December 24, 2013, by Helen Whitehead
Advent calendar #24: Are you an eco-tourist?
At least according to the adverts on TV, Christmas must be the time when people start planning their next holiday. So are you an eco-tourist or plan an eco-holiday this year?
Eco-tourism involves being visiting areas of the planet that are more undisturbed, while trying to be low-impact and socially responsible. These holidays often have some educational, awareness raising or environmental fund-raising angle. According to the International Ecotourism Society, eco-tourism is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people”. Ideally, “ecotourism provides effective economic incentives for conserving and enhancing bio-cultural diversity and helps protect the natural and cultural heritage of our beautiful planet”.
My son is planning a working visit to Madagascar next summer, possibly one of the world’s best destinations for the eco-tourist. The question is – shall I join him for a little while? If you’ve taken or are planning an eco-trip, do share it with us in the comments here.
You can sign up now for the MOOC Sustainability, Society and You course on the FutureLearn website.
Image © David Gonzalvo on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/33259087@N05/10226466086/ CC BY NC SA
Interesting as these hols always seem to be long haul and in places that are commonly far too expensive for most people. I have undertaken eco friendly hols for the last 20 years….in a small village in Crete where the locals are only just beginning to ask why their weather patterns are changing. Renewable energy, sustainable farming and fishing and transport options are common to their way of life so impacts such as the failure of the olive crop in 2013/14 due to a heat wave in Jan 2013 is now perplexing them. Their concerns gave me a whole new insight on attitudes to issues such as climate change and their lives, in general, are very similar to ours…..it made me think !
I thought we were meant to be limiting our long haul flights in order to cut down on our personal footprints. Could we not be researching online for information about climate change impacts to specific areas rather than going there simply because we find it enlightening?