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Sustainable Travel Report
The Responsible Tourism e-Newsletter
A Message from STI President
STI was founded on the belief that by partnering with like-minded organizations to "green" the global travel and tourism industry, we can strengthen both our individual and collective initiatives.
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with any travel-related organizations interested in trading memberships, becoming partners, or simply taking advantage of cooperative marketing synergies. If you're interested, I invite you to contact us.
Speaking of invitations, a couple months ago we invited our readers to explore a number of the leading eco- and sustainable tourism development organizations and resources. The list was by no means comprehensive, so I'd like to add a few more:
I hope you all enjoy this month's Sustainable Travel Report e-Newsletter. As always, we welcome our reader's submissions for future editions.
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Adventure Travelers Say There's Value in Supplier Integrity
Almost 75% of adventure travelers polled said that responsible travel practices play a key role when choosing a travel provider for their vacation, according to a recent Opinion Research national survey.
The survey was sponsored by the Adventure Collection, a group of 11 adventure travel companies that includes Backroads, Buddy Bombard's Europe, Bushtracks Expeditions, Canadian Mountain Holidays, Geographic Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions, Micato Safaris, Natural Habitat Adventures, National Outdoor Leadership Schools, Outdoor Adventure River Specialists) and Off the Beaten Path.
The study found that active travelers are willing to spend an average of 10% more on excursions if they are confident that the travel provider is responsible and respects the ecology and diversity of the planet.
Of travelers who are willing to pay more for responsible travel practices, travelers under age 35 led the pack. Those 18 to 24 said they would pay up to 13% more, closely followed by the 25-to-34 group, who would pony up an additional 12%.
Bill Bryan, chairman of Off the Beaten Path, said that the results confirm that "this is a new way for travel providers to look at adventure travel. More and more travelers are as interested in the cultural and environmental issues as they are in the physical attributes of the location," he said.
Bryan also said that Adventure Collection members "have always believed that the true adventure experience combines both the mind and body -- which can only happen when travel providers practice and uphold responsible travel standards."
Please note that this research was funded by Adventure Collection. This data cannot be reprinted without the expressed written permission of Adventure Collection.
About the Adventure Collection. The Adventure Collection is made up of 11 of the most successful companies in the tourism industry. They are non-competitive companies that offer specialty and active travel.
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The World's Best Ethical Travel Destinations
During the past 20 years, the phrases "ecotravel" and "ethical travel" have entered the globetrotter's lexicon. The first term has been so co-opted and abused that it's practically stripped of meaning; even huge luxury hotels and cruise ships tout money-saving tactics like "gray water" reuse and energy-saving laundry practices as evidence of their commitment to ecotourism.
Ethical travel is a more recent concept, and a much more demanding one. It fulfills both individual and collective ideals: a traveler experiences environmental beauty and cultural immersion while actually contributing to the ecological preservation and social development of their host country. This brand of travel combines ecotourism with broader environmental and social issues. It can even be used as an economic carrot, to support and reward countries pursuing high standards in these areas. It's also more demanding of service providers; hotels and carriers can't simply tweak a few ecopolicies, and award themselves gold stars. For a country to be considered a good ethical travel candidate, the government must demonstrate a strong commitment not just to the environment, but to the well-being of its population as well.
Ethical Traveler recently conducted a study to learn where Americans tend to travel in the developing world, and how this compares with the most environmentally and socially progressive places to actually spend our tourism dollars. The results were surprising - and instructive.
Ethical Traveler's goal was to formulate a list of the "Best Ethical Travel Destinations," specifically geared to outbound American leisure travelers. The idea was not just to come up with a list of countries, but to chose places that Americans would actually want to visit.
Here, alphabetically, are the most popular developing-country destinations for American tourists:
Most Popular Developing World Destinations
Bahamas
Brazil
China
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
India
Jamaica
Mexico
Philippines
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
After compiling this data from the US Department of Commerce, Ethical Traveler took a look at the rest of the developing world, including two continents not on the list: Africa and Europe (Europe, the most popular destination for American travelers, is not considered "developing," but several of the new Eastern European nations do fit that description).
To determine "ethicalness," they investigated three categories: ecotourism practices, environmental standards, and social development indicators. Their research was conducted at Stanford University, using information from a variety of national and international sources.
Ecotourism
 Over the past 20 years, the meaning of ecotourism has evolved. But even though many organizations have different definitions, key principles remain universal: conservation of the natural environment, low visitor impact, and benefit to the local population.
Since ecotourism is such an attractive policy, many governments loudly profess their commitment towards the industry. As a result, it's often difficult to separate spin from reality. Still, credible agencies like The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) have singled out countries with strong commitments to preservation. Belize (for its Mayan sites), Brazil (national parks), Ecuador (Galapagos Islands and Amazonian rainforest), Kenya (wildlife reserves), Nepal (mountain trekking), Peru (bird watching), and South Africa (game and nature reserves) all make the grade.
The best-known ecotourism destinations are probably Costa Rica and Bhutan. With a vibrant tourism industry that centers around its cloud forests, turtles, and volcanoes, Costa Rica has served as an inspiration for other Latin American countries, such as Ecuador, Peru, and Honduras. Bhutan, though, is the "poster child" for ecotourism. Their entire tourism industry is based on sustainability, and an effort to attract "low volume, high quality" visitors willing to pay a handsome fee for the privilege of visiting the pristine Himalayan kingdom. Because of its direct link between the local environment and population, ecotourism was the single most important factor Ethical Traveler used in determining "ethicalness." But even countries with strong ecotourism values are sometimes careless of broader human rights issues. That's why it's also crucial to examine the environmental and social progress of a country.
Environmental Protection
Ethical Traveler's environmental evaluation took into account six factors: Carbon dioxide emissions, energy efficiency, percentage of protected land, percentage of mammals under threat, the environmental sustainability index, and the number of major international environmental treaties ratified. This was an attempt to learn how serious, ecotourism industry aside, a country is in protecting its environment.
Seven countries earned very high environmental ratings: Argentina, Bhutan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Uruguay. All boast low CO2 emissions, steady progress in energy efficiency, and a policy of signing treaties designed to protect the Earth's ecosphere. Tourist favorites that came out on the negative side included Kenya, with extremely poor energy efficiency, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. Ironically, the five countries with the highest percentage of threatened wildlife (above 20%) also rank among the most popular US travel destinations: The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, India, the Philippines, and South Korea.
 Social Development
While it's true that ecotourism benefits the local population, it's usually a very local population. The inhabitants of a tract of rainforest may thrive from the sale of creams made from their plant extracts, but this doesn't do much for people in the urban centers - or even the neighboring tribes. Thus, ethical travel has to include a country's overall social development, to determine how committed the government is to its entire citizenry.
Social development was the broadest of the three categories, with seven factors to consider. Eithical Traveler put income distribution, health, and education under the microscope, using reports from the UN and the WHO, among others. But they also took into account crime, government corruption, and the status of women. Finally, as a gnomon of ongoing progress, they looked at how many international human rights and international labor rights treaties each country had ratified. The results were sometimes counter-intuitive. They found that Sri Lanka, Nepal, Croatia, and Slovenia all relatively low levels of inequality - while South Africa, Panama, and El Salvador have high disparities.
Healthwise, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Barbados, Sri Lanka, and Uruguay took highest rankings (though both India and China have made big improvements in this area). Kenya was again a disappointment; its mortality rate for children under five actually increased between 1990 and 2003. In education, Barbados, South Korea, Slovenia, and Uruguay excel, as does Argentina. Women's status is strong in Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Uruguay. It's poorest in Egypt, India, and Nepal.
The worst commitment to human and labor rights was measured in Thailand (which also has the highest government corruption index) - and, unexpectedly, Bhutan. The Kingdom of Bhutan has failed to ratify five human rights treaties, and has not approved a single international labor rights convention.
Best Ethical Travel Destinations
Argentina
Barbados
Belize
Brazil
Costa Rica
Croatia
Ecuador
Kenya
Peru
Slovenia
Sri Lanka
South Africa
Uruguay
The most provocative results of the social category, in fact are the abysmally low rankings of Bhutan, especially in light of its forward-looking ecotourism practices. On the other hand, high social development was a crowning achievement for Argentina, Barbados, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and Uruguay.
Conclusion
 The final list of ethical destinations in the developing world was compiled with care, and should serve as a practical guide for American tourists looking for vacations that are both self-rewarding, and supportive of the people and environments we visit.
The most notable and unexpected result is that Latin America emerges as the leader in ethical travel. While certain recommended destinations are already popular (Brazil, Costa Rica, and Peru), other top countries (Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Ecuador, and Uruguay) also have much to offer American tourists. Argentina has a vast array of natural wonders: from glaciers in the Andes to pre-Columbian villages in the North. Belize hosts Mayan ruins, as well as a lush rainforest. Uruguay, not as well known, contains spectacular beaches as well as trekking in the interior.
Croatia's beautiful beaches make it a viable alternative to Italy, France, or Greece. Slovenia is also a great destination, with impressive underground caves, thermal springs, alpine skiing, and nature trails.
Sri Lanka, recovering from the Indian Ocean tsunami, is outdoing India in both environmental and social development standards. And though South Africa and Kenya lag a bit in both environmental and certain social measures, good ecotourism values are their redemption. Ethical Traveler included these countries as a nod to their valiant strides in ecotourism, and in the hope that American travelers will help support a region that the international community habitually neglects.
Ethical travel to developing countries offers a positive, symbiotic exchange between travelers and their destination. By "voting with our wings," tourists give their economic support to such societies, raise the standard of living for the population, and reinforce programs that protect the environment. The reward travelers receive is also worthwhile: a memorable vacation, and the realization that, although the world is getting smaller, some parts of it are actually getting better.
About Ethical Traveler. Ethical Traveler is a grass-roots alliance uniting adventurers, tourists, travel agencies, and outfitters - everyone who loves to travel, and sees travel as a positive force in the world. Ethical Traveler feels that all travelers are, in effect, freelance ambassadors. They also believe that we have the ability to join our voices, and to use our economic power to strengthen human rights and protect the environment.
About the Authors. Researcher and co-author Kiran Auerbach received her B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University in 2005. She currently resides in Vienna, Austria, where she is studying violin and interning at the Ludwig Boltzman Institut für Menschenrechte (Institute for Human Rights) in Vienna.
Co-author Jeff Greenwald is a bestselling travel and science writer with five books and hundreds of magazine, radio, and Internet features to his credit. Mr. Greenwald is also a co-founder of Ethical Traveler, where he serves as Executive Director.
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Conserving water not only means reducing consumption, but also maintaining and monitoring the quality of the water we put back into the environment. The purpose of wastewater management is to protect aquatic ecosystems and increase the availability of potable water for human consumption and use.
Measuring Your Impact: Wastewater Management
It's important to have your wastewater composition and quality checked at least once annually by an environmental expert to help limit the dangerous substances you may be putting into sewage systems, particularly if you own your own facilities. You can also purchase kits for wastewater and environmental measurement and testing.
Managing Your Impact
A few things you can do to manage your wastewater include:
- Use only phosphate and bleach free, nontoxic, biodegradable, concentrated liquid or powder laundry detergents and cleaning products.
- Stock up on safe ingredients that can be used in most cleaning situations, including soap, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and a coarse scrubbing sponge.
- Use only dishwashing detergents that are biodegradable and do not contain nitrilotriacetic acid or chlorine bleach.
- Avoid disposing of chemicals into the sink or toilet. Check with the local health board regarding the correct disposal of cleaning chemicals.
- Unclog your drains using a quarter cup of baking soda followed by a half cup of vinegar instead of using a standard drain cleaner.
- If you must use a hazardous product, use as little as possible and dispose of it properly at a hazardous waste recycling or treatment center.
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Responsible Travel:
Sundance Village, Utah
"This is my gift to my community, myself and, most of all, my children, to pass on to their children so they can experience the land as something real rather than something seen in movies, described in history books or only imagined." - Robert Redford
Robert Redford had a dream. And it wasn't for a blockbuster movie. In 1961, Redford was amazed by the beauty of Mount Timpanogos and its surrounding canyon near Provo, Utah. By 1969, he had bought much of the area's land and envisioned a place for environmental conservation and artistic experimentation. Thus began Sundance Village.
Situated on 6,000 acres (2428 hectares) of wilderness, Sundance Village features 95 guest cottages, homes, shopping, restaurants, conference facilities and an artisan center. Those who live and work in the village have a passion for sustainability. The resort features low-VOC paints; water-saving devices; energy-efficient lighting and heating; sunflower-seed hull wallboard; and Trestlewood, lumber salvaged from the Great Salt Lake. In addition, those who want to build homes are given a blueprint of recommended building envelopes, square footage and solar positions of their lots. The Sustainable Resource Building Library provides books and samples of green flooring, carpet, cabinets, wood, siding and roofing materials. A list of green architects and contractors also is available.
Recycling is extremely important in the village. For example, cottages' deck furniture is made from recycled milk jugs. The village also recycles ski poles and other odd items, as well as melts its used glass to be made into decorative art for sale or use in the village.
After the ski season, staff restores the mountain by laying erosion blankets and re-establishing vegetation, as well as removing harmful weeds. Skiers also are given incentives for carpooling; the fourth person in a car gets $10 off his lift ticket.
Although the area is peaceful, those who make their homes in Sundance Village never truly are alone. Thousands of species of plants and animals also inhabit the canyon. And people in the village understand these species' survival depends on how they respect the land.
For more information or to learn more about Sundance Village, call 1-801-225-4107 or visit the company's website.
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Responsible Travel:
Ruth Robertson Expedition to Angel Falls
Angel-Eco Tours is offering a new program, entitled the Forgotten Expedition, which retraces the  epic journey of Ruth Robertson. Ruth was an American photo-journalist from Illinois who succeeded where men had repeatedly failed - to conquer the route to Angel Falls. In 1949, Ruth put together and led the first expedition to Angel Falls and was successful in mapping them, proving to the world that they are indeed the world's highest waterfall.
Those who join the Expedition will enjoy stories from Ruth's incredible memoirs and experience some of the same sensations as the first explorers of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World", visiting the magnificent rainforests and jungles of Canaima, "Churún-Meru" (Devil's Canyon) and the Caroni River.
About Angel-Eco Tours. A key element of an Angel-Eco Tours journey is that their guests are more than just passive visitors. Angel-Eco Tours travelers stay in local communities as guests of the community. And their tours are led by local guides from the native tribes of Venezuela, including the Pemón and Warao Indians who have a profound connection to the land.
Angel-Eco Tours is also the founder of EcoAlianza, an organization focused on uniting the private and public sectors in order to develop and promote ecotourism as a vehicle to preserve Venezuela's flora and fauna for future tourists and the people of Venezuela. In addition, the company contributes 5% of its revenues to support special projects that benefit the communities that its visits.
For more information or to learn more about Angel-Eco Tours, call 1-888-475-0873, email info@angel-ecotours.com, or visit STI's Eco-Directory or the company's website.
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NGO Profile: Coral Cay Conservation
Human impacts such as over-fishing and the use of destructive techniques like coral dynamiting, nutrient enrichment of coastal areas and sedimentation, threaten the health and diversity of reef ecosystems in the Philippines. As a result, Coral Cay Conservation (CCC), the international coral reef conservation organization, is looking for Volunteers to help perform crucial baseline wildlife assessments in the Philippines.
CCC's research is central to the development and initiation of appropriate educational and planning tools that support effective Marine Protected Area designation. However, in order for CCC to undertake a comprehensive assessment of coastal marine resources in the Philippines, the organization needs volunteers to join its project team.
CCC has worked in partnership with the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc (PRRCFI) and local communities to survey and safeguard reef and rainforest areas in the Philippines since 1995.
The Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project needs volunteers to survey Sogod Bay, an important feeding area for a range of marine species including pilot whales and whale sharks. For more information, please visit www.coralcay.org.
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Conference Corner:
Mesoamerican Sustainable Tourism Conference New Zealand Tourism-based Conferences
The Second Mesoamerican Sustainable Tourism Conference is being held in Copan, Honduras from December 1-3, 2005 and is being hosted by the Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA). For more information, please visit MEA's website or contact Mark Willuhn via email at mark@travelwithmea.org.
The Department of Tourism at the University of Otago is hosting the ATLAS Asia-Pacific Conference as well as the New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference (NZTHRC) next year. The conferences are being run consecutively from December 4-8, 2006. The theme of the ATLAS Conference is 'Tourism after oil', and the theme of the NZTHRC Conference is 'Beyond nature'.
The conferences will cover a range of significant contemporary themes in tourism, leisure and hospitality research and will feature a number of panel sessions and debates, open sessions and a public lecture. For more information, please visit the University of Otago's website.
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High Moon Cartoons
If you would like to purchase any one of High Moon's six cartoon books, you may order them directly from the Japan Environmental Exchange via email or JEE's website.
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