Ecotourism, or ecological tourism, is a global traveling industry that aims to include and benefit the host community while preserving the surrounding environmental balance (1). By uniting conservation, community and sustainable travel, ecotourism enhances the cultural integrity of local people while providing economic benefits to the community and reducing human impact on the land (2, 4a). Because there are a multitude of political, financial and environmental problems involved with tourism, the ecotourism movement aspires to repair and prevent the misconduct of this steadily growing globalized industry with the implementation of volunteerism, sustainable development, and economic empowerment.

“Voluntourism is a wonderful opportunity to develop meaningful contact with people, bridging the cultural gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’ to bring us closer to the global ‘we,’”
-Jason Rolan, Voluntourism Director, North by North East Travel Services (3).

PROBLEMS & CONTROVERSIES WITH MODERN TOURISM
Tourism, as an industry, is so controversial because it provides benefits while producing disadvantages. The most obvious of benefits is that tourism brings money into the economy by providing jobs and income to communities (3). The disadvantage to this is that once a community is exposed to tourism, it may not be able to gain economic strength without it. The community begins to depend on tourism so much that most of its infrastructure and commerce are geared toward the industry instead of toward the local residents. Eco tourism, on the contrary, strives to counter this effect and create a balance between local community outreach, involvement, and development by creating opportunities for travelers to volunteer with local organizations and businesses. Tourism has created 230 million jobs in its history, but it’s also responsible for millions of acres lost to ecological damage. On average, there are 700 million travelers annually around the globe that incorporates $2.4 billion a day, or 876 billion dollars a year (3). For the world’s forty poorest countries, this income is the second largest foreign exchange other than oil (2). If all transportation in the world were to stop suddenly, there would certainly be a torrential downpour of financial crisis, particularly in developing nations that rely so heavily on tourism dollars.

The tourism industry in general causes much controversy and political unrest. Tourism has been described by some as modern day imperialism, where class is at the forefront of power and domination (4). It can enhance the dichotomy of class wars and complicate social relationships within a culture and between cultures. The most disturbing of problems is the eviction of local communities to make room for more tourists (1). Public railways that were once used by local citizens are now luxury tourist trains that sight-see the countryside (locals not included). The societal infrastructure is then monopolized by waterparks and beach resorts, where angry Westerners lose their temper when there is not enough hot water to take a shower. There is then a conflict over the land, its resources, its power, and its profits. There is also a ubiquitous commercialization of indigenous culture. This may or may not be a downfall to tourism, because it boosts the local economy and builds respect for regional trades, talent, and history. This is also where haggling is most prevalent, which then demeans the skill and time put into hand-made crafts. Other problems exist where travel organizations or agencies are disguised as ecologically minded by putting the words “Eco” or “Green” in their name. Although the official definition of an ecotourism organization has not been carved in stone, there are many efforts to create a global accreditation certification to identify genuine ecotourism organizations and businesses (4b).

The ultimate goal of ecotourism is to build global awareness and respect for the world’s ecology, which includes environment and culture (2). The dualistic approach of this “responsible tourism” brings benefits to both nature and nurture. From the environmental perspective, ecotourism aims to provide direct benefits to conservation efforts, while reducing consumption of non-renewable resources (1). From a cultural perspective, ecotourism aims to provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts, while directing financial benefits of tourism straight to the local community, rather than funneling profits to an elite corporation that then unfairly distributes the wealth (2). Many communities do not openly welcome or approve of tourism, which causes much tension and animosity between cultures. Although the desire to travel opens opportunities for cultures to mingle, bridging the gap between the far sides of the globe, politics will always show its face, even through the most positive of intentions.

GUIDELINES ON HOW TO BE AN ECOLOGICALLY-MINDED TOURIST
When traveling, tourists should first and foremost understand their place in a community—financially, politically, and culturally. Where is your money going? How is it benefiting the surrounding ecosystem and society? Is there fair and just involvement and/or consent of local communities? To help you figure this out, here are some tips on how to be an ecologically-conscious tourist:

* Be mindful of your consumption. Use glass instead of plastic when possible, for many developing countries have few, if any, organized recycling centers and glass can be reused more readily than plastic. Also use rechargeable batteries to reduce toxic waste (1).

* Use less H2O! Most Western cultures are extremely hygienic and not only use 10 times the amount of water as the rest of the world, but also use chemically-enhanced products for cleansing, which contaminates the local drinking water (3)—so if you must use toiletry products, try to use those that are organic or at least non-toxic.

* Minimize rubbish and packaging. Buy bulk foods, or remove packaging of products when still at home, or where there is organized garbage control (3).

* Be mindful of Leave No Trace Principles (www.lnt.org) when doing outdoor activities and spread knowledge of sustainability and environmental conservation during volunteer opportunities. Tour guides are the best means to educate tourists as they are your direct link to the local community.

* Purchase local goods, food, and handicrafts rather than putting money into large global corporations like Mc Donald’s, which send your American dollars right back to America.

* When photographing people, always get consent—they are not part of the landscape, they are humans with feelings. It can often offend or intrude one’s privacy. Photographing has caused some people to even wear traditional garb and ask for money in touristic centers, which encourages begging, especially from children (1).

* Learn some of the local language before arrival or during your stay to gain respect for the culture. They, in return will gain respect for you. Many communities do not learn English in school, so perhaps you can arrange a language swap (3).

* When haggling, don’t go over the top only to save fifty American cents. Fifty cents may mean the difference between feeding an entire family for the night or letting them go hungry, but to you it’s just a candy bar. Travelers must look at their privilege objectively to gain perspective on how their actions affect their hosts (1).

* Volunteering is a culturally, environmentally, and financially more sustainable way to travel. Because a traveler spends less money on food and lodging while volunteering, they can use that extra money to support local businesses and pay the extra dollar for the local handicrafts and products rather than the mass-produced and commercialized products. There exists a more intimate connection with the community where one’s experience is more personalized and unique. It is a great way to meet people from around the world, while making a positive impact on the local community. Travelers can truly get the inside scoop of the roads less traveled.


PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA

When I decided to take the plunge and travel alone, I chose to volunteer with two organizations affiliated with others such as Volunteer Latin America, Couch Surfers, and WWOOF. The first of my adventures in South America was at the Southern tip of Chile in the majestic Patagonia. The conservation organization called AMA Torres Del Paine (www.amatorresdelpaine.org) was placed in Torres Del Paine Parque Nacionale. During the month, I worked in the organic garden that produces many vegetables and fruits for the upscale hotel, the hostels and the employees. The most important of tasks was assessing and repairing the trail damage caused by horses, people and erosion. Although horses are needed to transfer supplies to backcountry refugios (huts placed strategically along long-distance backpacking trails) they walk where they please and tread with great force. The control is at the hands of the gauchos and trail guides, yet they are sometimes not appropriately informed. As a means to prevent excessive trail creation, the other volunteer and I made wooden signs to direct hikers along the trails. If people know where they are going, they will stay on the trail. The fragile Patagonian ecology is composed of alpine brush, grass, and some small trees, therefore one hiker who blazes a trail will invite many others in their path. The only fauna are pumas, birds, and some small mammals. Currently, research is being conducted on the livelihood of the puma population in relation to the growing number of tourists, as well as the recovery from the forest fire in 2006 that consumed hundreds of acres of land in the park. On my time off I explored the park and backpacked for 10 days through the famous "W" circuit where I discovered enormous glaciers, turquoise lakes, rugged mountains, and wonderful people.

As the climate grew colder and winter approached in Chile, I moved to a farm closer to the equator and located just north of Lima, Peru. The farm, Eco Truly Park, can be described as a Hare Krishna eco village with a sustainable lifestyle (www.ecotrulypark.org). Although I was not aware of the religious affiliation of the farm prior to arriving, I was accepting and open to learning new ways of life. Settled right on the Pacific coast, the farm was an enclosed community of nearly 30 devotees and volunteers. Volunteers may be transient or permanent. The goal of the farm was to set an example for the surrounding agricultural community by implementing sustainable farming and living practices. Many members of the surrounding community are involved in the well-being of the farm and attend ceremonies and events for its fundraising. Eco Truly Park offers daily classes in yoga and meditation, as well as personalized classes or appointments in Reiki and massage. Although volunteers from around the world were eager to stay at the farm, most of the incoming tourists were local Peruvians from Lima.

When working on the organic farm, volunteers participated in harvesting, weeding, composting, and the watering of plants. The vegetarian kitchen primarily uses the produce from the farm, plus some imports of rice and flour. The farm also has a restaurant and bakery that serves tourists and beach-goers, where volunteers can also help cook and learn Peruvian cuisine. Because the farm is located right on the coast, they use compost toilets to reduce water contamination. Volunteers are always welcome to maintain the bathrooms, yet that was hardly the favorite task. Instead we worked in the art studio, or tallere de arte, where we produced crafts like dream catchers, incense holders, jewelry, and pottery to be sold in the Eco Truly Store. We also attended spiritual ceremonies, and learned the ideology of the Bhagavad Gita—the spiritual text for the Hare Krishna religion. Overall, Eco Truly Park was a great way to meet people from around the world and to share ideas and philosophize about spirituality and sustainability.


While I enjoyed my volunteer trip to South America, I know that next time there are things I will do differently to promote the principles of ecotourism. I definitely cannot claim to have left the smallest carbon footprint or brag that I managed to be 100% culturally responsible during my travels. Flying is by far the most detrimental and debt-inducing culprit, which I tried to offset in some way with repairing local trails in Patagonia and consuming only local goods when traveling on my own. I know that my year working with AmeriCorps planting millions of native trees and shrubs along salmon-bearing streams in Washington state has, in a way, given me carbon credit for quite some time. It is most important for a traveler to make every effort possible to offset the environmental and cultural damage that takes place during tourism. Next time I travel to South America, it would be nice to bike through Central America and to paddle-boat across the Panama Canal on my way to the Amazon.

(1) www.andeantravelweb.com, April 2009
(2) www.ecotourism.org, April 2009
(3) www.conservation.org, April 2009
(4) www.wikipedia.com, April 2009
-(a) Randall, A. (1987). Resource economics, Second Edition. New York, USA: John Wiley and Sons.
-(b) Elper-Wood, M. (1998). Ecotourism at a Crossroads: charting the way forward. Nairobi, Kenya: The final report from the Conference of Ecotourism at the Crossroads.

Last update: June 10, 2009
05:31 pm

Published in : Eco Blogs, Eco Culture

Keywords : ecotourism, travel, South America, volunteering, conservation, sustainability, WWOOF

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