Showing posts with label Sernatur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sernatur. Show all posts

March 29, 2014

Impacts of Fire in Torres del Paine




Tourist testimonial in Torres del Paine, 2012. 
© Sernatur
by Marcela Torres

More than 16,000 hectares (39,537 acres) were destroyed by the fire caused by the irresponsible conduct of a tourist that forced Torres del Paine National Park to close between Thursday, December 29, 2011 and Wednesday, January 4, 2012. 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.

Although most of the fire is now under control and the park is slowly picking up its normal pace, a permanent environmental damage has been caused in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Because the only person accused or starting the fire is an Israeli citizen and this is the second time in 2011 that a tourist from that country caused a disaster in the park, 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.

However, the native forest that was destroyed is composed of trees that grow very slowly and reach maturity when they’re approximately 200 years old. They also need to be protected from the cold, the wind during the winter and the dryness during the summer.

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. 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.

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.

Economic Impact

The forced closure of the park also affected local economy, which largely depends on incomes generated by thousands of foreign tourists that visit the area during the high season, between November and February.

It is estimated that tourism business owners lost $2 million dollars, 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.

Despite the park’s partial opening, data provided by the authorities reflect that visits have dropped 50% in January. 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.

Opportunity for Responsible Tourism

This sad experience in Torres del Paine National Park reminds us once again of the importance of promoting responsible tourism. 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.

This entry was originally posted by the author on January 28, 2012.

Easter Island, the most interesting place in the world


Moais in various conditions at Rapa Nui National Park, in Easter Island, Chile.
© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

A couple of weeks ago, the travel blog of the prestigious Forbes business magazine highlighted Easter Island, in Chile, as “the most interesting place in the world”. According to blogger Larry Olmstead, he is surprised that people do not hear more about the island, considering that –in his opinion- it is much more compelling than other remote and exotic destinations such as Machu Picchu, the Maya ruins or the pyramids in Egypt.

What makes Easter Island so special? Olmstead says it’s the mystery and enigma surrounding the Moai statues. The author states that although the Machu Picchu buildings and the pyramids are impressive, we know quite a lot about who built them and for what purpose. This is not the case of Easter Island.

In his blog, Olmstead also mentions that in the island you do not see the big crowds of tourists that take away attraction to many other destinations that are overcrowded. We have already commented on the importance of avoiding excessive use of tourist attractions previously in this blog.

The good news is that in Easter Island, although tourism is the main source of income, both the local population and the government authorities have shown interest in promoting the development of sustainable tourism.

Proof of this is the Sustainable Visitor Center that opened in May this year within Rapa Nui National Park, which covers a large part of the island. This is the second of its kind –the first was built in 2006 in Los Flamencos National Reserve, in northern Chile- and a great step forward towards responsible tourism.

With technology such as solar panels to provide electricity and reinforced safety measures for people visiting the place, the total cost of this infrastructure was 468,000 U.S. dollars that were contributed by the Valparaíso Regional Government, American Express –through the World Monuments Fund (WMF)- and the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile.

This is part of the Chilean Government’s strategy to promote sustainable tourism in Easter Island, with initiatives that include an ecotourism training program carried out in 2009 jointly with UNESCO and the National Tourism Service’s (Sernatur) current campaign to provide a sustainability distinction, a kind of certification that will be applied as a pilot project in the island with the intention of replicating it in other destinations within Chile.

All of these improvements and the well-deserved acknowledgement of Easter Island in Forbes magazine’s travel blog are, no doubt, important to promote responsible tourism in this magical place so that it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.

This entry was originally posted by the author on August 17, 2011.

Does accessibility to tourism make progress in Chile?


Accessible trail in the Petrohué Falls sector, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile.
© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

Accessibility to tourism for people with disabilities is one of the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism (2002). In 2009, the UNWTO adopted the Declaration on the Facilitation of Tourist Travel, calling for member states to guarantee accessibility to ensure the accessibility of tourism establishments, the availability of special facilities for persons with disabilities at no additional cost, the publication of detailed information on the availability of such services and the special training of tourism staff.

How much progress has Chile made on this topic? Pretty much, but more can still be done. According to the National Disability Service (Senadis), in Chile 12,93% of the population has some kind of disability in different degrees (2.068.072 people). A new law was passed at the beginning of 2010, Law 20.422 which sets standards about equal opportunities and social inclusion for people with disabilities. This new regulation defines universal design as the basis for the new integration guidelines.

Chile’s government agencies had already been taking action before the law was passed. For example, the National Tourism Service (Sernatur) edited in 2005 the Accessible Tourism Manual, although its impact in the tourism sector was not significant. In fact, there is no systematic information about what establishments or providers have facilities or services with accessibility for this population.

Along the same line, the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) has an Accessibility Manual for people with different abilities in the State’s Wild Protected Areas and has been implementing Accessible Wild Protected Areas throughout the country since 2006, facilitating movement of people with disabilities in trails and lookouts and adapting public toilets for people who use wheel chairs, although until now this accessibility is only present in part in just 12 of the 100 protected areas managed by this government agency.

The Senadis also has an Accessibility Manual that can be downloaded from the website and has public funds for physical access projects, but these only finance initiatives presented by public agencies, city halls and not for profit organizations. Therefore, tourism businesses must take o the costs of any adaptation for accessibility with their own resources, which probably will not happen unless they view it as a profitable investment.

Some countries, like Spain, have a headstart in this matter. Last year saw the launch of the Guide of Monuments, museums and tourism interest spots accessible for all, sponsored by the Fundación ONCE, which groups people with visual disabilities, and Vodafone Foundation. The publication gathers information about 167 accessible monuments, museums and tourism interest spots in all Spanish provinces, as well as specific details about the accessibility they provide.

In that country there are strong organizations that represent people with disabilities and have a long history of promoting inclusion. It is, no doubt, a great example for Chile which, thanks to this new law, has a unique opportunity to take a significant step forward to boost, among all stakeholders involved, a new paradigm where accessibility for people with disabilities is considered a right and not a privilege.

This entry was originally posted by the author on July 19, 2011.