June 11, 2017

Is there Sustainable Consumption and Production in Tourism?

 © UNWTO - International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

by Marcela Torres

Do you ever wonder where the food you eat at a hotel comes from? How much water and energy the hotel consumes? Do you consider sustainability when choosing a hotel or tour operator? Or when you buy things for your trip?

These are questions worth pondering upon in a week in which the world celebrated Environment Day on June 5 and held the Ocean Conference in New York, in addition to the fact that 2017 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. And questions like these are being discussed in the massive open online course (MOOC) on “Sustainable Consumption and Production”, organized by the UNDP through its NBSAP Forum, which Im facilitating in its Spanish version.

What is the role of consumers in promoting sustainability in tourism or any other industry? Well, the main role is to exercise their power on the demand side of the economy. More and more, efforts are being made by international organizations and advocacy groups to promote green consumption and many countries and companies have already incorporated principles such as the polluter pays into their legislations or business strategies.

Nevertheless, there is still a myth that individual consumers are the most responsible for sustainable consumption and that by providing them with information about the social and environmental consequences, sustainable consumption can be achieved through the market. However, research by the United Nations 10YFP Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Programme has shown that there are some mental blocks:

ideologies (I should be free to buy what I want or Technology will solve environmental problems)
social norms (Ill look strange if I do it or why should I do it if they dont?)
lock in to unsustainable capital (well I already have the car…”)
mistrust or denial (Those eco-labels are just a marketing ploy!)
perceived risks of sustainable consumption (what if the photovoltaic cells dont work reliably? or wont my colleagues think Im poor if I take the train?)
feeling that individual actions wont make a difference (Im just one in 7 billion)
emotional manipulation through marketing and advertising (Youll be happier with these products.)

Dont get me wrong. Consumers can and should make a difference, either individually or collectively. But being informed is not enough for them to take action. Sometimes they dont have options. How many recycling facilities are close to their homes or (in the case of tourism) in their hotels? What is the cost of choosing a sustainable option over another one that is unsustainable?

I have previously discussed this in a paper published in 2013 by the Journal of Ecotourism. One of the biggest hurdles that must be overcome by the responsible tourism movement is that this type of tourism is usually more expensive than traditional tourism. If you scour the internet for marketing data, youll find many statistics indicating responsible tourism is a growing global trend and that todays consumers expect travel companies to build sustainability into their product offer. You will also find many surveys reporting high percentages of people who declare they will prefer a sustainable travel company over an unsustainable one. But how true is this really?

Theres a catch I cant say that people necessarily lie during a survey, but their answers may often be influenced by what they consider to be polite or politically correct responses. Honestly, would you ever say (given the global evidence of pollution) that you dont care about pollution or that you like to pollute? Probably not.

On the other hand, they may actually want to choose sustainability but are unable to. The truth is, in general, people dont mean to pollute or choose unsustainable options. But sometimes they dont have alternatives, because there are no sustainability initiatives where they live or stay, because they have strong mental blocks, or because they simply cant afford them.

The good news is that, more and more, the responsible tourism philosophy is permeating many of the traditional tourism companies. While traditional mass tourism perhaps will never disappear, I do think that all companies will, in the end, include at least some measures to contribute toward sustainability and that tourists (as consumers) have an important role to play in this process.

April 29, 2017

Let’s Go See Whales! But Let’s Be Careful



by Marcela Torres

I recently watched a beautiful and moving Argentinean-Spanish film called “El faro de las orcas (The Lighthouse of the Whales), set in the coast of a small Patagonian village. Although it focuses on the story of a boy with autism, it also raises important concerns about encouraging tourists to get close to killer whales. Free killer whales don’t attack humans, experts say. However, others would argue that you can never be too careful.

Because of that, as I have mentioned before, several countries and organizations, including the InternationalWhaling Commission (IWC) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), have issued guidelines for observing whales and dolphins, to prevent harming both marine mammals and humans. In Chile, the Government passed the regulation for marine wildlife observation, in 2011, and later published two best-practices manuals, one of them with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Argentina has regulated this activity as well.

Australia is certainly one of the leaders in the promotion of responsible tourism, particularly in marine habitats. In 2009, I had an unforgettable whale-watching experience on a ferry that took us from Sydney to the feeding site of a group of humpback whales.

It was a clear, sunny day and I can still feel the cold wind and the ocean water sprinkling all over me as the waves moved the ferry up and down. I was on the deck with other tourists who, like myself, were excited and yelled each time they spotted a tail, a fin or a head, triggering a frenzy to get a photo or video of these animals. The ferry crew kept us in line, however, with their staff on deck as well as with constant instructions and explanations provided through loudspeakers.

Educating and raising awareness is key for ensuring responsible tourism. For example, while we sailed towards the whales, we saw a short educational video about these animals and the rules for observing them. Many guidelines and regulations also demand companies to contribute to conserving and monitoring marine mammals, reporting any sightings to the corresponding authorities.

Besides keeping these guidelines in mind, there are two things you can do to ensure a safe and pleasant experience: Look for information about the species and their habitats before you encounter them; and check that you are traveling with a certified tour operator that is respectful of these animals and the regulations for approaching them.

Whales are amazing creatures! They have been around for more than 30 million years and fascinate people all over the world. But many of them are endangered and we must act responsibly when embarking on a whale-watching adventure.

February 22, 2017

Hernán Torres (1946-2017): A Great Nature Lover



by Marcela Torres

It was January 2000 and my dad and I were sitting on top of a rocky promontory in Torres del Paine National Park, in southern Chile, withstanding the strong cold Patagonian winds that pierced through our parkas, gloves and hats. But we were on a mission: To photograph the elusive Andean Condor.

We were fortunate enough to stay at a park ranger post, where the staff gave us tips on the best spots to find the Condor. Since this is a scavenger bird, they suggested we take with us some really stinky cat food that would surely do the trick of attracting it to us.

Following their instructions, we trekked for hours through the tall grasslands of the “pampa” to reach one of the hills they had recommended. It was a rocky mount, completely barren, but after climbing it we discovered it provided a great lookout point. There we sat, with our stock of smelly cat food, and waited, and waited, and waited…

As we waited, I remembered how we came to be there on the first place. In 1982, the BBC produced one of my dad’s favorite documentaries, “The Flight of the Condor”. Mind you, he got a copy and played it over and over again. Being just a girl, I was more into cartoons and Michael Jackson videos, but I ended up liking this incredible film about a bird that is a national symbol in most Andean countries, including Chile, where we lived.

In fact, it wasn’t the first time I had enjoyed a national park with him. My dad had been Regional Director for CONAF, the agency in charge of Chilean protected areas, in Arica between 1974 and 1985. As a child, I traveled with him many times to Lauca National Park, in the high Andes, during his field visits. He taught me about the Vicuña, the Flamingos, the Vizcacha, and the Condor.

It was so much fun that I never paid attention to the cold and loved accompanying him while he photographed nature, which was his passion. When I turned nine, he gave me my first camera, a Polaroid that I still have, and taught me how use it. I was so happy that I took pictures of everything!!

Thanks to him, my family and I enjoyed living in Ann Arbor, Michigan; San José, Costa Rica; New Haven, Connecticut; and Arlington, Virginia. This gave us some unforgettable experiences, such as camping around the Great Lakes and visiting all of the beautiful national parks in these areas.

Torres del Paine had always been on my wish list. So, when he offered to take me in 2000, I said yes immediately! And there we were, waiting for the condor…

A couple of hours had gone by and we had almost lost all hope when suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge bird appeared flying straight towards us. It was a Condor! We quickly ditched our gloves and grabbed our cameras, getting ready to take great shots of this amazing animal. But in only a few seconds it was right on top of us!

As it came, and we realized how low it was flying, we instinctively leaned back until we lay flat on the rock.  It was such an awesome sight, having this massive bird glide only a meter above us, that we completely froze. We could see all the details of its belly and the long wings. When we snapped out of our awe, we realized we had not taken any pictures! So, we quickly rolled over on our bellies and started shooting with our cameras to try to catch at least a glimpse of the Condor. It was too late! We were only able to capture a tiny speck that was quickly flying away from us towards higher altitudes.

We stayed there a while, letting the experience sink in. It had been so amazing! Finally, we grabbed our cameras and the stinky cat food and walked back to the park ranger post. At night, while we sat with the rangers around a fire sharing a “mate” (muh-teh) –a typical Patagonia herbal tea-, they laughed at our adventure.

Our common love for nature led us to co-author two editions of the Guide to Chile’s National Parks (1999and 2004), in Spanish, and to work together in the development of the firstsustainable visitor center in a protected area in Chile, in Los FlamencosNational Reserve, between 2005 and 2006. That experience made me decide to study my Master in Ecotourism at James Cook University, in Cairns, Australia, in 2009.

My dad always supported my endeavors and often contributed with photographs for my blog. He was a member of several professional associations and chaired for many years the IUCN South American Camelid Specialist Group, promoting the conservation of the vicuña until the end of his life. I will continue contributing as well, honoring his memory.

He passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2017. It is still so recent that it’s hard to believe… I still feel him close… He will be with me forever… And my love and gratitude for all that he taught me will remain…


HERNÁN TORRES BIO

Hernán held a Master of Environmental Studies from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from The University of Michigan, both in the United States. He was Regional Director for CONAF (1974-1981 and 1984-1985); team leader for protected areas management plans at the CATIE, in Costa Rica (1986-1988); Protected Areas Specialist of The Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean Region Department (1995-1998); and an accomplished international consultant in protected area planning and management, sustainable development, ecosystem services and biodiversity, working with multilateral agencies, such as the UNDP, UNEP, World Bank and RAMSAR, and actively participating in IUCN initiatives until the end.