Eclectic Northeast – July 2019

July 2019 │ │ 33

greenwashing. National parks
regulate indigenous communities’
access to natural resources, while
creating exceptions for rich big
game hunters. In ecologically
fragile biodiversity hotspots such
as the Antarctic and the Galapagos
Islands, tourist initiatives
rebranding as ‘ecotourism’
cause damaging pressure to the
ecosystems by polluting these
ecosystems, distressing wildlife
and disrupting ecosystems
through habituation to human
contact. Safaris in the African
Serengeti have been found to
exact a toll on the mental health of
elephants, creating stressors that
have led to serious behavioural
changes among these creatures.
The human rights and
livelihoods cost of reputational
greenwashing ecotourism is no

less. The history of national parks

and protected areas is littered with

stories of forced displacement

and violence. As recently as

October 2018, tens of thousands

of the Maasai were displaced

after their ancestral homes

were burnt down by a luxury

ecotourism firm and government

agency working together in

the name of conservation and

ecotourism. Even in the absence of

displacement, communities often

face disenfranchisement within

their traditional lands. In many

cases their land ownership rights

are weakened, as are their access

rights to traditional modes of

livelihood. Employment in these

businesses frequently leads to a

decline in communities’ standard

of living, as well as increased

dependency and decreased self-

sufficiency. Many initiatives

are foreign-owned, siphoning

value generated out of the local

economies, creating little to no

benefits for the local communities.

Mindful Natural Tourism

The rich biodiversity and the

cultural diversity of the Eastern

Himalayas makes it a prime

destination for tourists keen on off-

beat experiences immersed in the

natural world. Tourism is one of

the fastest growing sectors in the

region and is projected to grow at

18% in the coming year. However,

it is also deeply vulnerable to

both economic exploitation of

communities and degradation

of its natural landscape, in the

absence of systematic efforts and

regulation to create non-disruptive

ecological tourism.