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ECOCLUB, Issue 93
experience, do most of your high-flying peers have time to relate to local / national sensitivities, prejudices, worries? Is
that a problem when devising international tourism policy?
Costas Christ: About ten years ago, I told a journalist that one of my fears was that ecotourism would do more for the jet set
conference industry than it would for local people and the environment. While I do not think that has happened, I do feel that it
is incumbent on anyone who truly wants to be involved with these issues in constructive ways to keep themselves with one foot
fully grounded into the lives and aspirations of local people and the natural environment that we are all ultimately connected to.
The other foot needs to be in the world of policy makers and private sector CEO's etc that are making big decisions to affect the
lives and environment for people the world over. I left Washington DC and moved to a farm in Maine six years ago so I could
live closer to the family farmers and small communities in North America that are trying to survive in the face of globalization.
In that sense, it is kind of a reverse of the slogan " Think Global, Act Local." In my case, it is more, "Think Local, Act Global".
ECOCLUB.com: You have written numerous articles for some of the leading English language newspapers and
television channels, so you know both sides of Ecotourism media coverage. How fair are the media in their coverage of
Ecotourism? Recently a major news agency invited to Oslo for the GEC could only cynically report that 'Ecotourism is
equally harmful' ignoring all that was discussed and presented. Why do media always give the benefit of the doubt to
other forms of tourism, such as Responsible, Ethical and so on, but are so eager to bash Ecotourism? Are they jealous or
a victim of orchestrated misinformation?
Costas Christ: Some media in their pursuit for "news" like to build things up and then bash it down. We saw this happen with
ecotourism. Media has jumped on the bandwagon of reporting on efforts to save the environment and then on the bandwagon, in
their minds, of why those efforts are failing or false, or whatever. I cannot tell you how many reporters I know who are asked to
write about ecotourism and still think it means a bird watching trip, missing the underlying principles that can change a nature
vacation into ecotourism. Just going on safari does not mean ecotourism. Yet many reporters miss that important fact. When I
saw the article you mentioned that came out of the recent Global Ecotourism Conference in Olso state that ecotourism experts
now say ecotourism is damaging the world, I thought to myself how misinformed that was and how misleading it is to the
general public. The truth is that if travel were to stop today from going to the far flung corners of our planet to see nature we
would experience an environmental nightmare. With no economic incentive to protect the Serengeti through tourism, the vast
plains that hold the last great land migration of wild animals on our planet will become grazing land for domestic cattle. The
Pantanal in Brazil, largely protected because of its ecotourism potential would be lost to other development and cattle ranches.
South East Asia's coral reefs and marine national parks would have little incentive for protection through the economic benefits
of marine tourism. We would see species vanish like the Scarlet Macaw in Belize if there was no economic reason through
ecotourism to protect them for visitors willing to pay money to see and photograph them. The list goes on. Before anyone says
that we need to stop travelling to save the earth, they should think very carefully about what that would do to protected areas
around the planet and to the peoples whose economic livelihood is from tourism in places like El Nido in the Philippines, where
tourism income can mean the difference between poverty and feeding your family. The issue is not to limit or stop travelling as
a way to deal with global warming, etc. Travel is part of our very human nature and has been with us for a long time. The very
definition of a human being in ancient Tibetan - the word groba - means one who goes on migrations. Rather, in modern times,
we need to work on how travel can be more sustainable. That is the goal.
ECOCLUB.com: You have already accomplished many things for Ecotourism. What next?
Costas Christ: My efforts are focused on greening the mainstream tourism industry now. How we bring the principles of
sustainability into the full spectrum of travel and tourism worldwide. My goal is nothing less than to transform global tourism
into a force for helping to save our planet. Together, I honestly believe we can make this happen. There has been tremendous
progress in recent years and truly, I never imagined we would even be this far along today in terms of the many examples of
sustainable tourism success that are out there now. But we still have a way to go to get to our destination. As the great Greek
writer and philosopher, Nikos Kazantzakis said, "It is by aligning ourselves with the cause of our times that our life bears fruit".
Protecting nature and supporting the well being of local people around the world is a worthy cause. It is the road I have chosen
to travel.
ECOCLUB.com: Thank you very much!
