One of the most common mistakes there is in the tourism industry is thinking that just because there is the prefix eco in ecotourism, it means this type of traveling is sustainable. This could not be further from the truth.
I called this section of the website “Eco Travels” precisely because I want to deviate from this preconceived idea, but also keep the word “Eco” for the sake of being a branch from THE ECO MAR ECOSYSTEM.
So let’s get into it.
Ecotourism
In 1990, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defined ecotourism as, “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." However, taking into consideration the Greenwashing era we are living in, the term Ecotourism simply became a type of tourism that is related to nature, not by any means a way of traveling that causes a local positive impact.
It may be for this reason that The International Ecotourism Society updated its definition to represent ‘authentic’ ecotourism, from:
“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." (TIES, 1990)
To:
"Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education" (TIES, 2015).
It can be noted that they changed the word improve to sustain and added “and involves interpretation and education". Most probably to enforce the positive impact that sustainability brings, in opposition to improving (which may suggest minimizing any negative impacts, rather than creating positive ones).
Ecotourism could sometimes cause environmental damages that can be caused by irresponsible tourism practices, such as complications from over-tourism (when a destination or attraction suffers from overcrowding or an excess of tourists it isn’t designed to handle) and land degradation (when increased construction of tourism infrastructure negatively affects land resources and biodiversity).
Sustainable Tourism / Community-based Tourism / Responsible Tourism
Whenever traveling, it should be noted the impact you cause on the local communities, be it positive or negative. You should take into consideration the way you interact with people, nature, and the whole environment you are inserted into. You should make sure that the way you are traveling benefits rather than exploits nature and the local community. This is responsible travel, which can also be called sustainable travel, which on many occasions can also mean community-based travel.
Community-based tourism
is when the travels you are making to some place benefit the community, in the sense that it generates jobs, grows the economy, and values their culture. It is tourism made by the local community that benefits the local community.
Community members will manage homestays where tourists can get an authentic experience of local culture, become tour guides, or provide other tourism services themselves rather than sourcing out to multinational or commercialized companies. It can be said that community-based tourism is inside the scope of sustainable tourism.
Sadly in many parts of the world, the industry manufactures the local culture just to attract tourists, making companies profit on top of local traditions, turning into unauthentic experiences.
Responsible tourism
is characterized by:
minimizing negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;
generating greater economic benefits for local people and enhancing the well-being of host communities, improving working conditions and access to the industry;
involving local people in decisions that affect their lives and life changes;
making positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world’s diversity;
providing more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social, and environmental issues;
providing access for people with disabilities and the disadvantaged;
being culturally sensitive engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.
Sustainable Tourism
At the industry level, sustainable tourism could refer to practices that hotels and resorts are taking on sustainability commitments that focus on recycling, decreasing water and energy usage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and environmentally friendly design. Many in the industry show a commitment to a holistic approach to sustainability providing eco-friendly and organic food and wine selections and rewarding guests who make “green choices.
Sustainable tourism can also be considered to go beyond environmental sustainability practices. Sustainable tourism can encompass environmental sustainability practices, but also, environmental and cultural conservation, as well as social sustainability practices, as cited in responsible tourism.
You can see that responsible, sustainable, and community-based tourism pretty much mean the same thing. I hope you understand the difference between predatory tourism and tourism that benefits all parts. Be attentive next time you are planning a trip not to fall for those traps, and actually live authentic cultural and nature-based experiences.
Go to our ECO TRAVELS branch to discover examples of those types of ethical tourism and plan your next eco-conscious trip!
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