Ties Ecocurrents Quarterly Emagazine - 2007 Q1

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

E c oCurrents

First Quarter 2007 Price: $2.00 USD

INSIDE

THIS ISSUE:

Editor: Katie Maschman

GUEST EDITORIAL

THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBAL WARMING

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION

How ecotourism can become more climate-friendly

GUEST EDITORIAL: THE CHALLENGE 1 OF GLOBAL WARMING

By: Wolfgang Strasdas

CARBON FREE CRUISING AN INTREPID STEP TO CARBON NEUTRAL TRAVEL LEBANON TRAIL PROJECT EXEMPLIFIES SUSTAINABILITY REACHING BEYOND OFFSETS IN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WHY WE CARE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION ONE PLANET ECO TRAVEL CARBON OFFSETTING PROGRAMS BUS COMPANY BECOMES ONE OF THE GREENEST ON THE PLANET

Sea Turtle in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

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t has been one and a half years since TIES published the first EcoCurrents dedicated 10 to the issue of global warming and what the tourism industry can do to curb it.1 Well ahead 11 of today’s worldwide debate on climate change, a variety of mitigation strategies were discussed, ranging from mandatory government policies, technological solutions and environmentally friendly means of transportation to different travel patterns and the voluntary compensation of greenhouse gas emissions. 9

What has changed since then? And how has ecotourism evolved in response to the challenge of global warming? First of all, the challenge hasn’t gone away. While this is hardly a surprise to those who have followed scientific research with an open mind, the recent IPCC report2 has managed to convince even those who until now have steadfastly refused to acknowledge the increasing evidence. The United States, the world’s worst emitter of greenhouse gases, are awakening to “an inconvenient truth” prompting even the federal government to

promise some action. Many others, in the U.S. (most notably the State of California) and around the globe have already begun to do so. The European Union has implemented a capand-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by the Kyoto Protocol and is now considering to include aviation in it. It becomes increasingly obvious that tourism, and nature-based tourism in particular, with its dependence on natural resources will be severely affected by global warming. This will require a variety of adaptation measures and long-term strategic planning, especially in the most vulnerable tourism destinations to be found in the Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan Africa, small island states, mountainous areas and the Arctic. Research on how this can be done has only just begun and will be a major issue for ecotourism in the years to come. On the other hand, tourism also contributes to global warming, mostly through transportation. Aviation, arguably the core and motor of (Continued on next page)

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel THE INTERNATIONAL ECOTOURISM SOCIETY (TIES) Founded in 1990, TIES is the world’s oldest and largest ecotourism organization, with members in nearly 100 countries. It promotes the policies, practices, and principles of environmentally and socially responsible travel through training courses, consumer and advocacy campaigns, publications, workshops, and field projects. For more information on TIES membership and resources, visit www.ecotourism.org. For more on Sustainable Transportation ... visit TIES Advocacy Section www.ecotourism.org.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO The 4th Annual

Celebration of Ecotourism Gala & Eco-Holiday Auction Thursday April 19, 2007 Doors open at 5:45 PM

The Organization of the American States (OAS) 17th Street & Constitution Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. FEATURING

Steve Case

Founder of AOL and CEO of REVOLUTION

Silent and Live Auctions

Dozens of fabulous ecotourism vacations from around the world. RECEPTION International buffet, organic cuisine, cocktails, wines and Brazilian flavors TICKETS Tickets available online: www.ecotourismgala.org or contact us: [email protected] or 202 347-9203 $95 before April 6 - $125 at the door Become a Patron: Reserve a table for 8 - $700

www.ecotourismgala.org

CHALLENGE: GLOBAL WARMING (Continued from page 1)

international tourism growth, is now coming under increasing public pressure, particularly in Britain and in Germany, two of the most important tourismgenerating countries in the world. In Germany, demands to travel less and closer to home have recently re-emerged. While tourism industry representatives argue that aviation’s contribution to global warming is small compared to other polluters, it is certainly true that, from a consumer’s perspective, a lifestyle of frequent flying is extremely unsustainable. This problem concerns ecotourism just like any other form of travel since ecotourists use the same planes as everybody else. And they tend to do so even more frequently than the often despised mass tourist who is content to “hang out on the beach” rather than sitting in some sort of vehicle almost every day of a typical “eco-tour”.3 A survey recently conducted by the University of Eberswalde among exhibitors from around the world at this year’s ITB tourism fair in Berlin revealed that although a majority of tourism professionals are generally concerned about global warming and acknowledge that their industry plays a role in it, there is a widespread lack of understanding of the specific interrelations and what exactly needs to be done to curb tourism’s contribution to global warming.4 In Britain, the tourism industry appears to be more advanced. Three of the country’s largest tour operator associations have pledged to compensate sizeable parts of their greenhouse gas emissions through their own carbon-offset program.5 This may have been in response to growing public criticism and a tougher regulatory approach that the British (Continued on next page)

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel CHALLENGE: GLOBAL WARMING (Continued from page 2)

government has announced to take on aviation, including an additional tax that was recently introduced. There are also certain tendencies in the luxury tourism segment to assume responsibility for climate change by offsetting carbon emissions. Where can ecotourism be placed in this debate and evolving field of coping strategies? A website analysis and survey of over 300 nature-based tour operators of TIES, Sustainable Travel International (STI) and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) that was recently conducted by TIES and the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) found that while there is not really a broad debate on the issue, several members of the ecotourism community have nevertheless begun to take action. Most of the operators surveyed see global warming as a serious problem which will also affect nature-based tourism, and about 10% of them have become active in implementing sustainable transportation principles. While inbound operators (many of them based in developing countries) were mostly concerned about local transportation by giving preference to bio-fuelled buses or by favoring muscle-powered forms of mobility such as walking or biking, outbound operators (mostly based in North America) assume responsibility for their flights to the destination and back by offsetting the emissions thus incurred. However, the degree of commitment varies: Some operators such as Intrepid Travel (Australia), OARS or Natural Habitat Adventures (both USA) have already begun to offset their entire emissions including office operations and their supply chain management while others simply ask their customers to use a certain carbon-offset program. Nature Air, a small-plane carrier based in Costa Rica, compensates its greenhouse gas emissions by paying into forestry projects. Costa Rica is also contemplating to become the world’s first carbon-neutral ecotourism destination by offsetting its tourismrelated emissions through domestic compensation measures. In Australia, ecotourism destinations such as Queensland and Tasmania are beginning to take action as well.

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Carbon-offsetting clearly is the number

one mitigation strategy in the tourism industry and in the non-profit community where compensating emissions from business trips and conferences is almost commonplace now. The number of carbon-offset providers, now at around fifty worldwide, is another indicator for this trend. However, carbon-offsetting is an extremely complex task which carries the risk of inadequate compensation and project failures, especially in relation to reforestation measures. In order to make sure that it is performed in a sustainable way quality standards and independent verification are indispensable.6 Furthermore, carbon-offsetting is only the second-best option and will not be sufficient to achieve the enormous reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that will be necessary to stabilize the world climate. At some point we will have to travel less – not as far away and not as frequently. Apparently, this inconvenient truth has not fully dawned on the (eco)tourism industry and the travelling public yet. So, what needs to be done? Ecotourism has long been a frontrunner in terms of sustainable development and there is a good chance for it to continue playing this role in relation to global warming and sustainable transportation if the exemplary initiatives taken by several companies are being adopted by many others in the industry. Carbonoffsetting is a first step, but it may be a costly one for small companies if their customers are not being educated about it and made to pay their share. Promoting the further use of renewable energies is another step, one that many ecolodges have already been particularly good at. Establishing public transportation systems in frequently visited natural (Continued on next page)

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel CHALLENGE: GLOBAL WARMING (Continued from page 3)

areas such as national parks and World Heritage Sites is yet another important element of sustainable transportation strategies. But one of the biggest challenges will be to change our travel habits in relation to time – preferring nearby destinations for shorter trips, spending more quality time on long-haul journeys, really getting to know the land and the people visited, and generally slowing down. While this is ultimately up to the consumer to decide, tour operators and other ecotourism providers can do their share by designing and promoting attractive trips with no need to rush. At the same time it has to be made sure that the many destinations in the developing world that have benefited from (eco)tourism in the past continue to do so in the future – this time with an environmental and social balance that is unambiguously a positive one. TIES has responded to this challenge by initiating an advocacy campaign that comprises a number of activities ranging from educational and consumer outreach to

Sustainable Transportation Guidelines for Nature Tour Operators which are to become an integral part of ecotourism certification schemes and codes of conduct. See EcoCurrents Q3/2005 at www.ecotourism.org/... Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Climate Change 2007 – The Physical Science Basis. Paris, 2 February 2007 3 For an excellent case study from New Zealand see: “The Cost of Getting There – impacts of travel to ecotourism destinations” by D. Simmons/S. Becken. In: R. Buckley: “Environmental impacts of ecotourism”. CABI Publishing, 2004 4 See www.fh-eberswalde.de/tour (in German) 5 Tourism Industry Carbon-Offset Scheme (TICOS) 6 See article in this issue on page 10. 1 2

Wolfgang Strasdas is a professor for Sustainable Tourism Management at the University of Eberswalde (Germany), a tourism consultant and a TIES Board member who is presently using his sabbatical to work on climate change. Although he does not own a car and cycles instead, he is also a frequent flyer who offsets his emissions by using atmosfair. He can be reached at [email protected] or at +1 (650) 723-0894. For further information, please see his background article at: www.ecotourism.org.

CARBON FREE CRUISING

Up Close Exploring in Alaska, USA

By: Todd Smith many tons of CO2 are released as a result of our cruises and began my travel career as a guide on the ultimate carbon create and offset program to neutralize those emissions. neutral trip in Alaska – paddling and camping among Sustainable Travel International’s offset project portfolio glaciers, whales and bears in Glacier Bay National Park. includes solar collectors in Costa Rica, biomass energy in As a long time naturalist and guide, especially in Alaska, I India and wind energy in Madagascar. have witnessed first hand the effects that global warming and climate change are having on our planet. Glaciers are retreating, permafrost is melting, forests fires are more THE MYCLIMATETM OFFSET PORTFOLIO INCLUDES intense and entire ecosystems are affected. Regions such as SOLAR COLLECTORS IN COSTA RICA, BIOMASS ENERGY IN INDIA Alaska, Antarctica, and the Amazon Rainforest are the first AND WIND ENERGY IN MADAGASCAR. to feel the ecological implications of global climate change, though it affects us all. Sustainable development options, including more efficient vessels and alternative fuels are better for everyone in the long I founded AdventureSmith Explorations to utilize expedition vessels to provide this same type of wilderness experience but term, but there is simply not enough money or an incentive to change in the immediate future. Through our Carbon Free with greater range and more comfort. Realizing that boats would impact our surroundings in different ways than kayaks Cruising campaign we hope to educate our travelers about global warming while helping them reduce their own carbon alone I sought innovative ways to minimize our travelers’ footprint. We also hope to influence the cruise industry, footprint. Small vessels are closed systems, much like a which has remained relatively silent in terms of sustainable remote wilderness lodge, and are inherently low impact. A travel. good crew is obsessive about recycling and efficiency because all waste is processed and stored on board. AdventureSmith Todd Smith is the AdventureSmith Explorations has committed was the first North American-based small cruise ship to sustainable tourism and ecotourism principles. The naturally operator to offset emissions through a new partnership with active explorations are designed to provide a means for travelers to TM MyClimate (available in the US through Sustainable Travel make a contribution to conservation. Part of the AdventureSmith International). Any responsible maritime engineer knows Explorations’ mission is to give something back to the individuals, exactly how much fuel and oil his/her vessel is burning every communities and environments encountered on every exploration. hour, day and month, which makes it easy to calculate how AdventureSmith Explorations maintains a network of grassroots and much fuel and oil is burned per cruise and per passenger. global non profit partners worldwide. For more visit: www.adventures mithexplorations.com. Armed with this information, our partners calculate how

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel AN INTREPID STEP TO CARBON NEUTRAL TRAVEL

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By: Jen Riley

fter 18 years in the travel business, Intrepid Travel has grown from a 2 man operation to one of the world’s leading small group adventure companies. But just as we have grown, our commitment to sustainable, grassroots travel has remained the same.

Franz Joseph Glacier, New Zealand

We are firm believers that travel is one of the most fulfilling things you could ever do, but we also recognize that by being a part of the travel industry we’re actually endangering the very places we love to explore. Traveling by bus, train or boat, printing brochures, using electricity and especially taking flights, we’re contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Last year alone our travelers emitted 300,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide from flights - as good a reason as any for us to become a Carbon Neutral company, something we aim to become in the next 3 years.

In January 2007 we introduced mandatory carbon offset payments on all flights sold from Australia. It was an Australian industry first and a risky move in a marketplace that was only just coming to terms with the broader issue of climate change. But while many travelers still question who is responsible for offsetting carbon, it seems the typical ‘Intrepid

traveler’ is embracing the opportunity to take control of their flight emissions. On the home front we are creating a Carbon Neutral work environment. In head office recycling and waste reduction practices are well entrenched and the majority of our energy already comes from renewable resources. After recently completing a ‘carbon audit’, the office is to become even greener. We are looking to install rainwater tanks, we’re switching to energy saving fluorescent lights and any electricity that isn’t 100% green will be offset annually. A plan is also in place to introduce the same measures to our other offices around the world. However, it’s our final step which will prove our most challenging; making every one of our 470 trips carbon neutral. Although, where possible, trip emissions are limited by our use of public transport, we aim to reduce them further and will completely offset the remainder. We’re already well on the way, offering some exciting new ‘eco-friendly’ journeys. Our Independent European trips are a chance for travelers to discover Europe at the ground level, by cycling or walking from destination to destination. We’re also particularly proud of our newest overland adventure, To the End of the Earth and Back which encourages travelers to take longer, land-based journeys instead of multiple fly-in, fly-out vacations. This journey takes travelers on a 130 day journey from Singapore to Paris, taking in every corner of Asia and Europe along the way. Traveling by boat, train and even elephant, this really is an epic but low-carbon adventure of a lifetime and puts us well on the way to reaching our end goal: to offer our clients 100% carbon neutral adventures by 2009. Jen Riley is an editor with Intrepid Travel. For more information on Intrepid’s initiatives, visit www.intrepidtravel.com.

INTREPIDS’s Other Going Green Initiatives:

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• We have a full time Carbon Offset Manager who’s time is devoted to researching our best practices and developing relationships with offset providers. • Introducing optional offsetting on flights sold from UK & NZ. For our mandatory, carbon offset flights in Australia, passengers pay the full offset payment but Intrepid makes NO from profit offsets. • Carbon auditing our offshore offices. • We use vegetable inks and source environmentally friendly stock from sustainable forests for our brochure production and are looking at FSC accreditation. • We encourage best practice from our hotels and where possible chose which we use based on common ethical thinking.

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Lebanon Trail Project Exeplifies Sustainability

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By: Scott Wayne

tretching over 350 kms along the entire length of Lebanon, and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) is a successful model of environmentally and socially responsible tourism and is bringing the Lebanese together to rebuild and develop the country. The LMT serves as one example of ecotourism trail development in rural regions utilizing alternative modes of transportation. The LMT is also helping to expand economic opportunities in rural areas of Lebanon and to mobilize volunteers, the youth and community groups for a worthwhile and unifying cause.

of transportation of people and goods from one village to another. It has more recently also been used by tour operators. The LMT crosses three protected areas, as well as several other natural, historic and cultural sites. The LMT project will supplement and connect these individual sites to create a destination of national and international appeal.

The LMT project is also implementing pilot activities to enhance rural attractions and lodging along the trail, including bed & breakfast facilities, campsites, and picnic areas. The project is helping to renovate two historic town squares, set up visitor information points, co-organize rural events and develop a literary trail featuring some of the country’s most renowned poets and writers. The LMT project builds on previous efforts by connecting existing trails, and by leveraging on-going local initiatives. The system of trails in the Lebanese mountains was built and conserved through the centuries, as the primary means

Maasser Ech Chouf, Lebanon Core funding for the LMT project was provided by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The LMT project was conceived, and is being implemented, by the US-based consulting firm ECODIT, Inc. TIES is providing advice to the ECODIT LMT project team on rural tourism standards and international promotion and marketing of the LMT.

2007 North American Ecotourism Conference Strengthing Community, Business and Conservation through Ecotourism

September 26 - 28, 2007 · Madison, Wisconsin www.ecotourismconference.org

Scott Wayne is a longtime TIES member and strong contributor to this project. Scott is also the principle consultant for SW Associaties, Washingtonbased firm. Find more information on the LMT at: www.lebanontrail.org.

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel REACHING BEYOND OFFSETS IN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE By: Heather Fisher

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perating throughout western North America, Escape Adventures became the world’s first carbon neutral outfitter with a distinguishing focus on actual carbon reduction. Alternatively, carbon offsetting is a more commonly emerging practice, but with the planet approaching a 20% deficit in sustainability, Escape Adventures owners’ Jared and Heather Fisher didn’t think that was enough. “Becoming carbon neutral means understanding there’s a difference between offsetting and mind-setting, and it starts right now,” says Director Jared Fisher. Over the past 16 years, Escape Adventures has recognized changes in the environment in which they operate. Some changes have been gradual, such as slowly receding shorelines, and some drastic, like surges in wildfires and devastations of entire forests by bark beetles. Although the climate problem is bigger than any one person or entity can reverse, the causes are clear and proven, and the solution attainable, if it starts at one and becomes many. To do their part, Escape Adventures is aggressively pursuing a two-part campaign of reformation and education. Reformation is an extensive process—even for an already environmentally friendly company like Escape Adventures— but new business models are being created every day. Fisher is pioneering an Alternative Fuel Support Vehicle System (AFSVS) fueled by waste vegetable oil that he hopes will catch on as a convenient and clean burning alternative to burning fossil fuels. Escape Tour Centers are being converted to solar energy and promoted internally; sustainable living is a common thread among Escape Adventures’ employees. When shopping for food, tour leaders buy organic products and refuse bags. The office staff uses recycled products and

Alternative Fuel Support Vehicle System everyone is offered incentives to ride their bikes to work. Large, homemade recycling centers are prominent in both Las Vegas and Moab locations, so customers can bring in their recyclables—from everyday waste products to specialty items that can’t be recycled anywhere else, like bike tires and tubes. Escape Adventures is the first to admit that none of these changes can reverse something as big as global warming. But they do believe that something as big as global awareness can. “With its personal and broad-reaching effects, the ecotourism industry is the perfect venue to increase awareness to an affluent, productive, and caring clientele who care about the outdoors and are in a position to do something about it,” says Escape Adventures President, Heather Fisher. Escape Adventures recognizes their obligation to use their position in the outdoor industry to promote sustainability to everyone with whom they come in contact. Guests are given a positive outlook on sustainable living when eating delicious organic foods, traveling in veggie vans, and hiking, biking, and rafting in some of the most beautiful places the natural environment has to offer. The bottom line is tri-fold; corporations need to start focusing on the triple bottom line, which is people, planet, and profit—for their own success and for the success of humanity in general.

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Escape Adventures Tour Participants

Heather Fisher is the president of Escape Adventures. In early 1992, newlyweds Jared and Heather Fisher decided to turn a college project into a business and began taking tourists on their own two bikes to nearby Red Rock Canyon. While the company has grown from that first tour to over 50 destinations, 2 tour center/bike shops, and 25 employees, the owners and their mission to promote human power and the natural environment has stayed the same from day one, and the focus on small groups and personalized service is still the hallmark of the Escape Adventures experience.

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Why we care about Transportation:

Alternative Transportation in Protected Areas

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National Park Service Transportation Planning Guideline

ive The National Park Service (NPS) has long realized the importance of sensitive design in planning in the development of transportation facilities. This concern was articulated by Director Mather in 1918 when he stated, “In the construction of roads, trails buildings, and other improvements, particular attention must be devoted always to the harmonizing of these improvements with the landscape.” The NPS continues to implement this transportation policy. All of our design and planning efforts are directed to ensuring that facilities lie lightly on the land and enhance the experience of our visitors. Transportation is an integral, defining feature of the national park experience, and a means by which the park mission of protecting our natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of future generations can be realized. Much has changed over the past 80 years. Parks have become so popular and so readily accessible that many park roads are inundated with increasingly long lines of vehicles. Some NPS facilities and infrastructure are stretched to their limits. Congestion and its accompanying pollution threaten to degrade the visitor experience as well as the priceless natural and cultural resources that have been so carefully preserved. The National Park service has outlined in their 2006 Management Policies that “Depending on a parks size, location, resources, and level of use the Service will, where appropriate, emphasis and encourage alternative transportation systems, which may include a mix of buses, trains, ferries, trams and—preferably—non-motorized modes of access to, and moving within parks. In general, the preferred modes of transportation will be those that contribute to maximum visitor enjoyment of, and minimum adverse impacts on, park resources and values. Before a decision is made to design, construct, expand, or upgrade access to or within a park, non-construction alternatives—such as distributing visitors to alternative locations—must be fully explored.” Recognizing the need for the NPS to draw upon transportation specialists to meet these new policies, an agreement was reached between the Department of Interior and the Department of Transportation in the fall of 1997. This agreement set forth goals and strategies for establishing a mutually beneficial relationship to improve

Historic Red Bus Sight-seeing Tours Glacier National Park, USA transportation in and around NPS facilities. Based on some of the recent NPS successes at Acadia National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore and Zion National Park in developing transportation systems with their partners Congress established the Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands (ATPPL) program. This new program was authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The ATPPL is administered by the Federal Transit Administration, in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. The ATPPL program and the $97 million worth of funding, over 4 years, will be very beneficial to the NPS, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service in helping them consider and develop new transportation alternatives for enjoying our parks and public lands without building more roads and parking areas. For more information on the National Park Service transportation initiatives, please review the NPS Alternative Transportation Web site at: http://www.nps.gov/transportation/alt/ats-study.htm.

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel One PLANET ECO TRAVEL:

REDUCING THE ECOLOGICAL & CARBON FOOTPRINT IMPACT OF DESTINATIONS By: Motti Essakow f everyone in the world were to consume natural Two practical examples of destinations who have resources and generate Carbon Dioxide (CO2) at the committed themselves towards reducing their overall rate humanity does, we would need many more planets to Ecological and Carbon Footprint impact and becoming a support us. In order to live (and travel) we consume what carbon neutral destination (in its entire context) are Table nature offers. We only have one planet and we are using Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa and and abusing its resources at a faster rate than nature can Norfolk Island, Australia. replenish them. However, there is a way in which we can live and travel within the earth’s natural capacity and still Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa enjoy a high quality of life—One Planet Living. is becoming the first sector within the destination to measure the Ecological and Carbon Footprint impact of In order to achieve travelers within the park. Once the Ecological Footprint is a resource management tool One Planet Living, measurement has been completed that measures how much land and water area a human it is essential that the results will be integrated into population requires to produce the resources it consumes. humanity reduces the current “Triple Bottom Line” its overall ecological strategy of the park (developed by This is of little concern as long as human use of resources and carbon footprint the Business school of The University does not exceed what the planet can renew. and thus begin the of Cape Town) and a “Top 10 tips process of restoring for travelers on how to reduce their and replenishing (not just preserving) our only livable carbon footprint impact” will be created. Given that Table ecosystem. One Planet Living—within the ecotourism Mountain National Park borders both the Atlantic and sector—takes the realization of reducing our ecological Indian Ocean, the park will be conducting a number of impact, beyond transportation and takes into account the innovative land and ocean carbon offsetting projects. carbon footprint in destination. The ocean carbon offsetting project is being coordinated together with Planktos, an organization based in San In order to legitimately address the issue of reducing the Francisco, California (www.planktos.com), who specialize entire carbon footprint of a destination (which in essence on restoring Planktons in the ocean. In addition, Cape is one part of the ecological footprint) an attempt should Town is developing a creative and forward thinking Urban be made to analyze all land and ocean ecological footprint Ecotourism / Urban Nature / Urban Biodiversity map of impacts of the traveler, various service providers and the city and its natural surroundings. The main objectives organizations throughout the supply chain, including of the map are to increase both local and international accommodation, facilities and activities. awareness of the unique ecosystem of Cape Town and its natural surroundings and as an awareness raising Therefore, the overall Sustainability action strategy marketing tool that will turn the local communities into towards creating a Carbon Neutral destination should “local tourists” and thus further reduce the ecological and include all four elements of Sustainability (socio/cultural, carbon footprint impact on Cape Town. economic, wellbeing and nature – also known as the new Quadruple Bottom Line – and without tradeoffs. This The eventual (and hopeful) result of reducing our overall strategy should also focus on the connection between ecological and carbon footprint impact on destinations reducing the overall ecological and carbon footprint through One Planet Living is One Planet Ecological impacts of the destination and reducing local poverty, thus Economics – well-being for nature and well-being for improving the wellbeing of both the local population and people. nature.

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Carbon neutral destination projects should focus on both land and ocean carbon offsetting through programs that are relevant to the needs of the local people and where there is ongoing monitoring of these projects.

Motti Essakow, an ecotourism and sustainable tourism specialist with OmWard Bound, is currently based in Vancouver, Canada. OmWard Bound is a sponsoring partner of the Global Footprint Network and is conducting a number of pilot projects introducing the Ecological Footprint principles and the quadruple bottom-line into all sectors and components of sustainable travel,wellness travel and ecotourism. For more information e-mail: [email protected].

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Carbon Offsetting Programs: HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST

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By: Wolfgang Strasdas

ompensating greenhouse gas emissions is a great way for vacationers, business travellers and tourist companies to reduce their carbon footprint while travelling or offering trips. However, proper compensation is a highly complex and challenging process that should be carried out by a professional provider. Do-it-yourself tree planting without proper follow-up, for instance, may quickly turn out to be a failure and a reputation risk. When considering using the services of one of the almost fifty carbon-offset providers worldwide, the following quality criteria can serve as an orientation to make an appropriate selection. The first set of criteria relates to the correct measurement of the emissions produced. In the case of flights this comprises two aspects: • Taking into account greenhouse gases other than just CO2 that occur in high cruising altitudes. This so-called the Radiative Forcing Index (RFI) should be a factor of 2.7 according to the recommendations of the IPCC. As a minimum requirement it must be 1.9. • Aviation data must be based on realistic average figures taking into account, for example, that on an average flight only 70 percent of the seats are occupied and that, due frequent airport congestion, distances flown may be longer. Check a program’s website for any explanation on how they compute emissions. Secondly, the compensation projects offered must actually achieve the promised compensation effect. This, in turn, involves a number of sub-criteria: • Carbon offset projects must prove that they meet the key criterium of additionality, that is, that they would not have happened otherwise. • Emissions must be withdrawn permanently from the atmosphere. This is certainly the case with energy projects, but not necessarily with forestry or sequestration projects. • If offset providers offer forestry projects, they should at least have a mixed portfolio and guarantee permanent

monitoring of the trees’ growth and health. • Compensation projects should be independently (accredited third-party) verified. The best standards are the CDM Gold Standard1 for energy projects and the CCB Project Design Standards for forestry and nature conservation. 2 Thirdly, the carbon-offset provider itself should work professionally and transparently. This can be demonstrated, for instance, in the form of externally verified annual reports. By the way, the cheapest companies are not necessarily the best ones as they tend to undercalculate emissions and save costs by applying less rigorous verification standards. At the moment there are no sustainability certification schemes for carbon-offset programs. In the U.S. the Center for Resource Solutions is presently working on establishing such standards.3 Several organizations have recently evaluated different carbon-offset programs worldwide. One of the best is a report by the Tufts Climate Initiative (U.S.).4 TIES is currently working with atmosfair (Germany), NativeEnergy (U.S.) and MyClimateTM /Sustainable Travel International (Switzerland/U.S.).5 Resources: 1 www.cdmgoldstandard.org 2 www.climate-standards.org 3 www.green-e.org 4 entitled “Voluntary Offsets for Air-Travel Carbon Emissions – Evaluations and Recommendations of Voluntary Offset Companies January 27. 2007, http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/pdf/TCI_Carbon_Offsets_Paper_Jan31. pdf. Other assessments were conducted by Clean Air-Cool Planet (U.S.), the Climate Alliance (Europe) and BBC Wildlife 2007/01. 5 www.atmosfair.de; www.nativeenergy.com; www.myclimate.org

Wolfgang Strasdas is a professor for Sustainable Tourism Management at the University of Eberswalde (Germany), a tourism consultant and a TIES Board member. Dr. Strasdas is presently using his sabbatical to work on climate change.

... striving to offer a lodging experience where guests can enjoy the surrounding beauty of the Oregon’s Rogue River corridor with the least harmful environmental impact. Working – every day – to reduce waste and carbon in and around Rogue Forest Bed & Breakfast. www.rogueforest.com/html/green.html

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel VERMONT BUS COMPANY BECOMES ONE OF THE GREENEST ON THE PLANET By: Dave Kestenbaum

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amoille Valley Transportation (LVT) of Morrisville, Vermont has become the first carbon-neutral private motorcoach operator in the world. As part of a University of Vermont (UVM) led pilot-program related to sustainable transportation, LVT began running its entire fleet of luxury

Vermont Partners Meet to Celebrate a Successful Collaboration Vermont, USA

motorcoaches and school buses on a blend of biodiesel and conventional diesel fuel in January of 2006. Over the past year, LVT has seen a dramatic increase in bookings and revenues which they can link directly to consumer demand for a “Greener” transportation. In January of 2007 the owner of LVT decided to mark the company’s one year anniversary using biodiesel by going one step further and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Norm Prive, owner of the 10 bus fleet, said, ”The use of biodiesel fuel was only the beginning of our company’s commitment to being responsible stewards of the earth we

2007 ECOCURRENTS: Editorial Calendar

all enjoy…Our customers have stood firmly behind us. We are grateful they have chosen to travel with a company that is mindful and respectful of the environment, a company that is helping reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, whether that is petroleum from a domestic or foreign source.” In June, UVM will roll-out its first sustainable transportation certification program which will specialize in certifications for the motorcoach industry. During a ceremony on June 22, LVT will be honored with the first “Green Coach Certification”. Representatives from UVM hope the program will operate similarly to USDA’s Organic Certification program or the EPA’s Energy Star program. Over the next three years UVM’s “Green Coach Certification” pilot-program plans to offer technical assistance, marketing support, and recognized certifications for coaches using traditional fuels and demonstrating high-fuel economy, fleets participating in carbon-offsetting programs, and vehicles using biodiesel blends, hydrogen, hybrid technologies, and other alternative fuels. David Kestenbaum is a specialist within the field of sustainable tourism development. He is currently the Senior Program Manager for the University of Vermont’s Tourism Center and an adjunct Lecturer. He is also the owner of Sustainability Vermont, Inc., an umbrella company that operates a seasonal outfitting service and organic farm. David’s resume includes accomplishments within the field of community development ranging from helping Vermont communities utilize GPS technologies to helping communities and protected areas in Guyana, Costa Rica, and Honduras develop and implement strategies for community based tourism development. David Kestenbaum can be reached at [email protected].

PHOTO CREDITS: (Clockwise from left on each page)

During 2007, EcoCurrents will focus on the theme of sustainability. The editorial calendar is as follows: •Sustainable Transportation (April), •Sustainability & Certification (June), •Sustainable Foods (September), •Sustainable Suitcase* (December). *environmentally and socially responsible packing for the ecotraveler, for the ecotourism professional, and for the outbound operator.

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Each addition will feature one destination; TIES encourages members to submit articles on the role of ecotourism within these topics. Articles are due the 1st of the month listed on the publication schedule. Please submit articles to [email protected].

Page 1: Table of Contents photo credit Instituto Costarricense de Tursimo. Article photo credit - Chadi Ghajar; Photo courtesy of ECODIT. Page 2: Photos courtesy of New England Outdoor Center, Patagonia EcoCamp - Cascada Expediciones, and Terra Incognita ECOTOURS. Page 3: Photo courtesy of CHF International. Page 4: Photo courtesy of AdventureSmith Explorations. Page 5: Photo courtesy of Intrepid Travel. Page 6: Photo credit - Nizar Hani; Photo courtesy of ECODIT. Page 7: Photo credits - Jared Fisher, courtesy of Escape Adventures. Page8: Photo courtesy of National Park Service. Page 11: Photo Courtesy of the University of Vermont.

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel TIES SPONSOR MEMBERS Adventure Life Journeys • Alaska Wildland Adventures • Amazonia Expeditions • Aventuras Naturales - Pacuare Lodge • Canadian Mountain Holidays Inc. (C.M.H.) • Cascada Expediciones / Patagonia Eco Camp • Crossing Latitudes, Inc. • ecoAfrica Travel • Ecoventura/Galapagos Network • El Pescador Resorts • Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn • Green Hotels of Costa Rica • Grupo Islita • Holbrook Travel • Horizontes Nature Tours • InkaNatura Travel • International Expeditions, Inc • INTRAV / Clipper Cruise Lines • Intrepid Travel Pty Ltd • Jungle Bay Resort and Spa, Dominica W.I. • Lapa Rios • Legitify • Lindblad Expeditions • Maho Bay Camps, Inc. • Micato Safaris • Mithun • NatureAir • Nomadic Journeys Ltd • OARS (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists) • Penn State University • Rainforest Expeditions (Posada Amazonas/Tambopata) • RawPerspective • Rhino Walking Safaris • Rivers Fiji • Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature • Solimar Marketing & Travel • Tiamo Resorts • Trans Niugini Tours • Wilderness Travel • Wildland Adventures • World Nomads Pty Ltd

TIES NATIONAL & REGIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERS Aboriginal Tourism Australia • Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association • Armenian Ecotourism Association • Asociación Argentina de Ecoturismo y Aventura (AAETA) • Asociacion Ecoturismo Guatemala • Asociacion Ecuatoriana de Ecoturismo - ASEC • Belarusian Assocation of Agro and Ecotourism • Belize Ecotourism Association (BETA) • Benin Ecotourism Concern (ECO-BENIN) • BESST(Business and the Environment linked through Small Scale Tourism) • Brazilian Society for the Environment • Camara Nacional de Ecoturismo de Costa Rica (CANAECO) • Central Balkan Kalofer Ecotourism Association • Discover Nepal • EcoBrasil - Associacao Brasileira de Ecoturismo • ECO-NIGERIA - ECOTOURISM SOCIETY OF NIGERIA • Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS) • Ecotourism Australia • Ecotourism Kenya • Ecotourism Laos-Mekong Tourism Development Project • Ecotourism Norway • Ecotourism Society of Bicol Region • Ecotourism Society of Ethiopia • Ecotourism Society of Saskatchewan • Ecotourism Society of Sri Lanka • Ecotourism Society Pakistan • Ecotourisme France • Ecotourismo Italia • Estonian Ecotourism Association (ESTECAS) • Fiji Ecotourism Association • Grand Bahama Island Ecotourism Association • Green Tourism Association • Hawaii Ecotourism Association • Himalayan EcoTourism Society • Indonesian Ecotourism Network (INDECON) Foundation • Iran Ecotourism Association • Iringa Ecotourism Society • Israeli Ecotourism Society • Japan Ecolodge Association • Japan Ecotourism Society (JES) • Kamchatka Ecotourism Society • Kunigami Tourism Association (KUTA) • La Ruta de Sonora Ecotourism Association • Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA)/RARE Center • Mexican Association of Adventure Tourism & Ecotourism (AMTAVE) • Mongolian Ecotourism Society (MES) • Murghab Ecotourism Association (META) • Nigeria Ecotourism Foundation • Russian Ecotourism Society • Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF) • Sustainable West Virginia • Swedish Ecotourism Society • Taiwan Ecotourism Association (TEA) • Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA) • The Ontario Ecotourism Society (TOES) • Tilos Park Association • Virginia EcoTourism Association

TIES BOARD Heba Aziz, Ministry of Tourism, Oman • Tracy Berno, University of the South Pacific, Fiji • Rajiv Bhartari, Indian Forest Service & Corbett Tiger Reserve, India • Sylvie Blangy (Development Chair), TUKTU Ecotourism Consultants, France • Kelly Bricker (Board Chair) , WILD-U, Fiji & USA • Tony Charters (Vice Chair), Tony Charters & Associates, Australia • Richard Denman (Secretary), The Tourism Company, United Kingdom • Andrew Fairley (Treasurer), Alpine Resorts Council Victoria, Australia • Kamelia Georgieva, Human Research Center, Bulgaria • Nandita Jain, Independent Consultant, India & USA • Glenn Jampol, Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica • Karen Lewis, Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Costa Rica & USA • Hitesh Mehta, EDSA, USA • John Poutasse, Attorney, USA • Ravi Ruparel, The World Bank, Uganda • Chandra de Silva, Ranweli Holiday Village, Sri Lanka • Keith W. Sproule, Independent Consultant, USA • Masaru Takayama, Japan Ecolodge Association, Japan • Louise TwiningWard, Tourism Resource Consultants, USA • Wolfgang Strasdas, University of Eberswalde, Germany • Jan Wigsten, Nomadic Journeys, Mongolia & Sweden • Carolyn Wild, WILD International, Canada

TIES STAFF Mikael Castro, Events Coordinator • Christina Cavaliere, Director of Training andEducation • David Diedrich, Director of Finance and Administration • Ayako Ezaki, Asia-Pacific Coordinator • Katie Maschman, Director of Membership and Communications • Katrina Shum, Sponsorship Coordinator • Dave Sollitt, Executive Director