Our Glocal Village

Dipesh Dulal's views on global and local perspectives

Introduction

The largest and fastest growing industry, tourism can’t be without potential impacts. Social and natural scientists are raising the demand, to draw the attention of planners, for Ecotourism. This policy, or technique, whatever regarded is the one and only way to safeguard the socio-cultural and natural environments.

We must be clear that scientists argue that Alternative Tourism (AT) is comprised of Ecotourism (related to nature) and Socio-Cultural Tourism. AT is synonymous to sustainability. But here, we consider natural and socio-cultural aspects with the prefix eco-. Anyhow, we have to find way out from the nature of mass tourism (MT).

• minimize impact
• build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
• provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
• provide direct financial benefits for conservation
• provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
• raise sensitivity to host country’s political, environmental and social climate
• support international ‘human rights’ and ‘labor’ agreements.

Why way-out from Mass Tourism ?

Tourism, as an important stakeholder of country’s economic growth is emphasised as index of development. It is certain that the Mass Tourism, as is unsustainable, will eventually decline. Question may arise : How it could be unsustainable? Mass tourists are such who use maximum resources in unsustainable manner and cast large volume of pollution. Even they are more likely to disturb the socio-cultural uniqueness of visited area. As a traveller who PAYS in every steps, their attitude towards local and indigenous flora/fauna may be different, like picking the flowers they like, which eventually disturbs the balance of ecosystem.

Some suggest that MT has not been rejected outright for two main reasons. the first is economic, in that it provides a significant amount of foreign exchange for countries; the second is the fact that many people seem to enjoy being a mass tourist. They actually like not having to make their own travel arrangement, not having to find accommodation when they arrive at a destination, being able to obtain goods and services without learning a foreign language, being able to eat reasonably familiar food, and not having to spend vast amounts of money or time to achieve these goals.

A good case study (in paragraphs) with illustrations (statistical methods,
figures, charts, tables, time frames if needed) which adopted ET policy best
than MT.

Mass tourism indeed casts impact and creates ecological and sociological disturbance. It is inevitable that we have to find the way-out from MT.

Relevance with Sustainable Development

It is reported that the most developed 20 percent of the world’s population are thought to use some 80 percent of the global resources consumption with which to achieve development. If such measures are on continuous adoption, even in the developing world (esp. China and India) to have the entire world ‘developed’, we will face series of serious problems. Perhaps by some 2100’s Homo sapiens will look back at Western civilisation as the most barbaric time period in recorded history.

In the face of global warming, diminishing habitat and massive extinctions, what can it mean to be civilised? Doing the things that are against posted warnings : like scaling bird sps., picking flowers ?

Sustainable Development norms can be applied to tourism industry. Development that ‘meets the goals of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ is known to be sustainable development (WCED, 1987). Tourism is an engine for economic growth ; as well as its potential for growth, makes it more in need to be relevant to sustainable development. Sustainable tourism is an extension of the new emphasis on sustainable development.

BOX : Principles for sustainable tourism (Source : Tourism Concern, 1992)

It is tough to achieve, challenges are in more numbers. Even in Bhutan- with very severe control of visitors – 2000 per year, garbage production is not a small issue for her ‘Gross National Happiness’ – index of National Prosperity. But, the enthusiasm of numbers of planners and practitioners are rays of hope. If formulated and exercised more comprehensively, ecotourism will be the best example of sustainability.

Relevance with local development

Some people regard economic development with the ‘feature’ – ‘intensive use of non renewable / renewable resources’ :: the destruction of forests? As we study the case of tourism, it won’t be long lasting if appropriate economic planning is not intermingled with ecotourism. This will happen because of its direct connection with the natural and socio-cultural environment. The latter concept would be appreciated through practical c/b analyses.

The earnings from international tourism are expected to climb from the 1996 figure of US$ 423 billion to US$ 1.5 trillion in 2010. Thus tourism industry tends to be the worlds largest. Some researchers feel that ecotourism is expanding even faster than the tourism industry as a whole. But some others feel that it is more logical to view ecotourism’s growth in a site-specific manner than as a general overview.

As we analyse the local economic aspect of Ecotourism, we take account of two opposite themes : multiplier effect, leakage of money. An ecotourist, who spends his/her money can generate livelihoods and raise economic standard of the host community by various means. The pan id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">ecolodges and eco-guest houses can offer cultural shows, indigenous comfort of living, local food delicacies etc on site. Such regular programs can promote well-praised true ecotourism which ultimately creates a mass of beneficiaries like cultural artistes, cottage industries, local farming, local staff like housekeepers, chefs, administrative staff and even sometimes fundraisers. For certain duration and for specific (genuine) purpose of nature conservation, training etc. the tockets of ecolodges can include fundraising fees also.

Such licensed ecotourism offices/ authorities who conduct regular trips, treks etc. deal with another set of earning measures like trek fees, entrance fees (park revenues), sales earnings (some posters, T-Shirts etc.) and more.

The large set of beneficiaries can invest the money on the other economic activities, Thus, the well managed ecotourism programme can show the mature multiplier effect.

Running the ecotourism programme, we have always to ‘discourage the leakage of money’. The multinational products, paid TV stations, foreign goods like electronics, expensive wines and many more should be substituted by available local means.

How to implement?

The UN International Year of Ecotourism, 2002 was the foundation year to globalise the ‘understandings’ of ‘responsible travel’. In Quebec city, Canada, between 19 and 22 May 2002, World Ecotourism Summit was met. The Quebec Summit representated the culmination of 18 participatory meetings held in 2001 and 2002, involving over 3,000 representatives from national and local governments including the tourism, environment and other administrations, private ecotourism businessses and their trade associations, NGOs, academic institutions and consultants, intergovernmental organisations, and indigenous and local communities. A declaration was issues as ‘Quebec City Declaration on ecotourism’ which also gave a set of recommendations for the development of ecotourism activities in the context of sustainable development.

The declaration gave 41-pointed recommendations to :

1. Governments : The recommendation focuses to act as ‘guardian’ of all institutions, agencies, organisations and activities related to ‘ecotourism’.
2. Private Sector : The recommendation asks to participate actively in ecotourism activities due consideration of sustainability, natural resources reserves, democratic standard, local products consumption, indigenous leadership.
3. NGOs, Community Based Associations, academic and research institutions : The recommendation asks to provide technical, financial, educational, capacity building, and other support to ecotourism activities, participants and hosts. To monitor and conduct research on ‘ecotourism development and impact’. To transfer report and conclusions of research report to decision-making processes in ecotourism development and management.
4. Inter-governmental organisations, international financial institutions and development assistance agencies : The recommendation asks to implement the nationals provincial or local policy as a prime task. It asks to develop international standards and to share experiences. It asks to promote the internal human resource capacity and to lend financial facilities to suit the needs of micro-, small-, and medium sized ecotourism firms.
5. Local Communities and Municipal/Village Organisations : The recommendation suggests to develop strategy and to implement the programmes swiftly, to strengthen and encourage the traditional and cultural skills.

The articles is partly dependent upon external sources, authors please regard this attempt positively.