To South African, baboons may be pests. To eco-travelers they are a new experience worth seeing. Eco-tourism has a place in South Africa, a naturally beautiful, resource rich country. Image: vgh.media/flickr

The International Ecotourism Society, also known as TIES, defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

South Africa is still a developing country and many still live under the internationally established line of poverty. It is a country that was struck hard by the economical downfall, but it is also a country that is strong and built to survive.

South Africa is home to the Big Five, the Knysna Woods, Cape Point, the Drakensberg, Magoebaskloof and the Kruger National Park. Its natural resources are what help it to survive and the tourism industry has picked up on the trends of Ecotourism.

After the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, many had the opportunity to see what South Africa has to offer. It has a rich and diverse culture with 11 official languages. If you want to experience culture, South Africa has more than you can handle.

Ecotourism also contributes to sustainable development and more environmentally sound projects. If looked at from an overall prospective, ecotourism has the potential to positively influence the economical development as well environmental well being of a country.

For especially African countries that have nature and its beauty on their side, ecotourism is an effective way of not only bringing people into the country, but creating jobs and preserving natural environments as well.

If those who rely on poaching for survival are given other means of survival and properly educated on more a sustainable way of using what they have been given, it will aid in turning these underdeveloped countries in more economically stable regions as well as aid conservation in these regions. People will only protect something if they know what it can mean for future generations.

South Africa has been smart enough to realize that a great income lies within tourism and that its natural habitats are one of the things that draw tourists to the country. By investing in Ecotourism, South Africa can create local jobs while preserving the natural habitats and cultures it houses.

In order to this though, proper management and knowledge is essential. Without management and knowledge, South Africa’s natural resources will remain nothing but a beautiful view. It is an under-used source of income that can alleviate the pressure put on job creation and the country’s overall economic development.

Eco-tourism helps regulate impact tourism has on the envrionment, while promoting the destination's natural beauty.Picture of Galapagos. Image: derekkeats/flickr

Ecotourism sounds like it is good for the environment; after all it has the word “eco” in it.  But like many things too much of a good thing can cause irreversible damage and this is true for the environment and those wishing to visit pristine areas.

Take for example the case of the Galapagos Islands.  This set of islands is isolated from every other bit of land and is located off the coast of Ecuador.  The Galapagos Islands are most well-known for the wide variety of species (especially the large tortoises, the iguanas, and finches) and their role in Charles Darwin’s studies about the theory of evolution.

Since Darwin’s time, a small human settlement was established on the island but for the most part the Galapagos Islands have remained much the same through the centuries.  In fact, in the 1960s the islands had a total human population of about 1,000 people and were primarily associated with the Islands’ research station.  However, today more the 40,000 people live on the island and many of those are there to support the tourist industry.

The influx of people onto this once isolated chain of islands has had an astonishing effect on the local ecosystem. The surrounding waters have been subject to illegal overfishing, residents have introduced invasive species of both plants (garden plants) and animals (including pet cats that decimate the native bird population), and native habitat has been cleared for human settlement.

So, what has changed in the last 40 years?  The simple answer is the rise of ecotourism.  More than 150,000 tourists visit the Galapagos Islands each year and a variety of industries have developed to support them including taxi services, marinas, charter boats, cruise boats, hotels, and tour guides.  This has a rippling effect throughout the population as residential support industries and developed to support the tourist industry (schools, grocery stores, libraries, gas stations, etc.).

The Ecuadorian government has taken steps to try and limit the direct effect of ecotourism and the residents on the Galapagos Islands ecosystem.  Tourists must pay high fees to enter the preserve and only with certified guides and only to specific area of the islands.  People are not allowed to touch or feed the wildlife and are not allowed to leave the approved pathways.  There are also very few options to limit the indirect effects of tourists and residents on the local ecosystem.  Water pollution, air pollution, and solid waste all eventually end up as contaminants in the environment.

Tourism brings in a lot of money into the national economy and it is a constant challenge to balance the environment with the economy.

Ecotourism takes many different forms throughout the world. Image: Ecolombia Tours/flickr

Ecotourism has become a popular word, but do you know what ecotourism is and what it means?

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) define ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

TIES do this by educating both tourists and tourism professionals, positively influencing the tourism industry and other industries involved to apply the principles of ecotourism and lastly to create an international network that support and implement ecotourism and its principles.

Ecotourism is based on a set of principles. These principles include minimizing impact on the environment, provide the visited area with funds that benefit not only conservation, but empowerment for those who live there.

These principles go on to state that no negative interferences may be made to either the environment or those who reside there and lastly raise an understanding of the visited regions economical, political as well as social climate.

TIES was the first international, non-profit organization that was dedicated to using ecotourism as a way of conservation and it was launched by Megan Epler Wood at a conference in 1989 held in Florida.

Wood then recruited the very first board of directors in 1990, and David Western was appointed as the Chairman. The two of them then started to raise funds and in 1991 opened offices in North Bennington, Alexandria and Virginia.

In 2010 Ties became a member of the Global Sustainability Tourism Council (GSTC) and also helped to organize the first European Ecotourism Conference also known as Euro Eco.

Anyone can become a member of TIES, be it a student or regular traveler. As TIES says, “Change the way you travel and help change the world”.

If you look at it, ecotourism is simply a way we as travelers get to see the true beauty of nature while protecting these natural habitats and helping, be it financial or just raising awareness, to conserve it.

Global Warming is a reality and we are slowly starting to lose that what is important to the survival of our planet.

By supporting ecotourism and becoming a more aware traveller, you are helping to protect something that cannot be replaced and you are supporting the economy of countries that rely greatly on their natural beauties to survive.

Yes, there are many tourist attractions that are manmade, but those that are natural are more worth your while.

The Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The Botswana Wildlife Reserve that runs along the Chobe River. These are the places that need our protection and by seeing it, you will understand why. Ecotourism involves life – both that of nature and human beings.

Reference:

http://www.ecotourism.org