EcoTourism a better option

I REFER to “Millions spent to clean up rubbish which cause clogging” (The Star, March 26) and am saddened by the Malaysian state of mind when it comes to caring for the environment.

But, on the other hand, it is amazing that Malaysia has been ranked ninth in the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) list of 10 most visited countries, with 24.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2010 “M’sia is ninth most visited in the world in UNWTO list” (The Star, Feb 17).

As I have mentioned in the past, Malaysia is blessed with natural resources and flora and fauna in abundance which are important elements for our livelihood and the economy.

Damaging them will impact us in two ways – direct impact on the livelihood of Malaysians and to the economy as well.The recent floods in some parts of the country caused damage to many homes, livestock, property, vegetable farms, roads and even the loss of life.

It has been reported many times in the media that the dumping of rubbish and toxic materials into the drains will eventually end up in the rivers.The more we do this, the more vulnerable we are to flash floods and landslides.

Secondly, to the economy. As tourism is the top GDP contributor, it is critical to assess how tourism will be impacted by this man-made catastrophy.Also, how will a boost in tourism be able to sustain the natural environment when it does not charge any fees!

Perhaps the most important terminology in tourism is eco-tourism.It means tourism that is responsible for areas that conserve the environment and at the same time, improves the welfare of the local people.

For instance, a group of tourists walking through the rainforest is not eco-tourism unless that particular walk benefits the environment there and the people who live there.The tourists could be writing about the trees when they are back in their own countries and encourage research on our flora and fauna.

In another instance, a rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the watershed.Eco-tourism means that the place is gazetted and its care formalised for future generations.

Eco-tourism means promoting any form of tourism that does not reduce the availability of natural resources and does not inhibit future travellers from enjoying the same experience.

We read and hear often about the illegal trade of animal skins and their exotic meats. There are a lot of tourists who turn hunters and work with unscrupulous traders to destroy God’s given species that are part of the eco-system.

Also if the presence of large numbers of tourists disturb an animal’s mating patterns so that there would be fewer of that species in the future, then that visit is not sustainable.

The time has come for us to pause for a second and fully realise our responsibilities towards mother nature and stop doing more harm to nature to reduce the impact on our livelihood and on the economy through eco-tourism.

Source - thestar.com.my