TIES EcoCurrents Quarterly eMagazine - 2007 Q4

8/14/2019 TIES EcoCurrents Quarterly eMagazine - 2007 Q4

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L ETTER FROM TIES T EAM 1 Y OUR T RAVEL C HOICE M AKES AD IFFERENCE

2 A N E CO -B AG I NSIDER 4

S UITCASE F ULL OF G ARBAGE -B LACK S HEEP I NN 6

C AMPING WITH D R . B RONNER 7

R ESPECTING P LACE & P EOPLE - R AW P ERSPECTIVE I MAGES 8

E CO C URRENTS 2008 10

TIES S PONSOR & S UPPORTER M EMBERS 11 AYNI - T HE G IFT OF G IVING AND R ECEIVING WITH T OURISM

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I NSIDE THIS ISSUE : EcoCurrents

Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustain

Fourth Quarter 2007

Editor: Ayako Ezaki

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

LETTER FROM TIES TEAM

Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference

B y choosing responsible travel, you can have the fabulous vacation thatyouve dreamed of, while ensuring that your dollars are beneting theenvironment and the local people at your destination.

Responsible travel is travel with a purpose. When choosing destinations,accommodations, and tour operators, consider which ones work to protect

the environment and benet local cultures and communities. Anyone can be aresponsible traveler! You can get back to nature, or bathe in luxury... hike intothe rainforest, or explore the city... stay close to home, or travel to the exoticlocation of your dreams. Responsible travel provides many options and is oftenvery affordable.

Read on to nd out more...!

Dear TIES members:

This year, at various times through our events and conferences, we enjoyed meeting and working with many of you. Thank you very much for the support youve shown us, and welook forward to many more opportunities to work with you in the coming year.

In 2007, we were also thrilled to hear from many of you about the various achievements,awards and recognitions you have received. We continue to be inspired by the examples of our members who are making a difference in the world by helping change the way the world travels. Thank you for your continued commitment to ecotourism!

In this issue of EcoCurrents, themed Your Sustainable Suitcase, you will nd a number of valuable tips on how to pack responsibly to minimize the negative impacts of your travel and maximize positive experience, and information on how and why your travel choice matters.

For many of you who will be traveling this holiday, we wish you safe journeys and memorable, and sustainable, experience!

From all of us at TIES, warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year!

- TIES team

(Continued to Page 2)


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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustaina

TIES Advocacy Campaign:Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference

(Continued from Page 1)

Making informed choices before and during your trip is the single

most important thing you can do to become a responsible traveler.With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your trip, whilemaking a real difference to the people and places you visit.

Five Easy Steps

1Search the Web: Look for websites specializing in responsibletravel, ecotourism, or sustainable tourism.2Consult guidebooks: Choose guidebooks with information on your destinations environmental, social and political issues, and read

before booking. Guidebooks vary in quality, even within a series, butLonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Moon are among the best.

3Make contact: Call or email tour operators that have rsthandknowledge of the place you are considering visiting. Check the websites of all accommodations.

4Ask questions: Let tour operators/hotels know that you are a responsible consumer. Before you book, ask about their social andenvironmental policies. For instance: What is your environmental policy? What percentage of your employees are local citizens? Doyou support any projects to benet the local community?

5Choose wisely: Are the businesses youre considering certied? Do they have eco-label ratings, or have they won eco-awards?Helpful Internet Resources

The following websites provide useful tips on sustainable andresponsible travel.

- Green Traveller , an online guide to green holidays and green places tostay: www.greentraveller.co.uk - ResponsibleTravel.com , a directory of carefully screened holidays run

by specialist operators and accommodations: www.responsibletravel.com- Lonely Planet Sustainable Travel & Responsible Tourism(START) : www.lonelyplanet.com/responsibletravel/ - Make Travel Fair , tips and resources to help conscious travelerslearn the world through travel: www.maketravelfair.com - Seat61 , information on how to travel overland comfortably &affordably: www.seat61.com

Change the Way You Travel and Help Change the World

TIES Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference brochure, which includes theabove information and more useful tips on how to travel responsibly, has beendeveloped as part of our ongoing advocacy campaign to raise awareness of responsible travel practices.

We encourage TIES members to use this brochure to educate your guests, employees, colleagues, students and community membersabout how their travel choice can make a difference. If you would like to receive complimentary copies* of the Travel Choice brochure,

please contact: [email protected].

*Shipping cost not included.


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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable TravelYour Travel Choice Makes a Difference

(Contd)

In 2006, TIES partnered with the United Nations Foundation, the World Heritage Alliance, Rainforest Alliance, andExpedia, Inc. to developed a special Travel Choice brochure, to help educate tour operators and travelers abouthow to travel responsibly and help protect the World Heritage Sites of the Yucatan Penninsula in Mexico.

We welcome proposals from those who are interested in partnering with TIES to develop a destination-specic Travel Choice brochure and an educational campaign in your country or region. For more information,

please contact: [email protected], with Travel Choice in the subject line.

Please see: www.ecotourism.org to read more about Travel Choice and TIES other ongoing advocacy campaignon ecotourism and climate change, Traveling with Climate in Mind.

Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference brochure for the Yucatan World Heritage Sites, with a detachable book-mark with customized sustainable travel tips.

How can travelers make a difference in your community?


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Ecotourism, like charity, begins at home, when you are packing! A discussion of what is and what should go inside the travelsuitcase of the Ecotourist, which I will call an ecobag for short, may at rst sound boring or a trie, however the more you

think and read about it, the more complex, interesting and important you will nd it. I did!

Dont judge a book by its cover, they say. Is it also true with the travel suitcaseof the ecotourist (which I will call an ecobag for short)? Surely, at the timewhen a metropolis like San Francisco or Mumbay bans plastic bags, the cover or fabric of a travel bag should also matter. While the contents of an ecobagshould be very carefully considered, the cover or fabric of a travel bag shouldalso matter. However, we should not be promoting consumerism: even if itmade of pure plastic, your current bag is your ecobag . No needif it is in good shapeto buy an additional, more eco one.

When its time to replace your current bag, after disposing responsibly by recycling it or reusing any inside parts (many bagscome with detachable components), be sure to consider the latest eco alternatives in fabrics, wheels and natural dyes. While it isgenerally quite difcult to nd out what exactly a bag is made of (as there is rarely an ingredients label on the bag), you can trysearching for bio-plastics, or skip plastic altogether and opt for hemp!

Hemp is one of the oldest domesticated plants. It is cultivated virtually everywhere in the world as an industrial crop, except theUnited States where authorities apparently fear cannabis misuse (although critics allege the real reason is the protection of thedomestic synthetic-bre industry). An eco-friendly natural ber, hemp can be grown without chemicals and can produce anythingfrom paper to bio-plastics, and is usually mixed with cotton for fabrics.

There are many other eco-options ranging from recycled plastic, recycled and reclaimed vintage fabric, organic cotton, organiclinen (and blends) to new inventions such as fabrics made from bamboo-carbon nano-particles. Unfortunately, not many bag

producers are experimenting with these eco-options, so as a consumer you have to use your online search skilland dont forget toinform producers that you are really interested in ecobags !

Moving on to what goes inside the Ecotourists bag: It of course depends on your tastes (and on the destination, the weather, thelength of stay, the age & gender of the traveller, the type of holiday, the means of transport, security sensitivities, the terrain, thesocioeconomic & cultural conditions of the destination, politics (think of banned books) and so on) however there are some

basics, if you are serious about practicing your green philosophy when travelling.

In my opinion, the most important advice on packing responsibly is to travel light.

Why? First, you are lighter to transport, and thus consume less energy. Second, you will be able to support the local economy andleave ample space for eco-gifts. Third, traveling light will make it easier for you to use public transport. Fourth, there is less of achance of bringing unnecessary items which can provoke your less well-off hosts.

An Eco-Bag Insider By Antonis B. Petropoulos

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

ECOCLUB Website: www.ecoclub.com

(Continued to Page 13)

TIES Advocacy Campaign on Climate Change,Sustainable Travel and Ecotourism

Learn more and get involved:[email protected]


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Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

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Save the Date!

October 27-29, 2008 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Greening the Tourism Industry inthe U.S. and Canada

Ecotourism andSustainable

Tourism

Conference 2008(ESTC 2008)


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W hat would you do if you could NOT throw out anytrash while traveling!? How would you carry all the plastic water bottles, plastic bags, soap wrappers, shampoo bottles, old razors, food wrappers, beer bottles, napkins, tea bags, chewing gum, etc.? You would need two suitcases:one for your luggage and another for the growing volumeof trash that you produce daily.

It is common camping practice to carry out whatever youcarry in, but when traveling people take trash disposal for granted: Out of sight out of mind. How many peopleactually take tours of trash dumps around the world?

The beauty of garbage is that everywhere you go, thereis always trash! It is something that all humans have incommon across cultures and societies.

At the Black Sheep Inn Ecuador, we have heard travelerscomplaints for years about Ecuadorians throwing trasheverywhere. Even in the public buses there are often signsthat say, Keep the Bus Clean, Throw your Trash out theWindow! sounds absurd? But where is the correct placeto throw trash if there are neither recycling programs nor garbage collection?

We invited the local Mayor to a meeting and asked him

if he would send the county garbage truck to our villageonce a month and he bluntly said, NO! Instead, hesuggested that we nd a location for a landll and he evenoffered to help pay for it. We explained that the best thingto do would be to build a recycling center. The Mayor responded, You can do what you want, but either way youneed a property to do it on.

Two years later, as the elected King of Garbage in thevillage of Chugchiln, the Black Sheep Inn is spearheadinga local recycling center. The center was partly funded

by winning the 2006 ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards.For years every Monday in Chugchiln garbage wasconveniently swept into the Canyon. Today, there are 4

stations inChugchilnfor separatingorganic andinorganicgarbage.50% of wasteis compostedwhile theother half is classied into cardboard, hard andsoft plastic, batteries, metal and glass. Recyclables aresold; money goes directly to the village trash workers.

Non-recyclables are placed in a small landll. The composthas been used to fertilize a new park in the Center of Chugchiln.

Little by little we are teaching local youth about recycling.A clean village is healthier and better for tourism. So thenext time you are planning a trip and lling your suitcase,remember how often you will be emptying it. Your footprint goes a lot further than you think.

Suitcase Full of GarbageBlack Sheep Inn

Black Sheep Inn(TIES Business Member)www.blacksheepinn.com

Black Sheep Inn is a small international award-winning ecolodge and Permaculture demonstration site high in the Ecuadorian

Andes. The Inn provides a comfortable,educational experience for guests, teaching

them about the local area, local customs,while contributing to and improving the local

community and the natural environment.Eco Permaculture Features include: solar panels, adobe construction, composting

toilets, recycling, roof water collectors, gray water systems, organic gardens, community education & aid work, reforestation, erosion

control and more.

www.gwutourism.org/ties.htm

Sustainable Tourism Assessment andDevelopment Sustainable Tourism Destination Marketing Electronic Marketing and Internet Applications Ecotourism Management

Ecolodge Development Environmental Management for Destinations Tourist Guide Techniques Coastal and Marine Ecotourism Cultural Heritage Tourism

Earn a Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Management Onlinewith TIES/George Washington University Distance Learning Courses


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C H D . B By Adam Eidinger, Public Affairs Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps

The uplifting experience of travel to beautiful, yet ecologically sensitive regions, shouldnt also mean the introduction

of ecologically disruptive chemicals to these places. In general, people dont realize that many body care productsare made using petroleum-derived ingredients that often are not rapidly biodegradable and can contain preservatives thatmay be potentially disruptive to sensitive ecosystems.

Nearly all shampoos, lotions, conventional liquid soaps and dish washing liquids would notexist if it was not for giant oil reneries which pump out core compounds of these synthetic

products found in nearly every home in America. Even some so-called natural and organicshampoo and soap brands are actually made with synthetic hybrid petrochemical-vegetabledetergents.

For the eco-conscious, visiting pristine regionsof the world doesnt have to mean life withoutsoap. Instead, bring along a concentratedorganic liquid soap such as Dr. Bronners.Made with 100% biodegradable andecologically clean ingredients for 60 years, the soap is gentle on the skin and earth.

Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps, known as a the camping soap, is made from organic coconut,olive, jojoba and hemp oils and scented only with organic essential oils. Peppermint is themost popular scent and has been praised by users for its tingly fresh sensation it leaves on the

skin. Some users report the peppermint as sort of an insect repellant, while others say it even keeps the bears away.

Regardless of whether it keeps the bugs away, Dr. Bronners is as organic as soap can get. Real organic soaps likeDr. Bronners are biodegradable in 24 hours, leaving no pollution behind. As a multipurpose soap you can use it for everything: Bathing, dishes, shaving, brushing your teeth, laundry. Its use is only limited by your imagination. Using amultipurpose soap cuts down on the amount of gear you need to take along too. Recommended by the Sierra Club andUS National Park Service, Dr. Bronners is an essential item no eco-explorer should be without.

Dr. Bronners Magic Soap inPeppermint Flavormmunity.

Want to Learn More?

Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps(TIES Business member)

www.drbronner.com

For pricing and submissionguidelines, contact:

[email protected]


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T he key to understanding sustainable travel is toacknowledge the interconnectedness between theenvironment and people. The most effective way wehave found to better understand this holistic relationshipis to become immersed in the landscape and culture of Indigenous communities.

As environmental photographers and videographers,we seek opportunities to document the ongoingrelationships of global Indigenous peoples and theenvironments they have inhabited for millennia.

We do not take on the role of retrospective cultural purveyors but celebrate the 21st-century cultural lives of Indigenous communities globally. Through our cameralens we have captured the synergy of the environmentand people, and through our extensive travel we havegathered a wealth of sustainable travel research.

We wish to share our experiences as global travellersto answer some questions regarding the physicalneeds of the environmentally conscientious traveller including cultural perceptions and actions that should beconsidered in support of successful sustainable travel.

An Oasis in Morocco

The rst thing we advise to take on a sustainablecultural adventure is an open mind and an attitudeto embrace difference. Encountering alternativelandscapes, climate and culture are the essence of a trueadventure outside of your usual cultural environment.

The Sahara desert at rst feels like a harsh, desolateand infertile expanse. Not one step should be taken into

this environment without consideration of hydration,transport and local guidance. Mohamed, our guide,host and friend, shared his traditional knowledge learntthrough generations of his family as farmers in theSahara. The rst thing to learn is that this land andclimate has been survived by generations of Berber

peoples and their clothing reects a respect for thedesert and their own survival. We took time to purchasesuitable Berber clothes that proved to be the mostcomfortable, practical, grit and camel-friendly optionfor the next 10 days trekking.

The Kasbah provided a magnicent image of protection,subsistence and survival against the desert surroundingthis oasis of life. Mohameds family embraced our timetogether sharing their space, food and daily routines.Every evening, all residents of the Kasbah celebratedthe coolness of the setting sun and the end of a workingday by gathering together outside the walls of the familycompound to watch the children play, share stories of our lives and move to the traditional music played bythe older family members.

Our cameras recorded the most precious souvenirs witheach image framed by the mighty sand dunes of the

Sahara, a landscape that continually brushed away our footprints and reclaimed its pristine environment.

Sustainable tourism demands a consideration of the most precious commodity, water. The day to day needs of our bodies demand an exploration of Sahara bathrooms andtoilets. As we loped through the desert on our camels thefreedom of the desert provided countless sand dunes tohide behind.

Photos by RawPerspective Images

Respecting Place and People:Sustainable Travel in Morocco

By Natalia & Thomas Baechtold, Annie Vanderwyk RawPerspectiveImages.com


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R especting Place and People (Contd)

The desert is so dry that the sand did not at anytime stick to our bodies, so showering didnt seem as urgent as in

humid climates. Toilet paper was used in the trekkingcamps, but collected and burnt before the camp was packed up every day or two.

The Kasbah offered a more luxurious toilet option, a mudout-house that was so tiny that a person over 6 feet tallwould have to almost crawl to get in. It had a tiny windowfor light and an aroma that made you want to exit as

quickly as possible. The local custom is to use water andthe left hand for toilet clean-up, so consider bringing your own toilet paper. Both trekking and in the Kasbah basinsand buckets are used to bathe to maximize water use.

Wearing the Shash, the traditional Berber head wrap, notonly masks the desert from your face, but hides serioushat hair with the once a week hair-wash option. So forgetthe hairdryer and the fancy shampoos and conditioners,do yourself and the environment a favour and stick to theBerber ways so as the desert winds blow, they erase your footsteps and continually shape a magnicent landscape

and inform the colour of the Indigenous peoples and their unique cultural ways.

Take:- As many photographs as you can, consult your localguide for permission and protocols when photographing

people.- A cultural experience that will last a life-time, and thefriendship of the local peoples.

Leave:- Only your footprints, if the desert will allow.- With a great respect for the environment and thereciprocal cultural experience that you have shared withthe Indigenous community.

What to pack:- Camera and extra charged batteries for the ultimatesouvenirs on the desert trek.- Local clothing, especially a Shash.- Toilet paper, unless happy to use your left hand.- Gifts that reect respect and thanks for your hostcommunity.- A deep desire to experience difference, environmentallyand culturally.

Photos by RawPerspective Images

Want to Learn More?

Raw Perspective Images(TIES Sponsor Member)

www.RawPerspecitiveImages.com


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TIES EcoCurrents 2008 Topics

Call for article submissions:Share your stories with TIESmembers from around the world!

We encourage our members to sharebest practice stories, project and newsupdates by submitting articles for theupcoming editions of EcoCurrents.

If you are interested in submitting

an article on one of the abovetopics, please contact the editor at:[email protected]. Copies of the Editorial Policies are available uponrequest.

We also welcome comments, questionsand suggestions from our members.

2008 EcoCurrents Publishing Schedule

Q1 (March 2008)Article submission deadline: February 25, 2008Advertisement submission deadline: March 3,2008

Q2 (June 2008)Article submission deadline: May 26, 2008Advertisement submission deadline: June 2, 2008

Q3 (September 2008)Article submission deadline: August 25, 2008Advertisement submission deadline: September 1,2008

Q4 (December 2008)Article submission deadline: November 24, 2008Advertisement submission deadline: December 1,2008

In 2008, theEcoCurrents e-Magazine will focus on sustainable use and management of natural and cultural resources inecotourism, highlighting best practice examples and up-to-date information on relevant issues and challenges.

First Quarter 2008 (March 2008):Conservation and sustainable management of water resources in ecotourism.

Second Quarter 2008 (June 2008):Alternative and renewable energy use for sustainable tourism development.

Third Quarter 2008 (September 2008):Agricultural and forestry resources and innovative solutions for ecotourism.

Fourth Quarter 2008 (December 2008):Sustainable development, capacity building and community wellbeing.


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Special Holiday Thanks to TIES Sponsor MembersTHANK YOU--Your Support is Our Strength

We look forward to another great year in 2008!

Sponsor-level UCFC* Members:

California Polytechnic State UniversityNorth Carolina State University

West Virginia UniversityUniversity of Utah

*UCFC: University Consortium Field Certificate - TIES Training and Education initiative for ecotourism stud

more information on the UCFC program and to join, contact: [email protected].


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AYNI TH G O G V A R V W H T U By Nina Fogelman

Discovering opportunities to help develop Rural Living Tourism in Peru has become a real passion for me. My most recent visitin September, 2007 led me to a community in the Lake Titicaca area that truly captured my heart. I feel blessed to be able to offer

opportunities to a segment of Perus tourists who wish to participate in unique and rewarding activities, and return to Peru, to myheart of hearts.

The local residents of a village called Atuncolla (pronounced atoon coya) are the descendents of theQolla Kingdom in the Andean highland region. The Qollas rose to power following the collapse of the Tiahuanaco culture in the 12th century, and were later conquered by the Incas. 14 families haveorganized in this community with the compassionate guidance of Victor Pauca to form an Association of Living TourismLOS QOLLAS SILLUSTANI, ASTURIS.

The president of the Association is Santiago MonteagudoBruna, and his main assistant Julio R. Vilca Monteagudo, whois tremendously dedicated to helping their piece of the planetimprove on all levels.

Victor Pauca, a retired engineer and native of Peru, nowdedicates his life to organizing and aiding the local communities.He honored me with an invitation to visit Atuncolla and see if mycompany, Ancient Summit Enterprises, would be interested in

participating by sending tourists and volunteers to donate their time and talents while experiencing life in the community.

At Ancient Summit, our goal is to offer opportunities to a segment of Perus tourists to participate in unique and rewardingactivities. These visits help support families and communities with very few resources.

In order to help, we designspecial visits provided bylocal member families. We aretraining locals as guides andhelping prepare them in generalto succeed as a new productof Rural Living Tourism. Toqualify, the project must meetconditions to ensure respect for the environment, customs, and

traditions of locals, develop self-esteem, and provide a system to educate the children. In other words, we create an ecotourism

product which is auto-sustainable and sustainable over time.

AYNI is an ancient Andean word meaning RECIPROCITY. The development of this class of Participative Ecotourism provides theopportunity for AYNI. Visitors are able to lend a hand to people with limited access to economic resources in order to give their children a better chance for the future, helping them become productive members of society as well as mindful custodians of the

planet.

Nina Fogelman --When in 1983, Nina accepted a one year contract in Peru as Director of an Alternative Healing Arts Institute,little did she imagine she would end up living there for the next six years. Through a series of circumstances during her stay in theSacred Valley of the Inca, she love adopted 4 local children who are now grown into extraordinary adults with children of their own. This led her to a chain of events that have helped her to support others to have similar experiences, resulting in the creation of

Ancient Summit Enterprises, Inc., which dedicates to personalized and unique visits with a conscience to Peru. Ninas love of Peruand her ability to move between the two cultures broadens and enriches your Peruvian experience. www.ancientsummit.com

Photos by Nina Fogelman

Julio, Victor Pauca & Nina

with Atuncolla President San-tiago Monteagudo, grindingour from Quinoa for

the bread. Julios familyIsabel gifted me with this beautiful rug. She makes them right there to

sell to visitors.

As a community project, this c lassroomwas built with the help of some gener-

ous volunteers. It costs very little todonate the needed books for these kids.

Wear and pack clothing and shoes that youwill not mind leaving behind. This servesa double purpose: you are recycling your

clothing in a wonderful way, and you will thenhave plenty of additional room in your bags for purchasing handicrafts from the local artisans,

helping support the community. For children,used sports team uniforms are great gifts. - Nina Fogelman

Peru taught me so much about life, my relationship with others and with the world around me. Whenfriends came to visit, it was very important for me to share this with them and so I showed them

Peru My Way which always included integrating with the locals and their culture. Please consider meyour Cultural Hostess in this magical land: [email protected].

- Nina Fogelman


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An Eco-Bag Insider Continued from Page 3

Do your homework beforehand, online and off-line, and takeyour notes with you instead of those ve heavy guidebooks.Choose to buy the local guidebook, not that from the same oldcompanies. Do invest in a good phrase book or dictionary andlearn the local language, so you can at least thank and greet thelocals.

Below are some tips on necessary items to bring withyou when you travel. The general rule of thumb is thatyou have to think of what is practical and healthy.

Clothing Tips:- Organically-grown, casual, not ashy, fast-drying,long-sleeved clothing, in the colors of nature, lest youscare away animals or attract unwarranted attention- Pants that can be transformed into shorts, and viceversa, come in handy when necessary to adjust tocultural or climatic conditions.- A light-weight eece that can double as a pillow- Dresses and other items to cover yourself/your headif visiting religious sites.- Empty canvas or bio-plastic bags to separate dirtyclothes from clean ones and wrap dirty shoes.

Staying Healthy: - If you shave, opt for electric to save on water andchemicals.- Mosquito repellant and sun block/sun tan lotionmade with natural, organically-grown ingredients.- A rst aid kit (especially for bites, including syringeswhere health standards are low) as allowed by ightregulations (one more reason to try to travel by other means!).- Antiseptic gel for your hands/toilet seats.- If you can nd a small one, a thermos and a portableeco water purier, to avoid those malaria tablets--oth-erwise a boiling water kit, anything to avoid buyingdamaging and unhealthy plastic water bottles.

Dos and Donts: - Instead of taking an mp3 player with headphones,take in the sounds of the place you are visiting and trycommunicating with local people.- If visiting friends/acquaintances, bring a small or-ganic gift from your country and a picture from your hometown.- A recycled pen and recycled notepad for your mem-oirs/travel notes. Dont take that expensive palmtopwhich will get certainly wet.- And of course your camera which should t in your

pocket. Be careful where you point it!

Dont Forget: - A simple, cheap, watch with alarm clock so as not tomiss your connections.- Photocopies of travel documents to save you moneyand time in case of loss.- Rechargeable batteries, if taking electric applianceswith you.

Lastly, on your way back dont forget to make spacefor your rubbish, especially plastics and batteries (for which relatively few destinations have proper recy-cling procedures) and for authentic local eco-gifts for your friends and for you, to remind you of that special

place.

And the very last ingredient for your ecobag is, espe-cially if hiking, that you carry it yourself; slavery isabolished!

A ntonis B. Petropoulos is Director of ECOCLUB, the In-ternational Ecotourism Club, and lives in Athens, Greece.

He is an avid seeker of genuine eco-products and you arewelcome to contact him with questions or suggestions at:

First International Seminar on Tourism in Peace with Nature and People, March 24-28, 2008www.houseofpeaceanddialogue.com


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TIES N ATIONAL & R EGIONAL A SSOCIATION M EMBERS

Aboriginal Tourism Australia Alaska Wilderness Recreation& Tourism Association Armenian Ecotourism Association Asociacin Argentina de Ecoturismo y Aventura (AAETA) Asociacion Ecoturismo Guatemala Asociacion Ecuatorianade Ecoturismo - ASEC Belarusian Assocation of Agro andEcotourism Belize Ecotourism Association (BETA) BeninEcotourism Concern (ECO-BENIN) BESST(Business and theEnvironment linked through Small Scale Tourism) BrazilianSociety for the Environment Brazilian Adventure Travel TradeAssociation (ABETA) Camara Nacional de Ecoturismo de CostaRica (CANAECO) Central Balkan Kalofer Ecotourism Association Chitral Association for Mountain Area (CAMAT) TourismDiscover Nepal EcoBrasil - Associacao Brasileira de Ecoturismo ECO-NIGERIA - Ecotourism Society of Nigeria Ecotourismand Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS) EcotourismAustralia Ecotourism Kenya Ecotourism Laos-Mekong TourismDevelopment Project Ecotourism Norway Ecotourism Society of Bicol Region Ecotourism Society of Ethiopia Ecotourism Societyof Saskatchewan Ecotourism Society of Sri Lanka EcotourismSociety Pakistan Ecotourisme France Ecotourismo Italia Estonian Ecotourism Association (ESTECAS) Fiji EcotourismAssociation Grand Bahama Island Ecotourism Association Green Tourism Association Hawaii Ecotourism Association Himalayan EcoTourism Society Indonesian Ecotourism Network(INDECON) Foundation Iran Ecotourism Association IringaEcotourism Society Israeli Ecotourism Society Japan EcolodgeAssociation Japan Ecotourism Society (JES) KamchatkaEcotourism Society Kunigami Tourism Association (KUTA) La Ruta de Sonora Ecotourism Association MesoamericanEcotourism Alliance (MEA)/RARE Center Mexican Associationof Adventure Tourism & Ecotourism (AMTAVE) MongolianEcotourism Society (MES) Murghab Ecotourism Association(META) Nigeria Ecotourism Foundation Nunavut Tourism Russian Ecotourism Society Society for Ethical Ecotourism(SEE) Southwest Florida Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation(SLEF) Sustainable West Virginia Swedish Ecotourism Society Taiwan Ecotourism Association (TEA) Thai Ecotourism andAdventure Travel Association (TEATA) The Ontario EcotourismSociety (TOES) Tilos Park Association Virginia EcoTourismAssociation

TIES B OARD OF D IRECTORSHeba Aziz , Director, Research Services, Jameirah UAE Rajiv Bhartari , Indian Forest Service & Corbett TigerReserve, India Sylvie Blangy , European Marie CurieResearch Fellow, Department of Geography & EnvironmentalStudies, Carleton University, Canada Kelly Bricker (BoardChair), Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreationand Tourism, University of Utah, USA Tony Charters(Vice Chair), Principal, Tony Charters & Associates, Australia Richard Denman (Secretary), Director of TourismConsulting, The Tourism Company, United Kingdom AndrewFairley (Treasurer), Chairman, Alpine Resorts CouncilVictoria, Australia Kamelia Georgieva , Manager, HumanResearch Center, Bulgaria Glenn Jampol , President, FincaRosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica Karen Lewis , Owner,Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Costa Rica & USA Hitesh Mehta ,

Architect, Landscape Architect and Ecotourism Planner, HMDesign John Poutasse , Attorney, LSL Law, USA RaviRuparel , Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank,USA Chandra de Silva , CEO/Founder Director, RanweliHoliday Village, Sri Lanka Keith W. Sproule , InternationalEcotourism Consultant, USA Masaru Takayama ,Executive Director, Japan Ecolodge Association, Japan Wolfgang Strasdas , Head of Program, Sustainable TourismManagement Master Program, University of Eberswalde,Germany Jan Wigsten , Consultant, Natural Consulting andTraining, Sweden & Marketing Director, Nomadic Journeys,Mongolia Carolyn Wild , President, WILD International,Canada &Australia

Photo Credits Page 1: Photos by TIES. Page 2-3: Phots by TIES. Page 6 Ar-

ticle photo courtesy of Black Sheep Inn. Page 7: Article photo courtesy of Dr.

Bronners Magic Soaps. Page 8-9: Article photos courtesy of RawPerspective

Images. Page 10: Photos by TIES. Page 12: Article photos courtesy of Nina

Fogelman. Back Cover: Photos by TIES.

Documents

TIES EcoCurrents Quarterly eMagazine - 2007 Q4