my personal opinion.  Here’s the article:

When you see some of the holidays masquerading as ecotourism you’d be forgiven for thinking the term “greenwash” was invented for the tourism industry. Oh, it was. In fact this pejoratively used hybrid was coined in the 1980s by American environmentalist Jay Westervelt, who was incensed by the way hotels put signs up pleading with guests to reuse their towels thus “saving the environment” when they were doing nothing to promote recycling elsewhere and really, he suspected, just wanted to save on laundry bills.

Since then things have improved, but there are still lots of trips wearing a bogus “ecotourism” tag. These include swimming with captive dolphins (the feature documentary The Cove on the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan is a reminder of the truth behind their capture and trade) and hunting holidays with “sustainable” quotas – Tanzania has received criticism for the sale of ancestral lands to monopolies for under the market price, leaving local tribes high and dry.

But often holidaymakers mistake sustainable ideas – such as lower-impact transport – with ecotourism. Incidentally research by the Heidelberger Institute for Energy and Environmental Research comparing the pollutant parameters and ecological effects of different holiday transport found coach travel to use six times less energy than planes. But this still doesn’t make your coach trip ecotourism.

Making the distinction might sound like pedantry but it’s crucial. Ecotourism doesn’t have an enshrined legal definition, but bodies such as Nature Conservancy and the World Conservation Union agree on its parameters – that it is nature-based, educative towards the environment, managed sustainably and contributes to the protection of the natural site. Scale is also important. You should pick a project that is obviously small, manageable and which feeds directly back into the local economy.

But where do you go for the real thing? Responsible-travel.org has long provided a sane counterpoint to the die- hard green message that you must never again set foot anywhere on account of carbon emissions. Their take is that there is a trade off between the emissions caused by flying, so it’s the traveller’s responsibility to fly less, switching to one holiday that generates income for the local community. A typical Responsible Travel holiday includes an introduction to the Amazon rainforests, staying in a lodge in Peru built using native materials and owned by the Infierno community.

In her very good book Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? Martha Honey argues that true ecotourism should involve a truthful conservation-led calculation as to how many tourists a habitat can sustain. Famously the Galapagos islands employ quotas, a move that flies in the face of the democratisation of spontaneous travel but might just save one of the world’s most vulnerable habitats.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Top 50 Ecotourism Blogs and Sites (travelanswerman.com)
• Let’s be more responsible and make travel greener (travel-rants.com)
• Joint Statement Marshals Forces to Greening Health Care (newswire.ca)

Ecotourism Awards Granted in Norway

Image via Wikipedia

The 8th Annual Skål International Ecotourism Awards were presented by the President of Skål International, Hulya Aslantas and Director External Communication & Media Karine Coulanges, during the Opening Ceremony of the 70th Skål World Congress held in Budapest, Hungary, on 2nd November 2009 at the Palace of Arts.
Skål, an international association since in 1934 is the largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals in the world. It is the only association which embraces all sectors of the travel and tourism industry, in five Continents, 90 Countries and at over 500 locations, with 20,000 members from hoteliers to travel agents; airline, maritime, waterways, railway and coach transportation companies, tourism media, tourism academies and official tourism promotion bodies, etc.

Skål International is aiming at quality in tourism and values sustainable development in Tourism as the key to the industry’s future success and considers Ecotourism but one area of the various components of sustainable development and responsible tourism.

To encourage the conservation of the environment and help to promote the development of responsible and sustainable tourism, Skål International initiated an awards program in 2002, during “The Year of Ecotourism and the Mountains” as declared by United Nations.

While the purpose of these awards was to highlight best practices in ecotourism around the world, they were also created with the aim of acquainting the world with this new concept that puts emphasis on the importance of the interaction of the physical, cultural and social environment, the traveler’s responsibility and the need for active community participation for Ecotourism.

In their eight year the awards have received continued support worldwide and this year 49 entries were received originating from 25 Countries; seven from Asia, 11 from the Americas, 15 from Europe, 10 from Africa and six from Oceania.

The Awards show the true implication of Skål International towards the protection of the environment in conjunction with sustainable tourism. Ecotourism, together with other alternative forms of tourism strengthens the local economies and contributes to sustainable development.

The applications were evaluated by three independent judges and the scores given by each separately, are added up to find the winners. The primary criteria for the evaluation is based on such points like, contribution to the conservation of nature and cultural heritage, community involvement, educational features, business viability and innovation.

Skål International is grateful for the meticulous work conducted by the three judges,

* Eugenio Yunis, from UNWTO
* Jack Sofier, Swedish Education and Consulting, Portugal
* José Koechlin, Inkaterra, Peru
Johnson Diversey whose global mission assumes a green position that supports sustainability in terms of Ecology, Efficiency, reduction in energy consumption, Food and Employee safety, is our main sponsor. The products they create and the methods they use are all aimed at making our world a safer and cleaner place.
This year, Iznik Foundation was a cosponsor of the quartz trophies they have specially designed for Skål International. Combining ecology with the unique art of Iznik (Ancient Nicea); the awards are a sign of preservation of natural sources and traditions and with their special characteristics they are specially chosen to emphasize the value of our global riches.

SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM, AUSTRALIA SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM, AUSTRALIA
BASECAMP MASAI MARA – KENYA, NORWAY BASECAMP MASAI MARA – KENYA, NORWAY
The 8th Annual Skål International Ecotourism Awards The 8th Annual Skål International Ecotourism Awards
FRONTIERS NORTH ADVENTURES, CANADA FRONTIERS NORTH ADVENTURES, CANADA
GOEDGEDACHT TRUST, SOUTH AFRICA GOEDGEDACHT TRUST, SOUTH AFRICA
MIDLANDS MEANDER EDUCATION PROJECT, SOUTH AFRICAMIDLANDS MEANDER EDUCATION PROJECT, SOUTH AFRICA
WE CARE – OPERATION PENGUIN, NORWAY WE CARE – OPERATION PENGUIN, NORWAY

The winners are announced as follows:
1. In the category of Tour Operators and Travel Agents:

FRONTIERS NORTH ADVENTURES, CANADA

2. In the category of Urban Accommodation:

WE CARE – OPERATION PENGUIN, NORWAY

3. In the category of Rural Accommodation:

BASECAMP MASAI MARA – KENYA, NORWAY

4. In the category of General Countryside:

SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM, AUSTRALIA

5. In the category of City and Villages:

GOEDGEDACHT TRUST, SOUTH AFRICA

6. In the category of Educational Programmes – Media:
MIDLANDS MEANDER EDUCATION PROJECT, SOUTH AFRICA

Related articles by Zemanta

• Frontiers North Adventures wins International Ecotourism Award (newswire.ca)
• Plan Nord Consultation Table: Canadian Boreal Initiative Support, with Reservations (newswire.ca)
• Canadian Launch of the Celebration for the 2010 International Year of (newswire.ca)

Geotourism Challenge Winners

Image via Wikipedia

Fifteen groundbreaking projects from around the world are the finalists in the “Geotourism Challenge: Celebrating Places/Changing Lives” competition, a collaboration of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations and Ashoka’s Changemakers. The online contest was created to discover and support entrepreneurs with innovative approaches to geotourism, defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.

From the 323 entries submitted from 84 countries, these 15 finalists were selected:

1.    Wildlife Conservation Society, Gabon: Establishing Gabon as the gateway to Africa’s rainforests by highlighting its pristine nature and ancient cultures

2.    Blue Ventures Conservation, Madagascar: Using paying volunteer program as a strategy to protect threatened marine resources

3.    Banyon Tree Hotel, Maldives: Creating a marine lab to protect, conserve, research and educate about the coral reef environment

4.    CC Africa, South Africa: Pioneering land and wildlife conservation, and giving local rural communities a meaningful share of the benefits

5.    Chumbe Island Coral Park, Ltd., Tanzania: Creating a financially, ecologically and socially sustainable model to save the country’s coral reefs

6.    Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries, Greece: Offering seminars for organic farmers, chefs, historians, mountaineers and other locals to share their knowledge about Crete’s culture and nature with visitors

7.    Eco-Health Farms, Latvia: Integrating ancestral traditions, nature protection and health prevention

8.    Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa, Thailand: Setting up an eco-trail that shows locals and guests the resort’s environmental practices

9.    Exotica Cottages, Dominica: Integrating local expertise in gardening and conservation into the island’s ecotourism efforts

10. Great Baikal Trail, Russia: Establishing Russia’s first system of hiking trails to promote environmentally sustainable development

11. Rios Tropicales Lodge, Costa Rica: Protecting the rainforest through the collaboration of local communities, tourists and conservation organizations

12. Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, India: Changing local mindsets towards snow leopards

13. 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, Nepal: Training and empowering women to be guides in adventure tourism efforts

14. Tourism Board of Bhutan, Bhutan: Making geotourism development a national policy

15. Yachana Foundation, Ecuador: Offering lodging, meals, adventure and education through experiences with local Amazonian nature and culture

The four judges who reviewed submissions and selected the finalists were Keith Bellows, vice president of the National Geographic Society and editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine; Susan Berresford, past president of the Ford Foundation; Leonard Cordiner, CEO of WHL Travel; and Nachiket Mor, president of the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth.

“I was stunned at the quality of the applications,” said Bellows. “They showcased great innovation that can be exported to other countries, terrific successes against long odds and a far-reaching global distribution of projects. Not only did the entries make fascinating reading, but I was inspired by the vision, imagination, passion and entrepreneurship of the people who are making a difference in the lives of locals and travelers.”

The global online community can vote for the three winners, through Wednesday, June 11, at www.changemakers.net. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 17, and each will receive a cash prize of US $5,000.

“The Geotourism Challenge received entries from the most countries for any collaborative competition we’ve held so far,” said Charlie Brown, executive director of Changemakers. “This shows that the Changemakers global online community is influential in surfacing innovators who are helping destinations benefit from tourism while protecting the assets that make their places special.”

National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations is dedicated to protecting the world’s distinctive places through wisely managed geotourism and enlightened destination stewardship.