Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Public Finding Society's Leadership Critical

By Greg Hansward

With any worldwide effort, no matter the field or industry, some formal organizing entity must be in place. Without this, an idea such as ecotourism becomes a dizzying number of activities aimed at the general tourist population. What is needed to give this mass of activity a core is a central source of information and guidance.

For the relatively new field of ecotourism, the International Ecotourism Society seems to be that core entity. Generally, when people encounter the name of a governing organization such as this, they may react negatively. Many feel that such action as environmental advocacy should be left to conscientious individuals and loosely organized local populations.

For many this is an admirable goal that may not function well in reality. So those who are cynical about the International Ecotourism Society or any other governing body should look more closely at the vision of these dedicated individuals.

For this worldwide organization, cynicism may be misplaced. Most who carry a working knowledge of ecotourism see that the group has accomplished a great deal of good since the ecotourism movement was born about 25 years ago. Foremost among these accomplishments was raising the level of awareness among the general public with informative programs. Before the establishment of a governing body such as the International Ecotourism Society, the field of ecotourism was not among topics discussed by the working folks around the globe. I've even seen information brochures at several Benidorm hotels in which I've stayed. Now, however, more and more people who may have taken traditional pleasure trips in the past are setting luxury resorts aside in favor of ecotourism activity. Beyond this, the society has added a whole new sector of fun and relaxation to the list of holiday/vacation choices.

The basic question here might be: Just what is the International Ecotourism Society? The mission of this group is to promote travel to locations around the world in a way that promotes conservation of natural resources and preserves the unique cultures of local populations. Some may feel that this is not such a lofty goal, because they believe that travel for enjoyment does not really harm the environment to a significant degree. But the fact is that irresponsible tours and travel do damage the environment and do negatively impact wildlife. Exploitive hunting in Africa has reduced wildlife populations to alarming levels, often in violation of local laws.

The International Ecotourism Society attempts to provide a balance to these practices by encouraging more responsible travel and vacation activity with less impact on natural resources. In fact, a growing number of informed citizens realize that this group provides a service of immeasurable value, because it has raised awareness of the critical issues surrounding world travel.

Interested citizens are encouraged to contact the International Ecotourism Society through the Web site. http://www.ecotourism.org. This Web site provides further contact information and includes a great deal of information about the ecotourism movement and what it means to the world's animal and plant life.

Visitors to the International Ecotourism Society Web site are finding a comprehensive site that contains some exciting and even eye-opening facts about the environment and the impact travel can have. A visit to the site may be just what some people need to be persuaded that ecotourism is a great idea whose time has come.

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