Tulum

A year ago, I’ve been with my family to a great small place on the shore in Tulum, Caribean, Mexico.

It was spring break 07 .

10 casitas along the shore, a yoga studio, and a perfect host, Roberto.
Of course, no electricity during the day, only few hours at night, a perfect taste of paradise.

Every morning a breakfast with the other guests, time to enjoy the day. Roberto is living in his own casita in the center of the lodge and take care of your well being with a perfect smile.
http://www.shambalapetithotel.com/

I’ve found a very interesting article on the World tourism website about an african UN project. Tourism and local green development schemes are studied as a tool to alleviate poverty.

“April 28, 2008, United Nations, UNWTO, is actively supporting African destinations which have the capacity to renew their tourism development after having recently suffered from internal crisis.

Among other activities, the Organization has agreed to convene a major Conference in September 2008 for investors, tourism stakeholders and airlines, in order to raise the awareness on the opportunities in this sector. This gathering will also include parliamentarians and local authorities and count on the support of international experts.

Further activities will range from supporting marketing efforts in foreign tourism markets, advancing UNWTO’s ST-EP Initiative (Sustainable Tourism – Elimination of Poverty), as well as facilitating the full reintegration of Côte d’Ivoire in the global tourism community and its return to an important role within UNWTO. The Organization will offer similar support to Mauritania.

Got the question a couple of times in the last few weeks so let me try to give you some answers…

We are focused on the ecology, the environment and the people, so the color “Green” was a natural fit for us …

The -ty is a great concept. Very hot at the moment in fact. Walking in Singapore last week-end, I saw a big ad downtown on the new brand of LG … Viewty … definitely, the -ty names are Hot !

And it reminds me always of the Mutiny of the Bounty and the “back to nature” life that followed ….

So here is the explanation for Greenty !

It is always interesting to have a good look at your travel providers …we encourage you to check if your eco-resort, green hotel or nature tour do provide some good answers to the following key questions:

How do you conserve resources?

It’s easy to request that guests reuse towels; hotels taking water conservation a step further irrigate lawns and gardens with gray water (from bath and laundry sources) rather than fresh water. Guests should be encouraged to walk, ride bicycles, and take advantage of public transportation and energy-efficient vehicles such as hybrids. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are good signs, as is the separating of trash and composting. Whenever possible, buildings should be constructed with recycled materials and timber from renewable sources. Disposable items are best avoided.

How do you protect plants and animals?
Pedestrians and cyclists should stay on trails, and vehicles on roads. If your guide hacks up trees for firewood or your group disturbs wildlife and doesn’t back off, something’s wrong. Outside of qualified breeding programs, wild animals are never to be caged.

What do you do to help the community?
Not every company will be locally owned and operated, but outfitters and lodges should at least hire local staff. Beyond jobs, many operations emphasize charity. The owners of Lapa Rios, a five-leaf eco-lodge in Costa Rica, helped build a school in a rural area that lacked electricity and phones, while Guerba, a U.K.-based tour company, has raised more than $64,000 for homeless kids in Tanzania. When it’s time to eat, look for restaurants selling regional, organic food.

What ecotourism activities do you offer?
One of the best things an eco-resort can do is impart awareness to guests. Snorkeling above coral reefs, hiking in rain forests, and rafting in remote rivers can be both thrilling and educational. Shopping excursions should focus on goods made locally, ideally with opportunities to learn about workers’ lives and culture. And of course, activities ought to be respectful and avoid damaging the environment. Cooking with lightweight gas stoves causes less harm than using campfires. If you do light a campfire, always set it up in an established fire pit or ring. When you’re snorkeling, never touch the coral. Optimally, you’ll bring these practices home. Truly successful ecotourism changes not just the way you vacation, but the way you think–no matter where you are.

As we discussed earlier, sustainable tourism is a wide, sometimes unclear concept. Part of our job @ Greenty will be to help you understand and find good alternatives for minimizing your impact when traveling ….

To get our basics right and to help finding, selecting and rating the best eco-travel providers, we will follow the Principles for Sustainable Tourism given and stated by the Tourism Concern/WWF.

1.Using resources sustainably:

the conservation and sustainable use of resources – natural, social and cultural – is crucial and makes long-term business sense;

2.Reducing over-consumption and waste:

reduction of over-consumption and waste avoids the costs of restoring long-term environmental damage and contributes to the quality of tourism;

3.Maintaining Diversity:

maintaining and promoting natural, social and cultural diversity is essential for long-term sustainable tourism, and creates a resilient base for the industry;

4.Integrating Tourism into Planning:

tourism development which is integrated into a national and local strategic planning framework and which undertakes environmental impacts assessments, increases the long-term viability of tourism;

5.Supporting Local Economies:

tourism that supports a wide range of local economic activities and which takes environmental costs and values into account, both protects those economies and avoids environmental damage;

6.Involving local communities:

the full involvement of local communities in the tourism sector not only benefits them and the environment in general but also improves the quality of the tourism experience;

7.Consulting Stakeholders and the Public:

consultation between the tourism industry and local communities, organisations and institutions is essential if they are to work alongside each other and resolve potential conflicts of interest;

8.Training Staff:

staff training which integrates sustainable tourism into work practices, along with recruitment of local personnel at all levels, improves the quality of the tourism product;

9.Marketing Tourism Responsibly:

marketing that provides tourists with full and responsible information increases respect for the natural, social and cultural environments of destination areas and enhances customer satisfaction;

10.Undertaking Research:

on-going research and monitoring by the industry using effective data collection and analysis is essential to help solve problems and to bring benefits to destinations, the industry and consumers.

Ecotourism is not that easy to define. It actually covers a multitude of concept, from protecting the environment when traveling to caring more about local population …. we have found this interesting defintion from the TIES group:

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990)

In fact, Ecotourism is about connecting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement and participate in responsible tourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles:

• minimize impact
• build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
• provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
• provide direct financial benefits for conservation
• provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
• raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate