The place of eco-tourism in today’s changing environment
Amidst global warming indications and the effects that human populations have on the environment, eco-tourism is an ambiguous practice, which can be seen by some as being detrimental to the environment and by others, rather as being environment-friendly.
Already I would argue that the “eco” part of the term can both relate to “ecology” as much as “economy”, which could cause confusion as to its purpose. Tourism at least has a clear meaning. Together, eco-tourism can therefore imply that we (holiday-goers) can discover new places and enjoy them for their ecological wonder in a bid to raise awareness of their existence and ultimately protect them, but at the same time, it implies that the economic impacts of this type of tourism should go towards their preservation.
Protection against what? Poachers or industrial developers for instance but also mass tourism perhaps, which again raises the question: when does controlled encroachment become overly perturbing to nature? By seeking out to view endangered species or environments directly, albeit in controlled numbers through restricted touring organisations, eco-tourists themselves contribute to impacting these species and habitats.
An example of this is given in Zac Unger’s book, Never Look a Polar Bear in the Eye, which recounts the rise of eco-tourism in the Canadian Greath North in relation to polar bear excursions. It particularly highlights the senseless mass euphoria that can be generated from a single stark image (e.g. an emaciated polar bear) prompting people to go and see (supposedly) the last of these dwindling species in the wild. While, in contrast, scientific data can sometimes contradict what is widely reported in the media, counter-balancing the drastic and simplistic assumptions of a few.
The question about economic returns generated through eco-tourism is also raised, as the businesses involved in all aspects of the eco-tourism chain do not all have a mandate to primarily safeguard said species. In particular, downstream providers such as the companies involved in transporting, lodging and feeding these tourists are more likely to operate based on profit while likely damaging further the environment which it is supposed to preserve.
So how should we apprehend the prospect of eco-tourism? As thrilling and exciting as it may be to see wild animals in their natural habitat (such as that bear in photo that I saw in the Mauricie area, courtesy of this small outfitter), I would hope that wilderness reserve managers and alike adopt or maintain strict measures to monitor intrusions in order to preserve habitats and wildlife.
Measures could include direct entry tracking via paid licences or similar taxes, or even indirect passive monitoring to observe larger-scale phenomena (e.g. viewing vehicle traffic through remote sensed imagery in parks such as Yellowstone) to better manage human-animal interactions.
Ensuring wildlife safety and perennity should be on everyone’s conscience when planning one’s next vacation. Fortunately, as this Conde Nast article highlights, national authorities in the U.S. have already started looking into the ‘wildlife jam’ issues, to ensure that nature loving enthusiasts can continue to travel in harmony with the environment they so wish to continue seeing.
Photo from: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/yellowstone-national-parks-traffic-problem-might-force-big-changes
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