Sustainable Tourism & Ecotourism

We finished exams last month and we came back to our respective homes. So, for that reason, we forgot about Dones de Viatge. But now, while we fight against high temperatures, our inspiration is growing up and I would like to share with all of you a short presentation I did in Barcelona about Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism, when I was attending an intensive English course.

I divided my talk into three different parts. Firstly, we have an explanation about what sustainable tourism is and a brief  description of the main types. Secondly, I'm going to give you a short list of tips on how to become and eco-friendly tourist and finally, five different examples will be given to illustrate all the theorical part.

1. What is Sustainable Tourism?

The term "sustainable tourism" comes from the concept of sustainable development. The main objective of sustainable tourism is to obtain the highest profitability but protecting the natural resources that sustain it.

Facing the conventional tourism that looks for maximum profit in a short period of time and space, tourists are starting to be aware of the impact the cause on the environment.

(Lots of documents made by the World Tourism Organization UNWTO give us more material about this topic).

We have lots of types of sustainable tourism, but the most importants are ecotourism, rural tourism and agritourism.

Ecotourism is a type of sustainable tourism in natural areas where the landscape and the ecosystems are the principal attractions. The most important objectives are conservation, integration and participation of local communities.

Rural tourism and agritourism are similar. While rural tourism is more cultural, in agritourism tourists can participate in agricultural tasks.

2. How to become an Eco-Friendly Tourist.

As you read before, sustainable tourism tries to preserve our resources so, how can we help to reach that goal?

Here are some tips, but everybody can visit this website to find more interesting ideas

- Choose the greener type of transport.

- Stay or buy in local hotels and business, helping local communities to grow economically.

- Contribute to save water and produce less waste.

- Use the 3R (recycle, reuse and reduce).

The best tip I can give you is to feel that the country you are visiting is your home. Take care of it and think that future generations could travel there.  

3. Sustainable Destinations.

These five examples are some of the most popular countries in the ecotourism world, and they are developing a strong personality to attract more and more tourists every year.

KENYA

Ngare Ndare Forest - Kenya

Kenya was the first country that did photographic safaris. It counts with a very important resource: the big mammals such as lions, elephants or zebras.

Thanks to ecotourism, it has saved the most part of its ecosystems, and with them, its flora and fauna.

According to a study done in Amboseli National Park, every lion produce a benefit of 515,000 $ as a touristic attraction, while killing them only gives the country 8,500 $ per lion.

COSTA RICA

Costa Rica offers to visitors a huge variety of landscapes, and it posseses a large network of protected areas.

Costa Rica counts with vulcanos, jungle, paradisiac islands and beaches with white sand. It contains about 800 types of birds and 10% of butterflies in the world.

Quetzal, bird from a forest in Monteverde - Costa Rica

AUSTRALIA

Australia has got about 2,000 protected areas, 700 kinds of birds, kangaroos, dingos, crocodiles, etc.

Tourism is the most important industry in the country. One of the most relevant studies done in ecotourism in the world concludes by saying that among six protected areas in Australia earn about 2,000 million $ from visitors.

Aboriginal Tour trough the coast - Australia

BRAZIL

Iguazú Falls - Brazil

Brazil has got the great Amazonic jungle, the Pantanal and the amazing Iguazú Falls. All of these resources are only a small part of what the country can offer.

Nowadays, Brazil is trying to develop an strong ecotouristic industry to attrack visitors and investors to be a sustainable destination.

MALAYSIA

Malaysia counts with 61% of its territory covered by a wood never touched by humans. The natural jewels of the country are Taman Negara, the anciest tropical jungle in the world, and the island of Borneo.

Malaysia offers the oppotunity to see the Tualong, the biggest tree in Asia, or meet the different indigenous groups that live there since hundreds of years.

Marine Park - Malaysia

To sum up, I'm just goint to say that if we don't move towards sustainable tourism we will loose the essence of travelling: meet new people and different ways of live, increase our knowledge and see the beauty of our fragile planet.

For more information about ecotouristic destinations, visit  http://www.ecotourism.org/

Photos from links in the name of the country.