ASTA Network Magazine: The Future of Travel?

Phang-Nga Bay, the idyllic, 400-kilometer body of water off the Andaman sea in southern Thailand is one of the great natural wonders of Southeast Asia. It offers warm, emerald green waters, plenty of equatorial sun, and an occasional fisherman casting a net from a longtail boat. Declared a national park in 1981, the area became famous after the James Bond adventure, “The Man with the Golden Gun”, was partly filmed there and has since become a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

Visitors are attracted to the natural beauty and the slow, authentic pace of life around Phang-Nga Bay. Visitors are equally fascinated by the area’s bizarre landscape of more than 120 surreal limestone islands resembling jagged, Neolithic skyscrapers that rise haphazardly like nails pounded into the ocean floor millions of years ago.

The islands are home to mysterious sea caves — lagoons within the islands formed when the roofs collapsed millennia ago. Known as hongs (or “rooms,” in Thai) the caves are microcosms rich in unspoiled flora and fauna. On quiet mornings, gibbons can be heard calling from within the towering walls filled with coral reefs, mangrove trees, and exotic wildlife such as the crab-eating macaques and the land walking fish.

The caves were practically unknown until a few years ago. But when long-time environmentalist and eco-tour entrepreneur John Gray “discovered” them while on a sea kayak trip in the Gulf of Phuket, he saw the potential to introduce the caves to the world.

Gray launched Sea Canoe in 1989, an eco-tour company that would educational, environmentally sensitive kayak tours into the sea caves. He longed to create a profitable, environmentally responsible tour company that could become a model for sustainable tourism in Thailand and throughout Asia.

Gray knew he had to balance business with environmental sensitivity. Sea Canoe leads only small groups of a dozen or so people into the caves. Visitors are instructed not to smoke, talk above a whisper or disturb the natural surroundings. And he insisted on local enfranchisement, staffing the company with the offspring of local fisherman and farmers. He paid employees top wages, provided rigorous training and offered an ownership stake in the company.

Gray’s intention to “plant a seed of environmentalism in Asia” worked. Sea Canoe picked up five international awards and received accolades from the Tourist Authority of Thailand. But he did not expect that his success would spawn 19 competitors, most showing little respect for the caves. As many as 1,000 kayakers now enter the hongs each day, most showing little respect for the caves. They drink and leap in mangrove trees, scatter garbage, disturb wildlife, and snap off stalactites as souvenirs.

Gray is not troubled by competition but that his competitors ignore the environmental principles in order to make a quick profit. Owned largely by absentee profiteers, his competitors overcrowd the caves and utilize guides with little kayaking experience. As a final insult, many work “Sea Canoe” into their names and pay kickbacks to local travel representatives when they route customers away from his company.

“Copy-cats are a major problem in Asia,” says Gray. “Anybody can hire a paddle guide off the streets for US$2/day and take tourists into a tidal sea cave. But eventually, somebody’s going to die in a tidal cave logjam and the company will invariably sound like Sea Canoe.”

Green… or Greenwashed?

Travel is big business. But the problem is that only some of it is sustainable. Within any booming industry, the smell of money invites unscrupulous business practices that wreck local cultures and environments. Therefore, it is necessary for agents to undertake research to discover which eco-tour are truly committed to the ideals of sustainable tourism.

With tourism ranking as one of the world’s top five industries, travel has become such a huge industry that it’s threatening to destroy the places we love. Rising incomes and improved travel technology, along with a rapidly growing population means that more people are traveling. The damage the sheer numbers of travelers are imposing is literally changing the face of the earth.

In “The Tourism Wars,” a recent article in National Geographic Traveler, a strong case was made for reigning in unchecked tourism. “Every travel magazine wants you to go to Venice; the fact is Venice may be off limits within 20 years,” says Keith Bellows, editor in chief. “It’s a very fragile city. That reveals the truth that there are a finite number of fabulous things to see in this world. It is the travel industry’s job to tell travelers how to visit these places responsibly. ”

At it’s best, tourism can leave the social and natural environments intact and benefit the economic well being of local residents. At its worst, tourism becomes an environmental, social and economic disaster for host countries bringing with it a handful of negative impacts:

Deterioration of tourist destinations and environment
Encroachment on public land
Improper development of infrastructure and facilities in the environmental fragile areas
Commercial sex
Manipulation of culture
Conflicts between local and tourism operators
Trampling of vegetation by tourist in the national parks, compacted soil and erosion and habitat loss due to pollution

Eco-tourism would appear to be a solution to the problem. But because there is no consistent definition of eco-tourism, the terms are often cooped as little more than a marketing catchphrase. “The problem with eco-tourism is that we don’t have a clear definition that’s accepted,” says Zcongklod Bangyikhan, a researcher with the Center for Ecological Economics at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “Do we consider these activities — a day trip to a waterfall, going to the beach, camping at a national park or visiting a local old temple — as eco-tourism?”

This “big tent” definition of eco-tourism also invites irresponsible operators out for profit. A company that drives off-highway vehicles in wilderness areas or strews non-biodegradable trash is obviously not following good business practices.

But the larger problem–not usually evident–is that irresponsible companies not only damage locales but also pass themselves off as responsible operators, duping travelers into substandard, and sometimes dangerous, tour experiences that degrade local cultures and environments for generations to come.

“Travel agents need to understand that what they are really dealing with is the future of travel,” says Bellows. “They should be thinking 20-30 years into the future about how travel is impacting the world we live in. My prediction is that in 25 years if we don’t start dealing with these things now, there will be a crisis.”

Due Diligence: Evaluating Responsible Tour Companies

It is imperative that agents evaluate tour companies for their ecological principles and practices. “Agents need to send customers with operators committed to the least amount of negative impact on host populations and the environment while maximizing the amount of money that goes directly to local communities,” says Helen Nodland, president of Nodland Travel Enterprises, an environmentally responsible travel education company.

A good place to start is The International Eco-tourism Society (TIES), a non-profit group dedicated to the advancement of sustainable tourism. TIES defines eco-tourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.” The group provides guidelines and materials for responsible tourism as well as a list of recommended companies.

TIES suggests that agents carefully review tour operators’ information, which should accurately describe the vacation offered and indicate the responsible behavior adopted by both tour operator and traveler. From here, agents should be prepared to directly research each company they work with. Contact the operator and ask relevant questions (examples provided below) and research eco-tourism topics to extend your understanding.

Educate Your Clients

Although travel agents should be gatekeepers to the world of legitimate eco-tourism, the ultimate responsibility lies with travelers themselves. The importance of travelers who practice responsible tourism cannot be underestimated as they have an enormous effect on the travel industry through the choices they make.

It is vital that agents educate clients about destinations prior to departure. “Our Western world is a very imposing neighbor, especially to developing countries,” says Nodland, who encourages travelers to learn about the history, culture, language and natural environment of intended destinations. “Whether through the sheer numbers of people that flood particular destinations, or in their demands for comfort and convenience, Western travelers need appreciate the impact they have on the world.”

Pre-departure research improves cultural interaction and leads to an appreciation of local ecosystems. Informed travelers are also more likely to socialize with locals and knowledge of local ecosystems means travelers are more alert to different animals and plants as well as social or economic issues particular to countries.

Agents should also encourage cultural sensitivity. It is important that travelers remember they are guests in the host destination. The manner in which they conduct themselves on vacation determines the impact they make on a chosen destination area. Travelers should be sensitive to local customs concerning culture, religion, photography and tipping. Behavior needs to be altered for each different location visited.

Travelers should spread the wealth. Encourage travelers to question who will benefit from their choices. Direct them to locally owned hotels, restaurants and attractions whenever possible. Travelers should try, wherever possible, to consume local foods and use public or locally owned transport to maximize the amount of financial benefit to the host destination. When buying souvenirs, travelers should consider whether goods are locally made and not purchase goods produced from endangered plants or species.

Encourage feedback. After the trip, follow up with clients for feedback on the quality of the trip and vendors they worked with. This is the most valuable tool to monitor the quality and commitment of far away vendors. Encourage clients to report any misconduct on the part of tour operators to relevant government authorities and non-profit organizations.

You get what you pay for. The cheapest operators are not necessarily the best. Sometimes, cheap tour operators have cut a lot of corners, such as underpaying staff and skimping on quality equipment and training. “We’re not the cheapest,” says Gray. “But that’s because we refuse to cut corners on the quality of our trips, our equipment, or the way we compensate our employees.”

Evaluating Responsible Tour Companies

– Does the eco tour operator employ trained naturalists who can translate complex scientific information into simple, everyday, understandable language?

– Does the eco-tour operator show a commitment to local conservation, such as encouraging the development of local conservation efforts?

– Do eco tour operations directly benefit local inhabitants by employing local workers, using local produce and utilizing locally owned eco-lodges? Do vendors support local eco-tourism practices likely to conserve natural attractions because of the direct gains of doing so?

– Does the eco tour operator have a waste management policy that includes advocating the use of recycled products and biodegradable materials? Do they advise visitors to minimize disposable products carried on trips?

– Does the company educate travelers about ways to minimize their individual impacts, choosing locally owned and/or sustainably managed lodges, avoiding the invasion of a community’s privacy, and adopting a localized policy concerning the viewing of wildlife, including recommended methods of behavior and encroachment distances?

– Does the eco tour operator monitor levels of visitation to fragile environments? Do they work with local authorities and competitors to coordinate practices so that these levels are not reached?

– What training opportunities does the operator provide? Are staff members given access to programs that upgrade their communication skills that enable them to manage clients effectively in sensitive natural and cultural destinations?

Websites:

International Eco-tourism Society — http://www.ecotourism.org. Various fact sheets, information packages and publications are available.

World Tourism Organization: http://www.world-tourism.org/

Alliance for Sustainable Tourism: http://www.wttc.org/sus_tourism.htm