Ties Ecocurrents Quarterly Emagazine - 2007 Q4

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

E c oCurrents

Fourth Quarter 2007

INSIDE

THIS ISSUE:

Editor: Ayako Ezaki

LETTER FROM TIES TEAM

LETTER FROM TIES TEAM

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YOUR TRAVEL CHOICE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

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AN ECO-BAG INSIDER

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SUITCASE FULL OF GARBAGE BLACK SHEEP INN

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CAMPING WITH DR. BRONNER

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RESPECTING PLACE & PEOPLE - RAW PERSPECTIVE IMAGES

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ECOCURRENTS 2008

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TIES SPONSOR & SUPPORTER MEMBERS

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AYNI - THE GIFT OF GIVING AND 12 RECEIVING WITH TOURISM

Dear TIES members: This year, at various times through our events and conferences, we enjoyed meeting and working with many of you. Thank you very much for the support you’ve shown us, and we look forward to many more opportunities to work with you in the coming year. In 2007, we were also thrilled to hear from many of you about the various achievements, awards and recognitions you have received. We continue to be inspired by the examples of our members who are making a difference in the world by helping change the way the world travels. Thank you for your continued commitment to ecotourism! In this issue of EcoCurrents, themed “Your Sustainable Suitcase,” you will find a number of valuable tips on how to pack responsibly to minimize the negative impacts of your travel and maximize positive experience, and information on how and why your travel choice matters. For many of you who will be traveling this holiday, we wish you safe journeys and memorable, and sustainable, experience! From all of us at TIES, warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year! - TIES team

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Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference

y choosing responsible travel, you can have the fabulous vacation that you’ve dreamed of, while ensuring that your dollars are benefiting the environment and the local people at your destination. Responsible travel is travel with a purpose. When choosing destinations, accommodations, and tour operators, consider which ones work to protect the environment and benefit local cultures and communities. Anyone can be a responsible traveler! You can get back to nature, or bathe in luxury... hike into the rainforest, or explore the city... stay close to home, or travel to the exotic location of your dreams. Responsible travel provides many options and is often very affordable. Read on to find out more...!

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The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel TIES Advocacy Campaign: Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference (Continued from Page 1)

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aking informed choices before and during your trip is the single most important thing you can do to become a responsible traveler. With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your trip, while making a real difference to the people and places you visit.

Five Easy Steps

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Search the Web: Look for websites specializing in responsible travel, ecotourism, or sustainable tourism.

Consult guidebooks: Choose guidebooks with information on your destination’s environmental, social and political issues, and read before booking. Guidebooks vary in quality, even within a series, but Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Moon are among the best.

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Make contact: Call or email tour operators that have firsthand knowledge of the place you are considering visiting. Check the websites of all accommodations.

Ask questions: Let tour operators/hotels know that you are a responsible consumer. Before you book, ask about their social and environmental policies. For instance: What is your environmental policy? What percentage of your employees are local citizens? Do you support any projects to benefit the local community?

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Choose wisely: Are the businesses you’re considering certified? Do they have eco-label ratings, or have they won eco-awards?

Helpful Internet Resources The following websites provide useful tips on sustainable and responsible travel. - Green Traveller, an online guide to green holidays and green places to stay: www.greentraveller.co.uk - ResponsibleTravel.com, a directory of carefully screened holidays run by specialist operators and accommodations: www.responsibletravel. com - Lonely Planet Sustainable Travel & Responsible Tourism (START): www.lonelyplanet.com/responsibletravel/ - Make Travel Fair, tips and resources to help conscious travelers “learn the world” through travel: www.maketravelfair.com - Seat61, information on how to travel overland comfortably & affordably: www.seat61.com

Change the Way You Travel and Help Change the World TIES’ Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference brochure, which includes the above information and more useful tips on how to travel responsibly, has been developed as part of our ongoing advocacy campaign to raise awareness of responsible travel practices. We encourage TIES members to use this brochure to educate your guests, employees, colleagues, students and community members about how their travel choice can make a difference. If you would like to receive complimentary copies* of the Travel Choice brochure, please contact: [email protected]. *Shipping cost not included.

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference (Cont’d)

How can travelers make a difference in your community?

Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference brochure for the Yucatan World Heritage Sites, with a detachable bookmark with customized sustainable travel tips. In 2006, TIES partnered with the United Nations Foundation, the World Heritage Alliance, Rainforest Alliance, and Expedia, Inc. to developed a special “Travel Choice” brochure, to help educate tour operators and travelers about how to travel responsibly and help protect the World Heritage Sites of the Yucatan Penninsula in Mexico. We welcome proposals from those who are interested in partnering with TIES to develop a destinationspecific Travel Choice brochure and an educational campaign in your country or region. For more information, please contact: [email protected], with “Travel Choice” in the subject line. Please see: www.ecotourism.org to read more about “Travel Choice” and TIES’ other ongoing advocacy campaign on ecotourism and climate change, “Traveling with Climate in Mind.”

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel An Eco-Bag Insider By Antonis B. Petropoulos

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cotourism, like charity, begins at home, when you are packing! A discussion of what is and what should go inside the travel suitcase of the Ecotourist, which I will call an ecobag for short, may at first sound boring or a trifle, however the more you think and read about it, the more complex, interesting and important you will find it. I did!

Don’t judge a book by its cover, they say. Is it also true with the travel suitcase WANT TO LEARN MORE? of the ecotourist (which I will call an ecobag for short)? Surely, at the time when a metropolis like San Francisco or Mumbay bans plastic bags, the cover ECOCLUB® Website: or fabric of a travel bag should also matter. While the contents of an ecobag www.ecoclub.com should be very carefully considered, the cover or fabric of a travel bag should also matter. However, we should not be promoting consumerism: even if it made of pure plastic, your current bag is your ecobag. No need—if it is in good shape—to buy an additional, more “eco” one. When it’s time to replace your current bag, after disposing responsibly by recycling it or reusing any inside parts (many bags come with detachable components), be sure to consider the latest eco alternatives in fabrics, wheels and natural dyes. While it is generally quite difficult to find out what exactly a bag is made of (as there is rarely an ingredients label on the bag), you can try searching for bio-plastics, or skip plastic altogether and opt for hemp! Hemp is one of the oldest domesticated plants. It is cultivated virtually everywhere in the world as an industrial crop, except the United States where authorities apparently fear cannabis misuse (although critics allege the real reason is the protection of the domestic synthetic-fibre industry). An eco-friendly natural fiber, hemp can be grown without chemicals and can produce anything from paper to bio-plastics, and is usually mixed with cotton for fabrics. There are many other eco-options ranging from recycled plastic, recycled and reclaimed vintage fabric, organic cotton, organic linen (and blends) to new inventions such as fabrics made from bamboo-carbon nano-particles. Unfortunately, not many bag producers are experimenting with these eco-options, so as a consumer you have to use your online search skill—and don’t forget to inform producers that you are really interested in ecobags! Moving on to what goes inside the Ecotourists bag: It of course depends on your tastes (and on the destination, the weather, the length of stay, the age & gender of the traveller, the type of holiday, the means of transport, security sensitivities, the terrain, the socioeconomic & cultural conditions of the destination, politics (think of ‘banned’ books) and so on) however there are some basics, if you are serious about practicing your green philosophy when travelling. In my opinion, the most important advice on packing responsibly is to travel light. Why? First, you are lighter to transport, and thus consume less energy. Second, you will be able to support the local economy and leave ample space for eco-gifts. Third, traveling light will make it easier for you to use public transport. Fourth, there is less of a chance of bringing unnecessary items which can provoke your less well-off hosts.

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TIES Advocacy Campaign on Climate Change, Sustainable Travel and Ecotourism Learn more and get involved: [email protected]

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

Save the Date! Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2008 (ESTC 2008) Greening the Tourism Industry in the U.S. and Canada

October 27-29, 2008 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Suitcase Full of Garbage Black Sheep Inn

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hat would you do if you could NOT throw out any trash while traveling!? How would you carry all the plastic water bottles, plastic bags, soap wrappers, shampoo bottles, old razors, food wrappers, beer bottles, napkins, tea bags, chewing gum, etc.? You would need two suitcases: one for your luggage and another for the growing volume of trash that you produce daily. It is common camping practice to carry out whatever you carry in, but when traveling people take trash disposal for granted: Out of sight – out of mind. How many people actually take tours of trash dumps around the world? The beauty of garbage is that everywhere you go, there is always trash! It is something that all humans have in common across cultures and societies. At the Black Sheep Inn Ecuador, we have heard travelers’ complaints for years about Ecuadorians throwing trash everywhere. Even in the public buses there are often signs that say, “Keep the Bus Clean, Throw your Trash out the Window!” – sounds absurd? But where is the correct place to throw trash if there are neither recycling programs nor garbage collection?

stations in Chugchilán for separating organic and inorganic garbage. 50% of waste is composted while the other half is classified into cardboard, hard and soft plastic, batteries, metal and glass. Recyclables are sold; money goes directly to the village trash workers. Non-recyclables are placed in a small landfill. The compost has been used to fertilize a new park in the Center of Chugchilán. Little by little we are teaching local youth about recycling. A clean village is healthier and better for tourism. So the next time you are planning a trip and filling your suitcase, remember how often you will be emptying it. Your footprint goes a lot further than you think.

We invited the local Mayor to a meeting and asked him if he would send the county garbage truck to our village once a month and he bluntly said, “NO!” Instead, he suggested that we find a location for a landfill and he even offered to help pay for it. We explained that the best thing to do would be to build a recycling center. The Mayor responded, “You can do what you want, but either way you need a property to do it on.” Two years later, as the elected ‘King of Garbage’ in the village of Chugchilán, the Black Sheep Inn is spearheading a local recycling center. The center was partly funded by winning the 2006 ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards. For years every Monday in Chugchilán garbage was conveniently swept into the Canyon. Today, there are 4

Black Sheep Inn (TIES Business Member) www.blacksheepinn.com

Black Sheep Inn is a small international award-winning ecolodge and Permaculture demonstration site high in the Ecuadorian Andes. The Inn provides a comfortable, educational experience for guests, teaching them about the local area, local customs, while contributing to and improving the local community and the natural environment. Eco Permaculture Features include: solar panels, adobe construction, composting toilets, recycling, roof water collectors, gray water systems, organic gardens, community education & aid work, reforestation, erosion control and more.

Earn a Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Management Online with TIES/George Washington University Distance Learning Courses • Sustainable Tourism Assessment and Development • Sustainable Tourism Destination Marketing • Electronic Marketing and Internet Applications • Ecotourism Management

• • • • •

Ecolodge Development Environmental Management for Destinations Tourist Guide Techniques Coastal and Marine Ecotourism Cultural Heritage Tourism

www.gwutourism.org/ties.htm

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel CAMPING WITH DR. BRONNER

By Adam Eidinger, Public Affairs Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

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he uplifting experience of travel to beautiful, yet ecologically sensitive regions, shouldn’t also mean the introduction of ecologically disruptive chemicals to these places. In general, people don’t realize that many body care products are made using petroleum-derived ingredients that often are not rapidly biodegradable and can contain preservatives that may be potentially disruptive to sensitive ecosystems. Nearly all shampoos, lotions, conventional liquid soaps and dish washing liquids would not exist if it was not for giant oil refineries which pump out core compounds of these synthetic products found in nearly every home in America. Even some so-called natural and organic shampoo and soap brands are actually made with synthetic hybrid petrochemical-vegetable detergents.

Want to Learn More?

For the eco-conscious, visiting pristine regions Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps of the world doesn’t have to mean life without (TIES Business member) soap. Instead, bring along a concentrated www.drbronner.com organic liquid soap such as Dr. Bronner’s. Made with 100% biodegradable and ecologically clean ingredients for 60 years, the soap is gentle on the skin and earth.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, known as a “the camping soap,” is made from organic coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils and scented only with organic essential oils. Peppermint is the most popular scent and has been praised by users for its tingly fresh sensation it leaves on the skin. Some users report the peppermint as sort of an insect repellant, while others say it even keeps the bears away. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap in Peppermint Flavormmunity.

Regardless of whether it keeps the bugs away, Dr. Bronner’s is as organic as soap can get. Real organic soaps like Dr. Bronner’s are biodegradable in 24 hours, leaving no pollution behind. As a multipurpose soap you can use it for everything: Bathing, dishes, shaving, brushing your teeth, laundry. Its use is only limited by your imagination. Using a multipurpose soap cuts down on the amount of gear you need to take along too. Recommended by the Sierra Club and US National Park Service, Dr. Bronner’s is an essential item no eco-explorer should be without.

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For pricing and submission guidelines, contact: [email protected]

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Respecting Place and People: Sustainable Travel in Morocco By Natalia & Thomas Baechtold, Annie Vanderwyk RawPerspectiveImages.com

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he key to understanding sustainable travel is to acknowledge the interconnectedness between the environment and people. The most effective way we have found to better understand this holistic relationship is to become immersed in the landscape and culture of Indigenous communities. As environmental photographers and videographers, we seek opportunities to document the ongoing relationships of global Indigenous peoples and the environments they have inhabited for millennia. We do not take on the role of retrospective cultural purveyors but celebrate the 21st-century cultural lives of Indigenous communities globally. Through our camera lens we have captured the synergy of the environment and people, and through our extensive travel we have gathered a wealth of sustainable travel research.

this environment without consideration of hydration, transport and local guidance. Mohamed, our guide, host and friend, shared his traditional knowledge learnt through generations of his family as farmers in the Sahara. The first thing to learn is that this land and climate has been survived by generations of Berber peoples and their clothing reflects a respect for the desert and their own survival. We took time to purchase suitable Berber clothes that proved to be the most comfortable, practical, grit and camel-friendly option for the next 10 days’ trekking. The Kasbah provided a magnificent image of protection, subsistence and survival against the desert surrounding this oasis of life. Mohamed’s family embraced our time together sharing their space, food and daily routines. Every evening, all residents of the Kasbah celebrated the coolness of the setting sun and the end of a working day by gathering together outside the walls of the family compound to watch the children play, share stories of our lives and move to the traditional music played by the older family members. Our cameras recorded the most precious souvenirs with each image framed by the mighty sand dunes of the Sahara, a landscape that continually brushed away our footprints and reclaimed its pristine environment.

We wish to share our experiences as global travellers to answer some questions regarding the physical needs of the environmentally conscientious traveller including cultural perceptions and actions that should be considered in support of successful sustainable travel.

An Oasis in Morocco The first thing we advise to take on a sustainable cultural adventure is an open mind and an attitude to embrace difference. Encountering alternative landscapes, climate and culture are the essence of a true adventure outside of your usual cultural environment. The Sahara desert at first feels like a harsh, desolate and infertile expanse. Not one step should be taken into

Sustainable tourism demands a consideration of the most precious commodity, water. The day to day needs of our bodies demand an exploration of Sahara bathrooms and toilets. As we loped through the desert on our camels the freedom of the desert provided countless sand dunes to hide behind. Photos by RawPerspective Images

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Respecting Place and People (Cont’d)

The desert is so dry that the sand did not at anytime stick to our bodies, so showering didn’t seem as urgent as in humid climates. Toilet paper was used in the trekking camps, but collected and burnt before the camp was packed up every day or two.

Want to Learn More? Raw Perspective Images (TIES Sponsor Member) www.RawPerspecitiveImages.com

The Kasbah offered a more luxurious toilet option, a mud out-house that was so tiny that a person over 6 feet tall would have to almost crawl to get in. It had a tiny window for light and an aroma that made you want to exit as quickly as possible. The local custom is to use water and the left hand for toilet clean-up, so consider bringing your own toilet paper. Both trekking and in the Kasbah basins and buckets are used to bathe to maximize water use. Wearing the Shash, the traditional Berber head wrap, not only masks the desert from your face, but hides serious ‘hat hair’ with the once a week hair-wash option. So forget the hairdryer and the fancy shampoos and conditioners, do yourself and the environment a favour and stick to the Berber ways so as the desert winds blow, they erase your footsteps and continually shape a magnificent landscape

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and inform the colour of the Indigenous peoples and their unique cultural ways. Take: - As many photographs as you can, consult your local guide for permission and protocols when photographing people. - A cultural experience that will last a life-time, and the friendship of the local peoples. Leave: - Only your footprints, if the desert will allow. - With a great respect for the environment and the reciprocal cultural experience that you have shared with the Indigenous community. What to pack: - Camera and extra charged batteries for the ultimate souvenirs on the desert trek. - Local clothing, especially a Shash. - Toilet paper, unless happy to use your left hand. - Gifts that reflect respect and thanks for your host community. - A deep desire to experience difference, environmentally and culturally. Photos by RawPerspective Images

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel TIES EcoCurrents 2008 Topics In 2008, the EcoCurrents e-Magazine will focus on sustainable use and management of natural and cultural resources in ecotourism, highlighting best practice examples and up-to-date information on relevant issues and challenges. First Quarter 2008 (March 2008): Conservation and sustainable management of water resources in ecotourism. Second Quarter 2008 (June 2008): Alternative and renewable energy use for sustainable tourism development. Third Quarter 2008 (September 2008): Agricultural and forestry resources and innovative solutions for ecotourism. Fourth Quarter 2008 (December 2008): Sustainable development, capacity building and community wellbeing.

Call for article submissions: Share your stories with TIES members from around the world! We encourage our members to share best practice stories, project and news updates by submitting articles for the upcoming editions of EcoCurrents. If you are interested in submitting an article on one of the above topics, please contact the editor at: [email protected]. Copies of the Editorial Policies are available upon request. We also welcome comments, questions and suggestions from our members.

2008 EcoCurrents Publishing Schedule Q1 (March 2008) Article submission deadline: February 25, 2008 Advertisement submission deadline: March 3, 2008 Q2 (June 2008) Article submission deadline: May 26, 2008 Advertisement submission deadline: June 2, 2008 Q3 (September 2008) Article submission deadline: August 25, 2008 Advertisement submission deadline: September 1, 2008 Q4 (December 2008) Article submission deadline: November 24, 2008 Advertisement submission deadline: December 1, 2008

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel Special Holiday Thanks to TIES Sponsor Members THANK YOU--Your Support is Our Strength We look forward to another great year in 2008!

Sponsor-level UCFC* Members: California Polytechnic State University North Carolina State University West Virginia University University of Utah

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*UCFC: University Consortium Field Certificate - TIES’ Training and Education initiative for ecotourism students. For more information on the UCFC program and to join, contact: [email protected].

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel AYNI – THE GIFT OF GIVING AND RECEIVING WITH TOURISM By Nina Fogelman

Discovering opportunities to help develop “Rural Living Tourism” in Peru has become a real passion for me. My most recent visit in September, 2007 led me to a community in the Lake Titicaca area that truly captured my heart. I feel blessed to be able to offer opportunities to a segment of Peru’s tourists who wish to participate in unique and rewarding activities, and return to Peru, to my heart of hearts. The local residents of a village called Atuncolla (pronounced atoon coya) are the descendents of the Qolla Kingdom in the Andean highland region. The Qollas rose to power following the collapse of the Tiahuanaco culture in the 12th century, and were later conquered by the Incas. 14 families have organized in this community with the compassionate guidance of Victor Pauca to form an Association of Living Tourism—LOS QOLLAS SILLUSTANI, ASTURIS. The president of the Association is Santiago Monteagudo Bruna, and his main assistant Julio R. Vilca Monteagudo, who is tremendously dedicated to helping their piece of the planet improve on all levels. Victor Pauca, a retired engineer and native of Peru, now Julio, Victor Pauca & Nina with Atuncolla President San- dedicates his life to organizing and aiding the local communities. tiago Monteagudo, grinding He honored me with an invitation to visit Atuncolla and see if my flour from Quinoa for company, Ancient Summit Enterprises, would be interested in the bread. participating by sending tourists and volunteers to donate their time and talents while experiencing life in the community.

Julio’s family—Isabel gifted me with this beautiful rug. She makes them right there to sell to visitors.

At Ancient Summit, our goal is to offer opportunities to a segment of Peru’s tourists to participate in unique and rewarding activities. These visits help support families and communities with very few resources. In order to help, we design “Wear and pack clothing and shoes that you special visits provided by will not mind leaving behind. This serves local member families. We are a double purpose: you are recycling your training locals as guides and clothing in a wonderful way, and you will then helping prepare them in general have plenty of additional room in your bags for to succeed as a new product purchasing handicrafts from the local artisans, of Rural Living Tourism. To helping support the community. For children, qualify, the project must meet used sports team uniforms are great gifts.” conditions to ensure respect for - Nina Fogelman the environment, customs, and As a community project, this classroom traditions of locals, develop selfwas built with the help of some generous volunteers. It costs very little to esteem, and provide a system to educate the children. In other words, we create an ecotourism donate the needed books for these kids. product which is auto-sustainable and sustainable over time. AYNI is an ancient Andean word meaning RECIPROCITY. The development of this class of Participative Ecotourism provides the opportunity for AYNI. Visitors are able to lend a hand to people with limited access to economic resources in order to give their children a better chance for the future, helping them become productive members of society as well as mindful custodians of the planet. “Peru taught me so much about life, my relationship with others and with the world around me. When friends came to visit, it was very important for me to share this with them and so I showed them ‘Peru My Way’ which always included integrating with the locals and their culture. Please consider me your Cultural Hostess in this magical land: [email protected].” - Nina Fogelman Nina Fogelman--When in 1983, Nina accepted a one year contract in Peru as Director of an Alternative Healing Arts Institute, little did she imagine she would end up living there for the next six years. Through a series of circumstances during her stay in the Sacred Valley of the Inca, she “love” adopted 4 local children who are now grown into extraordinary adults with children of their own. This led her to a chain of events that have helped her to support others to have similar experiences, resulting in the creation of Ancient Summit Enterprises, Inc., which dedicates to personalized and unique visits with a conscience to Peru. Nina’s love of Peru and her ability to move between the two cultures broadens and enriches your Peruvian experience. www.ancientsummit.com

Photos by Nina Fogelman

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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel An Eco-Bag Insider

Continued from Page 3

Do your homework beforehand, online and off-line, and take your notes with you instead of those five heavy guidebooks. Choose to buy the local guidebook, not that from the same old companies. Do invest in a good phrase book or dictionary and learn the local language, so you can at least thank and greet the locals.

Below are some tips on necessary items to bring with you when you travel. The general rule of thumb is that you have to think of what is practical and healthy. Clothing Tips: - Organically-grown, casual, not flashy, fast-drying, long-sleeved clothing, in the colors of nature, lest you scare away animals or attract unwarranted attention - Pants that can be transformed into shorts, and vice versa, come in handy when necessary to adjust to cultural or climatic conditions. - A light-weight fleece that can double as a pillow - Dresses and other items to cover yourself/your head if visiting religious sites. - Empty canvas or bio-plastic bags to separate dirty clothes from clean ones and wrap dirty shoes. Staying Healthy: - If you shave, opt for electric to save on water and chemicals. - Mosquito repellant and sun block/sun tan lotion made with natural, organically-grown ingredients. - A first aid kit (especially for bites, including syringes where health standards are low) as allowed by flight regulations (one more reason to try to travel by other means!). - Antiseptic gel for your hands/toilet seats. - If you can find a small one, a thermos and a portable eco water purifier, to avoid those malaria tablets--otherwise a boiling water kit, anything to avoid buying damaging and unhealthy plastic water bottles.

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Do’s and Don’ts: - Instead of taking an mp3 player with headphones, take in the sounds of the place you are visiting and try communicating with local people. - If visiting friends/acquaintances, bring a small organic gift from your country and a picture from your hometown. - A recycled pen and recycled notepad for your memoirs/travel notes. Don’t take that expensive palmtop which will get certainly wet. - And of course your camera which should fit in your pocket. Be careful where you point it! Don’t Forget…: - A simple, cheap, watch with alarm clock so as not to miss your connections. - Photocopies of travel documents to save you money and time in case of loss. - Rechargeable batteries, if taking electric appliances with you. Lastly, on your way back don’t forget to make space for your rubbish, especially plastics and batteries (for which relatively few destinations have proper recycling procedures) and for authentic local eco-gifts for your friends and for you, to remind you of that special place. And the very last ingredient for your ecobag is, especially if hiking, that you carry it yourself; slavery is abolished! Antonis B. Petropoulos is Director of ECOCLUB®, the International Ecotourism Club™, and lives in Athens, Greece. He is an avid seeker of genuine eco-products and you are welcome to contact him with questions or suggestions at:

First International Seminar on Tourism in Peace with Nature and People, March 24-28, 2008 www.houseofpeaceanddialogue.com

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

TIES NATIONAL & REGIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

Photo Credits Page 1: Photos by TIES. Page 2-3: Phots by TIES. Page 6 Article photo courtesy of Black Sheep Inn. Page 7: Article photo courtesy of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. Page 8-9: Article photos courtesy of RawPerspective Images. Page 10: Photos by TIES. Page 12: Article photos courtesy of Nina Fogelman. Back Cover: Photos by TIES.

TIES BOARD

OF

DIRECTORS

Heba Aziz, Director, Research Services, Jameirah UAE • Rajiv Bhartari, Indian Forest Service & Corbett Tiger Reserve, India • Sylvie Blangy, European Marie Curie Research Fellow, Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Canada • Kelly Bricker (Board Chair), Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, University of Utah, USA • Tony Charters (Vice Chair), Principal, Tony Charters & Associates, Australia • Richard Denman (Secretary), Director of Tourism Consulting, The Tourism Company, United Kingdom • Andrew Fairley (Treasurer), Chairman, Alpine Resorts Council Victoria, Australia • Kamelia Georgieva, Manager, Human Research Center, Bulgaria • Glenn Jampol, President, Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica • Karen Lewis, Owner, Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Costa Rica & USA • Hitesh Mehta, Architect, Landscape Architect and Ecotourism Planner, HM Design • John Poutasse, Attorney, LSL Law, USA • Ravi Ruparel, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank, USA • Chandra de Silva, CEO/Founder Director, Ranweli Holiday Village, Sri Lanka • Keith W. Sproule, International Ecotourism Consultant, USA • Masaru Takayama, Executive Director, Japan Ecolodge Association, Japan • Wolfgang Strasdas, Head of Program, Sustainable Tourism Management Master Program, University of Eberswalde, Germany • Jan Wigsten, Consultant, Natural Consulting and Training, Sweden & Marketing Director, Nomadic Journeys, Mongolia • Carolyn Wild, President, WILD International, Canada &Australia

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 • Brazilian Adventure Travel Trade Association (ABETA) • Camara Nacional de Ecoturismo de Costa Rica (CANAECO) • Central Balkan Kalofer Ecotourism Association • Chitral Association for Mountain Area (CAMAT) • Tourism 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 • Nunavut Tourism • Russian Ecotourism Society • Society for Ethical Ecotourism (SEE) Southwest Florida • 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