To
many of our Trends participants and readers located in larger urban
centres, the concept of Eco-Tourism may not seem as directly relevant
as to those located in smaller communities or more rural areas. As
it relates to the abundant natural resources in this country, this may
be true. However, many of the larger urban centres in Canada have or
are in the process of developing Eco-Tourism strategies aimed at both
marketing urban or near urban Eco-Tourism product, while at the same
time, preserving and protecting these ever-diminishing natural resources.
From both perspectives, urban or rural, there is a great deal of confusion
on just what Eco-Tourism is.
One
of the difficulties associated with widespread utilization of words
or concepts, is that they invariably become open to different interpretations,
depending on the needs and objectives of the user. This has certainly
become the case with Eco-Tourism; a term that has been around since
originally being coined in the early 1980’s by Hector Ceballos-Lascurain,
a Mexican architect and prominent conservationist. Although in use
since that time, the term has really only “caught fire” in
recent years as advances in transportation and technology make the world
more accessible, and environmental issues and the tourism industry gain
profile on the world media stage.
Originally,
Eco-Tourism implied an educational and perhaps almost scientific approach
to tourism development, wherein “Eco-Tourists” would be able
to experience nature (inclusive of scenery, flora, fauna and culture)
in non-consumptive ways, and in doing so, become more appreciative and
supportive of the conservationist point of view. This concept has,
however, suffered many mutations as it moves through different countries
and cultures. Not surprisingly, short-term economic goals have all
too frequently replaced the concept’s more noble original objectives,
and Eco-Tourism has become in some instances, more of a marketing and
development tool than a means of educating and conserving.
In
Canada, the concept of Eco-Tourism is now being embraced wholeheartedly
(and usually with good intentions) in many jurisdictions by both private
and public sector stakeholders. Unfortunately, there is an absence
of commonality in how Eco-Tourism is defined, and thus, in how the original
principals of the concept are applied. A concept undefined and thus
without clear boundaries is, at best, a path to inconsistency, and at
worst, an invitation for manipulation and abuse.
As
Eco-Tourism becomes increasingly a mainstream tourism product offering
(no longer just for the wealthy few), there will be an inevitable increase
in the potential for destructive results - all in the name of conservation
– as we attempt to develop products for this relatively untapped
source of demand.
It
is easy to agree that Eco-Tourism is a better choice than alternative
tourism development schemes that are larger in scale and have significant
and visible immediate environmental impacts. With recent exponential
(but somehow unforeseen) increases in demand for energy and the predictable
rush by both the public sector and private industry to satisfy and benefit
from this demand, even an ill-conceived Eco-Tourism development may
look like a winner on the environmental balance sheet when compared
to pipeline construction or off-shore oil exploration.
This
does not mean however, that we should charge blindly forward into the
most sensitive components of our country’s natural environment.
Rather, we should stop for a moment to consider where Eco-Tourism is
leading us, and define ways to ensure that we are not unpleasantly surprised
when we reach the end of the journey.
Dan
Hill, CMC
Director
Pannell
Kerr Forster
