Mother of All Crocodiles April 2, 2008
Posted by Clarissa Hughes in : Animals, Community, Conservation, ecotourism , add a comment
Madikwe, short for Madikwena, meaning Mother of All Crocodiles is a shining example of ecotourism success in Africa. This 76,000 hectare reserve was created in 1994 and was the subject of the largest game reintroduction exercise on the planet. Operation Phoenix saw the translocation of 8000 animals over a period of 8 years. The fully fenced reserve offers an almost unique location to view both desert adapted species, and the more regular bushveld animals. Gemsbok, brown hyena and eland occur; as do buffalo, elephant and spotted hyena.
Is it only about “the Big 5″? February 17, 2008
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Conservation, Tourism, ecotourism , 1 comment so far
Every once in a while I trawl through the research output of academia, specifically in the fields of ecotourism, sustainable tourism and ecotourism certification. The other day I came across the following article in the Journal of Ecotourism (vol 6, no. 1, 2007) entitled “Wildlife viewing preferences of visitors to protected areas in South Africa: Implications for the role of ecotourism in conservation“.
The article’s conclusions are particularly interesting, given the prevailing wisdom in the tourism industry that tourists to Africa are only interested in seeing the “Big 5″ - leopard, lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Just recently we have been debating this issue in ecoAfrica, so the research is timeous and topical for us. I for one have always been loathe to accept that only the Big 5 holds any attraction to travellers to our continent. (more…)
Carbon offsets: should you buy absolution? December 19, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Climate Change, ecotourism , 1 comment so far
Some critics liken carbon offsetting - paying for emission reductions elsewhere instead of reducing one’s own carbon emissions - to “buying pardons from the Catholic church in 16th century Europe” [1]. Absolution. Guilt-free flying.
And yes, there are various, related ethical issues that you must resolve for yourself. If you’re not sure what I am writing about, take a look at CheatNeutral for amusing satirical commentary on the practice of offsetting your “sins”. However, if you are thinking that I am simply about to dismiss carbon offsetting as an immoral or impractical practice, please read on.
Why community-based tourism is so important October 23, 2007
Posted by Clarissa Hughes in : Community, ecotourism , add a comment
The concept of the Peace Parks is gaining recognition for the vision that it is. I have written about it many times before as a model that shows the way forward for people and the planet. The embracing symbolism of transfrontier conservation areas cannot be overstated because it will only be by a process of inclusion and integration that humans will continue to exist as a species. If we fail to acknowledge and sanction the right-to-life of all of creation we will be left with a denuded and over-used earth unable to support humans.
We have a choice and the time for making that choice is now. We cannot afford to put it off.
One idea that is gaining ground in Africa is that of community-based tourism. (more…)
Ecotourism and flying 2 August 30, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : ecotourism , 9comments
In a previous post I referred to “air travel refuseniks” who frown upon leisure air travel on ethical grounds. Today I happened upon this article, Beware of ‘greenwash’, by John Cossham, Community Care’s ethical living expert. John is clearly an air travel refusenik. After casting doubt on “carbon offsetting” schemes, the punchline of his article reads:
“Most so-called ecotourism isn’t. It is ordinary aeroplane-based holidaying which takes you to a log cabin rather than a hotel. It’s “greenwash” from businesses desperate to keep you flying. “
Ecotourism, climate change, peak oil and flying August 10, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : ecotourism , 2comments
In an editorial about Angola, the editor of one of my favourite reads, Africa Geographic magazine, opined: “…tourism is more sustainable than oil or diamonds…”. Obvious and self-evident, one would think. But is it?
The oil industry is notorious for sucking the black liquid that fuels the developed world’s economies and lifestyles out of the ground in far-off places, yet leaving the local populations mired in poverty and conflict. The diamond industry has managed to engineer an artificially high monetary value for an essentially valueless “rock” through clever appeal to peoples’ vanity and ruthlessly controlling diamond supply on a global scale. Both resources are non-renewable – all diamonds will have been extracted someday (or the industry cartel will collapse) and global oil production may be fast approaching the backslope of Hubbert’s curve. And both industries leave indelible scars on the earth – witness the destruction of South Africa’s diamond coast and the pollution of the oil-rich Niger delta.
Ecotourism and “greenwashing” July 14, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : ecotourism , 1 comment so far
Coined in the 1980s, ecological tourism, or ecotourism has been a contested concept. Over the years there have been many definitions and the ensuing academic debates have only served to confirm that there are - or were - great disagreements. We at ecoAfrica believe in ecotourism and what it attempts to achieve, but only in so far as it represents a travel ethic as opposed to being a market segment or yet another tourism niche.
“Greenwashing ” is what happens when marketeers appropriate the concept. Travel simply has to have some proximity to “nature” or marketing materials contain a few strategically placed “eco” prefixes for it be passed off as “ecotourism”. Galling examples of greenwashing are the many golf “eco estates” that are all the vogue in South Africa at the moment.
