Letters
to the editor@ecoclub.com
Reality check I enjoy reading the ECOCLUB Editorials but
have my reservations regarding the guidelines for real
Ecolodges in your October issue, especially point 4. Regarding
involving local people in decision-making you should remember
that the people in remote areas, can hardly read and write and
if at all they have just completed elementary school. I still
remember when I bought the 110 hectares of rainforest I asked
people what to do and they told me to cut the wood down and
sell it and to plant pineapples. When I decided differently
and built the lodge, they called me el loco aleman (the crazy
German) what tourists will ever come in this god-foresaken
area. An Ecolodge is a business enterprise. If I build the
Lodge on my own Property and guide the tourists through my own
private rain forest, I do not see a reason why local people
should become equal partners. This might be different if the
lodge is built on community property or next to a National
Park. To have local people participate in decision making, in
profit sharing and ownership participation seems to me
unrealistic and has a certain romantic connotation. The locals
in remote areas have no money to invest, are not willing to
wait long years to get a return on their investment and are
not prepared to participate in possible losses. All they are
looking for is to get a job and their salary paid at the end
of the month.
- Vinzenz Schmack,
Proprietor, La Laguna del
Lagarto Lodge, Costa Rica, http://ecoclub.com/laguna-del-lagarto
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Live
Event held
We hosted a live discussion on the
Environmental Impacts of Transportation, at our Live Chat
Centre (http://ecoclub.com/chat/), on November 5. The
participants were: Ron Mader, host of Planeta.com, Marcus
Endicott, host of the green-travel list - greentravel@
yahoogroups.com , John Shores, owner of The Shores System,
Andres Hammerman & Michelle Kirby, of Black Sheep Inn,
Ecuador, Sergio Moraes, California, Richard Tuck, of Comarca
Turs, Nicaragua, and Antonis B. Petropoulos, Director of
ECOCLUB S.A. The consensus was that more should be done to
create and showcase alternative means of reaching ecotourism
destinations.
More
details at www.planeta.com
Ecotourism
University Database
During the past month, we have updated and
expanded our University Database, at
http://ecoclub.com/universities/ . Readers are welcome to suggest
more courses
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ECOCLUB.com
Shop
The
ECOCLUB.com Shop has a selection of Christmas Cards supporting
UNICEF’s work around the world and promoting the Cultural
Olympiad 2004 message. Thanks to a US$ 7 million contribution
of the Greek Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004, UNICEF will immunize
1.4 million children worldwide. Leading up to the Athens 2004
Olympic Games, the Cultural Olympiad carries the message: “For
a Culture of Civilizations” and aims to promote peace,
solidarity and social cohesion. The pack contains 10 cards
(11x15.5 cm), 5 designs x2 and white envelopes. The card is
without text. Our Eco Price: Euros 11.75.
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