Your detailed and thorough post due by Wednesday@MIDNIGHT for full credit (A). Partial credit (C) can be earned by posting late, which is better than a ZERO.
Remember, weekly blogging is worth 1/3 of your entire semester grade.
Be sure to communicate with Dr. W as needed - rob.williams@madriver.com.
Read and blog
ECOTOURISM – WHO OWNS PARADISE?, Chapter 1 (In Search Of The Golden Toad).
1) THESIS: IYOW, post a single sentence that captures the thesis for EACH CHAPTER/ SECTION of our reading.
2) EVIDENCE: Post and number THREE specific observations from EACH CHAPTER/SECTION of our reading(s) that supports your thesis.
Use 2-3 sentences for each observation, and combine direct quotations from the text (AUTHOR's LAST NAME, 27), with IYOW analysis.
3) QUESTION: Include in your post a SINGLE SPECIFIC question you'd ask the class based on our readings.
Thesis: Discussing ecotourism, In Search of the Golden Toad focuses on the different aspects of ecotourism as a whole including its historical context, the evolution of it, the different types of organizations associated with it, etc. This chapter gives an in-depth explanation of ecotourism and its beginnings.
ReplyDeleteFact #1: “Looking ahead, broadly defined, ecotourism is expected to grow in the coming year, while some types of traditional tourism have reached a saturation point” (Honey, 7). I think that this statement is true, but there are positives and negatives to it. One of the negatives being that if the amount of ecotourism increases, there is the potential risk that the environments people are exploring can become run down due to the amount of people visiting, or if people aren’t taking as good of care of them as they should be. The positive of ecotourism growing is that these environments need to be supported so if there is responsible ecotourism occurring then that’s perfectly fine!
Fact #2: “Most typically, ecotourism involves visits to areas that are under some form of environmentals protection by governments, conservations or scientific organizations, or private owners or entrepreneurs” (Honey, 13). I believe strongly in the preservation of certain lands and to have so many things in place to protect land throughout the United States is extremely important. The U.S. National Parks System has been around since the nineteenth century and allows for visitors to enjoy them the way that they should be. It allows them to be preserved and last longer.
Fact #3: “The tourism industry, including the travel pass, has come to view “green travel” as a marketing tool to attract the growing the number of environmentally and socially conscious travelers seeking alternatives to conventional “mass tourism” (Honey, 25). I think that this marketing tool is good but also harmful. If people are genuinely interested in supporting the environment they’ve chosen to go to then great, but if they’re going just to go so they can say they went and not support it either that becomes a problem.
QUESTION: Do you guys think that the amount of travel will end up destroying specific travel locations for ecotourism or do you think it will help it?
Thesis: The book "ECOTOURISM – WHO OWNS PARADISE?", explains ecotourism as a whole. The first chapter “In Search Of The Golden Toad”, discusses the history and evolution of ecotourism. The chapter goes into depths explaining the positives ecotourism brings along with unintended consequences along the way.
ReplyDelete1. The chapter opens with a case study of the golden toad in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is one of the most popular ecotourism destinations in the world. Ecotourism has become a major part of their economy because it employs so many of its people. In the 1980’s ecotourism took off in Costa Rica. The golden toad is currently endangered and many think extinct. The money from the tourism has helped with conservation of this endangered species. However, many believe that a disease or other organisms carried over by a tourist is what actually is causing the loss of the toad. This quote shows how incredibly ironic the entire situation is, “Nowadays visitors to Monteverde see the golden toad only on postcards and on the entrance sign” (Honey, 4).
2. “Although ‘green' travel is being aggressively marketed as a win-win solution for the Third World, the environment, the tourist, and the travel industry, close examination, shows much more complex reality” (Honey, 4). This quote shows the positive attitude the world has around ecotourism. Many people are hoping that is going to solve a lot of our worlds issues and may even take the guilt away from traveling to these untouched Third World countries. However, when you look closely there are issues with the economy of these countries being sustainable, the “green” aspect truly helping the environment, and if this is helping the local people.
3. In Kenya in the early 1970’s they started implementing the “stakeholders” theory which is in order for ecotourism to truly benefit both the environment and the people, the people need to be a part of the tourism. The definition the book gives is “that people will protect what they receive value from” (Honey, 14). By creating jobs around the ecotourism the people of the community are more likely to protect the lands that they are receiving their livelihood from. This has helped get rid of unemployment in these countries and helped the locals take better care of the environment.
Question: Is the possible risk of heavy traffic of tourism and the negatives that come with it, outweigh the benefits of the money and education that can be used to help protect the environment?
THESIS: Ecotourism is a fast-developing industry that has been on the rise for quite some time, and has support from various organizations in order to define, sustain, and promote it.
ReplyDelete1. Ecotourism can be used as a resource for developing nations and communities to improve economically, environmentally, and also improve quality of life."Perhaps its most exciting potential is in its use as a tool for economic development and environmental protection in developing countries" (Honey 4). This quote speaks on the potential that ecotourism has to vastly improve the quality of life for those in developing nations, and also makes it clear that ecotourism is meant to improve the lives of those living in impacted communities, and never to exploit them.
2. Three key players in the process of implementing, promoting, and sustaining ecotourism are conservation organizations, multilateral aid institutions, and developing nations. These key players allow for the planning, financial backing, and physical locations of ecotourism to be available. “If unregulated and undertaxed, privatization can can mean an influx of foreign companies, with most of the profits flowing out of the host country” (Honey 25). This quote shows the importance of verifying that the benefits of ecotourism in a location are actually going to the host country, and not just large corporations. If most of the profits are leaving the host country, then it is not an ecotourism location at all.
3. It is important to be able to recognize whether or not the places you travel to are actually examples of ecotourism. Ecotourism involves travel to natural destinations, minimizes impact, builds environmental awareness, provides direct financial benefits for conservation and local people, respects local culture, and supports human rights and democratic movements. These standards prove that ecotourism is not just travelling to a location with a lot of nature, but actually benefiting and helping that location to thrive. “The long term challenge is to find ways to maintain the rigor and multidimensional qualities of ecotourism while widening it beyond individual projects and making it integral to the concept of tourism in general” (Honey 33).
Question: How can we, as American tourists, be sure that our travels are truly benefiting the host countries we visit?
Thesis: In the first chapter, “In Search of the Golden Toad,” Honey explains the history behind the concept of “ecotourism,” as well as the organizations involved in evolving the industry, why ecotourism took off, and what exactly constitutes as ecotourism.
ReplyDeleteFact 1) The idea of ecotourism took off because of multiple factors. To list a few worthy of mentioning from the chapter, mass tourism was degrading the environment, a higher need for areas of conservation was required, and ecotourism was a better and more stable form of income especially for developing countries. According to Honey, “A study in Iceland found that the economic value of whale watching worldwide is $1 billion, far more than any financial gain that would come from hunting” (23). This goes to show how profitable the industry is when done correctly.
Fact 2) Many organizations got behind the idea of ecotourism and helped raise it up. This includes the World Bank, GEF, USAID, IDB, OAS, and many others. Through funding and promotion, the new industry was becoming a much more utilized concept. However, “[The travel industry] quickly adopted it, popularized it, mainstreamed it - and watered it down” (Honey, 25). This has been a problem since the idea came about. Much like the term sustainability, ecotourism has been used on such a high level that not everyone knows what it truly means.
Fact 3) “Genuine ecotourism is hard to find but, unlike the golden toad, it is far from extinct” (Honey, 6) Honey discussed the fact that true ecotourism is harder to come by than travel agencies make it sound like. At the end of the chapter, though, she gives criteria to look for to gauge a trip that includes traveling to natural areas, minimizing impact, building environmental awareness, and quite a few others. This enables the readers to properly determine whether a proposed trip is actually ecotourism.
Question: is the term “ecotourism” used in too many improper contexts that it has lost too much meaning to be effective?
Thesis: The first chapter of Ecotourism and Sustainable Development focuses on introducing the concept of ecotourism and giving some history behind it.
ReplyDelete1. Historically one of the first ever organizations to delve into the concept of ecotourism was the Sierra Club Outing program. However while they did deal with the outdoors were not every ecologically friendly. "High Trips continued until 1972 when growing environmental concern about the human "impact on the fragile High Sierra landscape" led the Sierra Club's Outing Committee to stop conducting the High Trip"(12). The history of the subject was not a clean perfect road from the beginning it took time to get it right.
2. In more resent times the concept of ecotourism has become more mainstream in appeal. "Although the travel industry did not originate the concept of ecotourism, it quickly adopted it, popularized it, mainstreamed it - and watered it down" (25). This has created problems making it so people do not understand the actual definition of it only what the media and company's want them to.
3. These set backs have set a very important goal for ecotourism. "Ultimately, the goal must be to move ecotourism beyond simply a new niche within natural travel"(28). When the normal goals should always be the objective they mean very little when nothing is ever done about them. Once people are starting to implement them more regularly then we can start to see progress.
Question: Is a lack of understanding the greatest danger to ecotourism and nature as a whole?
Thesis: Martha Honey illustrates the promise and continued evolution of ecotourism over time, explaining that when done properly, ecotourism can be a powerful catalyst for environmental awareness, protection and education.
ReplyDeleteEvidence #1: The key to promoting true ecotourism over “ecotourism lite”, as Honey coins it, is being a responsible traveler. “‘Real ecotourism, writes tour operator Kurt Kutay, ‘is more than travel to enjoy or appreciate nature.’ It also includes minimization of environmental and cultural consequences, contributions to conservation and community projects in developing countries, and environmental education and political consciousness-raising, such as the establishment of codes of conduct for travelers as well as a wide variety of certification programs for components of the travel industry” (Honey 7). Perhaps one of the most promising aspects of ecotourism is its unique potential to completely change the travel industry for the better. However, change can only happen with dedicated efforts to practice ecotourism as its core principles intend and direct.
Evidence #2: “Competing terms and lack of precise definition, combined with ecotourism’s diverse roots and multiple actors, have helped produce what are today two conflicting crosscurrents within ecotourism: one, genuine ecotourism, toward putting into practice the multiple principles of ecotourism...and the other, ecotourism lite, toward adopting only its facade, without making fundamental changes to mass tourism practices” (Honey 28). She goes on to explain the need for ecotourism to become more than just a “niche within nature travel” and defines what the qualifications for “real ecotourism” are. With careful research, you can be sure that any organization, company, parks, or accommodations in any location you decide to support/visit is following the guidelines of genuine ecotourism.
Evidence #3: Similar to sustainability, in recent years the idea of ecotourism has become more of a buzzword than a solid method of environmental action. However, Honey insists that there are examples of true ecotourism left among the schemey tourist traps. She explains that ecotourism is a relatively young idea and will continue to mature into something even more wonderful given the chance to survive and flourish. “In my assessment, although ecotourism is indeed rare, often misdefined, and frequently imperfect, it is still in its adolescence, not on its deathbed. Whether ecotourism matures into adulthood in the twenty-first century, whether it gains permanence and becomes the predominant way in which we travel and interact with our physical and cultural environment, depends on myriad factors. One step towards ensuring ecotourism’s survival is helping to build a more discriminating and informed traveling public” (Honey 33). Encouraging responsible travel with others and yourself, researching as much as you can before you go somewhere, and diligently following other guidelines for proper ecotourism is the best way to ensure its success and long-lasting lifetime.
QUESTION: Is it possible to have zero-impact travel? Does the work you do once you arrive and things you learn make up for the impact it takes to get to the location?
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1N9r-OZc3lyxs_nLUrlmcpKfEVTakxiMTJN2rPayQ0NE/edit#slide=id.p
ReplyDeleteThesis: Ecotourism is not necessarily new. In practice, we have already been started on the path to ecotourism as long as one hundred years ago. Ecotourism in name is a rather new entity in the global economic sector. Not many countries are practicing it perfectly, but we can see efforts being made all across the globe. Ecotourism is often hailed as the solution to many social, economic and environmental problems that plague our world. It can be used to improve livelihoods, develop infrastructure and preserve natural areas.
ReplyDelete1) So I agree with this book almost wholeheartedly. That being said “Other warn that frogs, like canaries carried down a coal mine shaft, are giving biological signal that conditions are for survival are horribly out of balance and catastrophe is close at hand,” (Honey, 3) this is somewhat cynical,but do we need frogs to be able to tell that we are on the verge of ecological collapse? I would hardly say that frogs are the indicator for this degradation, one only needs to look around.
2) “I was intrigued to see that both South Africa and Cuba, two countries that for very different political reasons had been considered international pariahs…were promoting tourism…With Fidel Castro’s retirement, however, Cuba’s future direction was up for grabs… Cuba’s early ecotourism innovations did not expand into gov’t backed eco-projects,” (Honey, 5) now maybe I am biased, but I think she could have still included Cuba into her analysis in this book, either as it’s own chapter or in place of another. Cuba was one of the first places that I really began to question the impact of travel. I was thinking mostly in social infrastructure terms, such as Havanas dilapidated buildings, but when we went out into the core of Cuba, there was so much untapped potential. I hunk Honey could have done a ‘what-if’ chapter on Cuba, that is, how she thinks the country could improve, because I don’t think we ever see her ‘ideal’ form of ecotourism, in practice at least. She has the scorecard, but very few ideal examples are ever presented.
3) “By 1992, about forty-eight thousand sites, totaling about 12.3 million square kilometers established worldwide… in 2003, it was announced that there were over a hundred thousand protected areas, encompassing 17 million square kilometers and representing 11.5 percent of the earths total land surface,” (Honey, 13) for the record all of Russia takes up 17.1 million kilometers in landmass. So if we pooled up all of our world wide protected areas/national parks it would just about cover Russia. I mean that is a win, like a big win. I had no idea we had that much land protected. It gives me hope. And the fact that nearly double the amount of protected areas were created in ten years. Makes me wonder how much we can protect in the next 20.