What is ecotourism

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A. Ecotourism is way of seeing the world without destroying it� visiting destinations and ensuring that natural and cultural wonders remain intact and preserved and at the same time supporting the local economy.

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Q. It all sounds very Utopian, is that possible

A. Many natural tourist attractions have been ruined just by the total amount of visitors allowed to visit them every year - over time they become damaged and worn - without any real intent to do so. Ecotourism is aiming to prevent that happening in many areas of the world - and lots of eco-tour operators have set up business in the last ten years to help the process along. The concept behind it all is that tourists should make responsible and informed travel decisions about where they go, looking at the world from a different vantage point than they are used to, and in this way fragile environments, economies and disappearing cultures can be sustained before they are lost forever.

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Q. How would I find out more about ecotourism

A. The International Ecotourism Society , known as TIES, is the best place to start. They are US-based, but an international non-profit organisation working in 70+ countries around the world. Formed in 1990, TIES brings together worldwide expertise from the travel industry, international and local conservation organizations, and analysts from many fields, including biology, park management, community development and environmental education. Over the past ten years, this diverse international network has worked to create low-impact travel experiences around the globe.

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Q. What kind of destinations does it promote

A. Its organised trips, through its 1700 member companies, include conservation trips to the Peruvian mountains, country walks in Costa Rica, marine expeditions in Belize, wilderness tours of Alaska and adventure cruises around the world.

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Q. But what if I just want to laze around on the beach while I am on holiday and have a rest

A. Then an eco-tour is probably not for you - they work on the premise that a couple of days at the beach is good to recharge your batteries, but when you become restless you should go out and learn something about your new environment e.g. bird watching, local crafts, historical landmarks etc., not bury your head in a book and order another cocktail.

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Q. It all sounds very middle class and do-gooder to me is there a more serious reason why I should change the type of holiday I have become used to over the years

A. There is a preachy element to ecotourism in that it advocates trying something new and not just sticking to the familiar while you are on holiday and getting down and throwing pots with the locals is not everybody's cup of tea.

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But the serious message is that while tourism does create money for a local economy through hotels, restaurants, souvenirs etc. it also ruins it at the same time - fragile natural resources like beaches and coral reefs can be and are continually destroyed by too many tourists and/or irresponsible development. Visitors can devastate animal habitats, and indigenous cultures can be altered forever by foreign corporations moving in to make big bucks. Ecotourism advocates responsible travel that has minimum negative impact on the environment and indigenous cultures.

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Q. What actual harm can tourism at beaches do

A. Nothing obvious in the short term�- but if you want some real examples overbuilt beach resorts in Hawaii and Cancun, with large beachfront hotels, have contributed to beach erosion, flooding and the disappearance of natural wetlands, generating mountains of rubbish without adequate means of disposal. Inadequate sewage treatment along coastlines causes the pollution of waterways, lagoons and the ocean, making local waters unsafe for swimming or fishing. Damage to coral reefs through mass snorkelling, not to mention mining for coral, depletes fisheries that sustain local people.

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Q. So what would I do if I wanted to become an eco-tourist

A. Try to avoid overcrowded destinations, stay in locally owned hotels, eat in local restaurants and shop in the markets, if you are haggling over souvenirs offer a fair price, etc. Go local basically. The TIES website - www.ecotourism.org - will help you do all of this - it offers advice on choosing a destination, a tour operator and publishes lots of fact sheets on how to sustain the local environment.

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Q. Can you recommend any good websites that offer eco-tours

A. Yes there are lots of good sites online that can give you more of an idea of the destinations you can visit, some of the best include the following:

Planeta.com: Eco travels around the Globe - www.planeta.com �

Big Volcano, Australia - www.bigvolcano.com.au/ercentre/ercpage.htm

Estonia Ecotourism - www.ecotourism.ee

Ecotourism on Florida's Space Coast - www.nbbd.com/ecotourism

Ecotourism in the Austrian mountains - www.ecotourism-mountains.at

Panama Ecotourism - www.pa/turismo/ecoturismo/park.html

Cuba-ecotourism - www.cuba-ecotourism.com

Exploring Ecotourism Latin America - www.txinfinet.com/mader/ecotravel/etour.html

Ecotourism in the Bahamas - www.bahamasvacationguide.com/ecofree.html

Belize Ecotourism - www.belizetravel.net/belize_ecotourism.htm

Ecotourism links - this site offers over 200 links to ecotourism companies - http://mypage.ihost.com/biodiv/Ecotourism_Links273.html

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By Karen Anderson