Ecotourism Associations
and Organisations
One of the features of eco tourism based organisations
and associations around the world, is that each will
have a unique focus depending on the issues that are
important to them. In some places it's the environment
and sustainability, in others, cultural and socio-economic
impacts are the significant considerations, so organisation
goals and Codes of Coduct,
Practice & Operational Guidelines will vary accordingly.
International
- UNEP
Tourism Programme
 "Welcome
to the UNEP's tourism and environment programme
web site. Browse the "Tourism and UNEP" section
to find background information on tourism
impacts, the definition of sustainable tourism,
and our programme." Great web
site, with pleasing, intuitive, accessible
design. Also see their definition: "What
is Ecotourism?"
- EarthFoot's
Free Ecotour Posterboard Simple and effective
design, text link based, providing a place
to find the tour guide or small (1 to 4-6
people) group tour, for activities ranging
from birdwatching to star gazing, all around
the world. "This non-profit site profiles
only very small-scale, locally produced ecotours,
and works only with individuals, not companies
with packaged tours."
- ECOCLUB® is
an extensive site which is "promoting genuine
ecotourism with members in over 130 countries,
... [and] a clearing house for ecotourism information,
such as jobs, events, publications, university
courses, finance sources." Brief teasers
available but most info. available only to members. For
the cheap skates among us, the interviews and back
issues of the magazine (available in PDF download)
make for interesting reading, while tourists can
find participating ecolodges worldwide for free.
- Ecotourism
Ring "The original Ecotourism Ring,
since 1998, unites Genuine Ecotourism websites
worldwide." A good place to start, if
you're looking for accommodation or nature
based, adventure and outdoor recreation operators
rather than academic and research information,
or you're am operator wanting a little more
online leverage.
- Green
Cross International "The
mission of Green Cross International is to
help ensure a just, sustainable and secure
future for all by fostering a value shift
and cultivating a new sense of global interdependence
and shared responsibility in humanity's relationship
with nature."
- Green
Travel Marcus Endicott
is the original online "Green Travel" networker.
Meta search on multiple feeAcademia, operators
and travellers providing perspectives and
swapping information. Monitored
if not moderated.
- The International
Ecotourism Society The
international ecotourism organisation.
- Make Travel Fair
 "was
established at the end of 2006 as an online platform
to communicate some of the global issues associated
with travel, to encourage education amongst travellers
and to encourage travel as a means of education. [It's}
about unleashing the potential of travel to educate,
engage and inspire. It’s
about widening our view of what travel encompasses,
embracing the work towards sustainability that
goes on in all areas and helping to inspire others
to follow down the same road."
- Sustainable
Tourism Case Studies. An
extensive directory of Destination Intitiatives
and Organisation Reports, with summaries and links
to source publications.
Australia/Asia/Pacific
- Bhutan: "The
tourism industry in Bhutan is founded on the principle
of sustainability, meaning that tourism must be
environmentally and ecologically friendly, socially
and culturally acceptable and economically viable.
The number of tourists visiting Bhutan is regulated
to a manageable level because of the lack of infrastructure
also."
- Ecotourism
Australia Australia's
national ecotourism body with internationally
acclaimed eco certified tourism accommodation
and attractions, and Ecogudies schemes. Find
members, download free PDF publications,
and order other research and best practice
studies.
- Ecotours New
Zealand "Nature and wildlife tours with
expert guides". Better known as
a destination for adrenalin junkies and thrillseekers,
this site has a lively and interactive newsboard
for operator issues, as well as operators
and activities info. for ecotourists wanting
to visit
"the land of the long white cloud".
- Ecotourism Laos "Eager
to position Laos as a premier ecotourism destination,
the Lao National Tourism Administration, related
government agencies and the private sector are
working hard to realize the ambitious vision put
forth in the country's National Ecotourism Strategy
and Action Plan."
- Ecotourism
and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS) "ECOSS
is dedicated to promoting ecotourism and
conservation for the benefit of people at
all levels of Sikkimese society. We seek
to combine the strengths of rural communities
with the experiences of national and international
groups who are leaders in the field of ecotourism."
- Northern
NSW Ecotourism Association Inc. (NNETA). NNETA
encourages tourism operators to be committed
to best practice ecological sustainability
and set an example as quality ecotourism
operators.
- Thailand
Ecotourism Information Center. The
site has been updated and now includes an English version. Stylish,
although the red text on green isn't as easy to read
as it could be!
Africa/Europe
- The Association of Ecotourism in Romania (AER) "has
achieved a partnership for nature conservation
and tourism development among tourism associations,
non-governmental associations acting in local development
and nature conservation, nature conservation projects
and travel agencies. The AER ... is to bring together
the public and the private sector in a partnership
for nature conservation and sustainable tourism
development."
- The Armenian Ecotourism Association (ARMECAS) "was
created in 1997 to unite the people who regard
ecotourism as a means of sustainable development
of the country. Members of our organization are
people of different professions; most of them are
specialists in areas of natural and cultural heritage
and the tourism business."
- Ecotourism Kenya" "is
a civil society organization that was founded in
1996 to promote ecotourism and sustainable tourism
practices in Kenya. Founded with enormous industry
support, the society was charged with the responsibility of providing
the required support for the development of ecotourism and sustainable
tourism in the country." Excellent
site with reports, projects and resources
sure to be of interest to students, stakeholders,
operators and intending visitors alike.
- Estonian Ecotourism
Web Site "Ökoturism on vastutustundlik
reisimine, mis toetab loodus- ja kultuuripärandi
säilimist ning kohalike elanike heaolu. (Eesti Ökoturismi
Ühenduse definitsioon)." I have no idea
what it says, let me know! Lovely design,
info. packed web site for Estonian readers and
anyone interested in Estonian ecotourism.
- The Ecotourism Association of Ethiopia (EAE) "was
founded in 2003 during a Global Impact workshop
held in Addis Ababa.... to facilitate the creation
of eco-cultural destinations of the highest tourism
standards in parallel to alleviating poverty, upgrading
human resources, promoting Ethiopia’s rich
cultural heritage, and rehabilitating environmental
resources. The Association will do this by assuming
a leadership position in professional learning,
advocacy, and research and business development."
The Americas
- Alaska Wilderness
Recreation and Tourism"The Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association
(AWRTA) is a member-led association that
represents more than 300 nature-based tourism
businesses, individuals, and organizations
in Alaska. AWRTA advocates for the sustainability
of Alaska's natural and cultural resources,
responsible tourism and tourism planning
for communities."
Well designed site with operator guidelines, stakeholder
issues, extensive Alaskan resources and searchable
database of members for would be visitors.
- Ecotourism
in Peru by Andean Travel Web "Tourism
is now the largest foreign currency-earner
in Peru, affecting the lives of millions
of people. While it can bring benefits, these
are seldom spread evenly. ... Andean
Travel Web aims to raise general awareness
of these problems, as well as bringing specific
projects and campaigns to your attention."
Whilst simple in design, the depth of local information
and involvement is impressive! The Ecotourism section
contains Peru related info. including an Introduction,
Travel Code, Local Initiatives and EcoTourism Links,
while a comprensive travel directory highlighting
Peruvian tour and travel experiences will be sure
to give you the travel bug! Congratulations to
Mike Weston.
- Hawaii
Ecotourism Association Simple design
and layout with goals, projects, member information,
links to members web sites, industry links
and more.
- Planeta With
a strong focus on Mexico and Latin America, Ron
Mader provides an outlet for numerous papers and
articles from contributors as well as his own works. The
site also includes on-line forums and regional
email groups, focusing on eco and sustainable tourism.
See also Accreditation & Certification
Programs, Codes
of Conduct, Practice & Operational Guidelines, Ecotourism
Projects and Newsgroups
and Email lists |
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