tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20144749313354860982024-03-28T20:29:22.256-07:00Tourism - People - NatureMarcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-51942253150718372552022-04-07T18:50:00.002-07:002022-04-07T18:50:49.229-07:00Panama Tourism Expo 2022: A tasting of unforgettable experiences<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBcycO1QC0QgOEs4SBA8176-43OApD-oitLodEXTl4Br6QSRIXWBm_v9nTIIlZxU8gruj1Nr1FyFDLKGh5Kan_qael7s8cplXT8vYQXuhPLKngUZzTmtdqSWDcvX7E4O2zDx6LmOp37LxFnTCYTJ1sDQqECyeZ_y-uDaCGmtBaH2bdwesg1hdNfD5/s1600/Expo%20Turismo%202022_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBcycO1QC0QgOEs4SBA8176-43OApD-oitLodEXTl4Br6QSRIXWBm_v9nTIIlZxU8gruj1Nr1FyFDLKGh5Kan_qael7s8cplXT8vYQXuhPLKngUZzTmtdqSWDcvX7E4O2zDx6LmOp37LxFnTCYTJ1sDQqECyeZ_y-uDaCGmtBaH2bdwesg1hdNfD5/s320/Expo%20Turismo%202022_15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;">© Marcela Torres</span></div><p><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">by Marcela Torres</span></i></p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Visiting the </span><a href="https://www.panacamara.com/expoturismointernacional/en-expoturismointernacional/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Panama Tourism Expo 2022</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, held between March 25 and 26, was
a revitalizing experience after two years of not being able to attend any event
due to the pandemic. In this eleventh version, the Expo had 138 exhibitors that
arranged more than 300 business appointments with approximately 150 buyers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Since my objective was not to do business, but
to learn about Panama's tourism offer, I decided to attend on Saturday, March
26, when it opened to the public. I was impressed by the diversity of products
especially aimed at nature and promoting sustainability, from ecolodges to
excursions to visit Indigenous communities in different areas of the country.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5pm8f5dmiZVf-Inior6hxBjv2X1Sae-J_NCfFplseAC-U9-KQO5Jyin_YGrKBht2VmhlfECdOSF5pBhU_gRSPdhfZByRshZ8iBgG-D07A9LLefuFouST58xwv0VIrDY5B4_cWNp8vkck0MO-8z28AOTepX9nnt1Fx2HvewNIVVzZTAmh_0W37MRv/s1280/Expo%20Turismo%202022_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5pm8f5dmiZVf-Inior6hxBjv2X1Sae-J_NCfFplseAC-U9-KQO5Jyin_YGrKBht2VmhlfECdOSF5pBhU_gRSPdhfZByRshZ8iBgG-D07A9LLefuFouST58xwv0VIrDY5B4_cWNp8vkck0MO-8z28AOTepX9nnt1Fx2HvewNIVVzZTAmh_0W37MRv/s320/Expo%20Turismo%202022_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;">© Marcela Torres</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;">In fact, what I enjoyed the most was my
experience with </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/emberanebupanama/" style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US">two exhibiting artists from the
Emberá people</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;">. In
addition to showcasing their handicrafts made with fibers, seeds, and natural
dyes, they offered visitors temporary tattoos with traditional motifs from
their culture using the black ink of the <i>jagua</i> or genipap (<i>Genipa
americana</i>), a tropical fruit. In my case, they painted a design that
represents the tail of a monkey.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8PYP1FmtIUHAmfhKDU_nQRAaCnKI7VqZ85tvJ3K9nO3gGf8FlKbjLnvt_oV2q4wMfMzL8FXw8ZTMb39KfCv3nNZ625jo3N4IbUdYK3TUcuhsGPMlVCWvxRTdI8fziPu87jYLMZ4G8W9hasPlbeSC2lOB6dbogR7tQxMgVyhfwLarbKo8oCOqGPZz/s1280/Expo%20Turismo%202022_334b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8PYP1FmtIUHAmfhKDU_nQRAaCnKI7VqZ85tvJ3K9nO3gGf8FlKbjLnvt_oV2q4wMfMzL8FXw8ZTMb39KfCv3nNZ625jo3N4IbUdYK3TUcuhsGPMlVCWvxRTdI8fziPu87jYLMZ4G8W9hasPlbeSC2lOB6dbogR7tQxMgVyhfwLarbKo8oCOqGPZz/s320/Expo%20Turismo%202022_334b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;">© Marcela Torres</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: justify;"> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As I waited for my turn, I talked a lot with
them about their culture and communities. The </span><a href="https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/indigenous-communities/embera-wounaan/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Emberá people</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> live mainly in the southeast of
Panama, in the <i>Emberá-Wounaan Comarca</i> (a type of Indigenous reserve),
which covers 500 hectares and is divided into 42 communities with a total of
approximately 9,000 inhabitants of both Emberá and Wounaan origin. Although the
Wounaan mainly live in the province of Darién, which borders Colombia, the
Emberá are settled along different rivers and some communities have even moved
to sectors of the province of Panama, mainly in the vicinity of the Chagres and
Gatun rivers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;">After meeting these artists, I continued
touring the Expo to identify other attractions that caught my attention. The
variety is very attractive, from private islands to the Panama Canal </span><a href="https://visitcanaldepanama.com/en/" style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US">visitor centers</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;"> and <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.museodelcanal.com/en/">museum</a></span>.
Having taken note of all the information that the exhibitors gave me and
enjoyed delicious mountain-grown coffee, I realized that this country has much
to offer and that, if the international trend of reducing post-pandemic travel
restrictions continues, tourism can be enhanced to achieve a multiplier effect
towards other sectors of the national economy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The positive results of this eleventh version
of Tourism Expo - and of the parallel Trade Expo and Logistics Expo - lead the
organizing committee to have high expectations for the next event, to be held
in 2023 between March 24 and 25. Indeed, Panama has reasons for being
optimistic. And so do I!</span></p><p></p>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-72960671151462202192022-03-23T18:46:00.002-07:002022-03-23T18:53:18.933-07:00World Water Day: Groundwater sustains nearly 50% of world population<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbr9g5SEwd2W9Wn8yXTgz8XnE4FTJzDkV2uoeKyTuwfB4sTrgp7bXf0DlF15UpiwOXmIIWTSlJphU1J8NIfFsjVdMSWFs7-jtsFxdcL4pxyZwAzDaumMSgIsqoAd0hlc8lkpn3AhT2cFgC-6yeMvkD5OigYZwbRDnPXEKG8Kp2mG9Aaw2sEI7iIOt/s2126/WWD-GENERIQ-CMJN_English(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="2126" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbr9g5SEwd2W9Wn8yXTgz8XnE4FTJzDkV2uoeKyTuwfB4sTrgp7bXf0DlF15UpiwOXmIIWTSlJphU1J8NIfFsjVdMSWFs7-jtsFxdcL4pxyZwAzDaumMSgIsqoAd0hlc8lkpn3AhT2cFgC-6yeMvkD5OigYZwbRDnPXEKG8Kp2mG9Aaw2sEI7iIOt/w400-h134/WWD-GENERIQ-CMJN_English(1).png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">by Marcela
Torres</span></span></i></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Growing up in central Chile, I remember
visiting my grandma’s summer house in a small beach town. For many years, this
locality was not connected to the sanitation grid and whenever we needed water,
we would have to get it from the well in the back of the house. Being a child,
I was proud each time I was able to lift the bucket by myself! As the town
grew, the houses were eventually linked to pipes distributing potable water.
But many people around the world still rely on groundwater and wells for their
water consumption.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US">According to the </span><a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380733"><span lang="EN-US">United Nation’s World Water Development Report
2022</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, launched earlier
this week, it is estimated that nearly 50% of the global urban population is
supplied from groundwater sources. The publication is the latest in a series
developed each year by the organization to mark </span><a href="https://www.worldwaterday.org/"><span lang="EN-US">World Water Day</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. In 2022, the Day’s celebration focuses on groundwater under the slogan
‘making the invisible visible’, in reference to the fact that groundwater is
invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The report highlights that “in countries such
as Costa Rica and Mexico, groundwater supplies 70% of households in urban
areas, and practically sustains all domestic demand in rural areas.” The
publication also states that the Asia-Pacific region is the largest groundwater
abstractor in the world, encompassing seven out of the ten countries that abstract
the most groundwater: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, and
Turkey. These countries alone account for approximately 60% of the world’s
total groundwater withdrawal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why is groundwater important?</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US">Almost all the liquid freshwater in the world
is groundwater and most arid areas of the world depend entirely on groundwater.
</span><a href="https://gw-project.org/the-importance-of-groundwater/"><span lang="EN-US">Rivers, lakes, and wetlands are
surface manifestations of groundwater</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. They exchange flow with the groundwater
reservoir that feeds them when they need water and takes some of their flow
when surface water is present in excess. Additionally, groundwater supplies a
large proportion of the water we use for drinking, sanitation, food production,
and industrial processes.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Unfortunately, many major aquifers -
groundwater reservoirs – around the planet are being depleted or polluted.
Depletion can lead to decrease in stream flow, drying of springs or wetlands,
loss of vegetation, water-level decline in wells, and land subsidence. Overexploitation
of groundwater can lead to land instability, and, in coastal regions, to sea
water intrusion under the land. Pollution resulting from human activity,
generating chemicals, and wastes that have leaked into the subsurface degrades
the quality of groundwater and poses a threat to human and ecological health.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Women and water</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US">Across low-income countries, the availability
of a safe and sufficient water supply and improved sanitation facilities </span><a href="https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/gender/"><span lang="EN-US">has a disproportionate effect on the lives of
women and girls for three main reasons</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. First, women and girls usually bear the
responsibility for collecting water, which is often very time-consuming and
arduous. Second, women and girls are more vulnerable to abuse and attack while
walking to and using a toilet. And third, women have specific hygiene needs
during menstruation, pregnancy, and child rearing.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US">Additionally, as </span><a href="https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/womens-crisis/"><span lang="EN-US">many women are responsible for
finding a resource their families need to survive</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, they may stand in line and wait for water,
they may walk long distances to collect water, or they may pay exorbitant
amounts of money to secure water. In their efforts to get water for their
families, they often face an impossible choice: certain death without water or
possible death due to illness from dirty water. Hence, the presence of
groundwater has a direct impact on the availability of water and women’s
well-being.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Their daily experience is far from the exciting
adventure it was for me to extract water from the well in my grandma’s summer
house. Protecting groundwater sources is a global obligation, in order to
ensure each day fewer people and ecosystems are faced with life-or-death
situations that may bring about demise and extinction.</span></p><br /><p></p>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-81957074607817050892020-06-05T14:01:00.001-07:002020-06-05T19:39:44.758-07:00World Environment Day: Wildlife and People in the Struggle for Survival and Sustainability<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgvCX7LG2H5I8aPENolD_BPjbV3giSMp_HIqnwIRtXM1sopxi7XuLLYMca3spS5Z_bR8LK1-VJA306zoBgfmO_J7H_T_Cv6sMcU1i2rqOlWQCruWL50LiV5OqQD2vbhJwCqUqfsrT0UE/s1600/14793_ENGLISH_UNEP_social_cards_1200x675_RECREATION_vs_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgvCX7LG2H5I8aPENolD_BPjbV3giSMp_HIqnwIRtXM1sopxi7XuLLYMca3spS5Z_bR8LK1-VJA306zoBgfmO_J7H_T_Cv6sMcU1i2rqOlWQCruWL50LiV5OqQD2vbhJwCqUqfsrT0UE/s320/14793_ENGLISH_UNEP_social_cards_1200x675_RECREATION_vs_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As
people throughout the world have been forced to stay home due to the COVID-19
pandemic, there are many lessons we’ve learned (and are still learning). One of
them is that the destiny of people and nature go hand in hand, and we simply
can’t ignore that fact. The celebration of the <a href="https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/">2020 World Environment Day</a> is
a good moment to stop and reflect on some key aspects of the relationship
between people and wildlife that have been highlighted by this global crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bat
shaming<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During
the first weeks since news of the coronavirus emerged, several reports pointed
to bats being the origin of this novel contagious disease. Led by
misinformation and fear, many people throughout the world attacked bats to
avoid the spread of COVID-19. However, as more research was conducted, <a href="https://www.batswithoutborders.org/bats-and-covid-19.html">scientists and
conservation leaders warned that this link was not 100% proven and launched
communication campaigns</a> to remove the stigma on bats and highlight their
important environmental benefits including pollination, seed dispersal, and
pest and disease-vector control. Although COVID-19 has indeed been identified
as a zoonotic disease - a human disease of animal origin - its exact animal
source is yet not clear. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nevertheless,
zoonoses have been an increasing problem for many years. According to the UN
Environment Programme, 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are transferred
to people from wildlife. They include Ebola, avian influenza (or bird flu),
H1N1 flu virus (or swine flu), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Rift
Valley fever, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, and
the Zika virus. <a href="https://www.unep-wcmc.org/news/six-ways-conserving-and-sustainably-using-nature-could-prevent-future-pandemics">Evidence
shows that the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases are closely
interlinked with the health of ecosystems</a>, and their spread increases with
the intensification of human activities surrounding and encroaching into
natural habitats, enabling pathogens in wildlife reservoirs to spill over to
livestock and humans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reclaiming
lost habitat?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the
lockdown and isolation began across different countries, we were impressed to
see how wildlife quickly appeared in cities and other places where they would
previously not dare to go, because they had been occupied by humans. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52459487">Dolphins in Turkey, boars in
Israel, and pumas in Chile</a> are examples of animals touring largely empty
city streets, fascinating -and sometimes scaring- urban dwellers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Explanations
given by experts vary. Some claim that these species are once again roaming
what used to be part of their original habitat, while others attribute this
behavior to dire conditions in their natural environment, such as the megadrought
in Chile, which would drive them to leave their comfort zone in search for food
and water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wildlife
abandoned by tourists<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While some
wildlife species have seized the opportunity to explore new horizons, others are
not so lucky. Many zoos and other wildlife attractions across the globe have
been hardly hit by the drop of tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve
written before about the <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/dont-feed-wildlife.html">risks
of feeding wildlife</a> and other impacts of wildlife tourism, including <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/help-protect-endangered-species.html">buying
souvenirs made from endangered species</a> and <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/observing-whales-and-dolphins.html">observing
whales and dolphins</a>. However, the crisis in the tourism industry caused by
the spread of this new coronavirus brings this issue into the spotlight once
again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/fighting-monkeys-highlight-effect-of-coronavirus-on-thailand-tourism">monkeys
at the Prang Sam Yod temple</a> in Thailand to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52283658">Neumünster Zoo in Germany</a>,
animals in captivity are starving as a result of lower revenues from tourism,
which affects the capacity of the facilities to provide food for them, and, in
some cases such as the temple in Thailand, less tourists to bring snacks to feed
them. In Chile, zoos are working together with authorities and reaching out to
the community for help through the advanced sale of tickets for when the
facilities are able to open once again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The drop
in tourism has also affected protected areas in many countries, where it has
resulted in less stress to local wildlife, but at the same time has reduced the
number of potential witnesses or casual guardians against criminal acts. With parks
closed and law enforcement personnel diverted to other duties related to
COVID-19, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200520-the-link-between-animals-and-covid-19">poachers
have taken advantage of reduced human presence to increase their activities</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What can
we do?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is
a huge question. In fact, during this worldwide health, economic, and
environmental crisis there are many things society as a whole needs to reflect
on if we want to be successful in the common struggle of humans and wildlife for
survival and sustainability.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How can we avoid the outbreak of new zoonotic diseases?
How can we halt and mitigate habitat fragmentation to allow healthy wildlife
populations to flourish? How can we reduce poaching to save species from extinction?
What will be the role of wildlife tourism when travel resumes? What should be
the role of zoos and wildlife attractions? Should they still exist, or should they
be eliminated, following the lead of countries such as Costa Rica? </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nature is making a clear statement! As countries
start to plan ways to build back once the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, getting nature at the heart of
all decision making must be our top priority. </span></span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
need to act now to make the world a better place for people and for nature!</b>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-21029634060118745632019-01-13T12:06:00.001-08:002024-03-27T18:34:50.063-07:00Damage to Ancient Giant of Tarapacá Geoglyph: Who’s Accountable?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIXILs7ZpD2BvZEZnhi1iA8AHYOaFgaJhjP_UDqBOhP7ZnKPq2dHVaNsGhXe2DczgJtuPXXeMazcQskjgtuY1l9cs3OIicOQ0krAQd7a-nGRILFxq_ZB95o1iwXmJrkhs14Zd6xpbqV8/s1600/IMG_2680.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIXILs7ZpD2BvZEZnhi1iA8AHYOaFgaJhjP_UDqBOhP7ZnKPq2dHVaNsGhXe2DczgJtuPXXeMazcQskjgtuY1l9cs3OIicOQ0krAQd7a-nGRILFxq_ZB95o1iwXmJrkhs14Zd6xpbqV8/s400/IMG_2680.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">© Hernán Torres</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>By
Marcela Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is the most imposing geoglyph in our country
and last week it suffered irreparable damage. It is the Giant of Tarapacá (<i>Gigante de Tarapacá</i>), located on Unitas
hill, approximately 100 kilometers away from Iquique, in the Atacama Desert, in
the Tarapacá Region in northern Chile. The figure, which measures 119 meters,
is the largest in Chile and was presumably created by ancient indigenous
cultures inhabiting the area more than 1,000 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What is most sad is that the damage was caused
on Saturday, January 6 by three irresponsible tourists who drove a 4x4 vehicle
on the figure’s feet and head, not heeding the signs that indicate the limit
for proximity to the geoglyph and the prohibitions to damage it. Three people
with Belgian passports were involved – one Chilean woman who obtained Belgian citizenship,
one Chilean man born in Belgium, and one native Belgian woman – and they
visited the area with the help of a Chilean.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xHYTjCvyCP3JM8ZX0Cu2n99p_17w1VuHDhFJBQdPirIH9kbpa6Aaj9O4sNklAxm13H01AaLLjdwI5YEsyJR9pAaRORHnJFwnJ9O4gTjx-Nvk8gIpVaKpDNdsRdAf580IUAwACNakcyk/s1600/foto_twitter_gigante_tarapaca.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="660" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xHYTjCvyCP3JM8ZX0Cu2n99p_17w1VuHDhFJBQdPirIH9kbpa6Aaj9O4sNklAxm13H01AaLLjdwI5YEsyJR9pAaRORHnJFwnJ9O4gTjx-Nvk8gIpVaKpDNdsRdAf580IUAwACNakcyk/s400/foto_twitter_gigante_tarapaca.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Photograph obtained from Twitter.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Other tourists visiting the place, outraged
because of the lack of respect and culture, reported the incident on social
media and the authorities acted quickly, taking the three Belgian citizens into
custody at the Santiago airport as they were preparing to board their plane
back to their country. After their arrest in Santiago, the tourists will be
sent to Pozo Almonte, in northern Chile, to face charges for the crime of
damaging a national monument, and they risk a sentence that could range from short
prison, from its minimum (between 61 and 301 days) to maximum degree (between
302 and 540 days), to the payment of a fine that could go up to approximately USD
$ 14,230).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Lack of protection and
education<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The news turned my stomach. The first thing I
asked myself was: Who would do something like this and why? I hold special
affection for this place, which I’ve visited several times, and which has a
special symbolism for the Tarapacá Region. In fact, in January 2010 I was proud
to be given the opportunity of leading a tourism exercise of the
Pressure-State-Response model on this site as part of a Sustainable Tourism
workshop organized by Universidad Arturo Prat for tour operators of the region.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The exercise was very fruitful and allowed
participants to analyze the pressures (threats) faced by this cultural
heritage, the state (condition) it was in, and the evidence of society’s
response (actions) in the area. Although the geoglyph itself was not damaged,
there was a lot of trash around it (we picked up several bags full of paper,
plastic bottles, and other waste), there was no infrastructure for visitors,
and there were few signs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQQLN_5-p2ie9nG4W35qfZN5onL7UxVK1kRAB71tWovkupYIepyZcFEgTm80ckCwL-9KAK7eHxs0AC1TNuyZUTS0yMBmTDj9mb6nxV8fvYxg1O7nDeAtiyEHOqIBAlA9jCgSRxfsyYeQ/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQQLN_5-p2ie9nG4W35qfZN5onL7UxVK1kRAB71tWovkupYIepyZcFEgTm80ckCwL-9KAK7eHxs0AC1TNuyZUTS0yMBmTDj9mb6nxV8fvYxg1O7nDeAtiyEHOqIBAlA9jCgSRxfsyYeQ/s400/IMG_2665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">© Hernán Torres</span></div>
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<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Marcela Torres leading a sustainable tourism exercise at the Giant of Tarapacá.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Even though the Giant has been exposed for
centuries and has suffered previous damage on other occasions, none has been as
serious as this. The worst part is that it is hard to understand what these
people were trying to accomplish. The geoglyph was created to be admired from a
distance. The truth is it cannot be seen well up close. Therefore, the only
explanation is that this criminal act was exclusively meant to cause damage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Who’s in charge of
protection?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Because of its location, the direct
responsibility for the protection of this important site lies in the
Municipality of Huara, with a population of approximately 3,000 people. True, but
we all know that in Chile all municipalities don’t have the same financial
resources and, in my opinion, leaving the protection of such an important
ancient heritage at the hands of a municipality shows a lack of vision.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">While it’s true that the Giant of Tarapacá is a
significant attraction, tourism leaves very little for the small locality of
Huara, since most visitors go on day trips from Iquique, either on their own or
through a tourism operator. Hence, tourism incomes mostly remain in the
regional capital.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What we need to understand as a society is that
any damage to our cultural and natural heritage is a damage to all Chileans. I want
the people who are guilty for this to receive prison time, even if it’s short,
to serve as an example and a deterrent to anyone thinking of damaging the
heritage of all Chileans. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I would also like to see more actions and funds
invested from the central government level on this monument, whose protection
cannot be left solely at the hands of a municipality that does not have the
necessary resources. It seems to me a great initiative for the ministries of
Cultures and National Assets to send archaeologists to assess the damage and
the possibility of repairing it, although experts indicate this is very
difficult because the vehicle tracks are too deep. Anyway, I believe there is a
need to evaluate how the protection of our heritage can be financed and
supervised with national funds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unfortunately, as a result of the actions of
these irresponsible tourists, future generations will never be able to see the
Giant of Tarapacá in all its splendor. I hope this doesn’t happen again and that
we protect our heritage the way it deserves.</span></span></div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-32005622226699857142018-10-07T14:00:00.000-07:002018-10-07T14:02:38.246-07:0070 years of IUCN - #NatureForAll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4uZtzKioFJDhng4VfJ06Y71OGwcmJv1XSB0UYzKdvKtmyoqKpZsq0SaTdNAAvuQ70eV8V2gfcYlmowzeF7oBWDX_T_sNwvYX3OzGCKgDUazt8r90gtB9wF6Vc8wGNHv00gUzHpMj1Ac/s1600/iucn70_tagline_fullcolour_rgb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="850" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4uZtzKioFJDhng4VfJ06Y71OGwcmJv1XSB0UYzKdvKtmyoqKpZsq0SaTdNAAvuQ70eV8V2gfcYlmowzeF7oBWDX_T_sNwvYX3OzGCKgDUazt8r90gtB9wF6Vc8wGNHv00gUzHpMj1Ac/s320/iucn70_tagline_fullcolour_rgb.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>By
Marcela Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since 2017, I have been a proud member of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commission on Education
and Communication (CEC). The organization is celebrating the <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.iucn.org/celebrating-70-years">70<sup>th</sup>
anniversary</a></span> of its creation on October 5, 1948 in Fontainebleu,
France by governments and civil society organizations with a shared goal to
protect nature.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Also created in 1948, the <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-education-and-communication">CEC
was IUCN’s first Commission</a></span>. Its more than 1,100 voluntary members
contribute their expertise in education, social </span>communication and behavior change communication to create a culture of conservation. The Commission drives change
for the co-creation of sustainable solutions through leading communication,
learning and knowledge management in IUCN and the wider conservation community.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Among its many contributions, the CEC is
supporting IUCN’s global <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://natureforall.global/">#NatureForAll movement</a></span>, which was
formally launched at the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Hawaii and is driven by a growing
coalition of partners who represent a variety of sectors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#NatureForAll aims to build support and action
for nature conservation among people from all walks of life by raising
awareness and facilitating experiences and connections with the natural world.
Want to learn more about the movement? Check out this great video for
inspiration!</span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WtIyR0_MBVc/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WtIyR0_MBVc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy anniversary IUCN and CEC!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Living #NatureForAll</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-16436303168177226732018-06-04T17:39:00.001-07:002018-06-04T20:42:08.757-07:00World Environment Day: Beat Plastic Pollution!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5DXzMtQbSKwOrmhOIYysl34_tMenWp78Q77HbNKxaftYQrGYtOC6DMtpkQhpFdvLAgMA0CJnJMr9u-dh9db5-9iz-ZLT0sQq_pO4H3Pe2jucH_nt6tYaTMS4OlZaG2HMdwQlh5icOz4/s1600/WED2018+EN_FC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="1600" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5DXzMtQbSKwOrmhOIYysl34_tMenWp78Q77HbNKxaftYQrGYtOC6DMtpkQhpFdvLAgMA0CJnJMr9u-dh9db5-9iz-ZLT0sQq_pO4H3Pe2jucH_nt6tYaTMS4OlZaG2HMdwQlh5icOz4/s400/WED2018+EN_FC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By
Marcela Torres<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ending plastic pollution is the aim of the
activities of two important international days celebrated this week: <a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/environmentday/">World Environment Day</a>, tomorrow
June 5, and <a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/">World Oceans Day</a>,
on June 8.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">“#BeatPlasticPollution”</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> is a
call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental
challenges of our time. The theme invites us all to consider how we can make
changes in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution
on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health. While plastic has
many valuable uses, we have become over reliant on single-use or disposable
plastic – with severe environmental consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although I’ve written before about <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2018/04/earth-day-2018-end-plastic-pollution.html">plastic
pollution</a> and <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2017/06/is-there-sustainable-consumption-and.html">consumption
patterns in the tourism industry</a>, the problem persists, and it is necessary
to insist on its importance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is being done?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many countries, particularly those with long coasts,
are taking actions to reduce plastic pollution. For example, on May 30 Chile passed
a law banning single-use plastic bags in the entire national territory. The ban
will enter into force in one year’s time for major retailers and in two years’
time for smaller businesses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other countries in <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/latin-america-and-caribbean-bids-good-bye-plastic-bags">Latin
America and the Caribbean are implementing taxes, bans, and technological
innovation to restrict the production and consumption of plastic bags</a> and
reduce their harmful impact on oceans and marine species.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On this occasion, the United Nations
Environment Programme (UN Environment) is calling to action in four key areas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Reducing Single-Use Plastics:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> 50% of the of consumer plastics are
designed to be used only once, providing a momentary convenience before being
discarded. Eliminating single-use plastics, both from design chains to our
consumer habits is a critical first step to beat plastic pollution.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Improving Waste Management:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Nearly one third of the plastics we
use escape our collection systems. Once in the environment, plastics don’t go
away, they simply get smaller and smaller, last a century or more and
increasingly find their way into our food chain. Waste management and recycling
schemes are essential to a new plastics economy.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Phasing Out Microplastics:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Recent studies show that over 90%
of bottled water and even 83% of tap water contain microplastic particles. No
one is sure what that means for human health, but trace amounts are turning up
in our blood, stomachs, and lungs with increasing regularity. Humans add to the
problem with micro-beads from beauty products and other non-recoverable
materials. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Promoting Research into Alternatives:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> Alternative solutions to oil-based
plastics are limited and difficult to scale. This doesn’t need to be the case. Further
research is needed to make sustainable plastic alternatives both economically
viable and widely available.</span></li>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This World Environment Day is a culmination of
years of effort by Member States aimed at focusing the world’s attention and
galvanizing action around plastic pollution. UN Environment and its Member
States have been developing innovative science and forging new consensus on the
complex relationships between plastics, society and the environment.</span></span></div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-4851930920528531792018-05-22T09:35:00.000-07:002018-05-22T09:39:55.068-07:00International Day for Biodiversity: 25 years conserving global biodiversity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By
Marcela Torres<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The </span><span lang="ES"><a href="https://www.cbd.int/idb/image/2018/messages/idb-2018-message-cbd-en.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">Convention on Biological Diversity</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US"> (CBD) entered into force 25 years
ago, in December 1993. While we celebrate the <b>International Day for
Biodiversity</b> today, it seems appropriate to highlight global achievements and
pending tasks in such an important topic for sustainable development as well as
the contributions tourism can make.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The achievements have been significant. As
mentioned in the </span><span lang="ES"><a href="https://www.cbd.int/idb/image/2018/messages/idb-2018-message-cbd-en.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">message by the Executive Secretary
of the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Assistant
Secretary-General, Dr. Cristiana Paşca Palmer</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">: “Biodiversity and its ecosystem
services are at the heart of the 2030 </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sustainable Development Agenda. The Paris
Climate Agreement includes biodiversity. The World Economic Forum recognizes
biodiversity loss as a critical risk. The Food and Agriculture Organization has
organized focal work on Biodiversity. Paris has declared itself the capital of biodiversity,
and all the way around the world, countries, local governments and civil
society are </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">stepping up their actions to safeguard
biodiversity.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">However, the challenges are also great and biodiversity
continues to decline in every region of the world at alarming rates. So much so
that </span><span lang="ES"><a href="http://saveanimals.co/2017/04/28/animals-that-went-extinct-in-the-21st-century/"><span lang="EN-US">at least 17 species have become
extinct during the 21<sup>st</sup> century</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">, including the Pinta Island Tortoise in
Ecuador, the Eastern Cougar in the Americas, the Formosan Clouded Leopard in
Taiwan, and the Baiji Dolphin, in China, among many others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How can tourism help
conserve biodiversity?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Sustainable tourism can contribute to
biodiversity conservation in several ways. As I have </span><span lang="ES"><a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.cl/2014/03/environmental-impacts-of-tourism.html"><span lang="EN-US">mentioned before in this blog</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">, <b>tourism can have both positive and
negative environmental impacts</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many types of tourism rely directly on
ecosystem services and biodiversity (ecotourism, agri-tourism, wellness tourism,
adventure tourism, etc.) to provide tourists with experiences of cultural and
environmental authenticity, contact with local communities and education about
flora, fauna, ecosystems and their conservation. On the other hand, too many
tourists can also have a negative, degrading effect on biodiversity and ecosystems.
Hence, careful planning and management are required to avoid negative impacts
on biodiversity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">In that context, the </span><span lang="ES"><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/business/assets/pdf/sectors/Tourism_Best%20Pratice%20Benchmarking_Final.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">European Union Business and
Biodiversity Platform</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US"> has identified the following seven best practices for tourism
businesses:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Identify
the impacts and dependencies of your business on biodiversity and ecosystem
services (BES)</b>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Assess
the business risks and opportunities associated with these impacts and dependencies</b>
to educate employees, owners, suppliers and customers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Develop
BES information systems, set SMART targets, measure and value performance, and
report results</b>. This is a key step for building trust among external
stakeholders, while creating peer pressure within the industry.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Take
action to avoid, minimize and mitigate BES risks, including in-kind compensation
(‘offsets’) where feasible</b>. BES targets may build on the concepts of ‘No Net
Loss’, ‘Ecological Neutrality’ or ‘Net Positive Impact’ and include support for
biodiversity offsets where appropriate.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Grasp
emerging BES business opportunities, such as cost-efficiencies, new products
and new markets</b>. Business can support the growth of green markets and can help
design efficient enabling conditions for biodiversity and ecosystem service
markets, which may lead to the diversification of tourism product and complements
the efforts to fight seasonality of the tourism offer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Integrate
business strategy and actions on BES within wider corporate social responsibility
initiatives</b>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Engage
with business peers and stakeholders in government, NGOs and civil society to improve
BES guidance and policy</b>. Businesses can bring significant capacity to conservation
efforts and have a key role to play in halting biodiversity loss.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Likewise, the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have
developed </span><span lang="ES"><a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/programmes/socio-eco/tourism/tourism-manual-en.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">guidelines on how to plan tourism
development</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">
within the frameworks of: the ecosystem approach; Akwé: Kon voluntary
guidelines for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact
assessments regarding </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">developments proposed to take place on, or
which are likely to impact on, sacred sites and on lands and waters
traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities; and the
voluntary guidelines for incorporating biodiversity-related issues into
environmental impact assessment legislation and/or process, and the draft
guidelines for incorporating biodiversity-related issues into strategic
environmental assessment.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let’s celebrate this International Day of
Biodiversity by reflecting on how we can further tourism’s contribution to
global biodiversity conservation!</span></span>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-9994799145706407292018-04-22T09:28:00.000-07:002018-04-22T10:04:36.593-07:00Earth Day 2018: End Plastic Pollution, Save Easter Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLToQgpmBh7igtEI_N4c1wO3gt34q5vg_fp8DgtH9Rxg5xGkRBAVY0PAyS801fpiGzLLSaFtwswart6st1fu4OV4H_TCWn0X4Ny0u1wulMcklEbWSinQrrRnZyMGdzZq9xHu5RoAmvqc4/s1600/Con-ni%25C3%25B1os-planta-700x525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLToQgpmBh7igtEI_N4c1wO3gt34q5vg_fp8DgtH9Rxg5xGkRBAVY0PAyS801fpiGzLLSaFtwswart6st1fu4OV4H_TCWn0X4Ny0u1wulMcklEbWSinQrrRnZyMGdzZq9xHu5RoAmvqc4/s320/Con-ni%25C3%25B1os-planta-700x525.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Recycling campaign in Easter Island.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Dirección Sociocultural de Chile</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>By
Marcela Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="ES"><a href="https://phys.org/news/2016-09-waste-besieged-easter-island-slowly-recycle.html"><span lang="EN-US">Tons of plastic are carried by marine
currents to coastal destinations</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">, such as Easter Island. This is compounded by the
garbage generated by tourists and residents within the island. Hence, this
paradise in the Pacific is in trouble and we must help find a solution.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>“End plastic pollution”</b> is the theme for </span><span lang="ES"><a href="https://www.earthday.org/"><span lang="EN-US">Earth Day 2018</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">. Celebrated each year on </span><span lang="ES"><a href="https://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/"><span lang="EN-US">April 22 since 1970</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US">, Earth Day marks the anniversary of
the birth of the modern environmental movement. This year, the aim is to provide
the information and inspiration needed to fundamentally change human attitude
and behavior about plastics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oceans of Plastic<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A study conducted by researchers from three
universities in the United States and published by <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768">the Journal Science</a>
estimated that “275 million metric tons (MT) of plastic waste was
generated in 192 coastal countries in 2010, with 4.8 to 12.7 million MT
entering the ocean. Population size and the quality of waste management systems
largely determine which countries contribute the greatest mass of uncaptured
waste available to become plastic marine debris.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Among <b>the top 20 countries generating the
greatest amount of ocean-bound trash</b>, China is ranked first and the United
States 20th. The rest of the list includes 11 other Asian countries, Turkey,
five African countries, and Brazil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) University of Georgia</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastics are non-biodegradable and just break
down into ever smaller pieces as a result of their exposure to sunlight. Known
as microplastics, these pieces measure less than five millimeters and are
approximately the size of a sesame seed. Because of their size, they are easily
ingested by fish and other marine wildlife and quickly enter the food chain,
affecting humans as well.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Easter Island Garbage
Issue<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Located in the <b>South Pacific Garbage Patch</b>,
more than 3,500 kilometers from Santiago, Chile, Easter Island suffers not only
from its own trash generation but also from plastic debris that is washed
ashore by the ocean currents. To learn more about the situation, the non-governmental
organization <a href="https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2015/06/02/disenchanted-easter-island-a-paradise-devastated-by-plastic-pollution/">Race
for Water Foundation conducted studies in the Ovahe and Anakena beaches in 2015</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Attracted by the island’s huge Moai statues,
over 80,000 tourists visit each year this paradise with a size of only 163.6
square kilometers and a resident population of approximately 6,000 people. This
influx of visitors also takes a toll on the island’s capacity to manage waste.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Local authorities estimate that, by 2025, Easter
Island will import 32 metric tons of cardboard, 18 of plastic, 12 of aluminum
cans and nine of glass. However, without a recycling plant of its own, only
one-fifth of its garbage is sent to the continent for recycling. The rest is
taken to the already overloaded landfill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I mentioned in a previous post, the
<b>islanders have already made great strides towards promoting <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.cl/2014/03/easter-island-most-interesting-place-in.html">sustainable
tourism</a></b>. Local youth are also actively engaged in cleaning beaches and
ridding them of plastics as much as they can and a <a href="https://imaginaisladepascua.com/en/easter-island-sightseeing/hanga-roa/rapa-nui-school-of-music-and-arts/">music
school</a> was built with reused elements such as aluminum cans, glass bottles
and tires. But there’s still much to be done.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQpMYJJBHrvI5D3VybiEDLyUCGzQEZgF8rnK-lnOsFfWxaccJiEkKVL05dUUf572hCZEeOEQzBTUCD_1tbZ-JuqIILt4KuLsYejRsqGMDVIv2jZExWISJCNxJuyb-A53HcpKuIe2KlbQ/s1600/escuela-de-musica-toki-rapa-nui-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQpMYJJBHrvI5D3VybiEDLyUCGzQEZgF8rnK-lnOsFfWxaccJiEkKVL05dUUf572hCZEeOEQzBTUCD_1tbZ-JuqIILt4KuLsYejRsqGMDVIv2jZExWISJCNxJuyb-A53HcpKuIe2KlbQ/s320/escuela-de-musica-toki-rapa-nui-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Rapa Nui School of Music and Arts</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">(c) Imagina Isla de Pascua</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How can we help? Refuse and reduce the use of
plastic. If this is not possible, then we can do our best to recycle and/or
remove plastic waste from locations where it will cause most damage. Tackling
this pollution issue is on us! Learn more, look for ways to help, ask authorities to act. <b>Happy Earth Day!</b></span></span></div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-34076790293958739562017-06-11T07:57:00.000-07:002017-06-11T08:36:18.322-07:00Is there Sustainable Consumption and Production in Tourism?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5us8uHeGj7VxXqCPawVb-Iv-V2lbVwjVxwBUj_q5QxNarXZl00m2KLMyhR5DWB1ruVlSJjpiiwC2qlDZANVMMbcA3DkBuuN_mwXxSh-pY5uy-BLMT82rrsMXRAJeVlrpWTJmrXNMUgg/s1600/portada_744x400_trr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="744" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5us8uHeGj7VxXqCPawVb-Iv-V2lbVwjVxwBUj_q5QxNarXZl00m2KLMyhR5DWB1ruVlSJjpiiwC2qlDZANVMMbcA3DkBuuN_mwXxSh-pY5uy-BLMT82rrsMXRAJeVlrpWTJmrXNMUgg/s320/portada_744x400_trr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">©</span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-align: justify;"> UNWTO - International Year of
Sustainable Tourism for Development</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>by Marcela
Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">These are questions worth pondering upon in a
week in which the world celebrated <a href="http://worldenvironmentday.global/en/about/connecting-people-nature">Environment
Day</a> on June 5 and held the <a href="https://oceanconference.un.org/">Ocean
Conference</a> in New York, in addition to the fact that 2017 has been declared
by the United Nations as the <a href="http://www.tourism4development2017.org/">International
Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development</a>. And questions like these are
being discussed in the massive open online course (MOOC) on <a href="http://nbsapforum.net/#read-thread/2604">“Sustainable
Consumption and Production”</a>,
organized by the UNDP through its NBSAP Forum, which I</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">m facilitating in its Spanish version.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">What is the role of
consumers in promoting sustainability in tourism or any other industry?</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> 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 </span><span lang="EN-US">“</span><span lang="EN-US">the polluter pays</span><span lang="EN-US">”</span><span lang="EN-US"> into their legislations or business
strategies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nevertheless, <b>there is still a myth that individual consumers are the most
responsible for sustainable consumption</b> and that by providing them with
information about the social and environmental consequences, sustainable
consumption can be achieved through the market. However, <b>research by the <a href="http://www.unep.org/10yfp/programmes/sustainable-lifestyles-and-education-programme"><span style="font-weight: normal;">United Nations 10YFP Sustainable Lifestyles and
Education Programme</span></a> has shown that there are some mental blocks</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">ideologies
(</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">I should be free to buy what I want</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"> or </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">Technology will solve environmental
problems</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">social
norms (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">ll look strange if I do it</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"> or </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">why should I do it if they don</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">t?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">lock in</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"> to unsustainable capital (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">well I already have the car</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">…”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">mistrust
or denial (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">Those
eco-labels are just a marketing ploy!</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">perceived
risks of sustainable consumption (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">what if the photovoltaic cells don</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">t work reliably?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"> or </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">won</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">t my colleagues think I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">m poor if I take the train?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">feeling
that individual actions won</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">t make a
difference (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">m just one in 7 billion</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">emotional
manipulation through marketing and advertising (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">You</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">ll be happier with these products.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;">)</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Don</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t get me wrong. <b>Consumers can and
should make a difference, either individually or collectively</b>. But being
informed is not enough for them to take action. Sometimes they don</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t 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?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">I have previously discussed this in a <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14724049.2013.852562?journalCode=reco20">paper
published in 2013</a> by the Journal of Ecotourism. <b>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</b>. If you scour the internet for marketing data, you</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">ll find many statistics indicating
responsible tourism is a growing global trend and that today</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s 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. <b>But how true is this really?</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">There</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">’</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">s a catch</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">…</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> I can</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t 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 </span><span lang="EN-US">“</span><span lang="EN-US">don</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t care about pollution</span><span lang="EN-US">”</span><span lang="EN-US"> or that you </span><span lang="EN-US">“</span><span lang="EN-US">like to pollute</span><span lang="EN-US">”</span><span lang="EN-US">? Probably not. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">On the other hand, they may actually want to
choose sustainability but are unable to. The truth is, in general, <b>people don</b></span><b><span lang="EN-US">’</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">t </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">“</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">mean to pollute</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">”</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> or choose unsustainable options.
But <b>sometimes they don</b></span><b><span lang="EN-US">’</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">t have alternatives, because there are no
sustainability initiatives where they live or stay, because they have strong
mental blocks, or because they simply can</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">’</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">t afford them</span></b><span lang="EN-US">.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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
<b>tourists (as consumers) have an important role to play in this process</b>.</span></span>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-35138416391595543292017-04-29T14:18:00.000-07:002019-03-21T08:26:56.913-07:00Let’s Go See Whales! But Let’s Be Careful<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrHp1qjBaMrb4mn9t1ji1fvPEYJHEdp2lY5Ddc3ifANQUtB6_DoBn9jktTaYEF6uNEL1zydJO6aDNBFIOEBippTPgtbFMYWDPx_otAyi1jhmYikVoSOd4Dub7Qi6JBfbowzTUtVt7Qtk/s1600/faro-de-las-orcas-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrHp1qjBaMrb4mn9t1ji1fvPEYJHEdp2lY5Ddc3ifANQUtB6_DoBn9jktTaYEF6uNEL1zydJO6aDNBFIOEBippTPgtbFMYWDPx_otAyi1jhmYikVoSOd4Dub7Qi6JBfbowzTUtVt7Qtk/s320/faro-de-las-orcas-03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span id="goog_1858427453"></span><span id="goog_1858427454"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">by Marcela Torres<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I recently watched a <b>beautiful and moving Argentinean-Spanish film called “<i>El faro de las orcas</i>”</b> (</span><a href="http://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film112349.html"><span lang="EN-US">The Lighthouse of the Whales</span></a><span lang="EN-US">), 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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Because of that, </span><a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.cl/2014/03/observing-whales-and-dolphins.html"><span lang="EN-US">as I have mentioned before</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, several countries and
organizations, including the <a href="https://iwc.int/whalewatching">InternationalWhaling Commission</a> (IWC) and <a href="http://us.whales.org/news/2016/06/wdc-launches-new-guide-to-responsible-whale-watching-worldwide">Whale
and Dolphin Conservation</a> (WDC), have issued guidelines for observing whales and
dolphins, to prevent harming both marine mammals and humans. In Chile, the
Government passed the </span><a href="http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=1039695"><span lang="EN-US">regulation for marine wildlife observation</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, in 2011, and later published two </span><a href="https://www.subpesca.cl/institucional/602/articles-94793_recurso_1.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">best-practices manuals</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, one of them with the </span><a href="http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/manual_buenas_practicas.pdf"><span lang="EN-US">World Wide Fund for Nature</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> (WWF). <a href="http://www.icb.org.ar/especiales.php?tsid=4&op=ver&seccion_id=127">Argentina</a>
has regulated this activity as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/whale-and-dolphin-watching"><span lang="EN-US">Australia</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> is certainly one of the leaders in
the promotion of responsible tourism, particularly in marine habitats. In 2009,
<b>I had an unforgettable whale-watching
experience</b> on a ferry that took us from Sydney to the feeding site of a
group of humpback whales. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Educating and raising
awareness is key for ensuring responsible tourism</span></b><span lang="EN-US">. 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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Besides keeping these guidelines in mind, there
are <b>two things you can do to ensure a
safe and pleasant experience:</b> 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.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-45428476263801295432017-02-22T07:54:00.002-08:002017-03-08T03:40:45.354-08:00Hernán Torres (1946-2017): A Great Nature Lover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqN_TXGo0-T8GIhCTPNNC9PEMYWigVGTyW4XpmsjyNWUxEM2Dezj6k71K7XCLB-aTLs6cucRi3yEoyXWDN3XVhyGn0kjJ2yYSmOQpNLBkDZrYR4thg08vPN__zHkFpsyo0M6oaplmkCM/s1600/foto_nanito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqN_TXGo0-T8GIhCTPNNC9PEMYWigVGTyW4XpmsjyNWUxEM2Dezj6k71K7XCLB-aTLs6cucRi3yEoyXWDN3XVhyGn0kjJ2yYSmOQpNLBkDZrYR4thg08vPN__zHkFpsyo0M6oaplmkCM/s320/foto_nanito.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>by Marcela Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-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…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">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!! <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">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…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Our common love for nature led us to co-author two editions of the <a href="https://books.google.cl/books?id=83iezgMwh3EC&printsec=frontcover&hl=es#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">Guide to Chile’s National Parks (1999and 2004), in Spanish</a>, and to work together in the <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.cl/2014/03/indigenous-communities-and-tourism.html" target="_blank">development of the firstsustainable visitor center in a protected area in Chile, in Los FlamencosNational Reserve</a>, between 2005 and 2006. That experience made me decide to
study my Master in Ecotourism at James Cook University, in Cairns, Australia,
in 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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 <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.cl/2016/09/lets-help-protect-vicuna.html" target="_blank">conservation of the vicuña</a> until the end of his
life. I will continue contributing as well, honoring his memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">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…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">HERNÁN TORRES BIO<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;">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 </span></strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(1974-1981 and 1984-1985)<strong>; team</strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">
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.</span></strong></span>Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-40975088034289381972016-09-18T18:06:00.000-07:002016-09-18T18:06:08.505-07:00Let’s Help Protect the Vicuña!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yqdSdCahRy6wkYcmKC5BbgONgZBXK1t_KQ41NXJFrm9Q-tZ4rRBhVhqgyCn9Aj_pfqrsyWgKZUO34nhnLn_5Aq7HI4K5-qnGQDQ4Ct5V7A2-AJoqaUx5NT5RujETXnkODc6BU6OuBI0/s1600/foto+vicu%25C3%25B1a+moci%25C3%25B3n+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yqdSdCahRy6wkYcmKC5BbgONgZBXK1t_KQ41NXJFrm9Q-tZ4rRBhVhqgyCn9Aj_pfqrsyWgKZUO34nhnLn_5Aq7HI4K5-qnGQDQ4Ct5V7A2-AJoqaUx5NT5RujETXnkODc6BU6OuBI0/s320/foto+vicu%25C3%25B1a+moci%25C3%25B3n+103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">©
Hernán Torres</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>by Marcela Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A ray of hope shone from Hawaii to South
America last week when the <b>General
Assembly of the World Conservation Congress</b> of the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature (<b>IUCN</b>)
approved <b><a href="https://portals.iucn.org/congress/motion/103" target="_blank">Motion 103: Vicuña (<i>Vicugna vicugna</i>) conservation and the illegal trade in its fibre</a></b>. The aim is to achieve that the <b>Conference of the Parties (CoP17)</b> of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (<b>CITES</b>), which will be held in South
Africa between September 24 and October 5, <b>demands
its members to strengthen controls to half the poaching and illegal trade in
its fibre</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Vicuña: A
Successful Conservation Case<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <b>Vicuña
is one of the four South American camelids that inhabit the High Andes of
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru</b>. During the 1970s, the species
was on the brink of extinction due to excessive hunting for its fibre,
considered the finest one in the world, on top of those obtained from cashmere
goats and alpacas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to the efforts made by conservation
organizations and the governments of the countries within its area of
distribution, which in 1979 signed the <b><a href="http://www2.ecolex.org/server2neu.php/libcat/docs/TRE/Full/En/TRE-000102.txt" target="_blank">Convention for The Conservation and Management of the Vicuña</a></b>, <b>all trade in live animals, their fiber and other products of the
species was banned</b>. As a consequence, its populations successfully
recovered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the beginning of the 1990s, Peru requested
authorization to trade fiber obtained by indigenous communities from animals
that are sheared live and then released, using <b>an ancient Inka technique called “chaku”</b>. Thus, the sustainable
management of the species began, together with the export of its fiber to
countries such as Italy, Scotland and Japan, an example that was later on
followed by Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poaching Reappears
After Four Decades<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obtaining vicuña fiber is difficult. Each adult
sheared adult vicuña produces barely 200 grams of fiber, every two or three
years. Because of that, in addition to being the finest fiber it is also the
most expensive, with prices ranging between USD $300 and $500 per kilogram.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Companies focused on <b>luxury clothing in countries like Italy, England, Germany and the
United States</b> buy <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323392204579073090614851288" target="_blank">vicuña fiber to manufacture articles such as coats and men’s suits</a>, which are sold at approximately USD $20,000 and USD $40,000,
respectively. However, <b>over the past
years, it is suspected that China has entered the market, although in an
illegal manner</b>, promoting a <b>black
market for vicuña fiber that would allegedly be paying up to USD $1,000 per
kilogram</b> and being supplied through poaching of the species, particularly by
criminal groups operating in Bolivia.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Approximately 5,000
vicuñas have shown up dead and skinned over the past five years</span></b><span lang="EN-US">. But <a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-chile-vicunas-20150621-story.html" target="_blank">the killings have increased significantly since 2014 to date</a>, <b>endangering
once more the survival of the species and threatening the livelihood of
High-Andean communities that carry out a sustainable management of the vicuña
with great efforts</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can these killings
be stopped?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately, <b>civil society and the scientific community have raised their voices
over the past year to call attention to this issue and request worldwide help</b>
to solve it, from petitions through Internet sites -such as <a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/">www.thepetitionsite.com</a> and <a href="http://www.care2.com-/">www.care2.com-</a> to a <a href="http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/gecs_vicuna_poaching_en.pdf" target="_blank">statement made by the IUCN’s South American Camelid Specialist Group</a> (GECS by its acronym in Spanish).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is needed most is to <b>stop the illegal sale of vicuña products</b>. On the one hand, as
consumers we are responsible for making sure that what we buy is duly
certified. In addition, we must <b>report
any informal sale offer we encounter</b>, since it will most likely be part of
a black market that promotes killing protected wildlife.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At an international level, it is crucial that
the <a href="https://cites.org/eng/cop17" target="_blank"><b>CITES</b> <b>Conference of the Parties (CoP17)</b> </a>accepts Motion 103 of the <b>IUCN’s World Conservation Congress</b> and
commits to, among other things, ensure <b>that
the Parties to the CITES that have vicuña fiber and products derived from it
identify, mark and register them appropriately</b>, to guarantee their
traceability to their origin, adopting and applying the relevant legislation
with extensive controls, in order to prevent the illegal trade in these items
and <b>that States within the species’ area
of distribution, importing countries as well as consumers increase their
collaboration</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s hope that the
CITES will hear the global outcry to save the Vicuña!</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-13995855764951076982014-03-30T08:28:00.000-07:002014-03-30T08:28:05.225-07:00Welcome to Tourism-People-Nature!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiga6B1SyiY3WgabPL9tQ7OmMFmRx2VbOjY-VuWLmkA3dTh_gm69SGVB9p3SC1H1Q_OVyy2puAWttamViKmrTi3CpyYN3SXFZjnBrklp22naUKuEfV43HBtBmRymaz_h6_P6SKaM-ihbqM/s1600/101_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiga6B1SyiY3WgabPL9tQ7OmMFmRx2VbOjY-VuWLmkA3dTh_gm69SGVB9p3SC1H1Q_OVyy2puAWttamViKmrTi3CpyYN3SXFZjnBrklp22naUKuEfV43HBtBmRymaz_h6_P6SKaM-ihbqM/s1600/101_0475.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">At the Piedra de la Iglesia (Church Rock), Constitución, Maule Region, Chile.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>by Marcela Torres</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Welcome! <b>This blog is a continuation of the one
I published between 2011 and 2013</b> as part of the contribution to the
dissemination of <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/wrtd-2011-tourism-can-help-reduce.html" target="_blank">World Responsible Tourism Day</a> by the tour operations company, Southern
Cone Journeys, which my sister Paula and I created to receive tourists in
Chile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately, we were forced to close the
company because our expectations were not met regarding the supposedly growing
ecotourism and responsible tourism markets in North America and Europe. Of
course, the recent economic crises did not help either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Nevertheless, those two years in business gave
us the opportunity to meet fantastic like-minded people, who strive to improve
tourism in order to leave the world a better place for future generations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In that spirit, <b>I have decided to migrate the
entries from our previous blog to this new address and to continue with the
effort of promoting responsibility in the tourism industry towards the people
and the environment of the destinations it relies upon</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I invite you to follow me in this new phase! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-77208892838289437182014-03-29T10:45:00.000-07:002014-03-29T10:45:10.813-07:00World Tourism Day 2013: Conserving Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKlfGY2Xyyq_VQx6m8Lb4-RnTbLVGaLEFF1vIQaU7AsMA0e_rsJmHEHCRPQnw0Q4BirHSdhHFcVqZ5F1Ayda1UGNQMOWGyl-hceaDvn3VwizgkhwJtW2DBICAqTeIDUJhEhE6Wj9f-H8/s1600/wtd2013_logo_en.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKlfGY2Xyyq_VQx6m8Lb4-RnTbLVGaLEFF1vIQaU7AsMA0e_rsJmHEHCRPQnw0Q4BirHSdhHFcVqZ5F1Ayda1UGNQMOWGyl-hceaDvn3VwizgkhwJtW2DBICAqTeIDUJhEhE6Wj9f-H8/s1600/wtd2013_logo_en.png" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Marcela Torres<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">On September 27 we celebrate the <b><a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/tourismday/" target="_blank">2013 World Tourism Day (WTD)</a></b> under the theme <b>“Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common
Future”</b>, which the World Tourism Organization (WTO) has chosen to underscore
tourism´s responsibility and commitment in ensuring a sustainable water future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Water availability and quality play a key role
in the quality of life of humans</b>. And tourism also depends on this resource in
many ways, be it for consumption of visitors or as part of the attractions
offered to travelers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Although tourism has a minor share in world
water consumption, compared to other industries such as agriculture and mining,
it nevertheless contributes to the problem. For example, the hotel sector
requires water for cooking, laundering, human consumption (drinks, showers,
etc.), filling pools and irrigating gardens or golf courses, among other uses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">According to the <a href="http://www2.unwto.org/" target="_blank">WTO</a>, since more than one
thousand million people travel each year worldwide, <b>tourism can be an important
channel for raising awareness and changing behaviors</b>, helping reduce issues of
availability and quality of water resources and offering effective solutions
aimed at achieving greater sustainability for water in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Some related <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/tourism-initiatives-to-save-earth.html" target="_blank">outstanding initiatives have already been set up by the tourism sector</a></b>. For example, the British
non-governmental organization <b><a href="http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/wet.html" target="_blank">Tourism Concern</a></b> has a campaign on water equity in
tourism, which promotes principles among governments, industry and society at
large. The <b><a href="http://www.justadrop.org/" target="_blank">Just a Drop</a></b> foundation relies on donations from tourism companies to
fund clean water projects throughout the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">People who have not yet taken any water-saving
measures may start by taking baby steps. It is not necessary to do everything
at once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Here are some good tips:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Reduce unnecessary water consumption in
cleaning and cooking</li>
<li>Check pipes and fittings to avoid leaks which
cause loss of water</li>
<li>Use water-saving technology</li>
<li>Use recycled water from showers, washing
machines and toilets or rain water to irrigate gardens</li>
<li>Invite your hosts to contribute to reducing
water consumption through information materials</li>
</ul>
<br />
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Happy World Tourism Day!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><b>This entry was originally posted by the author on September 26, 2012.</b></i></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-56033015612388140522014-03-29T10:39:00.001-07:002014-03-29T10:39:33.818-07:00World Tourism Day: Sustainable Energy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v1q71A3TI-SypxXwhCoUJsFl8R-zbSznweLuZYlzYpHLOJ6ajM95DSr_owlkBsJmBH-jQXVXrpEsCinxhppSY4n5ztKVawp595APl5tod41TCVIxSDqf5aMD_PHZJ8zVTONqkRA6yPc/s1600/logo_eng_wto2012.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v1q71A3TI-SypxXwhCoUJsFl8R-zbSznweLuZYlzYpHLOJ6ajM95DSr_owlkBsJmBH-jQXVXrpEsCinxhppSY4n5ztKVawp595APl5tod41TCVIxSDqf5aMD_PHZJ8zVTONqkRA6yPc/s1600/logo_eng_wto2012.png" height="139" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: clear; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Marcela Torres<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Today marks the celebration of the <b><a href="http://wtd.unwto.org/es/node/36563" target="_blank">2012 World Tourism Day (WTD)</a></b> under the theme <b>“Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering
Sustainable Development”</b>, with the aim of highlighting tourism’s role in a
brighter energy future; a future in which the world’s entire population has
access to modern, efficient and affordable energy services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Through this blog, <b>I have highlighted several
initiative or issues related to energy sustainability in tourism</b>. One
outstanding example is the construction of the <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/indigenous-communities-and-tourism.html" target="_blank">first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in Chile, in the Soncor Sector (Chaxa Lagoon) of the Los Flamencos National Reserve in the Atacama Salt Flat</a>. The project included the
architectural design and construction of the Visitor Center, incorporating techniques
such as reuse of grey water and electricity generation through solar panels and
wind mills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I have also analyzed the international trend
of <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/travelers-prefer-green-hotels.html" target="_blank"><b>travelers preferring “green hotels”</b></a>, highlighting the opening in Santiago of
Chile’s first green hotel which, among other things, using solar panels to
provide electricity for its rooms and promotes recycling among its staff and
guests. </span>In terms of transportation, I have covered
topics such as <b><a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/biofuels-for-more-eco-friendly-flights.html" target="_blank">the use of biofuels by airlines</a></b>, regarding the implications of
increasing costs of fuel and energy in the future. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Finally, I’ve provided <b><a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint.html" target="_blank">useful tips for tourists to reduce their carbon footprint</a></b> while traveling, through measures
such as saving unnecessary energy expenditure when they’re not at home,
avoiding disposable batteries and choosing day flights which use less fuel and
emit fewer amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Let's celebrate this World Tourism Day inviting
everyone to contribute to a greater sustainability in the industry!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on September 27, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-12088886129486043992014-03-29T10:31:00.003-07:002014-03-29T10:31:55.779-07:00International Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzxcElETOCoSbGNMUs15gbhcbGF8cjRoiZoqS4nKXaHAEy9vRyUxjlHTj3hs7RFi7RsSus0D0rgXr2b58meXwc40vrbZVSBYjtTrqnFiLDEijMt7gZ41tDYptiq9WiAXQriMQ2T9n2Kg/s1600/celebrating_cultures_estc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzxcElETOCoSbGNMUs15gbhcbGF8cjRoiZoqS4nKXaHAEy9vRyUxjlHTj3hs7RFi7RsSus0D0rgXr2b58meXwc40vrbZVSBYjtTrqnFiLDEijMt7gZ41tDYptiq9WiAXQriMQ2T9n2Kg/s1600/celebrating_cultures_estc.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Celebration of Cultures Party, ESTC 2012</span></b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"></span>
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<i><span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Marcela Torres</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Last week I had the opportunity of
<b><a href="http://www.ecotourismconference.org/" target="_blank">participating for the first time in the International Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference</a></b>, held in Monterey, California and organized by
the <a href="http://www.ecotourism.org/" target="_blank">International Ecotourism Society (TIES)</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was <b>a great honor for me</b> to be able to
deliver, precisely on the day of Chile’s Independence, <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/indigenous-communities-and-tourism.html" target="_blank">a presentation on the experience of contributing to developing ecotourism at the Chaxa Lagoon, in Los Flamencos National Reserve in the Atacama Salt Flat</a>. The project, which we
developed for CONAF Antofagasta and the Lickan-Antay Indigenous Community of
Toconao with the Torres Asociados Limitada consultancy firm, consisted of
building the first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in Chile and
implementing a set of bilingual materials to interpret the natural and cultural
values of the area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The <b>interest of attendees in learning about
this experience gave me great satisfaction because it was that project which
made me realize that I wanted to dedicate my life to ecotourism</b> and motivated
me to study a masters in the topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The <b>International Ecotourism Society has been
promoting ecotourism for over a decade</b> and working to ensure that tourism
activity generates benefits for both the host communities and the environment
of the destinations where it operates. This version of the Conference was
attended by representatives from such diverse countries as Argentina, Botswana,
Canada, Ecuador, Guyana, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya and the United States, to
name a few. All of us analyzed issues such as how to fund sustainability
initiatives, development and empowerment of local communities, the role of
ecotourism in promoting the conservation of endangered species and the unique
opportunity of the travel industry to contribute to eradicate poverty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>During the meeting, the International
Ecotourism Society also launched the <a href="http://www.ecotourism.org/voluntourism-guidelines" target="_blank">guidelines to regulate “voluntourism”(volunteer tourism)</a></b>, which it developed together with the Planeterra
Foundation. The document can be downloaded from the TIES website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The <b>Celebration of Cultures party</b>, the closing
event of the Conference, was the highlight since it allowed attendees to share
with the rest some aspects of their culture, such as music and typical outfits,
and it emphasized the importance and the great potential of tourism to unite
people from so many different countries around a common goal: A better quality
of life for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on September 23, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-3460930689402843532014-03-29T10:26:00.002-07:002014-03-29T10:26:35.211-07:00Hope for Torres del Paine<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: clear; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcjIfpF_eenCrUg16P6Rz572Q5QzcCdctowQMicw_97IygNefzP14JrDN-yqnFSzBwETtpwjhwzvhdLgLQCdtV4HfXnSRmtPSfEZTx_wvZNKUZ9PxljAnYlRWxqhbFQrA5FZDl5vov4o/s1600/bosques_torres_paine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcjIfpF_eenCrUg16P6Rz572Q5QzcCdctowQMicw_97IygNefzP14JrDN-yqnFSzBwETtpwjhwzvhdLgLQCdtV4HfXnSRmtPSfEZTx_wvZNKUZ9PxljAnYlRWxqhbFQrA5FZDl5vov4o/s1600/bosques_torres_paine.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Native forests in Torres del Paine National Park.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© HernánTorres</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>by Marcela Torres</em></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/new-fire-in-torres-del-paine.html" target="_blank">disastrous fire that razed 17,606 hectares (43,505 acres) of forests in Torres del Paine National Park</a> between December
2011 and January 2012 inspired many people in Chile and other countries to
help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">For example, <b>some firefighting brigades from
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Australia, came to provide assistance in
controlling the emergency</b>. Other people, in turn, raised their voices through
the social networks demanding greater responsibility in tourism and support for
the reforestation of Patagonia. Response was quick and in this entry we
highlight two initiatives that bring hope for Torres del Paine National Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Rotem Zinger and the “Black to Green” Campaign</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Who is Rotem Zinger? The Israeli tourist who
caused the last fire in the Park. To avoid extending the trial against him, in
February 2012 Zinger settled with the Puerto Natales Court a payment of 10
thousand United States dollars in compensation for the damages resulting from
his actions and he will have to work as a volunteer between one and two years
for the international non-governmental organization Keren Kayemet LeIsrael
–which specializes in reforestation and has an office in Chile- taking over the
role of coordinating the campaign <b>“Torres del Paine, from Black to Green”</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The aim is to raise funds to reproduce at least
50,000 plants of native forest species in greenhouses in Puerto Natales that
are owned by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) –government agency that
manages protected areas in Chile- in order to use them in the reforestation of
the National Park. Zinger is forced to promote the initiative through different
media, particularly among the Jewish community in Chile and its website,
replicating the campaign carried out in 2011 to reforest Mount Carmel in
Israel. In addition, he will need to present progress reports every three
months to CONAF.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Although public opinion in Chile did not
initially believe he would see this campaign through, something has already
been done. On April 22 the initiative was officially launched with a call to
the Chilean Jewish community in to continue showing its loyalty to Chile and
Israel by supporting this effort to bring back the green to Torres del Paine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Donations are being received in the following
account:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Corporación Keren Kayemet
Leisrael FNJ Chile<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
RUT 65.009.118-3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Banco Corpbanca<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Cuenta Corriente Nº 3331692<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Let’s Reforest Patagonia</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">At the beginning of May, a campaign called
<b><a href="http://www.reforestemospatagonia.cl/?lang=en" target="_blank">“Let’s Reforest Patagonia”</a></b> was launched by several governmental institutions
and non-governmental environmental organizations. This original initiative
seeks to organize citizens to donate 1 million native trees that will be
planted in the Torres del Paine and Laguna San Rafael national parks and in the
Lago Carlota and Cerro Castillo national reserves during 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">How does this work? For each US $4.00, people
making donations will be able to have a tree under their name in Patagonia. A
grid is displayed on the website with green trees and burnt trees. To make a
donation, a person must click on a burnt tree. Once the transaction has been
made, the person receives a certificate with the coordinates of the place where
the tree will be planted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">So far, the campaign has obtained funds to
reforest more than 67,000,000 trees, according to the website’s counter.
Therefore, there’s still time to help restore the beautiful Chilean Patagonia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Let’s do it! Hope is not lost yet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><b>This entry was originally posted by the author on June 6, 2012.</b></i></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-56611437962219621342014-03-29T10:22:00.001-07:002014-03-29T10:22:26.970-07:00Tourism Initiatives to Save the Earth<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: clear; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__jAD8kpnv0YjiDbLnx7BVGD_rXDqCvGPRHUazUQw5mM8H8dlsIQpCyF0R-VmndrNfyiCVymKa8JzNU96j2itIosSNhT-MvxPfERV2bu6XlPHweBTe7d6IxrbM-nqHWNdn2VJIEFJrl8/s1600/turtle_hatchling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__jAD8kpnv0YjiDbLnx7BVGD_rXDqCvGPRHUazUQw5mM8H8dlsIQpCyF0R-VmndrNfyiCVymKa8JzNU96j2itIosSNhT-MvxPfERV2bu6XlPHweBTe7d6IxrbM-nqHWNdn2VJIEFJrl8/s1600/turtle_hatchling.jpg" height="154" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Turtle hatchling in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© <span lang="ES-CL" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 11.5px;"><a href="http://www.viceroyzihuatanejo.com/" style="color: #9e241c; text-decoration: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: blue;">www.viceroyzihuatanejo.com</span></span></a></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<br />
<span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>by Marcela Torres</em></span></span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" />
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<span lang="EN-US">If you’re still not convinced that the tourism
industry can actively help save our planet, you’ll be surprised by the
initiatives we’re covering in this week’s blog in anticipation to this year’s
<a href="http://www.earthday.org/" target="_blank">Earth Day celebration</a>, on April 22nd. <b>From recycling to hands-on conservation
projects, tourism companies and not-for-profit organizations across the world
are contributing to conserve the environment for future generations</b>. Hopefully,
you will be inspired to play a part! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Just a Drop<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Did you know that 1.4 million children die
every year from diarrhea because of unsafe drinking water and inadequate
sanitation? That is 4,000 children per day. “I started to think about how I
could encourage businesses in the travel and tourism industry to give back to
the places in which they operated – thus improving the lives of children and
their families,” says Fiona Jeffery, who launched <a href="http://www.justadrop.org/" target="_blank">Just a Drop</a> in 1998 at the
World Travel Market (WTM), in London. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Fiona named the charity ‘Just a Drop’ to
reinforce that it only takes a small amount of money to help prevent the
unnecessary loss of life that occurs many developing countries due to the lack
of safe, clean water. Until now, <b>Just a Drop has funded projects in more than
25 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and
Eastern Europe and the Middle East, providing water and sanitation to
marginalized communities</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">To ensure sustainability of the projects, the
organization works with beneficiary communities from start to finish, building
local capacity and directly linking funders to specific projects in the field,
so they can see very clearly the difference their support has made. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">In fact, Fiona is also the Chair of the WTM,
where she has promoted the celebration of <a href="http://www.wtmresponsibletourism.com/page.cfm/Link=1/goSection=1/ID=1/t=m" target="_blank">World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD)</a>
since 2007, stressing the unique opportunity the tourism industry has in
helping reduce poverty and conserve natural and cultural resources throughout
the planet. “<b>We have the means and the responsibility to help the local
communities of the places that we visit</b>,” she states. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Clean the World<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Have you ever wondered what happens with the
bits of bar soap you leave behind in hotels when traveling?</b> Well, Shawn Seipler
and Paul Till did. They were shocked to find out how many bars of soaps are
thrown away and how much they could help prevent millions of deaths caused by
hygiene-related illnesses every day. So, they created the Florida-based <a href="http://www.cleantheworld.org/" target="_blank">Clean the World Foundation</a> in 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">What do they do? They collect, sort and process
discarded soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion product donations from
participating hospitality partners and hygiene products from manufacturers.
They recycle these product donations at the facilities in Orlando, Florida, and
then <b>deliver these recycled products to domestic homeless shelters and
impoverished countries suffering from high death rates due to acute respiratory
infection and diarrheal disease</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Until now, Clean the World has put over 9.5
million soap bars and 200,000 pounds of shampoo and conditioner back into human
use, while eliminating over 600 tons of waste. <a href="http://cleantheworld.org/about-us.asp" target="_blank">Check out their video to learn more!</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Saving Turtles and
More<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Many tourism businesses are undertaking
initiatives to conserve wildlife throughout the world</b>. In Mexico, for example,
several eco-resorts have successfully developed marine turtle conservation
programs –some of them since the mid-1990s- in which guests, staff and local
community volunteers help move turtle eggs to a protected area on the beach and
then release hatchlings to find their way to the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">And in the State of Queensland, in Australia,
tourism companies with permits to operate in public protected areas collaborate
with local authorities to monitor the environmental conditions of the places
they visit. Among other things, they record visitor numbers, campfire
facilities, road kills, number of species and feeding sites and any disturbance
they encounter during their trips. This helps park authorities to act quickly
in case of any emergency and keep updated information on the sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">These are just a few examples, among many
others carried out in other places. Are you feeling inspired? I bet you are!
So, get out there and find out what you can do to save our beautiful planet and
leave it even better for the next generations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Happy Earth Day!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on April 20, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-25119106704931724782014-03-29T10:15:00.002-07:002014-03-29T10:15:20.156-07:00Patagonia with dams?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFMv3wiSryYqlT0L46gf4lAOs6pVlVbLQKROVTG6PNH5sndhoIFYu8GP3IGwgFqbELqwlv9gjO9cAddt4Cqzsk1wfktyOxquY1Cbdof_KxZLEUc1Uvu5tPycgcqXDvdPwvqUJfQoRhW0/s1600/baker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFMv3wiSryYqlT0L46gf4lAOs6pVlVbLQKROVTG6PNH5sndhoIFYu8GP3IGwgFqbELqwlv9gjO9cAddt4Cqzsk1wfktyOxquY1Cbdof_KxZLEUc1Uvu5tPycgcqXDvdPwvqUJfQoRhW0/s1600/baker.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: clear; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX">Poster of the "Chilean Patagonia without dams!" campaign.</span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© <a href="http://www.patagoniasinrepresas.cl/" style="color: #9e241c; text-decoration: none;">www.patagoniasinrepresas.cl</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: clear; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<br /></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">by Marcela Torres</span></span></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The <b>Chilean Patagonia’s landscape may change
forever</b>. Why? Because the recent ruling by the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-17620307" target="_blank">Supreme Court in favor of the HydroAysén project</a> may bring about the flood of a large portion of one of the
most pristine areas in Patagonia, which according to many people would cause
permanent environmental damage and affect the region’s tourism, which promotes
its untouched nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What is HidroAysén?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>HidroAysén seeks to build and operate five
hydroelectricity plants</b>, two on the Baker River and three in the Pascua River,
located in the Aysén Region in southern Chile. It is, no doubt, the largest
energy project ever evaluated in the country until now. If the works are
carried out, which would take approximately 12 years, it could have an average
generating capacity of 18,430 GWh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Besides the power plants, the project requires
setting up more than 1,500 high tension towers</b> between the towns of Cochrane
and Chaitén. From there, the lines are designed to go underground to Puerto
Montt and then overground again to Santiago, where <b>the energy would enter the
<a href="https://www.cdec-sic.cl/contenido_en.php?categoria_id=1&contenido_id=000001" target="_blank">Central Interconnected System</a>, which extends from the Atacama and Los Lagos
regions and does not cover Aysén</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">HydroAysén is managed by a joint venture
between the largest power companies in the country, ENDESA and Colbún S.A.,
which own 51% and 49% of the company, respectively. Thus, they would control
80% of the country’s electricity generation, establishing a duopoly in the
Chilean power market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Civil society
rejection and legal battle<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Since the project was presented in August, 2007
it has been rejected by large part of civil society and the environmental
movement in Chile. So much so, that <b>70 national and foreign non-governmental
organizations established the Council for the Defense of Patagonia</b>, better
known for its <a href="http://www.patagoniasinrepresas.cl/final/index-en.php" target="_blank">“Chilean Patagonia without dams!”</a> campaign, to avoid the
construction of these power plants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Why do they oppose? Because the development of
HidroAysén requires flooding 5,910 hectares (14,603 acres) of native forests
and habitat for unique species</b>, such as the Huemul, one of the two deers found
in Chile and faced with the danger of extinction. The organization also argues
that <b>the project contravenes all regional development strategies for Aysén,
which emphasize the need to boost high-quality tourism products and sets the
goal of positioning Aysén as a “Life Reserve”</b>. For example, more than USD 500
million have been invested in tourism –mostly by small entrepreneurs- in the Baker River Basin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Civil society’s rejection and the
organization’s persuasive campaigns were not enough, however, to convince the
regional government authorities, who approved the project on May 9, 2011,
setting in motion a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/world/americas/17chile.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">series of demonstrations throughout the country that brought together people from the entire political and social spectrum</a>. In fact,
a poll conducted that month showed that <b><a href="http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/17/overwhelming-majority-of-chileans-reject-hydroelectric-project-in-patagonia" target="_blank">74% of Chileans oppose HidroAysén</a></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">A legal battle began in June, 2011 when several
injunctions were filed against the Environmental Assessment Commission of the Aysén
Region, who approved the project, and to prevent HidroAysén from initiating the
construction of the dams. The Puerto Montt Court of Appeals voted against the
injunctions, however, and these were later also rejected by Chile’s Supreme
Court on April 4, 2012 in a split ruling of 3 votes against 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">So, what happens with
tourism?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">In September, 2011 the vicepresident of the
Federation of Tourism Companies of Chile (Fedetur), which groups 28 large and
medium-sized companies in the country, stated that “in the end it will be
proved that the dams do not have an impact on tourism” and that HidroAysén can
“add value to tourism” in the Aysén Region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">These comments caused fury among environmental
organizations and particularly in Aysén’s tourism sector. Several chambers of
tourism in the area issued a joint public statement indicating that “neither
Fedetur nor Achet can feel they have the right to appoint themselves as
‘representatives of the tourism sector’ of Aysén and they cannot presume of
expressing our feelings because their visions are very far from what is real.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Uncertain future<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">So, why does HidroAysén receive support from
the Environmental Assessment Commission, Chilean courts and a trade association
that gathers large and medium-sized tourism companies if almost the entire
country is clearly against it? The most likely explanation is in the power of
large corporations. In fact, it has been revealed that <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=487769&CategoryId=14094" target="_blank">one of the Supreme Court judges who voted in favor of the project owns 109,804 shares of Endesa</a>, which
amount to more than 97 million pesos (approximately 200,537 United States
dollars).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The real issue, though, is Chile’s energy
policy and the need to harmonize the development the country requires for
achieving progress and the moral responsibility of preserving our natural
resources for future generations. This is especially true if we consider the
recent social movement to demand better access to energy in the region, which
extended from February 8 to March 23, 2012 and resulted in the removal of the Ministry
of Energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">HidroAysén states that its Project “will only
flood 0.05% of the Aysén Region” and that, in compensation, it will improve 187
kilometers (116 miles) of highway, it will build a dock and a cattle slaughter
plant and it will buy equipment for three public health posts. However, all of
these works are mainly intended to supply the people who will work in the
project. In addition, its website announces that the power plants will require
“a monthly average of 2,260 workers for an estimated period of 12 years,
reaching a maximum of 5,000 workers, of which at least 20% will be local labor,
a figure that is expected to increase over time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Although the Supreme Court ruling in favor of
HidroAysén to build the five power plants is a tough blow on the civil society
movement, there is still a long road ahead. <b>Environmental organizations hope
they can stop the approval of the high tension towers supply line that
HidroAysén needs to transport the energy it will produce</b>, since it will go
through 780 private properties and it will require cutting down 100 hectares
(247 acres) of forests and intervening another 600 hectares (1,482 acres).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Not everything is lost. We hope that this
project is not approved in the end and the country will search for other means
of satisfying its energy needs, so that Patagonia will not lose the charm that
inspires thousands of people in Chile and all over the world to come visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on April 7, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-75994665749774937622014-03-29T10:07:00.001-07:002014-03-29T10:07:16.736-07:00Sustainable Wines and Harvest Festivals 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPvP4852cjyV-CnjbSD7zMy0bPZdVGjteON89BaePLjg_oS20DtXQvpRCrHhuxBHmEFb66A6s64BWmMKoLskLgsJSnwW6MK_iJ-jzakqF1nccBVYsi9qY2clp1iybXD4J7ntPlaGz6p4/s1600/PisadaUva2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPvP4852cjyV-CnjbSD7zMy0bPZdVGjteON89BaePLjg_oS20DtXQvpRCrHhuxBHmEFb66A6s64BWmMKoLskLgsJSnwW6MK_iJ-jzakqF1nccBVYsi9qY2clp1iybXD4J7ntPlaGz6p4/s1600/PisadaUva2002.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX">Grape stomping during the 2008 wine harvest festival in Isla de Maipo.</span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© islademaipo.cl</span></span></div>
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<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">by Marcela Torres</span></em></div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>March and April are the wine harvest
(“vendimia”) months in Chile</b> and all wine-producing regions hold festivities to
celebrate and promote new lines of wine of participating vineyards. This is a
great opportunity to learn about the country’s sustainable wineries and taste
some of their best organic wines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Sustainable Wineries<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Last year, <b>the wine industry in Chile began
applying the <a href="http://www.winesofchile.org/sustainability/wines-of-chile-sustainability-program/sustainability-code/" target="_blank">National Sustainability Code</a></b>, established by the <a href="http://www.winesofchile.org/sustainability/wines-of-chile-sustainability-program/" target="_blank">Sustainability Program of the Wines of Chile trade association</a>, together with the Vinnova and
Tecnovid technology consortia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Companies that apply to this certification
process must undergo an evaluation of different sustainability practices and
procedures throughout the Chilean wine’s value chain, focusing on three
dimensions: “Green-Vineyard”, “Red-Cellar” and “Orange-Community”. So far, 20
wineries have received “green” certification and are allowed to use the 2011
sustainable management seal. </span>These are: Anakena, Arboleda, Caliterra,
Casa Silva, Cremaschi Furlotti, Emiliana, Errázuriz, Montes, MontGras, Santa
Cruz, Santa Ema, Santa Rita, Ventisquero, Vía Wines, Miguel Torres, Maquis,
Pérez Cruz, Carmen, Nativa y Sur Andino.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This is a big step for the wine industry in
Chile, which last year saw its exports increase in 9.6% compared to 2010. The
main destination markets were the European Union and Asia, which concentrated
41% and 16.6% of total exports, respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Festival Calendar<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Although some festivities have already been
carried out, in the Colchagua Valley and Chillan, there are still other
celebrations programmed for people who want to enjoy these events, which
besides wines include handicraft exhibits, typical food, live music and some
local traditions such as grape stomping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
March 23rd through 25th:
Fiesta de la Vendimia de Curicó, Maule Valley.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
March 24th: Fiesta de la
Vendimia de Rengo, Cachapoal Valley.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">March 30th and 31st: Boulevard del Vino en
Talca, Maule Valley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
March 31st and April 1st:
Fiesta de la Vendimia de Peralillo, Colchagua Valley.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
April 13th through 15th: X
Fiesta de la Vendimia del Valle del Maipo, en Buin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
April 14th and 15th: Fiesta de
la Vendimia de Isla de Maipo, Maipo Valley.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Enjoy! Cheers!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on March 14, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-37353453610866770942014-03-29T08:49:00.002-07:002014-03-29T08:49:56.196-07:00Celebrating Women in Tourism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCc94rQVYm36b-ZTQqe68LzWvODpfdqubA609o8nARZLUbQtWvD8bSsaI1QjgFtsm0xYADIqyvZTqU-jXJ2yCPbD2uydykRNwYb4P0X3OL1v2Cqt5j6q6f4DEr08v5aZHReHnCSdhQwA/s1600/Silvia_Vogel_Alpacas_Machali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCc94rQVYm36b-ZTQqe68LzWvODpfdqubA609o8nARZLUbQtWvD8bSsaI1QjgFtsm0xYADIqyvZTqU-jXJ2yCPbD2uydykRNwYb4P0X3OL1v2Cqt5j6q6f4DEr08v5aZHReHnCSdhQwA/s1600/Silvia_Vogel_Alpacas_Machali.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX">Silvia Vogel, owner of Alpacas Machalí, a rural tourism entrepreneurship in Chile.</span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© Marcela Torres</span></span></div>
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<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">by Marcela Torres</span></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">March 8 marks <b>International Women’s Day</b> and <b>I’d like to honor all the women who work hard each day
to develop tourism around the world</b>, sometimes under very trying circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">According to the <a href="http://www2.unwto.org/" target="_blank">United Nations World TourismOrganization (UNWTO)</a>, in most regions of the world, <b>women make up the majority
of the tourism workforce</b>, they also tend to be concentrated in the lowest paid
and lowest status jobs in tourism, and they perform a large amount of unpaid
work in family tourism businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">That’s why <b>the UNWTO and the United Nations
Women Organization are developing a joint <a href="http://ethics.unwto.org/en/content/gender-and-tourism" target="_blank">Action Plan to Empower Women through Tourism</a></b> that seeks to enhance the positive impact of tourism development on
women’s lives, and, in so doing, contributing to the achievement of the Third
Millennium Development Goal – "promote gender equality and women’s
empowerment".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The <b><a href="http://ethics.unwto.org/en/content/global-report-women-tourism-2010" target="_blank">Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010</a></b>
–which was launched during the ITB 2011, in Berlin- was the first concrete
result of this collaboration. Among other things, the study revealed that women
are well represented in employment but tend to be working at a service or
clerical rather than professional or decision-making level. It also showed
there are proportionally fewer women graduates in services than in other
fields.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>One of the study’s most interesting findings is
that in Entrepreneurship, women are almost twice more likely to be employers in
the tourism industry than in other sectors</b>, and often employ more women than
men. That’s exactly what we see in
Chile, particularly in rural areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">During my visit to the <b>WTM in London last year</b>,
I had the good fortune of meeting an Italian journalist, <b>Iaia Pedemonte, who
runs a very interesting <a href="http://www.g-r-t.org/" target="_blank">website to promote gender responsible tourism around the world</a></b> and to help women by spreading ideas and good practices in tourism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After a decade of work on responsible tourism,
Iaia put together this unique initiative that, among other things, is
contributing to collect experiences, knowledge and tools , promote handicrafts
and products made by women in tourist destinations, and bring together supply
and demand, local people and institutions, southern and northern hemisphere countries. The site also has a
<a href="http://responsibletourismandgender.ning.com/" target="_blank">forum for networking in Gender Responsible Tourism</a>, which is a great space for
all stakeholders involved to exchange experiences and get to know each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>It’s inspiring to see how many women around the
globe are pushing forward the principles of responsible tourism</b> and also making
progress with alternative livelihoods that can be sustainable and, at the same
time, help conserve natural and cultural resources that are valuable for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Happy International Women’s Day!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on March 8, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
</div>
Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-85332914587860119272014-03-29T08:43:00.001-07:002014-03-29T08:43:34.652-07:00Viña del Mar and its International Song Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mBTW6mpOUMNaJeSNuyt323XR482eL2waiZcH_jH6CTuy9NQZ99tBMOImqYF5awUIjCJblBT5aeDI-1cbVOcikXoLDrVCPwHF2HmaiUbc69Pfu2sHSsHGAJcFcxAY_koEyI3zszwHsWM/s1600/palacio_vergara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mBTW6mpOUMNaJeSNuyt323XR482eL2waiZcH_jH6CTuy9NQZ99tBMOImqYF5awUIjCJblBT5aeDI-1cbVOcikXoLDrVCPwHF2HmaiUbc69Pfu2sHSsHGAJcFcxAY_koEyI3zszwHsWM/s1600/palacio_vergara.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX">Vergara Palace, Viña del Mar's Fine Arts Museum.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">© Marcela Torres</span></div>
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<em>by Marcela Torres</em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The 53rd version of the <b>Viña del Mar
International Song Festival</b> kicked off last night and I thought it might be a
great opportunity to talk a little bit about this famous resort city in Chile’s
Central Coast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">A Bit of History<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/travel/the-charms-of-vina-del-mar-along-chiles-coast.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Viña del Mar</a> is one of Chile’s youngest cities</b>.
During colonial times, the territory was divided into two estates. The first,
called “Viña del Mar” (Vineyard by the Sea), was located on the northern bank
of the Marga Marga stream and had its own vineyard. The second, called “Siete
Hermanas” (Seven Sisters), extended on top of the seven hills of the area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">A rich Portuguese investor bought the Viña del
Mar estate in 1835 and the Siete Hermanas estate in 1840, thus owning the
entire Viña del Mar valley. These properties were inherited by his daughter and
her husband, Francisco Vergara, who founded Viña del Mar in 1874.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The city flourished and became a favorite beach
resort for affluent people from Santiago and the neighboring port of
Valparaíso. Because of its many large houses with huge gardens, it soon became
known as the “Garden City”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Music in the Park<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Each year, thousands of people swarm the
streets of this city, which regularly has approximately 300,000 residents</b>.
However, this figure can reach up to one million during the summer, when
tourists from the rest of Chile, Argentina and other foreign countries come to
visit attracted by its beaches, mild weather and, of course, the Festival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>The Viña del Mar International Song Festival is
held annually during the last week of February since 1960 at the Quinta Vergara
(Vergara Park), which is what remains of the old estates</b>. It is considered the
most important musical event in Latin America. The Festival features a song
competition in two categories (pop music song and folk song), combined with
performances by international music stars from around the world. Sting, Ricky
Martin, Gloria Estefan, Tom Jones, Sheena Easton, REO Speedwagon, INXS, Donna
Summer and Bryan Adams are among the many artists who have performed at this
beautiful and historical place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Festival has helped boost the careers of
several singers, such as Shakira, who participated in the pop music song
competition representing Colombia in 1993, when she was only 16 years old, with
a song written by her. She came in third, but received a special award as best
performer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But <b>the Quinta Vergara is more than just music.
Its Venetian-style palace houses Viña del Mar’s Fine Arts Museum</b> and is
surrounded by a beautiful garden with trees from all five continents, which is
definitely worth visiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Stay the Night<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately, <b>most foreign tourists come to
Viña del Mar for just a day trip, so they miss a lot of what this bustling city
has to offer</b>, starting with its active night life and fantastic restaurants.
The Botanical Garden, the Fonck Museum and its amazing collection of artifacts
from Easter Island, the neighboring port of Valparaíso with its World Heritage
Sites and the nearby Mantagua Wetland, which is a bird-watching paradise in
Concón, are just a few of the many surprises in store for you… if only you
would stay the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on February 23, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
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Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-8237615549618022452014-03-29T08:35:00.002-07:002014-03-29T08:35:53.334-07:00Tourism and Ramsar Sites on World Wetlands Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The White-Necked Heron (<em>Ardea cocoi</em>), called "garza cuca" in Spanish, gives Cucao its name.</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© Hernán Torres</span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">by Marcela Torres</span></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">February 2 marks <b>World Wetlands Day and Chilean
authorities used the date to announce the nomination of some sectors of Chiloe
National Park as <a href="http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-sites/main/ramsar/1-36-55_4000_0__" target="_blank">Ramsar Sites</a>. If designated, Chile would surpass 500,000 acres
of protected wetlands</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Chiloe National Park is located 64 kilometers
from the city of Castro and covers 106,396 acres. The entrance is through the
town of Cucao, from where visitors can go into the park. In addition to the
wetland zone that is being nominated as a Ramsar Site, <b>the park protects other
ecosystems, such as native evergreen forests and beautiful beaches</b>. Here you
can also find some species that are unique to Chile, like the Pudu (<i>Pudu puda</i>), the world’s smallest deer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Migratory Bird
Paradise<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Chiloe Island is known around the world as a
paradise for migratory birds</b>, many of which fly more than 9,000 miles from the
northern hemisphere to reach southern Chile. For example, <b>these wetlands
provide shelter and food each year for the Whimbrel (<i>Numenius phaeopus</i>) and the Hudsonian Godwit (<i>Limosa haemastica</i>)</b>. Both species reproduce in North America and are
endangered, among other reasons, because infrastructure development along the
coasts is reducing their habitat and affecting their source of food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">To mitigate these impacts, the Chilean
Government and the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, in the United
States, signed a cooperation agreement to implement joint actions to conserve
Chiloe’s wetlands, as critical habitat for migratory coastal birds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Ramsar Sites and
Tourism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">This year, <b><a href="http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-activities-wwds-wwd2012index/main/ramsar/1-63-78%5E25324_4000_0__" target="_blank">World Wetlands Day was celebrated by the Ramsar Secretariat</a></b> <b>emphasizing the link between wetlands and tourism and
the importance that the latter is carried out responsibly</b>. According to the
organization, wetland tourism has benefits both locally and nationally for
people and wildlife. <b>At least 35% of Ramsar Sites around the world record some
level of tourism activity</b> and this percentage is consistent throughout all
regions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Among other measures, the Ramsar Secretariat
states that ensuring well-managed tourism practices in and around wetlands and
educating tourists on the value of wetlands contributes to the health of the
world's wetlands and the long-term benefits that wetlands provide to people,
wildlife, economics, and biodiversity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Chile ratified the C<a href="http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-feb14-homeindex/main/ramsar/1%5E26447_4000_0__" target="_blank">onvention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, known as the Ramsar Convention</a>, in September, 1980. <b>There are currently <a href="http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-list-annotated-ramsar-16479/main/ramsar/1-31-218%5E16479_4000_0__" target="_blank">12 wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Sites)</a> in the country</b>, which are distributed
from north to south and cover from High-Andean salt flats to coastal lagoons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We hope to be able to celebrate soon the
designation of Chiloe’s wetlands as Ramsar Sites and that this will help boost
the efforts to conserve these beautiful places and save migratory bird species
from extinction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><b>This entry was originally posted by the author on February 2, 2012.</b></i></span></div>
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Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-91069063437833846032014-03-29T08:28:00.002-07:002016-12-31T05:15:42.056-08:00Impacts of Fire in Torres del Paine<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: clear; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tourist testimonial in Torres del Paine, 2012.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">© Sernatur</span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "calibri";">by Marcela Torres</span></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>More than 16,000 hectares (39,537 acres) were
destroyed by the fire caused by the irresponsible conduct of a tourist that
<a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/new-fire-in-torres-del-paine.html" target="_blank">f<span id="goog_591601592"></span>orced Torres del Paine National Park to close</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_591601593"></span></a> between Thursday, December 29,
2011 and Wednesday, January 4, 2012</b>. Until last week, CONAF –the government agency
in charge of managing protected areas in Chile- still had firefighters putting
out new fires in different sectors of the park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Although most of the fire is now under control
and the park is slowly picking up its normal pace, <b>a permanent environmental
damage has been caused in one of the most beautiful places in the world</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Because <b>the only person accused or starting the
fire is an Israeli citizen</b> and this is the <a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/be-careful-with-that-bonfire.html" target="_blank">second time in 2011 that a tourist from that country caused a disaster in the park</a>, the Government of Israel
announced that it will send a delegation of experts in reforestation who will
pass on the experience obtained from recovering forests in the Carmel area, a
year ago. In addition, it will make a direct contribution in trees, by setting
up a greenhouse especially designed for the reforestation of Torres del Paine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">However, the <b>native forest that was destroyed
is composed of trees that grow very slowly and reach maturity when they’re
approximately 200 years old</b>. They also need to be protected from the cold, the
wind during the winter and the dryness during the summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Therefore, it’s not just a matter of replanting
small trees, but also of providing them the necessary conditions to grow. In
addition, it’s important to consider that large part of the fire was expanded
underground and affected the area’s soil. <b>Wildlife living in the park will
probably return to the damaged sectors only to find them completely barren and
will have to move elsewhere in search of food and shelter</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Several national and international teams of
researchers are already studying the environmental impacts of the fire in order
to contribute to prepare an effective recovery plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Economic Impact<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>The forced closure of the park also affected
local economy, which largely depends on incomes generated by thousands of
foreign tourists</b> that visit the area during the high season, between November
and February.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>It is estimated that tourism business owners
lost $2 million dollars</b>, although this is still a preliminary figure to which
we need to add what they will have stopped receiving during the season. Many of
them have made great efforts to avoid lay-offs because their employees were
relying on the salaries they would obtain these months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Despite the park’s partial opening, data
provided by the authorities reflect that <b>visits have dropped 50% in January</b>. The Chilean Government has allocated resources to support micro and small
tourism enterprises in the area and has launched an aggressive international
promotion campaign to maintain the flow of visitors to the park in 2012 and
2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Opportunity for
Responsible Tourism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>This sad experience in Torres del Paine
National Park reminds us once again of the importance of promoting responsible
tourism</b>. The lessons learned apply both to the destination and its visitors, revealing the need to carry out awareness campaigns with all stakeholders
involved in order to ensure that future generations can enjoy this beautiful
place in Patagonia.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on January 28, 2012.</i></b></span></div>
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Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2014474931335486098.post-54807811490554860512014-03-29T08:12:00.004-07:002014-03-29T08:12:38.201-07:00New fire in Torres del Paine<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: clear; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>by Marcela Torres</em></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">We are ending 2011 with sad news as a result of
the irresponsibility of a tourist. <b>A new fire is affecting Torres del Paine
National Park, which has burnt 5,700 hectares (14,085 acres) of vegetation</b> and
has forced authorities to evacuate tourists and close the national park, as you
can see in the video.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Once more, this disaster reminds us that
greater precautions need to be taken to practice responsible tourism in
protected areas, in order to avoid damaging them and ensuring they can be
enjoyed by future generations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Government of Chile, through its Ministry
of Interior and the National Emergency Office (ONEMI), is working to contain
the fire and looking for support from specialized firefighting units. <b>It is
very difficult to control fires in Torres del Paine, however, because the
strong Patagonian winds propagate fires very quickly</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I’ve already discussed <b><a href="http://tourism-people-nature.blogspot.com/2014/03/be-careful-with-that-bonfire.html" target="_blank">in a previous blog</a> the
need to practice responsible tourism at the national park and to be careful
with bonfires</b> that are lit during the night. However, it seems necessary to
take more extreme measure to prevent and mitigate the impacts of tourism in
Torres del Paine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Among other measures, <b>it would be wise to
forbid camping in the national park</b>. There are already enough places to stay in
within the park and more alternatives can be promoted in the nearby town of
Torres del Paine. Apparently there is also a need for greater resources to
patrol the area and control tourist activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In this context, it is worthwhile to remember
that <b>the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the government agency in charge
of managing protected areas in Chile, has clear <a href="http://www.conaf.cl/parques-nacionales/visitanos/normas-y-recomendaciones/" target="_blank">regulations for visitors that are available on the website in Spanish and English</a></b>. It seems worthwhile
to be reminded of some of them to make sure that we act as responsible tourists
when visiting a natural area:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Follow the instructions given by park
rangers</b>, including times for visiting, signs and maintenance of facilities in
the Protected Wilderness Area.</li>
<li><b>Follow rules for safety</b>. Walk only along marked
trails and roads. In case you are planning a long hike, do not go alone, and
take the appropriate equipment and clothes. Inform the park rangers about the
route and time of return of your trip.</li>
<li><b>Make fires only in the places provided for
doing so</b>. After making a fire, put it out using large amounts of water.
Wildfires and people with a careless attitude are always a potential danger to
nature.</li>
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We hope that measures are finally taken and
that tourists be more careful so that we will not have to witness another
disaster such as this one in a place that attracts thousands of domestic and
foreign visitors each year because of its unique beauty, wildlife and fantastic
trails.<br />
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<b><i>This entry was originally posted by the author on December 30, 2011.</i></b></div>
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Marcela Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07993095429430464820noreply@blogger.com0