The term Ecotourism is not new thing in human experience and it has been practiced in most developed and developing nation. There are numerous definitions of the term, but according to American-based Ecotourism society, Ecotourism is nothing but a purposeful travel to natural areas; to understand the nature and culture; to understand the effect of human interference in ecosystem; and ultimately produce economic opportunity to conserve natural resource which is beneficial to local

Image via Wikipedia

people. I do not know how far one is justified, calling it the pivot or corner stone of progressive tourism. Ecotourism demonstrates the need of conservation of both cultural and natural environment with sustainable economic development including the participation of local people.

Why Eco Tourism Matters?

The fundamentals of Ecotourism are not only to travel to natural areas but it implies several other factors. It emphasizes:

• Reduction of consumption of natural resources  or optimum use of natural resources
• Maintaining diversity of nature and culture
• Integrating   tourism into planning
• Uplifting  local economies by bringing foreign exchange
• Involving local communities through tourism
• Creating jobs and thus reducing crime
• Reducing poverty by engaging local people
• Marketing tourism responsibly towards the environment
• Researching on effect of human activity on ecosystem
• Maintain humanity and respect for local culture, communities and environment
• Participating public for natural conservation
• Training local and other people who are engaged in ecotourism

Wellness Tourism and Eco Tourism – How it can grow together

The core essence of seeking out wellness is the improvement in health, which automatically leads to an enhanced quality of life. Wellness centers and retreats encourage maintaining a healthy lifestyle through a wholesome, nutritious diet and fitness-related activities. They also emphasize spiritual and mental health, beauty treatments and healthy sleeping techniques all in the hope of improving and bettering one’s health. Above could be easily achived in enviornment which offers Eco Tourism through Natural Resources.

The theme of Ecotourism is not only to have sustainable use of natural resources (air, soil, minerals, animals, plants and water) but it teaches us the importance of preserving those resources for our coming generation.

Eco Tourism provides an enviornment which is most healthiest, We are beginning to realize the effect of human activities on environment. Ecotourism promotes maintaining ecological process such as recycling of nutrients, soil conservation, reducing pollution, and wildlife management, purification of water and sustainable use of natural resources. Whic in terms provide better way of living and healthy environment for humans and animal which maintains the bio-diversity.

Related articles

• Why Ecotourism Works (talkingaboutgreen.com)
• Ecotourism in the Phillipines (ecoadventuretravel.wordpress.com)
• Royal Caribbean, Sabre & More Pledge to Promote Green Tourism (greenbiz.com)
• ECO tourism (leggotunglei808.wordpress.com)
• Dome-Shaped Eco-Tourism Center in France is a Living Room in the Woods (inhabitat.com)

Ghana says eco-tourism is the fastest growing market in the industry

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Mr Edward Awuah, an official of the Forestry Commission in Ghana, has said Eco-tourism is the fastest growing market in the Ghanaian tourism industry.

Mr Awuah said according to the World Tourism Organisation, ecotourism had an annual growth rate of 5 percent and it represented 6 percent of the world gross domestic product and 11.4 percent of all consumer spending.

He said this is not a market to be taken slightly and urged the private sector to help in the development of more ecotourism sites in the country.

Mr Awuah who is also the Coordinator for Awutu-Agona Eco-tourism, said this when he and Mr Ernest Nkansah-Kwarteng, Winneba District Forestry Manager and some Tourism students from Cape Coast inspected the five forest reserves at Awutu Bewuenum.

The five reserves being developed into Eco-tourism by the Forest Commission and the Winneba District Forest are, Akrabong, Obotoumfo, Abasumba, Ahirasu Nos one and two, all near Awutu Bewuenum in the Awutu-Senya District of the Central Region.

Mr Awuah said the reserves have been designated as a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area and are being protected for their exceptionally high levels of biological diversity.

He said around the globe, eco-tourism is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of vacationing adding that the objective of the program was to create jobs and revenue generation whilst maintaining their statuses.

Mr Nkansah-Kwarteng said the Forestry Commission has constructed tourism centre at Awutu Bewuenum with hostel facilities for visitors adding that it had also formed Community Biodiversity Advisory Groups to protect the area.

Related articles

• Kashmir holds workshop on eco-tourism (ecoadventuretravel.wordpress.com)
• Eastern Visayas in the Phillipines sets regional eco-tourism conference (ecoadventuretravel.wordpress.com)
• The Phillipines declares six villages as “ecotourism” zones (ecoadventuretravel.wordpress.com)
• Ghana’s Ellembelle District gets money from France. (ecoadventuretravel.wordpress.com)
• From Microsoft to Africa: Ashesi campus opens (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Pandas and Bio-Diversity

Image via Wikipedia

I am a member of the San Diego Zoological Society, and love their Panda Exhibit, which was part of a cooperative effort with the Republic of China.  I was pleased to learn that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Friday said it is helping China set up botanical gardens, wild-life parks and a giant panda center in the northwestern Qinling Mountains to protect the region’s biological diversity.

The Manila-based development lender said in a press release that it will provide a 40 million-U.S.-dollar loan to fund the Shaanxi Qinling Biodiversity Conservation and Demonstration Project which aims to use ecotourism to generate a sustainable source of funds to protect and restore the environment.

About 300 giant pandas, along with other threatened species, can be found in the mountains, the ADB said, but destructive land use practices driven by poverty threaten the habitats of many rare plants and animals and previous conservation efforts were hampered by a lack of financial sustainability.

The project will also support the restoration of forest land, provide forest-based livelihood opportunities, develop endangered species management programs, repair and modernize an animal rescue shelter and develop a comprehensive biodiversity data collection system, the ADB said, adding that the project can also provide conservation-linked jobs and business opportunities.

ADB’s loan has a 25-year term, including a grace period of 5 years, with interest determined in accordance with ADB’S LIBOR-based lending facility. The Shaanxi provincial government is the executing agency for the project which is due for completion by April 2015.

Related articles by Zemanta

• China shows its soft side in Packham v pandas debate (guardian.co.uk)
• Cuteness Under Siege: Should We Let the Pandas Die? (abcnews.go.com)
• First Panda From Frozen Sperm Born in China (abcnews.go.com)
• The World’s First Panda Cub Born From Artificial Insemination (blogs.abcnews.com)

Eco-tourism in Cambodia

Image by permanently scatterbrained via Flickr

Cambodia is one of those locations that seems meant for Eco-Tourism.   From the temples of Angor Wat to the natural bio-diversity of its rainforests, it begs to be visited and explored.

There is not a lot of good information on Educational, Environmentally responsible travel through Cambodia, but I did find the following on a website promoting travel to Cambodia (which means that they have an agenda to push travel and spending in Cambodia — just reminding ya).  I also had to heavily edit this article from the original to make grammatical sense in the English language:

With a wide variety of natural recreational activities, you can enjoy cycling, trekking, boating, viewing landscapes, and involving yourself with local livelihood activities like agricultural activities which will immerse you a real combination of communities’ life experiences and natural tourism in Cambodia, a Kingdom of yet explored treasures.

Ecotourism development is an emerging trend being developed for responsible tourists. Ecotourism is a diversified form of tourism contributed to national economic growth.  Ecotourism development drives local community to a next stage to local livelihood improvement through alternative incomes, diversified jobs, increased capacity and community empowerment.

Ecotourism development in Cambodian has been progressively developed in the northeastern area, where fabulous  biological species, life style and charming regions of the Mekong River, have not yet been completely explored. With ecotourism development, the community no longer predominantly depends on their previous occupations, especially agricultural productivity, but has new opportunities to gain operational skills for ecotourism demands. Tourist involvement in ecotourism activities operated by local community is an act of stepping forwards to poverty alleviation, responding to one of the main millennium development goals.

Through ecotourism activities, negative impact will be minimized, environmental and cultural experiences and respect will be built, experiences for both hosts and visitor will be provided, financial benefit will contribute to conservation, community empowerment will be enhanced , and sensitivity of host environmental, political, social climate issues will be raised.

Cambodian communities are warm-hearted, friendly, and helpful. Tasting ecotourism and other types of tourism Cambodia is looking to serve, you will feel like you make your self at home as we greet you as resident and evoke you to revisit as family. Will you enjoy tasting ecotourism in The Kingdom of Wonder?

Wait no more to see a charming and yet still un-explored region of Southeast Asia.

For more information about Cambodia: www.tourismindochina.com/

Related articles by Zemanta

• 2nd typhoon gathers strength in Southeast Asia (cbc.ca)
• Modern Silk Road (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Nominees for Planeta.com’s Ecotourism Spotlight Award announced (gadling.com)