A quick briefing
Nowadays, the world is in movement. European countries have opened their borders each other, free movement of people and goods are multiplying, air traffic is growing day after day, it is a time of globalization and international business. This evolution of our world touches each one of us. We can have any tropical fruit, such as a mango or a pineapple imported from Brazil, to our front door supermarket. Today, with just a click on your computer, we are able to book a trip to the other side of the world. We can enjoy every part of it. Yes, we can. And we do, but careful, every pleasure has a cost and every move that we make can have a negative effect.
Most of people are now aware of the existence of associations, as well as NGOs, whose purpose is to guarantee a fair trade between producer and consumer. This system helps local communities to lead a more decent life, to get their children educated and to feed themselves. But, if to buy through a Fair Trade label is enough for you to feel satisfied of your action, you are far from the truth. Fair trade is the beginning of a consciousness from people, but it remains a tiny part of all what we can do. Not only food or clothes are involved in this process, services are too.
Indeed, travelling can be very noxious for the environment and for people living in the country you are visiting. Just have a look to some places in Mexico, which became a real spot for tour operators and travel agencies, not really concerned by environmental issues. You can help us to preserve that.
What about ecotourism?
Ecotourism is simply another way to travel. Ecotourism means to care about the country you are visiting and the culture you are meeting. People love to discover a new lifestyle, but we have to think about locals too. For example, do not book a hotel for just one week of trip when you are coming from the other part of world, it is a waste of energy and money. Be careful who you are travelling with, some tour operators and hotels don’t care about Human Rights or the environment protection, just like airplane companies which don’t worry about CO2 emission. It looks obvious to people that local communities should take benefits from tourists coming to their country, unfortunately most of time it is not the case. If we think it is normal to pay the right price to a coffee producer, why wouldn’t it be so for the same for the population who hosts you on his own home land?
This is a behavior we need to integrate for the well-being of our future, and as you know, if the demand of such a program increases, the offer will too. Of course, there are limits of sustainable tourism, you will have to fly anyway for example, but we are still far away from those limits. Ecotourism is not only about environment, it is about cultures, traditions and social issues.
Romain.