Ecotourism: A Bright Horizon
- Tho Nguyen
- Jun 22, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 1, 2020
By: Tho Nguyen, Chief Blog Editor
What comes to your mind when you hear the word tourism? To many, tourism conjures up an image of a gargantuan cruise ship on a port, thick smoke billowing from its pipes. Loud, obnoxious passengers crowd the streets and disregard local customs. They enter tacky gift shops offering kitschy miniatures of popular landmarks and influential people, ignoring local shrines or shops. At the end of their day, the tourists pick up some overpriced postcards to send back home.
The stark reality of the tourism industry is a wake-up call for many. However, many hotel brands and travel companies are promoting a new kind of tourism: ecotourism.
Ecotourism is defined as: responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves
interpretation and education. Its
goal is to spread awareness about climate
change and habitat conservation through low-impact vacations. Reading about climate change on a website does not have the same impact as witnessing the destructive power of climate change firsthand. In addition to promoting conservation, ecotourism focuses on supporting local people and businesses rather than global corporations.
Vacations are often seen as a break, a respite from the daily wear and tear of life. Travel companies want to provide exciting, unforgettable vacations - and often do so by exploiting animals and the environment. Cruise ships entice unknowing
passengers with promises of all-you-
can-eat banquets, but they hide a much
darker secret. The average cruise ship in
Europe uses 150 tons of fuel each day, the equivalent of 1 million automobiles. The cruise ship industry dumps over 1 billion tons of sewage yearly, polluting ocean water and harming marine life. Animals are bred simply to be hunted on private reserves - a cruel, inhumane act known as canned hunting. Amusement parks that show off trained animals in exciting shows often mistreat and harm them. More than 40 orca whales have died at SeaWorld parks.
Villages and towns may be entirely reliant on tourism, such as the Karen tribe of Thailand.
Due to their custom of elongating their necks with brass rings, they have become one of Thailand’s biggest tourist attractions. Despite their popularity, they keep barely a fraction of the visitors’ money. Thus lies the ethical question: should tourists continue to travel to support local villages, or should they avoid the areas to prevent further exploitation?
By doing research before booking a tour, you can support indigenous people and tribes without taking advantage of them. This is a fundamental part of ecotourism: creating better places to live in and better places to visit.
These shocking facts may evoke a sense of guilt and shame, but the aim of ecotourism is to act upon those feelings and create change. As Bruce Lee once said, “Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
Some may think that ecotourism restricts the ways people can explore the world, but in
reality, it opens the spectrum to new and fascinating possibilities. Raft, hike, and camp at the Grand Canyon without damaging its ecosystems with the Arizona River Runners. Take a dogsled tour in Alaska with Gondwana Ecotours. Paddle through caves or meet polar bears in Canada with Natural Habitat Adventures. That expensive cruise liner doesn’t sound so appealing now, does it?
Part of ecotourism is basic human courtesy - following directions and guidelines, adhering to local traditions, and respecting the culture of the destination. It can be as simple as wearing appropriate attire and learning some phrases of dialects and languages.
Although our desire to travel the world can surpass everything else, it comes at the cost of our world. Climate change and extinction is the harsh reality many species on our earth face. Unique dialects and regions are becoming misused by opportunistic corporations. However, we have the power to change the path we are taking; by donating to conservation efforts and learning about the environment through ecotourism, we can make a difference. It is time to fight to preserve our earth.
Sources
"What Is Ecotourism - The International Ecotourism Society". The International Ecotourism
Society, 2020, https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/. Accessed 21 June 2020.
Fetters, A., 2017. Why Ecotourism Is Booming. U.S. News, 2020,
https://travel.usnews.com/features/why-ecotourism-is-booming. Accessed 21 June
2020.
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