Putting the `ECO' in Tourism - ecotourism-related services and package tours offered by travel industry and environmental organizations

E: The Environmental Magazine, Jan, 2001 by John Ivanko

OUTFITTER/AGENT:

Conservation International and Community Partners

In the rainforests of Guatemala, slash-and-burn agriculture and other deforestation pressures continue to close in on the four-million-acre Maya Biosphere Reserve, which contains the popular Mayan temple complex of Tikal and the El Peru and Tikal National Parks. Conservation International (CI), along with USAID/Guatemala, the Guatemalan government, the National Council for Protected Areas and local conservation organizations, has set out to redirect development there in a more life-preserving direction.

The Mayan Trails, or Caminos Mayas, provides ecotravelers with the opportunity to explore both the cultural and natural heritage found beneath the forest canopy of Guatemala's Peten region. Three distinct trail systems await the ecotraveler: The Scarlet Macaw, El Mirador, and Zotz-Tikal. Hosted by communities along the path and guided by local experts, each offers a spectacular glimpse of flora and fauna--tropical birds such as Mot Mots, Macaws, Toucans and Trogons, and spider and howler monkeys--and the ancient Mayan ruins. Accommodations are at rustic campsites where guests rest in hammocks with protective mosquito nets, falling asleep to the late-night symphony of nocturnal rainforest life.

"The services, including meals, lodging, guides and horses or boats, are offered by the communities themselves," says Juan Carlos Bonilla, former coordinator for CI's Ecotourism Enterprise Development and Marketing Program. "Conservation International is trying to build community-based, conservation-savvy entrepreneurship, not that big of a stretch." CONTACT: Conservation International, 1919 M Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20037, (800)429-5660, x264, www.ecotour.org.

OUTFITTER/AGENT:

Wilderness Travel

Scotland is a hill walker's paradise. A journey there features rugged mountains, heather-covered moors, sparkling lochs, swift-flowing streams and cragged coastlines. The country's wilderness--from alpine flowers to colonies of Max shearwaters, guillemots, razor bills and Arctic terns--complements its ages-old castles and ancient Standing Stones.

Ecotravelers on the Wilderness Travel trip make their way through the highlands to the poignant Isle of Sky, rich in tradition and a spectacular landscape created by ancient volcanic activity. At a local pub, the Gaelic language still hangs heavy during discussion of the latest rugby match. After a spirited day of hiking, you'll find yourself warmly invited into this proud culture--perhaps for a "wee dram." A quaint country inn will welcome you to stop and rest for the night.

"Many of [our clients] see tourism as contributing to a more sustainable economy," says Barbara Banks, director of marketing and new trip development for Wilderness Travel. Rather than engage in destructive activities that may "benefit a region in the short term," she says, "the host communities can safeguard their land and bring money into the economy for years to come." CONTACT: Wilderness Travel, 1102 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1211, (800)368-2794, www.wildernesstravel.com.