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government has announced to take on aviation, including one mitigation strategy in the tourism industry and in the
an additional tax that was recently introduced. There are non-profit community where compensating emissions from
also certain tendencies in the luxury tourism segment to business trips and conferences is almost commonplace now.
assume responsibility for climate change by offsetting carbon The number of carbon-offset providers, now at around fifty
emissions. worldwide, is another indicator for this trend. However,
carbon-offsetting is an extremely complex task which carries
Where can ecotourism be placed in this debate and evolving the risk of inadequate compensation and project failures,
field of coping strategies? A website analysis and survey of especially in relation to reforestation measures. In order to
over 300 nature-based tour operators of TIES, Sustainable make sure that it is performed in a sustainable way quality
Travel International (STI) and the Adventure Travel Trade standards and independent verification are indispensable.6
Association (ATTA) that was recently conducted by TIES Furthermore, carbon-offsetting is only the second-best
and the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development option and will not be sufficient to achieve the enormous
(CESD) found that while there is not really a broad debate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that will be necessary
on the issue, several members of the ecotourism community to stabilize the world climate. At some point we will have to
have nevertheless begun to take action. Most of the operators travel less – not as far away and not as frequently. Apparently,
surveyed see global warming as a serious problem which will this inconvenient truth has not fully dawned on the
also affect nature-based tourism, and about 10% of them have (eco)tourism industry and the travelling public yet.
become active in implementing sustainable transportation
principles. While inbound operators (many of them based So, what needs to be done? Ecotourism has long been
in developing countries) were mostly concerned about local a frontrunner in terms of sustainable development and
transportation by giving preference to bio-fuelled buses there is a good chance for it to continue playing this role in
or by favoring muscle-powered forms of mobility such as relation to global warming and sustainable transportation
walking or biking, outbound operators (mostly based in if the exemplary initiatives taken by several companies are
North America) assume responsibility for their flights to being adopted by many others in the industry. Carbon-
the destination and back by offsetting the emissions thus offsetting is a first step, but it may be a costly one for small
incurred. However, the degree of commitment varies: Some companies if their customers are not being educated about
operators such as Intrepid Travel (Australia), OARS or it and made to pay their share. Promoting the further use
Natural Habitat Adventures (both USA) have already begun of renewable energies is another step, one that many eco-
to offset their entire emissions including office operations and lodges have already been particularly good at. Establishing
their supply chain management while others simply ask their public transportation systems in frequently visited natural
customers to use a certain (Continued on next page)
carbon-offset program.
Nature Air, a small-plane
carrier based in Costa
Rica, compensates its
greenhouse gas emissions
by paying into forestry
projects. Costa Rica
is also contemplating
to become the world’s
first carbon-neutral
ecotourism destination
by offsetting its tourism-
related emissions through
domestic compensation
measures. In Australia,
ecotourism destinations
such as Queensland and
Tasmania are beginning
to take action as well.
Carbon-offsetting
3 clearly is the number
Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
CHALLENGE: GLOBAL WARMING Sustainable Transportation Guidelines for Nature Tour
(Continued from page 3) Operators which are to become an integral part of
ecotourism certification schemes and codes of conduct.
areas such as national parks and World Heritage Sites is yet
another important element of sustainable transportation 1
See EcoCurrents Q3/2005 at www.ecotourism.org/...
strategies. 2
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Climate Change 2007
– The Physical Science Basis. Paris, 2 February 2007
3
For an excellent case study from New Zealand see: “The Cost of Getting
But one of the biggest challenges will be to change our travel There – impacts of travel to ecotourism destinations” by D. Simmons/S.
habits in relation to time – preferring nearby destinations Becken. In: R. Buckley: “Environmental impacts of ecotourism”. CABI
for shorter trips, spending more quality time on long-haul Publishing, 2004
journeys, really getting to know the land and the people
4
See www.fh-eberswalde.de/tour (in German)
5
Tourism Industry Carbon-Offset Scheme (TICOS)
visited, and generally slowing down. While this is ultimately 6
See article in this issue on page 10.
up to the consumer to decide, tour operators and other
ecotourism providers can do their share by designing and Wolfgang Strasdas is a professor for Sustainable Tourism Management at
promoting attractive trips with no need to rush. At the same the University of Eberswalde (Germany), a tourism consultant and a TIES
Board member who is presently
time it has to be made sure that the many destinations in the using his sabbatical to work on
developing world that have benefited from (eco)tourism in climate change. Although he does
the past continue to do so in the future – this time with an not own a car and cycles instead,
environmental and social balance that is unambiguously a he is also a frequent flyer who
offsets his emissions by using
positive one. atmosfair. He can be reached at
wstrasdas@ecotourism.org or at
TIES has responded to this challenge by initiating an +1 (650) 723-0894. For further
advocacy campaign that comprises a number of activities information, please see his
background article at:
ranging from educational and consumer outreach to www.ecotourism.org.
grown, our commitment to sustainable, grassroots travel has On the home front we are creating a Carbon Neutral work
remained the same. environment. In head office recycling and waste reduction
practices are well entrenched and the majority of our
We are firm believers that energy already comes from renewable resources. After
travel is one of the most recently completing a ‘carbon audit’, the office is to become
fulfilling things you could even greener. We are looking to install rainwater tanks,
ever do, but we also recognize we’re switching to energy saving fluorescent lights and any
that by being a part of the electricity that isn’t 100% green will be offset annually. A plan
travel industry we’re actually is also in place to introduce the same measures to our other
endangering the very places offices around the world.
we love to explore. Traveling
by bus, train or boat, printing However, it’s our final step which will prove our most
brochures, using electricity challenging; making every one of our 470 trips carbon
and especially taking neutral. Although, where possible, trip emissions are limited
flights, we’re contributing by our use of public transport, we aim to reduce them further
significantly to greenhouse and will completely offset the remainder. We’re already
gas emissions. Last year well on the way, offering some exciting new ‘eco-friendly’
alone our travelers emitted journeys. Our Independent European trips are a chance for
300,000 tonnes of Carbon travelers to discover Europe at the ground level, by cycling
Dioxide from flights - as or walking from destination to destination. We’re also
good a reason as any for us particularly proud of our newest overland adventure, To the
to become a Carbon Neutral End of the Earth and Back which encourages travelers to take
company, something we aim longer, land-based journeys instead of multiple fly-in, fly-out
Franz Joseph Glacier, to become in the next 3 years. vacations. This journey takes travelers on a 130 day journey
New Zealand from Singapore to Paris, taking in every corner of Asia and
In January 2007 we introduced mandatory carbon offset Europe along the way. Traveling by boat, train and even
payments on all flights sold from Australia. It was an elephant, this really is an epic but low-carbon adventure of a
Australian industry first and a risky move in a marketplace lifetime and puts us well on the way to reaching our end goal:
that was only just coming to terms with the broader issue of to offer our clients 100% carbon neutral adventures by 2009.
climate change. But while many travelers still question who is
responsible for offsetting carbon, it seems the typical ‘Intrepid Jen Riley is an editor with Intrepid Travel. For more information
on Intrepid’s initiatives, visit www.intrepidtravel.com.
INTREPIDS’s
Other Going Green Initiatives:
• We have a full time Carbon Offset Manager who’s time is devoted to researching
our best practices and developing relationships with offset providers.
• Introducing optional offsetting on flights sold from UK & NZ. For our mandatory,
carbon offset flights in Australia, passengers pay the full offset payment but
Intrepid makes NO from profit offsets.
• Carbon auditing our offshore offices.
• We use vegetable inks and source environmentally friendly stock from sustainable
forests for our brochure production and are looking at FSC accreditation.
• We encourage best practice from our hotels and where possible chose which we
5 use based on common ethical thinking.
Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
The LMT project builds on previous efforts by connecting Maasser Ech Chouf, Lebanon
existing trails, and by leveraging on-going local initiatives.
The system of trails in the Lebanese mountains was built Core funding for the LMT project was provided by the
and conserved through the centuries, as the primary means US Agency for International Development (USAID). The
LMT project was
conceived, and is being
implemented, by the
US-based consulting
firm ECODIT, Inc. TIES
is providing advice
to the ECODIT LMT
project team on rural
Over the past 16 years, Escape Adventures has recognized everyone is offered incentives to ride their bikes to work.
changes in the environment in which they operate. Some Large, homemade recycling centers are prominent in both
changes have been gradual, such as slowly receding Las Vegas and Moab locations, so customers can bring in
shorelines, and some drastic, like surges in wildfires and their recyclables—from everyday waste products to specialty
devastations of entire forests by bark beetles. Although the items that can’t be recycled anywhere else, like bike tires and
climate problem is bigger than any one person or entity can tubes.
reverse, the causes are clear and proven, and the solution
attainable, if it starts at one and becomes many. To do their Escape Adventures is the first to admit that none of these
part, Escape Adventures is aggressively pursuing a two-part changes can reverse something as big as global warming. But
campaign of reformation and education. they do believe that something as big as global awareness can.
“With its personal and broad-reaching effects, the ecotourism
Reformation is an extensive process—even for an already industry is the perfect venue to increase awareness to an
environmentally friendly company like Escape Adventures— affluent, productive, and caring clientele who care about the
but new business models are being created every day. Fisher outdoors and are in a position to do something about it,” says
is pioneering an Alternative Fuel Support Vehicle System Escape Adventures President, Heather Fisher.
(AFSVS) fueled by waste vegetable oil that he hopes will
catch on as a convenient and clean burning alternative to Escape Adventures recognizes their obligation to use their
burning fossil fuels. Escape Tour Centers are being converted position in the outdoor industry to promote sustainability to
to solar energy and promoted internally; sustainable living everyone with whom they come in contact. Guests are given
is a common thread among Escape Adventures’ employees. a positive outlook on sustainable living when eating delicious
When shopping for food, tour leaders buy organic products organic foods, traveling in veggie vans, and hiking, biking,
and refuse bags. The office staff uses recycled products and and rafting in some of the most beautiful places the natural
environment has to offer.
2007 ECOCURRENTS:
Editorial Calendar PHOTO CREDITS:
(Clockwise from left on each page)
During 2007, EcoCurrents will focus on the theme of
sustainability. The editorial calendar is as follows: Page 1: Table of Contents photo credit Instituto Costarricense
•Sustainable Transportation (April), de Tursimo. Article photo credit - Chadi Ghajar; Photo
•Sustainability & Certification (June), courtesy of ECODIT. Page 2: Photos courtesy of New England
•Sustainable Foods (September), Outdoor Center, Patagonia EcoCamp - Cascada Expediciones,
•Sustainable Suitcase* (December). and Terra Incognita ECOTOURS. Page 3: Photo courtesy of
*environmentally and socially responsible packing for the eco- CHF International. Page 4: Photo courtesy of AdventureSmith
traveler, for the ecotourism professional, and for the outbound Explorations. Page 5: Photo courtesy of Intrepid Travel. Page
operator. 6: Photo credit - Nizar Hani; Photo courtesy of ECODIT. Page
Each addition will feature one destination; TIES 7: Photo credits - Jared Fisher, courtesy of Escape Adventures.
encourages members to submit articles on the role of Page8: Photo courtesy of National Park Service. Page 11: Photo
ecotourism within these topics. Articles are due the 1st Courtesy of the University of Vermont.
11 of the month listed on the publication schedule.
Please submit articles to newsletters@ecotourism.org.
Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
Adventure Life Journeys • Alaska Wildland Adventures • Amazonia Expeditions • Aventuras Naturales - Pacuare Lodge • Canadian
Mountain Holidays Inc. (C.M.H.) • Cascada Expediciones / Patagonia Eco Camp • Crossing Latitudes, Inc. • ecoAfrica Travel •
Ecoventura/Galapagos Network • El Pescador Resorts • Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn • Green Hotels of Costa Rica • Grupo Islita
• Holbrook Travel • Horizontes Nature Tours • InkaNatura Travel • International Expeditions, Inc • INTRAV / Clipper Cruise Lines •
Intrepid Travel Pty Ltd • Jungle Bay Resort and Spa, Dominica W.I. • Lapa Rios • Legitify • Lindblad Expeditions • Maho Bay Camps,
Inc. • Micato Safaris • Mithun • NatureAir • Nomadic Journeys Ltd • OARS (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists) • Penn State
University • Rainforest Expeditions (Posada Amazonas/Tambopata) • RawPerspective • Rhino Walking Safaris • Rivers Fiji • Royal
Society for the Conservation of Nature • Solimar Marketing & Travel • Tiamo Resorts • Trans Niugini Tours • Wilderness Travel •
Wildland Adventures • World Nomads Pty Ltd
Aboriginal Tourism Australia • Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association • Armenian Ecotourism Association •
Asociación Argentina de Ecoturismo y Aventura (AAETA) • Asociacion Ecoturismo Guatemala • Asociacion Ecuatoriana de
Ecoturismo - ASEC • Belarusian Assocation of Agro and Ecotourism • Belize Ecotourism Association (BETA) • Benin Ecotourism
Concern (ECO-BENIN) • BESST(Business and the Environment linked through Small Scale Tourism) • Brazilian Society for the
Environment • Camara Nacional de Ecoturismo de Costa Rica (CANAECO) • Central Balkan Kalofer Ecotourism Association •
Discover Nepal • EcoBrasil - Associacao Brasileira de Ecoturismo • ECO-NIGERIA - ECOTOURISM SOCIETY OF NIGERIA • Ecotourism
and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS) • Ecotourism Australia • Ecotourism Kenya • Ecotourism Laos-Mekong Tourism
Development Project • Ecotourism Norway • Ecotourism Society of Bicol Region • Ecotourism Society of Ethiopia • Ecotourism
Society of Saskatchewan • Ecotourism Society of Sri Lanka • Ecotourism Society Pakistan • Ecotourisme France • Ecotourismo
Italia • Estonian Ecotourism Association (ESTECAS) • Fiji Ecotourism Association • Grand Bahama Island Ecotourism Association
• Green Tourism Association • Hawaii Ecotourism Association • Himalayan EcoTourism Society • Indonesian Ecotourism Network
(INDECON) Foundation • Iran Ecotourism Association • Iringa Ecotourism Society • Israeli Ecotourism Society • Japan Ecolodge
Association • Japan Ecotourism Society (JES) • Kamchatka Ecotourism Society • Kunigami Tourism Association (KUTA) • La Ruta
de Sonora Ecotourism Association • Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA)/RARE Center • Mexican Association of Adventure
Tourism & Ecotourism (AMTAVE) • Mongolian Ecotourism Society (MES) • Murghab Ecotourism Association (META) • Nigeria
Ecotourism Foundation • Russian Ecotourism Society • Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF) • Sustainable West Virginia •
Swedish Ecotourism Society • Taiwan Ecotourism Association (TEA) • Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA)
• The Ontario Ecotourism Society (TOES) • Tilos Park Association • Virginia EcoTourism Association
TIES BOARD
Heba Aziz, Ministry of Tourism, Oman • Tracy Berno, University of the South Pacific, Fiji • Rajiv Bhartari, Indian Forest Service &
Corbett Tiger Reserve, India • Sylvie Blangy (Development Chair), TUKTU Ecotourism Consultants, France • Kelly Bricker (Board
Chair) , WILD-U, Fiji & USA • Tony Charters (Vice Chair), Tony Charters & Associates, Australia • Richard Denman (Secretary),
The Tourism Company, United Kingdom • Andrew Fairley (Treasurer), Alpine Resorts Council Victoria, Australia • Kamelia
Georgieva, Human Research Center, Bulgaria • Nandita Jain, Independent Consultant, India & USA • Glenn Jampol, Finca
Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica • Karen Lewis, Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Costa Rica & USA • Hitesh Mehta, EDSA, USA • John
Poutasse, Attorney, USA • Ravi Ruparel, The World Bank, Uganda • Chandra de Silva, Ranweli Holiday Village, Sri Lanka •
Keith W. Sproule, Independent Consultant, USA • Masaru Takayama, Japan Ecolodge Association, Japan • Louise Twining-
Ward, Tourism Resource Consultants, USA • Wolfgang Strasdas, University of Eberswalde, Germany • Jan Wigsten, Nomadic
Journeys, Mongolia & Sweden • Carolyn Wild, WILD International, Canada
TIES STAFF
Mikael Castro, Events Coordinator • Christina Cavaliere, Director of Training andEducation • David Diedrich, Director
of Finance and Administration • Ayako Ezaki, Asia-Pacific Coordinator • Katie Maschman, Director of Membership and
Communications • Katrina Shum, Sponsorship Coordinator • Dave Sollitt, Executive Director