Eclectic Northeast – July 2019

34 │ │ July 2019

Ecologically-centred tourism must

have three core commitments:

a commitment to sustainability

and environmental protection,

the inclusion and participation

of local communities at a

decision making level and active

engagement for biodiversity

and ecological education.

Standardized certifications which

facilitate conservation efforts and

encourage sustainability will go a

long way towards shaping tourism

in the region. In places like the

Galapagos Islands, environmental

agencies such as the IGTOA have

been proactive in creating certified

lists of tourist operators who meet a

rigorous set of standards to ensure

their activities do not disrupt or

strain the local habitats in any

way. Bhutan carefully regulates

entry into the country, through

daily tariffs, travel restrictions

and constraints on tour operators

in the region. This has mitigated

the strain on travel infrastructure,

as well as negative impact on

the environment by limiting the

damage that can be caused by an

exploding tourist population.

Proactive government

intervention, as in Bhutan,

can ensure tour operators are

complying with a set of standards

that are environmentally friendly

and sustainable. Indigenous

communities must be given decision

making power in these initiatives

where applicable, and where their

land is used to create homestays or

resorts, it is crucial they retain land

ownership and that the economic

value generated is channelled back

into local economies. Perhaps most

importantly of all, it is crucial for

these initiatives to understand the

importance of observing wildlife

through non-disruptive means

• whether this means regulating
  entries into national parks or using
  non-intrusive observation methods
  such as canoes over cruise ships.
  Mindful natural tourism may
  not be able to save the world,
  but it can change minds, uplift
  communities and protect at-risk
  species – but only if we get it right.

The author is the President and

Founder of the Balipara Foundation

Research support by Joanna Dawson

Ecotourism currently funds conservation

efforts for more than 200 species globally

and 84% of all funding for national park

agencies globally. In the case of species such

as the Eastern Himalayas’ hoolock gibbon,

growing ecotourism has led to improvement

in species levels