GEOTOURISM
IN ACTION
1.10
As public awareness grows of the negative
effects of mass tourism, more travel companies
are providing options that enhance—rather than
A
harm—local cultures and environments. The
following examples from around the world show
how innovative local programs can promote
sustainable tourism that benefits tourists, locals,
and the environment.
ECOLODGES IN ECUADOR
Located in the Amazon basin, Ecuador is
one of South America’s most popular places for
tourists. Ecolodges now provide a sustainable
travel option for these tourists. First developed
B in the 1990s, an ecolodge is a type of hotel
that helps local economies and protects the
environment. Many of the lodges are built with
renewable materials that are found locally. The
lodges allow people in the community to sell
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Visitors at Sacha Lodge, Ecuador,
explore a jungle walkway.
locally made products to guests; some are also
owned and operated by local people.
Ecolodges not only help local economies
and the environment, they also enable visitors
to gain a deeper understanding of the region.
There are ecolodges throughout the country, so
visitors can choose to stay in the rain forest, in
the mountains, or at an island beach. Visitors
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at Sani Lodge in the rain forest, for example,
are surrounded by over 500 species of tropical
birds and a thousand species of butterflies. In
the Andes, guests can go hiking and explore
volcanic glaciers. On the Galápagos, visitors
can watch giant tortoises lay their eggs.
These lodges let visitors interact with local
people and learn about local culture, too. For
D example, at some ecolodges, guests learn how
to make dishes using local ingredients. At Sani
Lodge, local families invite guests into their
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 homes. In 2015, the owners of Sani Lodge won
the World Legacy Travel Award for their efforts
to promote sustainable tourism. This kind
of tourism, says company director Jascivan
Carvalho, leads to “a deeper, more enriching
experience for travelers, and for locals, whose
livelihoods improve.”
ADVENTURE TREKKING IN NEPAL
Nepal has been an important trekking
destination for over a hundred years. Until
recently, however, most tour guides and porters
were male. In 1993, three sisters—Lucky, Dicky,
and Nicky Chhetri—had an idea. They were
running a restaurant and lodge in Pokhara, a
E popular base for trekkers. When some female
guests complained of poor treatment by male
porters, the sisters decided to act. They would
start their own trekking business—one run
by women, for women. They launched their
partnership—3 Sisters Adventure Trekking—
with two main goals: to give local women
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opportunities to work in the tourism industry,
and to give female trekkers the choice of female
guides for greater comfort and security.
The sisters also created a nonprofit
organization—Empowering Women of Nepal
(EWN). The organization trains and hires local
women as guides. The training program includes
classes in English, health, and awareness of
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ecological issues. At the end of the program, the
trainees get on-the-job experience as guides, earning
the same wages as male guides. Some graduates of
the program use their earnings to continue their
education, while others start their own businesses.
These improvements to the women’s social
and financial situations are good for both
their families and the rest of the community.
The interaction between local guides and
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tourists from all over the world creates a vital
cultural exchange, too. “I learned to become an
ambassador for my country,” says one of the
graduates of the program.
A local guide from 3 Sisters
Adventure Trekking with a
trekker on Suriya Peak in Nepal
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 Visitors to Uluru learn about
the significance of the
monument from a local guide.
CULTURAL TOURS IN AUSTRALIA
Uluru is a giant rock formation that stands
in the desert of central Australia. Also known
as Ayer’s Rock, the famous landmark is an
Australian icon and a hot spot for tourists. But
for the local Anangu—meaning “we people”—
Uluru is the heart of a region where they have
H lived for more than 20,000 years. Until recently,
many visitors came to Uluru with the objective of
climbing it. However, the Australian government
and several tour companies are asking visitors
not to do this. In fact, the government of
Australia has now introduced an official policy
to stop visitors from climbing the monument.
The concerns over climbing Uluru are partly
because it is dangerous—the rock stands nearly
350 meters high (over 1,140 feet) and has
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steep sides. However, it is also a sacred site for
the Anangu people, the traditional owners of
the rock. For the Anangu, climbing Uluru is a
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spiritual experience. The government’s and tour
companies’ efforts have had a positive effect.
While 74 percent of visitors climbed Uluru
in 1990, that number dropped to less than
30 percent by 2015.
Adventure Tours and SEIT Outback
Australia are just two of the companies that
work to educate visitors about the culture
of Uluru. Some of these tour companies
hire indigenous guides who can share the
perspectives of the local people. Instead of
taking tourists to the top of the rock, tour
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guides lead tourists around Uluru on the paths
that Anangu ancestors walked. The guides tell
traditional stories about how the world was
born and how people are connected to the land.
Through these travel experiences, visitors can
leave Uluru culturally richer than when they
arrived.
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