Ecotourism

Saif Al-Islam Mua'mmar Al-Qaddafi has unveiled a $3bn plan to protect the archaeological treasures of Libya and to regulate the development of tourism and Libya's rugged Mediterranean coastline. The Green Mountain Sustainable Development, stretching between Benghazi and Tobruk, will include organic farms, a national park and eco-friendly hotels that will create jobs for more than 70,000 young Libyans. The plan also aims at restoring the neglected archaeological sites, widely regarded as the best in the southern Mediterranean basin. Read more.

 

 

What is ecotourism?

Ecotourism is defined by the Chambers Dictionary as, "The careful development and management of tourism in areas of unspoiled natural beauty, so that the environment is preserved and the income from tourists contributes to its conservation."

The preservation of natural tourist sites and the beautiful biodiversity and reinvesting some of the generated revenue in local projects which will help the local communities is also known as responsible travel or responsible tourism. Responsible tourism also means rising awareness of the true value of the country's heritage and its conservation; travelling with local guides who know the local traditions and customs; respecting the local ecosystems; and providing itineraries and tours that satisfy the ever-increasing travellers' expectations.

 

 

Who coined the term ecotourism?

The term ecotourism was coined in 1983 by the Mexican Architect Héctor Ceballos-Lascuráin. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has adopted his modified version of the term in 1996.

 

 

What is Eco Imperialism ?

Eco or Green Imperialism is a situation in which rich developed countries pay money to poor developing countries, such as African countries, to emit less CO2 and other green house gases so that the rich can emit more-or-less at the same rate; accumulating more wealth while keeping the wretched poorer. Some critics have voiced their concerns that some carbon offsetting programs come under this category. Please research your contribution before you pay, or choose not to pay.

You need to verify the existence of the project and delivery of carbon balance. You need to make sure of the visibility and the transparency of the companies involved. Unregulated companies may   prefer to fund certain projects that would suit brands. This makes the job even harder for individuals to identify, as lack of time to find out about all these issues is another kind of costly problem. This guide lists a number of things you can do that really will help the planet in the long run. Responsibility starts at home; if not in the mind.

 

 

How Can I help?

Travellers & tourists: you can help in various ways, like offsetting your carbon yourself (without paying companies any money); recycling your waste; respecting the sites you visit; donating some money for local people in remote areas; buying directly from them some of the local crafts rather than paying extortionate money to city dealers; respecting the local culture; and following the various guidelines and travel codes published by various eco-friendly organisations. As an example of irresponsible tourist, we can recall some of the atrocities committed in the Sahara, such as urinating on prehistoric paintings to bring out the colours for better photos; cutting sections of prehistoric paintings and carvings to sell in online auctions and to dealers; and throwing plastic bottles behind them when they finished with them.

Tour operators, travel agencies & package holiday providers: need to follow basic guidelines generally accepted today, including but not limited to building tourist projects away from villages as to not disturb or affect their way of life; avoid using air conditioning systems; ensuring conservation of water in campsites and desert areas; using solar energy; preserving the local landscape and designing projects to fit with local designs and culture; helping protect the surrounding wildlife; reinvesting some of the profit in local projects; employing local people and guides so that they benefit from the influx of tourists; recycling all material used; disposing of refuse appropriately; and above all respecting local customs and values.

Governments & organisations: can educate people about the issue, train the concerned bodies to deal effectively with the issue; publish and distribute material highlighting the main points people can do to help preserve the beauty of the country; fund and allocate a substantial amount of money to implement a proven working strategy to preserve and protect the natural resources of the country; design and fund programs to teach and train local tour guides a wide range of foreign languages and tourism skills to enable them to provide a good service for foreign tourists; and support ecosystem research and its sustainability and relationship to the health of the local people. Do the job.

 

Please do not collect any specimens of geological and archaeological nature, such as flints, fossils and stone tools. These need to be scientifically collected and catalogued, otherwise historical data about our distant history will be lost forever.