EARTH ISLAND PROJECT NEWS

Ethical Traveler: Where is Tourism Headed? As concerns about climate change

grow, worries that tourism is contribut­ing to environmental destruction have increased. Suddenly, global warming is changing what it means to be an

"ethical traveler." New questions are

reshaping the idea of socially conscious tourism. Should long-haul travel be avoided altogether? Or is there a way to travel without abetting these massive social and ecological problems?

Even ecotourism - the ethical

traveler's method of guilt-free travel

- can harm sensitive ecosystems by, among other things, stressing wildlife populations, introducing invasive spe­cies, causing soil erosion, deteriorat­

ing water quality, and exacerbating

coral reef destruction. The promised economic benefits to local communities

are sometimes fleeting; too often, there is leakage of income from the host country to foreign-run tour companies.

The hope for a cultural exchange com­ponent is often unfulfilled: Do many

Ecuadorians or Rwandans regularly

backpack through Europe or the US? Ecotourism, however well-in_tentioned, is no quick fix for the ethical traveler's conundrum of to go or not to go.

Still, few things have as much

potential for advancing global and cross-cultural understanding as does travel. Ecotourism promotes conserva­tion while generating economic revenue and foreign exchange for remote, impoverished areas. Tourism-generated

capital for community infrastructure

development often helps improve local social and educational services. "Many

developing countries are economically dependent on tourism," says Brian Mullis of Sustainable Travel Interna­

tional. "It is likely that environmental

degradation and pollution caused by

extractive industries would ensue if visitation to these countries ceased altogether."

Aside from purely recreational tour­ism, socially responsible travel often promotes the dissemination of interna­

tional aid, medicine, pr~gressive values,

human rights, and even scientific discovery; imagine if Darwin had never gone to the Galapagos. There is no current substitution for these vital, sub­

stantial returns. The question becomes,

then, is it ethical not to travel? Travelers are in a unique position

to play a key role in alleviating poverty, protecting ecosystems, and contributing to a better world if they are up to the challenge. Companies large and small

are responding to consumer demand for responsible apd sustainable travel

options by generating a cornucopia of green and philanthropic travel alterna­tives that give back to host communi­

ties. This type of tourism is predicted

to grow to five percent by 2024, with some travelers going only to places that protect or benefit the environment and local peoples.

Of course, even this kind of green tourism won't eliminate the pressure on natural resources, or aviation's con­

tribution to climate change. "Perh~ps new eco-trends will favor wind and solar-fueled vessels and revive ocean travel," says Dominique Callimanopu­los of Elevate Destinations. "Unless the airlines become more regulated, I don't

think travelers are going to stop their

long-distance travel." Hopefully, in the future, the tax

breaks given to the airlines will be redirected, making railway travel and

international ship travel cheaper and

more accessible, thereby reducing demand for domestic and international

r TAKE ACTION Ethical Traveler works to

make travel a positive force in

the world . Visit www.ethical -

traveler.org for detailed travel

resources. If you must travel

long distance, extend your stay,

spend money locally, offset

your emissions, use the least

polluting form of transport, and,

as the saying goes, "Take only

memories, leave only foot-

prints."

l

flights. Until then, ecotourism and carbon-offsetting projects are accept­able interim solutions.

Exploration has always been a uniquely human instinct, and travel will continue to be part of our lifestyles for the foreseeable future. However, travel should never endanger the very places or ideals ethical travelers cherish. Now

that it has begun to, we have to re­evaluate how much, where, and why we

travel, and adjust appropriately. • - LILI DEBARBIERI

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EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL • SUMMER 2008 23