Help protect endangered species!

Souvenirs made with embalmed Many-colored rush-tyrants (Tachuris rubrigastra rubrigastra).

© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

A recent communication by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) urges Chinese nationals living in Africa not to carry ivory and other illegal wildlife products into China.

The damage caused to elephant populations in the world due to ivory trade is well known and most people understand why it is important to comply with the prohibition of selling and buying these products. There are, however, other species in danger of extinction whose situation is not common knowledge and tourists may be damaging them without suspecting. Unfortunately, souvenirs made from endangered species are often very openly sold, making it hard for tourists to know they are doing any harm.

Besides promoting hunting of endangered species, tourists coming back home with such products in their luggage sometimes risk expensive fines or even jail time. Each year, Customs agents throughout the world confiscate thousands of souvenirs made from endangered species, which are protected by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES).

CITES signatory countries, which include Chile, forbid the import and export of products made from species that may be endangered in any part of the world, including ivory, tortoiseshell, coral and many fur, skin and feather products. If you buy a fur coat, bone carving or alligator-skin boots, you may have to show a certificate when you enter and/or leave the country that states your goods were not made from endangered species.

In Chile, in the 1970s, CITES warned the country about its reduced populations of Vicuña (Vicugna vicugna), a South American camelid species -distantly related to camels- that was heavily hunted because of its fiber, which is highly-valued in international markets. The Chilean government carried out a successful plan to ban and control hunting to recover the species’ numbers in the northern parts of the country, and now we can enjoy seeing them run freely in the High Andes.

When in doubt, your best bet is to simply avoid buying any animal products as souvenirs. That way, you will not be harming any endangered species and you will also reduce the risk of being detained by Customs agents when you fly back home. And, of course, you will be an example of a responsible tourist!

This entry was originally posted by the author on August 31, 2011.

Recycle, recycle, recycle!

Recycling bins at San Cristóbal Hill, in Santiago, Chile.
© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

One action we can take as responsible tourists and citizens is to avoid leaving garbage lying around in the places we visit. The best thing to do is take the garbage and recycle it. In Chile, it is not always that easy to find recycling containers, but some hotels are already including them in their facilities and some tourist attractions, such as the San Cristóbal Hill, have them as well.

The good thing is that in Chile recycling has been linked to social projects for a long time. For example, the San José Foundation provides boxes to companies in order to recycle paper and they also have bins in some supermarkets. The money obtained from recycling allows them to fund their adoption centers.

The Corporation to Help Burnt Children (COANIQUEM) recycles glass bottles to fund their centers to assist injured children. The Committee for the Defense of Flora and Fauna (CODEFF) also recycles glass to support environmental projects, such as their wildlife recovery center in the Maipo Canyon.

Empty Tetra Pak containers are recycled by the A Roof for Chile Foundation to obtain funds for their campaign to build houses for families without a home. And the National Family Center (CENFA) recycles plastic soda, juice and mineral water bottles to fund their initiative to support families in conflict.

Therefore, by recycling we are not only helping care for the environment, but also supporting non-profit organizations carrying out important social projects in Chile. What better benefits could there be?

The final message, then, is: Recycle, recycle, recycle!

This entry was originally posted by the author on August 24, 2011.

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.

Prefer local products

Local products at the farmer's market in Valdivia, southern Chile.
© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

One of the principles of responsible tourism is to support local economies. How can this be achieved? Easy! By buying products from the place you visit and demanding tourism companies to also prefer local producers and restaurants to offer food from the area.

In addition, when doing so you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint because by preferring local products you will diminish the amount of energy needed for their transport. Have you thought about how much it costs to eat Ecuadorian shrimps in Chile, for example? Or Swiss chocolates? Or Spanish olive oil?

Of course, the idea is not to stop trade between countries. But when you go to a destination, your visit will be more meaningful if you contribute to the local economy by consuming products and foods from the area.

Think about the small producers of traditional pastries and “chicha” in the Curacavi Valley, for example. Or the dozens of vineyards that produce top-quality wine in the Maipo Valley. Or the small farmers that plant quinoa, a cereal that is typical of the high Andes. Or the wide variety of fish and seafood you can get all along the Chilean coast.

How you choose to spend your money when you travel is important. Personally, if I go abroad, I don’t look for Chilean food no matter how much I like it. I always enjoy discovering new dishes made from typical local products. There’s the magic in traveling! In the possibility of expanding your horizons, trying new things and letting yourself be amazed by the diversity and authenticity of the place you visit. And isn’t it even better if you also help local people?

This entry was originally posted by the author on August 11, 2011.

Travelers prefer green hotels

Solar panels in the rooms of GEN Suite Hotel, Santiago, Chile.
© GEN Suite Hotel

by Marcela Torres

A recent study carried out by Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, in the United States, shows that business and leisure travelers prefer hotels with sustainability policies.

Based on the responses of 571 people, the study found that the single most important attribute for them is green certification. Respondents also supported that hotels set up refillable shampoo dispenser, energy efficient light bulbs, and towel- and linen-reuse policies. However, few respondents agreed that they would pay more to stay in a “green” room.

Although researchers warn that the study only interviewed people who indicated a willingness to stay in green rooms and, therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to all tourists, the results are still interesting because they reflect an increasing trend, particularly in travelers from the United States, Canada and Europe, and present challenges for the hotel industry.

I recently met with a representative of a hotel that is part of an international chain who told me that passengers often asked about the establishment’s sustainability but, according to her, it was impossible for a city hotel to be “green”. Perhaps, I said, but there are always things you can do to contribute to environmental conservation.

What better proof than the first green hotel that opened up in Santiago last year? Among other things, the new facility uses solar panels to provide electricity for its rooms and promotes recycling among its staff and guests. It doesn’t sound that hard, does it?

Other measures hotels can take –and that are in place in some of them- include asking guests to indicate whether or not they are willing to reuse their towels to avoid excessive water use in laundering and placing information leaflets with advices such as not letting the water run while brushing their teeth and not leaving the air conditioning on when they’re not in the room.

At a management level, hotels that strive to reduce their energy and water consumption and their waste generation may even end up saving money while showing concern for the environment. If you don’t believe me, I suggest you read the book “Green to Gold”.

There is always something that can be done and every little step towards sustainability matters. In the end, the planet and your guests will thank you for it. That is the key to responsible tourism.

This entry was originally posted by the author on August 5, 2011.

Why we shouldn't feed wildlife

Young girl feeding a wild turkey at Daintree National Park, Australia.
© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

I remember clearly in one of my trips to a national park while we paid the entrance the passengers of one of the vehicles that was waiting to go in started yelling that a fox had stolen a bag of food they had for their picnic. Understandably, they were very upset. But what made the fox commit this audacious act?

The fox that stole the food had probably been fed by tourists before and had learned that where there were tourists there was food. One of the principles of responsible tourism is to contribute to the conservation of the environment and one way of achieving this is to avoid feeding wildlife in the places you visit.

There are several problems that come from feeding wildlife, starting by the fact that animals become used to humans and to types of food that are not suitable for them. They then stop searching for food the natural way, in the case of this fox by hunting its preys, and they begin depending on visitors to protected areas.

This not only disturbs their feeding habits, but it also changes the relationships between predators and their prey and increases their vulnerability to other animals that are competitors or predators. At the same time, it affects the bonds between parents and their young and can contribute to spreading diseases for which they have no defenses.

There is also danger for tourists, since you never know how a hungry animal can behave and people may result with injuries from accidents. No matter how used the animal is to humans, you must never forget that it is still a wild animal guided by instincts.

It is important to have a responsible attitude during a visit to an area populated by wildlife, in order to avoid accidents for tourists and disturbing the behavior and natural cycles of animals. This way, the experience will be beneficial for all.

This entry was originally posted by the author on July 28, 2011.

Biofuels for more eco-friendly flights

Air Bus plane.
© Air Bus

by Marcela Torres

Air travel has broadly been identified as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and an important factor in climate change issues. This raises questions as to the implications of increasing costs of fuel and energy in the future and the need for tourism to be seen in the wider context of environment, resources and mobilities if it is ever to become sustainable.

Although some say planes only contribute between 2 and 3 percent of global emissions, airlines are aware of the criticism and have been tackling the problem for several years. The results? Last month, Boeing performed the first-ever transatlantic crossing of a commercial jetliner using renewable, biologically derived fuel. And this week, Lufthansa and Airbus launched the world’s first daily passenger flights using sustainable biofuel.

But the road to sustainable air travel has not been always been easy or voluntary. When the European Union adopted the Directive to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme in January 2009 many airlines complained that it would hamper their operations in the region. How does emissions trading work? Passengers and companies contribute to some conservation project to offset their carbon emissions, which are sold on a carbon market.

Some airlines such as Qantas, Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic, and Continental voluntarily created their own carbon offset programs to allow passengers to reduce their environmental footprint when flying even before any regulations were passed. They were certainly pioneers in the field, but questions quickly were raised about how much should tourists pay per ton of avoided carbon dioxide and about the need to favor reduction of emissions instead of offsetting schemes.

Many expected science and technology to play an important role. Tourists see scientists as key actors in providing up to date information to allow government officials to make the right decisions, while the industry relies on technology to solve the problem of carbon dioxide emissions without reducing flights.

The one big truth is that airplane travel is here to stay and that the search for biofuels to replace fossil fuels is a positive step in the right direction. Some view this progress with skepticism and criticize that the trials by Boeing and Airbus only use a percentage of biofuels in combination with kerosene. Others warn against the amount of water that will be required to irrigate crops used to produce biofuel and whether or not the increasing need for biofuels will motivate more deforestation to grow crops.

It’s a problem difficult to solve. But the fact that the air travel industry is making efforts to actually reduce emissions instead of just offsetting them is a good sign that times are changing and sustainable tourism may be possible after all.

This entry was originally posted by the author on July 22, 2011.