Even "beach tourism" depends on nature

From an article titled "Can Ecotourism Be More Than an Illusion?" by Stephen Leahy on Tierramérica:

Tourism has a paradox at its core: it has revealed natural wonders that humanity realizes it cannot allow to disappear, but at the same time humanity has put those very natural wonders in danger, say experts.

QUEBEC CITY, Mar 23 (Tierramérica).- But others wonder if tourism can be truly sustainable when it involves flying thousands of kilometers to reach some "carbon-neutral" eco-lodge in the jungle.

Climate change is a major concern and air transport makes a significant contribution, sustainable tourism expert Costas Christ, told more than 500 attendees of the International Symposium on Sustainable Tourism Development, Mar. 16-19.

However, Christ said, it is also important to tell the public that international tourism has played a major role in preserving biodiversity and in conservation in general.

"Without tourism, the Pantanal (in South America), the world's largest wetland, would have just turned into a major cattle feed-lot for McDonald's," said Christ, a former board chair of The International Ecotourism Society.

If it weren't for tourism, Africa would not have its game parks and nature preserves, and the Coral Triangle (which encompasses the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste) would have been devastated by overfishing, he continued.

"Tourism is not the problem; the challenge is how to do tourism right," Christ told Tierramérica in an interview.

As an industry, tourism has made many mistakes over the years, but has come to realize that with climate change and other environmental concerns there is no future for tourism without becoming more sustainable, he believes.

Indeed, the very essence of tourism is selling culture and nature, and those must be protected or there will be no industry -- "Business and political leaders have to understand this," he said.

Even mass-market tourism - sometimes called beach tourism - depends on nature, although he believes people are moving away from that type of vacation in general.

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Video shows destructive side of Jamaica's tourism industry

From an article by Dawn Marie Roper posted on the Environment News Service:

KINGSTON, Jamaica, October 28, 2008 (ENS) - The Jamaica Environmental Trust on Thursday night launched "Jamaica for Sale," a 92 minute video documentary highlighting disturbing issues behind the island's normally rosy sun, sea and sand tourism image.

"We want to raise hard questions about the tourism industry, especially in light of the recent rise in a certain kind of tourism. There are costs. We are asking questions about these costs," said Diana McCaulay, chief executive officer of Jamaica Environmental Trust.

The video features the faces and voices of Jamaicans and other Caribbean personalities talking about life in the wake of a burst of construction of mega-hotels across Jamaica's coastline. The film shows how gains from tourism development come at a high price to the people.

"Government is selling of beaches and sometimes entire islands. This cuts off local citizens from having a say in what happens around them," said Mimi Sheller, a sociologist from Swarthmore College in the United States.

The film features small hoteliers and other citizens talking about the wide scale removal of the mangroves, wetlands and the breeding grounds of indigenous birds and turtles.

Early in the film, construction workers detail the ill-treatment and low wages they receive from the Spanish hotel developers. . . .

{This report is republished with permission from The Panos Institute of the Caribbean.}

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Caribbean nations plan marine parks to aid economy

From a Reuters article by Alister Doyle:

OSLO, May 27 (Reuters) - Caribbean islands will create new protected areas for fish and coral reefs under a $70 million plan announced on Tuesday that will help safeguard tourism-backed economies.

"This is a trust fund for the future benefit of society," Bahamas Minister of Works and Transport Earl Deveaux told Reuters of the project. "Our economy is based on tourism and our greatest natural resource is our environment."

Inspired by a 2006 plan to protect part of the Pacific Ocean and a "Coral Triangle" project launched in 2007 for southeast Asia, nine Caribbean nations agreed to extend protected areas to 10 percent of their marine and coastal habitats by 2012.

The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines aim to set aside about (32,000 square km (12,500 sq miles), according to the U.S.-based Nature Conservancy which is advising Caribbean governments.

That area is roughly the size of Belgium or the U.S. state of Maryland. The Bahamas will be the largest contributor of protected areas under the "Caribbean Challenge" and aims to set aside 20 percent of marine habitats by 2020.

"In many Caribbean nations at least 50 percent of gross domestic product is derived from tourism," said Rob Weary of the Nature Conservancy. "Countries are realising the need to invest in protected areas so tourism can remain the economic engine. . . ."

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Nominate a Yucatán Penninsula or Riviera Maya destination/operator for ecotourism award

(Forimmediaterelease.net) Skål International is inviting companies from the public and private sector as well as NGOs to submit entries for the 7th Ecotourism Awards. As a new feature this year, the category of Corporate/Global Establishments has been added to the list of options for entries.

Following the evident effects of climate changes on the environment, Skål International is even more aware of the need to continue its efforts to create awareness for sustainable and responsible development in tourism and to this end continues to support initiatives around the world.

The 2008 Awards, sponsored by Johnson Diversey, Evian Water and Iznik Foundation, will be presented in Taipei on 13 October 2008 during the Opening Ceremony of the 69th Skål World Congress by the President of Skål International Philip Sims.

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Best Green Adventures: Eco-Success

From an article by Costas Christ on the Web site of National Geographic:

Thirty years ago ecotourism was just an idea. Now it's going mainstream.
Here are ten places where it's making a difference—one trip at a time. . . .

Belize: Reef Revival
The Mesoamerican Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, bends an aquamarine elbow at Gladden Spit, 26 miles (42 kilometers) off Placencia, Belize, creating an underwater Serengeti. "I used to anchor in one spot with my father, and in less than half a day we could fill the boat with 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of fish," says Lindsay Garbutt, 47, of Monkey River village. But as commercial fishing depleted the seas nearby, Garbutt and local fishermen formed Friends of Nature to protect the reef and support sustainable fishing (friendsofnaturebelize.org). Gladden is now a marine reserve where critically endangered Nassau grouper and massive schools of snapper continue to spawn. This is also one of the few places on Earth where divers and snorkelers can predictably swim with whale sharks; the elusive giants arrive like clockwork during full moons from April to June.

Do: Cay-hop by kayak among deserted coral islands ($1,380; toadaladventure.com); dive with whale sharks ($150; belizescuba.com).
Sleep: Sea Spray Hotel ($50; seasprayhotel.com); Turtle Inn ($335; www.blancaneaux.com)

Christ also recommends destinations in Brazil, Dubai, Canada, and Kenya. He puts Gabon, Laos, and Ireland on a list of tipping points and places Turks and Caicos and
Greece on a watch list.

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