ISSN 1108-8931 INTERNATIONAL ECOTOURISM MAGAZINE Year 8, Issue 95 Sponsored by: Hana Maui Botanical Gardens (US), Siam Safari Nature Tours (TH), Canyon Travel (MX), La Selva Jungle Lodge (EC), Eco Holidays Malta (MT), Abha Palace (SA), St-Géry Historic Estate (FR), International Centre for Responsible Tourism (UK) AIVAR RUUKEL: “Travelling to your In this issue: neighbours, meeting these people, talking to them makes you understand them better and minimizes Hunting Tourism Revisited – p.1 your fear that they can be dangerous” Annual Reports from our Ecolodge Members – p.2 (p.6 ) ECOCLUB Interviews – p.6 Eco Journeys: The secret beauty of Estonian nature – p.12 MART REIMANN: “The main challenge for Climate Change & Mediterranean Tourism – p.14 Tourism in Estonia is marketing and making our Member News Roundup – p.18 country a better known tourism destination internationally” (p. 9) Director’s Cut: Hunting Tourism Revisited In a past editorial, I had expressed surprise at a report that seemed to imply that a colleague at The International Ecotourism Society had told a newspaper that TIES had no position on Hunting Tourism so as not to provoke a backlash. TIES has now written to us to set the record straight: “I’m writing on behalf of TIES regarding the “Director’s Cut” on hunting and ecotourism in the recent issue of ECOCLUB, in which TIES is quoted. Although the Canada.com article quotes a TIES Representative, we feel that this article and what's quoted in the ECOCLUB newsletter does not provide an accurate explanation on why TIES has not issued any official statement on whether hunting should be considered ecotourism. TIES is a multi-stakeholder international association, and one of our primary goals is to educate tourists and tourism professionals about the principles of ecotourism--responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. While we do recognize the importance of the issues around hunting and fishing, and that many in ecotourism community are looking for an answer to the question “can hunting be ecotourism,” we believe that the appropriate role for TIES to play in this debate is to provide credible information, resources and platforms for discussion in a fair and inclusive manner. And that’s what we have been actively seeing to do. Sustainable management of hunting practices, particularly in the context of Indigenous ecotourism, was one of the topics highlighted at the Global Ecotourism Conference in Oslo in May (workshop summaries available here: http://www.ecotourismglobalconference.org/?page_id=302 ), and as you can see in the Canada.com and other articles, in Madison we also had productive discussions about the topic. Historically, TIES has taken a stance not to call for blanket statements about issues such as certification and carbon offsetting, as well as hunting, and has focused instead on highlighting local and regional realities, recognizing the need to be sensitive of differences in various social, cultural and economic factors in different communities. Of course, nobody is advocating for unsustainable killing as part of ecotourism, but TIES is conscious of the roles of Indigenous communities, for whom hunting and fishing are integral part of sustainable lifestyles, as environmental stewards, as well as credible academic and professional opinions about sustainable practices in hunting and fishing and their interface with ecotourism. By writing this message, we wanted to inform you of our active engagement in the discussions around ecotourism and hunting, and to explain our intention behind not making a public statement about whether hunting can be part of ecotourism. TIES will continue striving to serve the ecotourism community worldwide as an unbiased source of knowledge and advocacy. Ayako Ezaki - Director of Communications, The International Ecotourism Society, Washington D.C. “ The clarification as to why there is currently no official TIES statement or position on Hunting Tourism is noted and most appreciated. However, a non-position is also a position, and neutrality, especially if permanent, can also constitute a bias. Taking the Global Greens Charter of 2001 view of Hunting as a base, which states “Support the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination, land rights, and access to traditional hunting and fishing rights for their own subsistence, using humane and ecologically sustainable techniques”, our publication believes that Opposition to Hunting Tourism can be a defining, ideological issue for Ecotourism (Ecological Tourism). Ecotourists & Ecotourism practitioners worldwide can easily understand the difference between a recreational hunting tour (affluent foreigners killing rare species for pleasure) and subsistence hunting by indigenous communities using traditional weapons. It is hard to imagine how any Ecotourism proponent could ever encourage the few indigenous communities still managing to survive on subsistence hunting, to associate themselves with foreign hunting interests, conduct hunting tours and expedite the demise of their life-style (or worse, their life!). Hunting Tourism may still be legal in many - but not all - destinations, and a part of Nature Tourism, Rural Tourism, Adventure Tourism, Community Tourism or Responsible Tourism, but it may never be a part of Ecotourism - Ecological Tourism. 2 ECOCLUB, Issue 95 Unless the Ecotourism Movement, and constituent organisations and individuals are ready to stand up for basic, straight-forward green principles, there is a danger that the movement will gradually dissolve, and the peculiar alliance who dismiss Ecotourism as glorified Nature Tourism will have won. In the end, can a tiny pro-hunting minority, whom we democratically tolerate among our ranks, delay progress for ever? They can certainly not harm the unity of the Ecotourism movement, for which we have always stood for: I was recently invited to write and article for the TIES Ecocurrents quarterly and was also interviewed by Planeta.com. In this issue, please also find read a special report from Estonia which I visited in September 2007, and two Interviews with leading Estonian Ecotourism practitioners, end year reports from our Members around the world and a very interesting paper on the likely effects of climate change on Mediterranean Tourism. Antonis B. Petropoulos More Director’s Cut Annual Reports from Ecolodge Members Amazonat Annual Report, Manaus (Web: www.amazonat.org ) 2007 has been a busy year for Amazonat! Our biggest project has been the construction of Amazonat River Lodge scheduled to open in January 2008. Floating on the banks of the Urubu River, a tributary of the Amazon, it will offer upscale accommodation for those who want to “rough it” in style. It will offer both deluxe rooms and honeymoon suites for 20 guests on a double occupancy basis. It is situated in an exclusive location within an Indian reserve – the only lodge in region with such a privilege. Amazonat Jungle Lodge has also experienced many improvements to its facilities and grounds. We have added a pool deck and upgraded our reception building. One of our cabins has been upgraded to provide two deluxe rooms beautifully decorated with reclaimed tropical woods. We have also put into use a new water treatment system. Wastewater is purified with four reactors that can treat 10m3/day. Resulting water quality is examined and approved by the federal government for release into the environment. Our jungle survival camp, Jane's Place, has also undergone a facelift and the addition of another level. We have revamped our marketing and sales efforts with the complete redesign of our website in line with our new logo and image and we have formed Amazonat Ecotours a travel agency with exclusive representation of our ecolodges. This year we also formed a partnership with Piatam, a research and conservation organization sponsored by Petrobras. Amazonat will be one of their centres for scientific and educational programs. Piatam brings together scientists and technicians from the major learning and research intuitions in the Amazon like UFAM and INPA, as well as researchers from Petrobras Research and Development Centre (CENPES), COOPE/Rio de Janeiro, Universidade de São Paulo and several North American universities. Yaklom Hill Lodge, Ratanakiri, Cambodia (Web: www.yaklom.com/yaklom_hill_lodge.htm ) Income generation for hill tribe villagers through home stay: Throughout 2007, Yaklom Hill Lodge (YHL) has operated and improved its village trekking and home stay programmes. YHL has entered into dialogue with host families in four participating villages (Phume La En Kraen and Phume La En Chong of the Tamopuan ethnic group and Phume La Ak and Phume Krala of the Kreung ethnic group) in O’ chum district of Ratanakiri province. Agreement has been reached and YHL will pay the lodging fee to the individual host family at which the guests make overnight stay. The fee (5000 riels per person per night – around US$1.25) may seem a little amount, but this is a good extra income for the family, especially in the rainy season when most of the family members are busy at the farm and have no time to go to the market in Ban Lung –the provincial capital- to sell their farm produce. This fee will be upgraded when the family is able to provide sleeping gears and meals. In the near future, the lodge will hold discussions with the village committee and interested families in respective village on the proposed idea of creating “a home stay group” in the village in which interested and willing families can join. In this case, home stay visitors can be dispatched to more families on a rotation basis and this extra, off-farm income can be distributed to more families in the communities. ECOCLUB, Issue 95 3 To further the idea of improving a home stay and income for the host families, in the third quarter of 2007, YHL piloted a home stay in villages in La Bang I commune of the Lomphat district, which includes trekking on foot, elephant trekking, and overnight at the elephant keeping families.