Post-colonial ecotourism and conscious travel
How to voyage well in the 21st century
Whats ecotourism? Read on! This article critically analyzes what it means to be a conscious modern traveler. We've worked hard to cultivate a special blend of ecological tourism that is associated with social justice, economic wellness, applied anthropology, circular economy, and high-impact biodiversity and cultural preservation.
Indigenos art, Waonaan, Darien Gap, Panama
“Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers,free to think and talk and act for myself, and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.”
We all want to travel to new and exotic locations, it’s part of the human condition to be curious about the next horizon. So how do we do that consciously and well on a changing planet?
What is eco tourism?
Most people are unaware of the impact of tourism on the environment.
In a 2015 analysis, researchers found up to three orders of magnitude difference in water and land use from tourism as compared to local use. However, this overconsumption was more associated with luxury tourism, five-star accommodation, or tourism based on energy-intense transport modes (cruise ships, aviation) or long-distance travel.
If we want to define ecotourism simply, it’s travel without high environmental (or in our case social) impacts. In other words, travel where the impact of the travel is ecological conservation, and where eco tourism benefits outweigh social and environmental costs, or even leave a positive environmental balance!
Research on happiness has shown that long-term happiness is associated with buying experiences, instead of buying possessions. One of the chief advantages of ecotourism is that it is trade in just that, experiences or deep and satisfying flow.
How does ecotourism help the environment?
Sustainability ecotourism is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, as more and more citizens become interested in holistic lifestyles, circular economy, and learning from Indigenous ecological knowledge.
But just because you're interested, doesn't mean you're educated.
In fact, we would argue that the purpose of our ecotourism program is educational. Chief ecotourism advantages are kinesthetic and experiential learning about post-colonial economics and sustainable lifestyles.
We still hear a lot from visitors looking for luxury treetop lodges and champagne stays in the Amazon. (Always good for a belly laugh 😂.) But the truth is responsible tourism, natural tourism, begins with the education of travelers about their own lifestyles, and preparation to learn a new lifestyle from people who live in ecotourism destinations.
As we tell people inbound to our sites, this is not your vacation home. This is the chance of a lifetime to learn what real Nature feels like, how much better you feel when it's cuing your biological rhythms, and how you actually have to live to maintain that experience. Once you really understand the impact of tourism on environment, you simply won't travel any other way.
The meaning of ecotourism is a true cultural exchange to support and learn from communities that have maintained biodiverse sites, animal populations, and conserved ecosystems because their lifestyle is low-impact.
Ecotourism pros and cons
“On the one hand, the local communities are counting the benefits of the tourism boom in terms of running water and sanitation, school supplies for children, construction and maintenance of the malokas for Tikuna tradition, and for sharing with tourists. On the other hand the population boom, coupled with ballooning numbers of visitors, have increased pressure on the area’s ecosystems. Crafts, foods, shelters, mean cutting down more trees and increased hunting and fishing. Barona’s experience makes a clear case for monitoring the impact of tourism on the local environment, and on the local cultures”. ”
At first glance the benefits of ecotourism are obvious. Who wouldn't want to visit a natural paradise and hang out with another culture?
Local sites are just as excited about the prospect of international visitors with ready cash and deep pockets. Pretty much any deep-jungle Indigenous site we work with is delighted at the idea of having ecotourism visitors.
But the environmental impact of tourism can sometimes be very different than the dream. The effects of overtourism can be hard to anticipate in advance for a community that is inexperienced in hosting visitors. And tourism environmental impact is often only understood after it's too late. Lastly, real eco touring is a very different physical comfort level for someone from the industrialized world unaccustomed to a simpler life, and simpler needs.
Safety is also an issue. It isn't only about the community, or deep jungle settings which are often host to a variety of natural dangers and illegal activities. Visitors need to be coached carefully and actively on avoiding childlike and dangerous mistakes (ie picking up a poisonous snake) that an adult in the host site might not think for a minute to warn them against.
So said from claims of ecotourism benefits, here are some well-researched pros and cons of eco tourism. Because all good solutions start with conscious design.
Pros. Eco tourism experiences like birdwatching, photography, jungle hiking, and camping can be a very low-impact way to bring sustainable revenue for Nature to combat extractive regional businesses like mining, petroleum, logging, and narcotrafficking.
Cons. Overtourism can inflate the cost of living, reduce local access to important infrastructure and transport, and lead to a lack of community privacy.
Pros. Ecotourism can bring attention to important conservation topics that are more difficult to engage with without firsthand experience. Many industrialized word advocates first found their passion for Indigenous cultures, biodiversity, or Nature through a guided ecotourism experience.
Cons. "Ethno-tourism" or the marketing of Indigenous cultural experiences can dilute culture and become exploitative. The "sacred is not for sale" and commercial transactions around rites and ceremonies can dilute rare cultures and languages instead of strengthening them.
Understanding ecotourism cons is a potent tool to better designed projects, and better outcomes. Ecotourism meaning lies in the meaning we give it, not a word — but a real experience.
Ecotourism examples
So what's ecotourism? Let's take a look at some of the history of ecotourism before we get into the basic definitions and principle of eco tourism. Because the reality of a healthy ecotourism trip requires strong boundaries on both sides.
Ecotourism in the United States is very different from ecotourism abroad. Some historical facts about ecotourism make it obvious what principles to follow, and which to avoid.
The Hawaiian Islands are a paradise, but contact with European traders in the 1800s was not beneficial to the Indigenous population who were severely impacted by sexually transmitted diseases and the introduction of invasive species. The effects of this continue to present-day economic colonialism through gentrification, blockbusting, and price hikes.
The Galapagos Islands by contrast, has preserved its biodiversity by enforcing strict stay lengths and an eco-tourism tax. They have instituted price hikes to reduce overtourism and have clear, strict rules enforced by authorized tour providers. Foreigners are prohibited from buying property except through marriage (you'll see this theme repeated often in post-colonialism).
Costa Rica was the poster-child for ecotourism in the 1990's. Turning around the top deforestation rate . However, government policies that favored larger, or foreign-owned ecotourism businesses produced economic colonialism associated with ecotourism.
Thailand by contrast, has some of the highest levels of tourism in the world but strict policies about land purchases and residency stays which has enabled a sustainable economy for ecotourism there. However
Ecotourism facts, and case studies from real projects, and natural experiments around the world go a long way to guide sites in setting up sustainable ecotourism that goes the distance, instead of providing a quick buck a the long-term expense of a vulnerable community or ecosystem.
Indigenous ecotourism best practices and principles
“Sámi traditions are frequently portrayed through various media, today we sadly see very few successful Sámi tourism companies. This means that the images of the Sámi people are being put on display in the worldwide market, but the revenue from tourism ends up in other people’s pockets. ”
We follow social sustainability and anthropological guidelines for our ecotourism programs. Ecotourism activities are negotiated with the community in advance to be low-impact and positive. Here are some sustainable tourism examples.
In 2009, World Bank experts analyzed different Indigenous-led ecotourism case studies and concluded that certain types of ecotourism can benefit Indigenous communities if the following rules are respected:. .
Example of ecotourism:
Small projects with the community in control,
Recruitment of "responsible tourists" with an emphasis on participating in community activities,
Ecotourism activities marketed in direct relationship to nature tourism, including conservation efforts and sustainable biodiversity,
Tourism as one element of a blended income strategy for both individuals and the community,
Tourism that contributes to the revitalization of Indigenous culture;
Regional management and control of tourism by Indigenous organizations,
Inclusion of Indigenous demands of territory, identity and autonomy in all projects
We usually recommend that Indigenous communities set designated places for ecotourism outside of communal living spaces to preserve privacy. Eco tourism activities do not necessarily have to include cultural exchanges (ceremonial foods, dance, or elders) and can instead focus on shared activities in Nature or community work days. And in many cases, we recommend they don't as cultural preservation often means privacy, and attention to the sacred within a community. The "exotic other" might be a powerful tourism draw, but the end effect is one of pageantry, instead of meaningful exchange.
Smallfarmer eco-tourism examples
For smallfarmer sites, we've found that standardizing accommodations is key for reducing environmental impact and simplifying local economics in implementation. While Indigenous communities can draw on the value of a collective to provide guiding, food, and communal activities, smallfarmers often have small family groups, and have to take the time away from a busy farm.
As an example, over 2000 mountaineering huts were built for European alpine hikers and climbers in Germany, Austria and South Tyrol. The huts provide a simple, easy, and low-impact network for travelers. We've modeled this for our smallfarming communities, encouraging travelers to follow a route between several farms with a 1-2 day stay between each. This keeps travelers entertained with a wider variety of experiences, reduces the logistical load on a smallfarming host, and distributes resources more fairly around the community.
Sustainable ecotourism can be a strong value to a community. The importance of ecotourism is in its social impact.
Ecotourists can create bridging social capital, without eroding bonding social capital and reinforce meaningful relationships with Nature in their enthusiasm and wonder for natural capital locals often take for granted.
But ecotourists can also set local value with their interests. Cultural interactions are never one-sided.
As we tell all visitors to our sites, what you ask for, shapes what is provided. If ecotourists are interested in birds, smallfarmers don't shoot harpy eagles that eat their chickens. Think if the things you ask for add long-term trees to the region (“I’d love to go for a hike and see the jungle”, “can I sit by the river and read?”) or remove trees (“Do you have beef for this stew?”, “Why doesn’t my room have the laundry done every day”).
It is better to go with the flow and see what people offer as far as extras, and have very minimal needs. Some stuff is incredibly hard to provide (like satellite internet, and mosquito screens on the dining hall) and so it should always be taken as a luxury, not a necessity.
Why is ecotourism important
So what is ecotourism? It's not just a marketing phrase. For us, eco-tourism meaning the fair purchase of an experience that truly changes your relationship to Nature.
We believe the benefits of eco tourism outweigh the costs when programs are properly designed, communities are properly informed, and travelers are properly coached about what they can expect to gain from the experience. Below we've provided a list of our ecotourism attractions. These might not sound like a lot of fun on paper (unless you've already tried them), but we guarantee they will put you in a state of flow, and give you a rich physical, emotional, and sensory experience of true communion with Nature, and by extension with other cultures that also commune with Nature.
