Back seat for sand and sun?

New focus on eco-tourism as a World Wildlife Fund survey confirms higher demand for nature tours.

Conservation of the environment is mainly viewed as a problem by those who have not developed a keen vision of its potential.

Until recently, it was not seen as a serious industry capable of generating wealth. As such, the wealth-creating potential of this sector has not yet been fully realised. For example, you can ask any high school student in the Caribbean about his future profession. If any said he would like to be an environmentalist, you would be very fortunate indeed.

This partially summarises the problem: Conservation of the environment is not considered as an economic opportunity - an activity that can create income and wealth. In fact, conserving the environment is often associated with keeping back development.

Over the past few years however, Caribbean Governments and the private sector have started to show some interest in the environment. They are increasingly seeing the environment as an opportunity, especially since the future prosperity of their businesses or nation may depend on it. There is also the realization that there are opportunities for wealth and job creation by solving environmental problems and exporting the solutions. In making the environment an opportunity, it is important for governments and tourism destinations to: 1.Exploit niches in ecotourism; and 2.Move beyond ecotourism.

Ecotourism Niches

Ecotourism - an increasingly popular "buzz-word" in the tourism industry - refers to the development and promotion of environmental attractions (e.g. national parks) and activities (e.g. catch and release fishing, organic agriculture) for the purpose of conserving the environment and generating income for its surrounding local communities.

An important point about ecotourism development is that local inhabitants can become gainfully employed (as park wardens, interpreters, park managers, organic farmers, owners and managers of lodges and in other professions) whilst conserving the environment. This is the preferred option to disruptive practices such as slash-and-burn farming and other subsistence techniques which damage the environment.

Projects from around the region also show that ecotourism can pay off in economic terms. The travelling public's interest in nature and adventure travel is also at an all-time high and still climbing. Caribbean destinations which offer visitors a look at rain forests, rare species or pristine landscapes are in higher demand than ever before.

A recent World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study, which surveyed ecotourism within the region, estimates that Mexico attracts about 5.4 million visitors annually, Costa Rica and Ecuador 260,000 visitors annually, Belize 55,000 annually and Dominica 30,000.

In a random airport exit survey in these countries, it was also found that almost half (46 percent) of the visitors surveyed said that protected areas were the "main reason" or 'very important" in their decision to visit the country (World Wildlife Fund, 1990). Of the 436 people polled at airports in Belize, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador and Mexico, more than half visited at least one national or ecological site.

Of the travellers surveyed who listed parks and protected areas as their main reason for visiting the country, the average length of stay was 13 days and the average expenditure US$2,588. For those who listed them as not important, the average length of stay was 14.7 days and the total US expenditure was $1,531.

At a differential of more than $1,000 per visitor, the study gives the first clear indication that it can be profitable to protect the environment and attract ecotourists.

Ecotourism is an avenue from which destinations can benefit from conserving the environment while encouraging tourism. It requires that growing environmental sustainability be placed first and that the travel and tourism industry be developed from the perspective of sustainable development.

One such attempt to put the environment first is being under-taken by Belize. The government has recognised the inter-dependence of Belize and the global community and it sees the protection of its forests and wildlife as important for its own economic and social existence

New Links

So committed to the environment is Belize, that it is the first country to effectively link tourism with the environment, through the development of a Ministry of Tourism and the Environment. Jamaica has since followed suit.

The Government's commitment to conservation has been described as "strong and steadfast", by the Hon. Glen Godfrey, Minister of Tourism and the Environment and Attorney General for Belize. As Minister of Tourism, Min. Godfrey sees it as his duty "to ensure that tourism development in Belize does not adversely affect the ecology, the social fabric or the future of the land."

Belize has thus embarked upon a number of innovative projects geared towards developing ecotourism in the country.

The first Jaguar Reserve in the world was opened in Belize in 1990. The reserve was extended to 206,000 acres by the Hon. Florencio Marin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Natural Resources, in a very touching ceremony at the Maya Centre, which involved the parents and children of the surrounding village of the Jaguar reserve. According to the Belize Audubon Society, "the success of any protected area is integrally dependent on the actions of the people and communities that live around and with it. If for this reason alone, the November 6 Ceremony was a definite success."

One rationale behind the jaguar reserve is this: if the jaguar is alive and healthy, everything that it feeds on will be alive and healthy.

Belize currently has 17 national parks and protected areas which represent 37 per cent of the country's entire land mass.

According to Mr. Oscar Renanado, of the Ministry of Industry and Natural Resources, the government is working very closely with the man and biosphere concept of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to declare yet another reserve -the Maya Mountain Biosphere reserve, an area which could be in excess of 500,000 acres.

The Belize Audubon Society and the Programme for Belize are two organizations very active in conservation programmes in Belize. The primary goal of these organizations is to identify linkages between development and conservation.

In doing so, the organizations intend to find new ways to advance their objectives, build the economy and help Belizeans achieve a better standard of living.

The Programme for Belize has acquired the 282,000 acre Rio Bravo Conservation site, where it intends to show that the sanctuary can be kept intact and still generate significant economic return.

The plan is to pursue long term research and develop several agro-forestry projects which emphasize tourism, natural history and archaeology.

Central America

They may be slow in realising its true potential but ecotourism is also taking off in Central America and the concept of joint national development is being discussed in a number of Central American areas.

A fine example of this is La Ruta Maya, a project which encompasses hundreds of Mayan ruins throughout five Latin American countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.

Although still at the theoretical stage, if this concept is developed and agreed upon by all nations involved, it could provide for a single regional Ruta Maya tourist visa and bus service that would allow passengers to cross country borders at their convenience.

"This regional plan would increase environmentally oriented tourism and sustainable, non-destructive development to provide jobs and money to help pay for preservation," says a Guatemalan Government official.

Another joint project currently being considered is a three-nation Maya Peace Park. This park would include the Calakmul Reserve in Mexico, the Maya Reserve in Guatemala and the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management area in Belize. If accomplished, at five million acres in total, the international park would be twice the size of Yellowstone, the largest National Park in the USA.

Ecotourism offers tremendous opportunities for the development of tourism. Belize, Costa Rica and Dominica are carefully exploring this market segment while Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, are treating it as an issue of special interest with vast potential. Over time, as the various projects are being evaluated, these Governments are realising that the possibilities for ecotourism in the Caribbean are vast.

A major natural advantage which the Eastern and Southern Caribbean islands possess, which can be a difficult selling point for the mainland countries is the easy accessibility of their ecotourism attractions.

In many countries with developed eco- attractions, in Central and South America, for example, it often takes days of air, sea, road, foot and river transportation to access the places of interest to ecotourists. Moreover, limited overnight accommodation is available at many of these sites. In Trinidad, by contrast, one can go bird-watching at the Caroni Swamp and in Dominica one can marvel at the magnificent waterfalls with the benefits of "creature comfort" at Fort Young Hotel in Dominica or the Hilton Hotel in Trinidad.

Still, the Caribbean can develop a major competitive advantage in the soft adventure tourism market by taking advantage of the growing trend away from sedentary "baking in the sun" holidays.

Beyond Ecotourism

While it is important for tourism destinations to realize the potential of environmental conservation to generate wealth through ecotourism, it is equally important that they begin to move beyond the narrow confines of the tourism sector. These destinations will discover that the development of a pro-environmental focus in the wider spheres of tourism will have important economic spill-overs.

The development of an environmental focus is not simply the creation of an industry to recycle paper or develop national parks. It goes far deeper than this and involves an entire system of wealth-creating activities- from production activities to government regulation and enforcement.

Dr Auliana Poon is Mg Director of Caribbean Futures Ltd. She is Editor/ Publisher of Tourism Industry Intelligence, a bi-monthly newsletter for decision-makers in the travel and tourism industry. Her company specializes in strategic planning and product development for the travel and tourism industry. Tel #: (809) 625- 4443 or Fax #: 625- 4420