Going Green: Ecotourism and Nature Based Tourism Around the World

Dr. Mark Needham

Recreation Resource Management Program

Oregon State University

Tourism OverviewWorld’s largest industry $6 trillion tourist spending, 10% global GDP 238 million jobs (8% of all jobs) international trips: over 1 billion this year #1 export 60 countries, in top 5 for 160 more #2 source of foreign revenue (after oil)

for 40 poorest countries

USA #1 industry, employer, foreign revenue earner $2 trillion spending, $730 billion earnings 6.5 million full-time jobs

Oregon #2 industry, ahead of forestry, 73,000 FT jobs $300 million in revenue; $4.6 billion in

tourism related retail sales & services

… And Getting Bigger! Growth of 4-5% / year regardless

of war, disease, terrorism

6% in 2007, 9% in 2011

“For wealthy westerners, travel is now an addiction” -- Economist

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, & narrow-mindedness” -- Mark Twain

Freedom Ship (city at sea)

4,500 ft long, 750 ft wide, 350 ft tall

100,000 people

Atlantis resort, Bahamas Venetian hotel, Las Vegas

Hydropolis Underwater Hotel, Dubai Palm Island, Dubai

Ocean Dome indoor water park & beach, Japan

Mass Tourism ConcernsDominant policy: mass / 3s travel promotion

simple rule: more tourists = better economy billions of dollars spent on enticing travelers

BUT!!! growing backlash to unprecedented

growth driven by western interests crowding, congestion, & overuse effects on host communities & cultures

(commodification, conflict, exploitation) environmental impacts

(pollution, waste, degradation) economic vulnerability

(inflation, leakage, “black markets”)

Alternatives Sustainable tourism

Responsible tourism

“Green” tourism

Nature based tourism(not always educational, sustainable)

Ecotourism

nature based

educational / learning, awareness

sustainable

others: empower / respect localsfinancial benefits to conservation

DefinitionsCeballos-Lascurain

traveling to relatively undisturbed, uncontaminated natural areas with objective of studying, admiring, enjoying scenery & its wild plants, & existing cultural manifestations found in these areas

Ecotourism Societyresponsible travel to natural areas that conservesenvironment & improves well-being of local people

Weavertourism fostering learning experiences & appreciation of natural environment within its associated cultural context ... best practice of being environmentally & socio-culturally sustainable, preferably by enhancing natural / cultural resource of destination & promote operation viability

Ecotourism Checklist

Contributes to conservation of biodiversity

Minimize use of nonrenewable resources

Responsible behavior of tourists & industry

Mostly small groups, relatively small scale

Interpretation / learning components

Well being of local people & communities

Participation, ownership, business for locals

Why Ecotourism? Environmentally aware, society value shift

Environmental groups (TNC, CI, WWF)

Popularity of “sustainability” buzzword

Green consumerism & recycling culture

Dissatisfaction of mass tourism impacts

Want more challenging & educative holidays

Discovery Channel, Nat. Geo., Lonely Planet (Globe Trekker)

Parks & protected areas (Yellowstone, Amboseli, Serengeti, Kruger)

Linked to resource extraction; see areas before disappear (e.g., Amazon rainforest)

Linked to Forest ThreatsAmazon rainforest over 10,000 square miles cleared per year cattle ranching / beef production

Indonesia’s lowland forests threatened by illegal logging in supposedly

“protected” reserves > 75% of timber production in the country habitat for endangered orangutans population declined over 90% in some

“protected” areas in last 40 years

China’s bamboo forests fragmented by land clearing for farming endangered Giant Panda (< 1500) want to see these rare things before disappear

Linked to Protected Areas

1872: 1 national park in world (Yellowstone)

1962: 9,000 areas, 2,000,000 km2

1992: 40,000 areas, 12,000,000 km2

2003: 102,000 areas, 18,000,000 km2

Today: 12% land surface, 0.5% of water

Central & South America: 25% of land

Botswana: over 35% of land

How Big Is Ecotourism?

No accurate data because hard to categorize

7% to 20% of international travel

Growth: 20% to 35% annually(compared to just 4-5% for all tourism)

54 million birdwatchers in USA

Wildlife viewing fastest growing in outdoors

Places “put on the map” by ecotourism include Costa Rica, Belize, Kenya, Tanzania, Galapagos, Nepal, Antarctica, New Zealand

Costa Rica

Belize

Galapagos Islands

Kenya & Tanzania

Nepal

Antarctica

New Zealand

Forest Service & Ecotourism US Forest Service dabbles in ecotourism

“Heritage Expeditions”(part of fee demonstration program)

“Ancient Painters of the North Umpqua”(Native American shaman rock painting)

Medicine Creek, east of Roseburg

$1,400 fee included food & lodgingat the Steamboat Inn

Money back to Forest Serviceto protect sites & enhance forest

Government & NGOs

Government involvement

Australia: Tourism Australia Act 2004

Belize: Belize Ecotourism Association

Nongovernmental Organizations

The Nature Conservancy

World Wildlife Fund

Conservation International

Who are Ecotourists? US / Canada, Europe, Australia

Above average income

Above average education (college)

Slightly more females

Typically younger (< 40 years old), but now older & similar to mass tourism

From more urban than rural areas

“White collar” jobs

Is Ecotourism Good or Bad?

Multiple positive & negative impacts

Economic tradeoffs

Environmental tradeoffs

Social tradeoffs

Cultural tradeoffs

Economic ImpactsBenefits generates local revenue, employment,

diversification from extractive industry no protectionist barriers: tariff, embargo less volatile than other industries multiplier effects poor country: sustainability opportunity locals: stake in resource management money: conservation, not extraction

Drawbacks pressure for short-term exploitation leakage out of area & country costly start up & opportunity costs

(income forgone from something else) exacerbate inequalities among locals

“I earn over $90,000 per year, how about you?”But, threated by mining (e.g., lithium) in DRC, Uganda, Rwanda where

mostly “paper parks” (exist on paper, but little enforcement)

Environmental ImpactsBenefits education & seeing fosters care & protection revenue used for conservation, preservation visitors donate time & money to conservation not being used for more extractive uses usually 95/5 rule (95% impact in only 5% area)

Drawbacks remote, sensitive habitat not used to humans visitors may not recognize impacts erosion, trampling, litter, purchase threatened

species (black coral, ivory), break corals wildlife dependency, habituation, disturbance constant pressure from other extractive uses transboundary effects (planes, pollution)

Transboundary Effects Jet fuel consumed: 100 metric tones / year

Emissions into upper atmosphere(cause over 5% of greenhouse gasses)

2 week package tour: 3385 kg of CO2(global average: 4000 kg CO2 / year)

US Airways: 1 million soda cans / month

60% of air travel pollution tourism related

Pressures From Other Uses New proposed highway &

railway through Serengeti

Transport mine materials from Uganda to Tanzania ports; backed by China

Supported by Uganda & Tanzania; opposed by Kenya

Massive impact on “great migration” & tourism

Human – Wildlife Conflict

Social Impacts “Loving areas to death”

Galapagos

official 1973 visitor limit was 12,000 / year

raised to 25,000 / year in 1982

actual: 40,000 in 1988 & 180,000 in 2008

Great Barrier Reef

150,000 tourist days / year in early 1980s

1.5 million tourist days / year by mid-1990s

now over 2 million / year

Cultural Benefits Preserve local culture & customs

New contact, widen view, reduce stereotype

Pride, solidarity, confidence of hosts

Jobs, healthcare, revenue, education

Real estate costs increase as areas popular

Local participation in decision making(empowerment)

Racist colonialism: tourist “dominate” host Tourist enclave: kept in “bubble” from locals Depreciative behavior: nude sunbathing in Sinai Tourists lose inhibitions (sex tourism, drugs) Short periods, can be superficial relationship Solidify stereotype, language barrier, conflict Intrusion, loss of privacy Dual pricing: hosts exploit tourists Health: disease, emulate tourist diet Inequalities among locals, inter-clan jealousy Commodify: totems. Staged authenticity: luau Cultural drift (Masai), assimilation (Aborigines) Begging, stealing, crime, threats, abuse

Cultural Impacts

Greenwashing & Certification Ecotourism lite: superficial cosmetic changes

marketed as major innovations (hotels)

Greenwashing: eco-selling, eco-exploitation; green language to market, but no behavior

Certification from third parties Green Globe, Blue Flag, PAN Parks, SmartVoyager Examine if business meet industry standards Voluntary, logos (uniqueness, advertising) Benchmarking: compare to other companies

using best practice principles Auditing: external to verify if benchmarks met Monitoring & continuous improvement Industry not yet fully embraced Many programs can confuse tourists & dilute

To prevent mass tourism, ecotourism should

minimize enviromental impacts, but recognize that impacts always occur

encourage & give back to conservation

empower & preserve cultural traditions

reduce leakage & give back to communities

build relationships, conquer ignorance

foster education / awareness, dignity, respect

preserve human rights & legal rules

sensitively market & interpret areas

be certified to reduce exploitation, ecoselling

be researched more to understand it better

Concluding Remarks

Questions or Comments?Want to learn more? FOR 453 (Nature based tourism)