Green Tourism

Specialist Reports Special Interest Holidays Green Tourism Definitions of Green Tourism? 

There are absolutely no fixed definitions in this field and all of the below are sometimes used interchangeably and in some cases entirely misleadingly. Tourism Concern cites an ‘ecological' hotel in Brazil which felled a large tract of jungle to create a golf course.

Sustainable tourism

Benefiting both tourists and hosts but also protecting and enhancing opportunities for tourism in the future - based on sustainable patterns of production and consumption.

The English Tourism Council further defines it as offering:
? Visitor satisfaction
? Industry profitability
? Community acceptance and benefit
? Environmental conservation

Green tourism

Kind to the environment and acceptable to the local community, plus involving efficiently managed waste and energy practices. The term is sometimes used inter-changeably with eco-tourism, particularly in the US.

Eco-tourism

People travelling in small groups and being given some information about the local nature and wildlife (also known as nature tourism)- only around 2-4% of all international travel. Eco-tourism does not necessarily support long-term protection of the environment. By its nature this necessitates developing tourism in fragile, sensitive areas - fraught with difficulties if demand increases significantly.

Typical holidays in this category are walking, bird watching, mountain trekking, and safaris. It can be part of a more conventional holiday or a total holiday package staying in a remote, rural environment. If properly managed it can be an important way of protecting the world's ecosystems. If the area is seen to have a greater value as it is, it may be protected from deforestation, agricultural or housing development.

The US Ecotourism Society calls eco-tourism ‘responsible travel to nature areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people.

In practice, according to Mike Mann in The Good Alternative Guide to Travel, most so-called ecotours do little to protect the environment - or to improve the well-being of local people who may in fact by entirely ignored.

Responsible Tourism

Run by outsiders but often giving donations to local communities and/or training local people to work with the holidays, for example as guides.

Partnership Tours

Run by the local community in conjunction with either a commercial operation or an NGO. Generally the external partner offers marketing and business skills and retains ultimate control though ideally local people should participate in decision-making rather than be paid a fee.

Community Tours

Run entirely by the local community. This has obvious advantages but the community may lack marketing skills and perhaps more importantly, experience in handling the relatively sudden potential influx of cash.

In all cases groups should be small enough to minimise harm to the environment and local communities. Ideally they should also contribute to the conservation, protection and restoration of the environment, although in practice this is rare.