Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

Sustainable tourism is conscientious travel. It means being careful with the environments you explore, and respecting the communities you visit. Two overlapping components of sustainable travel are ecotourism and ethical tourism. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. TIES suggests that ecotourists follow these principles:

• Minimize environmental impact.
• Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
• Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
• Provide direct financial benefits for conservation and for local people.
• Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.
• Support international human rights and labor agreements.

You can find some eco-friendly travel tips and statistics, as well as touring companies and associations -- listed by destination under "Travel Choice" -- at the TIES website, www.ecotourism.org. Also check out Ecotravel.com, which lets you search for sustainable touring companies in several categories (water-based, land-based, spiritually oriented, and so on).

While much of the focus of eco-tourism is about reducing impacts on the natural environment, ethical tourism concentrates on ways to preserve and enhance local economies and communities, regardless of location. You can embrace ethical tourism by staying at a locally owned hotel or shopping at a store that employs local workers and sells locally produced goods.

Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

In the U.K., Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) (www.aito.co.uk) is a group of specialist operators leading the field in making holidays sustainable.

Volunteer travel has become increasingly popular among those who want to venture beyond the standard group-tour experience to learn languages, interact with locals, and make a positive difference while on vacation. Volunteer travel usually doesn't require special skills -- just a willingness to work hard -- and programs vary in length from a few days to a number of weeks. Some programs provide free housing and food, but many require volunteers to pay for travel expenses, which can add up fast.

Before you commit to a volunteer program, it's important to make sure any money you're giving is truly going back to the local community, and that the work you'll be doing will be a good fit for you. Volunteer International (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a helpful list of questions to ask to determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program.

For general information on volunteer travel, visit www.volunteerabroad.org and www.idealist.org.

Sustainable Tourism in the Yucatan, Tabasco & Chiapas -- Mexico is a huge country with a varied terrain and wildlife. Some of the country's most pristine ecosystems lie in the south, a consequence of the region's lack of large-scale development, except along the Caribbean coast. The Mexican Caribbean supports the Great Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest reef in the world, which extends down to Central America. This reef and other marine ecosystems face increasing pressure from sedimentation, pollution, over-fishing, and exploitative recreational activities, all newly associated with growing regional tourism. The Coral Reef Alliance (www.coralreefalliance.org) is an example of an organization that, by teaming up with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF; www.wwf.org) and United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP; www.unep.org) has been working to address threats to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and improve environmental sustainability throughout the region. One of the best contributions a diver can make to support a healthy reef while diving is to avoid physical contact with the reef. Talk to your scuba outfitter about proper buoyancy control and body position to avoid damaging these fragile ecosystems.

The Yucatán peninsula has several natural protected areas, which are off-limits to development and are typically administered by local agencies or managed by local tourism cooperatives.

Cancún was rapidly developed from a rural outpost to an international resort destination and the disappearance of coconut palms is a major ecological concern that has cropped up in the process. When the resort's golf courses were constructed, developers imported turf from Florida, thus introducing a disease that wiped out these trees. The region's mangroves, vital to protecting the land from hurricanes and as a key habitat for native species, have been decimated by the disease.

Tabasco suffered severe flooding in 2007 which devastated much of the land and brought widespread suffering to the population, which is among Mexico's poorest. The floods also affected Chiapas, though to a lesser extent. Tabasco's sinking land, and the extraction of oil and gas, land erosion, and deforestation all contributed to the state's vulnerability to flooding. As of spring 2008, the tourism infrastructure was up and running again.

Ecotourism opportunities abound in Chiapas, where a growing number of small, local tourism cooperatives have organized to take tourists on guided hikes, treks, and even kayak expeditions into the state's isolated jungles and nature reserves. SendaSur (tel. 967/678-3909; info@sendasur.com; http://www.aventurachiapas.gob.mx) is the umbrella organization which can help arrange trips to these difficult to reach places. Two private companies that run ecotours throughout Chiapas are Ecochiapas (Primero de Marzo 30, San Cristóbal de las Casas; tel. 967/674-6660; www.ecochiapas.com) and Latitud 16 (Calle Real de Guadalupe 23, San Cristóbal de las Casas; tel. 967/674-6915; www.latitud16.com).

The Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (tel. 800/682-0584 in the US; www.travelwithmea.org) offers award winning ecotours recognized by National Geographic to the Yucatán and Chiapas.

Animal Rights Issues

The Yucatán presents many opportunities to swim with dolphins. For information about the ethics of swimming with dolphins, visit the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (www.wdcs.org). The capture of wild dolphins was outlawed in Mexico in 2002. The only dolphins added to the country's dolphin swim programs since then were born in captivity. This law may have eased concerns about the death and implications of capturing wild dolphins, but the controversy is not over. Local organizations have been known to staple notes to Dolphin Discovery ads in magazines distributed in Cancún hotels. Marine biologists who run the dolphin swim programs say the mammals are thriving and that the programs provide a forum for research, conservation, education, and rescue operations. Animal rights advocates maintain that keeping these intelligent mammals in captivity is nothing more than exploitation. Their argument is that these private dolphin programs don't qualify as "public display" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act because the entry fees bar most of the public from participating.

Visit the website of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society at www.wdcs.org or the American Cetacean Society, www.acsonline.org, for further discussion on the topic.

Bullfighting is considered an important part of Latin culture, but you should know, before you attend a correo, that the bulls (at least 6) will ultimately be killed in a gory spectacle. This is not the case in some countries, such as France and Portugal, but the Mexicans follow the Spanish model. That said, a bullfight is a portal into understanding Mexico's Spanish colonial past, although nowadays bullfights are more of a tourist attraction, especially in tourist laden Cancún. To read more about the implications of attending a bullfight, visit www.peta.org, the website of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

For information on animal-friendly issues throughout the world, visit Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org).

It's Easy Being Green

Here are a few ways you can help conserve fuel and energy when you travel:

• Each time you take a flight or drive a car, greenhouse gases release into the atmosphere. You can help neutralize this danger to the planet through "carbon offsetting" -- paying someone to invest your money in programs that reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by the same amount you've added. Before buying carbon offset credits, just make sure that you're using a reputable company, one with a proven program that invests in renewable energy. Reliable carbon offset companies include Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and Carbon Neutral (www.carbonneutral.org).
• Whenever possible, choose nonstop flights; they generally require less fuel than indirect flights that stop and take off again. Try to fly during the day -- some scientists estimate that nighttime flights are twice as harmful to the environment. And pack light -- each 15 pounds of luggage on a 5,000-mile flight adds up to 50 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted.
• Where you stay during your travels can have a major environmental impact. To determine the green credentials of a property, ask about trash disposal and recycling, water conservation, and energy use; also question if sustainable materials were used in the construction of the property. The website www.greenhotels.com recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company's stringent environmental requirements. Also consult www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com for more green accommodation ratings.
• At hotels, request that your sheets and towels not be changed daily. (Many hotels already have programs like this in place.) Turn off the lights and air-conditioner (or heater) when you leave your room.
• Use public transport where possible -- trains, buses and even taxis are more energy-efficient forms of transport than driving. Even better is to walk or cycle; you'll produce zero emissions and stay fit and healthy on your travels.
• Eat at locally owned and operated restaurants that use produce grown in the area. This contributes to the local economy and cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions by supporting restaurants where the food is not flown or trucked in across long distances.
• For sustainable travel information about Mexico, visit the Global Journal of Practical Ecotourism (www.planeta.com), GloCal Mexico (www.glocaltravel.net), or Go Nomad (www.gonomad.com).