Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

Fourth Quarter 2007 E c oCurrents

Editor: Ayako Ezaki
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: LETTER FROM TIES TEAM
LETTER FROM TIES TEAM 1 Dear TIES members:

YOUR TRAVEL CHOICE MAKES A
DIFFERENCE
AN ECO-BAG INSIDER
This year, at various times through our events and conferences, we enjoyed meeting and
2
working with many of you. Thank you very much for the support you’ve shown us, and we
look forward to many more opportunities to work with you in the coming year.
4

SUITCASE FULL OF GARBAGE -
BLACK SHEEP INN
CAMPING WITH DR. BRONNER
RESPECTING PLACE & PEOPLE
- RAW PERSPECTIVE IMAGES
ECOCURRENTS 2008
TIES SPONSOR & SUPPORTER
MEMBERS
AYNI - THE GIFT OF GIVING AND 12
RECEIVING WITH TOURISM
In 2007, we were also thrilled to hear from many of you about the various achievements,
6 awards and recognitions you have received. We continue to be inspired by the examples of
our members who are making a difference in the world by helping change the way the world
7 travels. Thank you for your continued commitment to ecotourism!
8
In this issue of EcoCurrents, themed “Your Sustainable Suitcase,” you will find a number of
valuable tips on how to pack responsibly to minimize the negative impacts of your travel and
10 maximize positive experience, and information on how and why your travel choice matters.
11
For many of you who will be traveling this holiday, we wish you safe journeys and
memorable, and sustainable, experience!
From all of us at TIES, warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new
year!

- TIES team

Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference

B y choosing responsible travel, you can have the fabulous vacation that
you’ve dreamed of, while ensuring that your dollars are benefiting the
environment and the local people at your destination.

Responsible travel is travel with a purpose. When choosing destinations,

accommodations, and tour operators, consider which ones work to protect
the environment and benefit local cultures and communities. Anyone can be a
responsible traveler! You can get back to nature, or bathe in luxury... hike into
the rainforest, or explore the city... stay close to home, or travel to the exotic
location of your dreams. Responsible travel provides many options and is often
very affordable.

Read on to find out more...!

(Continued to Page 2)

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

TIES Advocacy Campaign:

Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference
(Continued from Page 1)

M aking informed choices before and during your trip is the single
most important thing you can do to become a responsible traveler.
With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your trip, while
making a real difference to the people and places you visit.

Five Easy Steps

1 Search the Web: Look for websites specializing in responsible

travel, ecotourism, or sustainable tourism.

2 Consult guidebooks: Choose guidebooks with information on your

destination’s environmental, social and political issues, and read
before booking. Guidebooks vary in quality, even within a series, but
Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Moon are among the best.

3 Make contact: Call or email tour operators that have firsthand

knowledge of the place you are considering visiting. Check the websites of all accommodations.

4 Ask questions: Let tour operators/hotels know that you are a responsible consumer. Before you book, ask about their social and
environmental policies. For instance: What is your environmental policy? What percentage of your employees are local citizens? Do
you support any projects to benefit the local community?

5 Choose wisely: Are the businesses you’re considering certified? Do they have eco-label ratings, or have they won eco-awards?

Helpful Internet Resources

The following websites provide useful tips on sustainable and

responsible travel.

- Green Traveller, an online guide to green holidays and green places to

stay: www.greentraveller.co.uk
- ResponsibleTravel.com, a directory of carefully screened holidays run
by specialist operators and accommodations: www.responsibletravel.
com
- Lonely Planet Sustainable Travel & Responsible Tourism
(START): www.lonelyplanet.com/responsibletravel/
- Make Travel Fair, tips and resources to help conscious travelers
“learn the world” through travel: www.maketravelfair.com
- Seat61, information on how to travel overland comfortably &
affordably: www.seat61.com

Change the Way You Travel and Help Change the World

TIES’ Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference brochure, which includes the
above information and more useful tips on how to travel responsibly, has been
developed as part of our ongoing advocacy campaign to raise awareness of
responsible travel practices.

We encourage TIES members to use this brochure to educate your guests, employees, colleagues, students and community members
about how their travel choice can make a difference. If you would like to receive complimentary copies* of the Travel Choice brochure,
please contact: newsletter@ecotourism.org.

*Shipping cost not included.

2
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference
(Cont’d)

How can travelers make a difference in your community?

Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference brochure for the Yucatan World Heritage Sites, with a detachable book-
mark with customized sustainable travel tips.

In 2006, TIES partnered with the United Nations Foundation, the World Heritage Alliance, Rainforest Alliance, and
Expedia, Inc. to developed a special “Travel Choice” brochure, to help educate tour operators and travelers about
how to travel responsibly and help protect the World Heritage Sites of the Yucatan Penninsula in Mexico.

We welcome proposals from those who are interested in partnering with TIES to develop a destination-
specific Travel Choice brochure and an educational campaign in your country or region. For more information,
please contact: education@ecotourism.org, with “Travel Choice” in the subject line.

Please see: www.ecotourism.org to read more about “Travel Choice” and TIES’ other ongoing advocacy campaign
on ecotourism and climate change, “Traveling with Climate in Mind.”

3
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

An Eco-Bag Insider
By Antonis B. Petropoulos

E cotourism, like charity, begins at home, when you are packing! A discussion of what is and what should go inside the travel
suitcase of the Ecotourist, which I will call an ecobag for short, may at first sound boring or a trifle, however the more you
think and read about it, the more complex, interesting and important you will find it. I did!

Don’t judge a book by its cover, they say. Is it also true with the travel suitcase
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
of the ecotourist (which I will call an ecobag for short)? Surely, at the time
when a metropolis like San Francisco or Mumbay bans plastic bags, the cover
ECOCLUB® Website:
or fabric of a travel bag should also matter. While the contents of an ecobag
www.ecoclub.com
should be very carefully considered, the cover or fabric of a travel bag should
also matter. However, we should not be promoting consumerism: even if it
made of pure plastic, your current bag is your ecobag. No need—if it is in good shape—to buy an additional, more “eco” one.

When it’s time to replace your current bag, after disposing responsibly by recycling it or reusing any inside parts (many bags
come with detachable components), be sure to consider the latest eco alternatives in fabrics, wheels and natural dyes. While it is
generally quite difficult to find out what exactly a bag is made of (as there is rarely an ingredients label on the bag), you can try
searching for bio-plastics, or skip plastic altogether and opt for hemp!

Hemp is one of the oldest domesticated plants. It is cultivated virtually everywhere in the world as an industrial crop, except the
United States where authorities apparently fear cannabis misuse (although critics allege the real reason is the protection of the
domestic synthetic-fibre industry). An eco-friendly natural fiber, hemp can be grown without chemicals and can produce anything
from paper to bio-plastics, and is usually mixed with cotton for fabrics.

There are many other eco-options ranging from recycled plastic, recycled and reclaimed vintage fabric, organic cotton, organic
linen (and blends) to new inventions such as fabrics made from bamboo-carbon nano-particles. Unfortunately, not many bag
producers are experimenting with these eco-options, so as a consumer you have to use your online search skill—and don’t forget to
inform producers that you are really interested in ecobags!

Moving on to what goes inside the Ecotourists bag: It of course depends on your tastes (and on the destination, the weather, the
length of stay, the age & gender of the traveller, the type of holiday, the means of transport, security sensitivities, the terrain, the
socioeconomic & cultural conditions of the destination, politics (think of ‘banned’ books) and so on) however there are some
basics, if you are serious about practicing your green philosophy when travelling.

In my opinion, the most important advice on packing responsibly is to travel light.

Why? First, you are lighter to transport, and thus consume less energy. Second, you will be able to support the local economy and
leave ample space for eco-gifts. Third, traveling light will make it easier for you to use public transport. Fourth, there is less of a
chance of bringing unnecessary items which can provoke your less well-off hosts.
(Continued to Page 13)

TIES Advocacy Campaign on Climate Change,

Sustainable Travel and Ecotourism

Learn more and get involved:

info@ecotourism.org
4
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

Save the Date!

Ecotourism and
Sustainable
Tourism
Conference 2008
(ESTC 2008)
Greening the Tourism Industry in
the U.S. and Canada

October 27-29, 2008

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

5
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

Suitcase Full of Garbage

Black Sheep Inn

W hat would you do if you could NOT throw out any

trash while traveling!? How would you carry all the
plastic water bottles, plastic bags, soap wrappers, shampoo
stations in
Chugchilán
for separating
bottles, old razors, food wrappers, beer bottles, napkins, tea organic and
bags, chewing gum, etc.? You would need two suitcases: inorganic
one for your luggage and another for the growing volume garbage.
of trash that you produce daily. 50% of waste
is composted
It is common camping practice to carry out whatever you while the
carry in, but when traveling people take trash disposal for other half is classified into cardboard, hard and
granted: Out of sight – out of mind. How many people soft plastic, batteries, metal and glass. Recyclables are
actually take tours of trash dumps around the world? sold; money goes directly to the village trash workers.
The beauty of garbage is that everywhere you go, there Non-recyclables are placed in a small landfill. The compost
is always trash! It is something that all humans have in has been used to fertilize a new park in the Center of
common across cultures and societies. Chugchilán.

At the Black Sheep Inn Ecuador, we have heard travelers’
complaints for years about Ecuadorians throwing trash
everywhere. Even in the public buses there are often signs
that say, “Keep the Bus Clean, Throw your Trash out the
Window!” – sounds absurd? But where is the correct place
to throw trash if there are neither recycling programs nor
garbage collection?
We invited the local Mayor to a meeting and asked him
if he would send the county garbage truck to our village
once a month and he bluntly said, “NO!” Instead, he
suggested that we find a location for a landfill and he even
offered to help pay for it. We explained that the best thing
to do would be to build a recycling center. The Mayor
responded, “You can do what you want, but either way you
need a property to do it on.”
Two years later, as the elected ‘King of Garbage’ in the
village of Chugchilán, the Black Sheep Inn is spearheading
a local recycling center. The center was partly funded
by winning the 2006 ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards.
For years every Monday in Chugchilán garbage was
conveniently swept into the Canyon. Today, there are 4
Little by little we are teaching local youth about recycling.
A clean village is healthier and better for tourism. So the
next time you are planning a trip and filling your suitcase,
remember how often you will be emptying it. Your
footprint goes a lot further than you think.
Black Sheep Inn
(TIES Business Member)
www.blacksheepinn.com
Black Sheep Inn is a small international
award-winning ecolodge and Permaculture
demonstration site high in the Ecuadorian
Andes. The Inn provides a comfortable,
educational experience for guests, teaching
them about the local area, local customs,
while contributing to and improving the local
community and the natural environment.
Eco Permaculture Features include: solar
panels, adobe construction, composting
toilets, recycling, roof water collectors, gray
water systems, organic gardens, community
education & aid work, reforestation, erosion
control and more.

Earn a Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Management Online

with TIES/George Washington University Distance Learning Courses
• Sustainable Tourism Assessment and • Ecolodge Development
Development • Environmental Management for Destinations
• Sustainable Tourism Destination Marketing • Tourist Guide Techniques
• Electronic Marketing and Internet Applications • Coastal and Marine Ecotourism
• Ecotourism Management • Cultural Heritage Tourism
6
www.gwutourism.org/ties.htm
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

CAMPING WITH DR. BRONNER

By Adam Eidinger, Public Affairs Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

T he uplifting experience of travel to beautiful, yet ecologically sensitive regions, shouldn’t also mean the introduction
of ecologically disruptive chemicals to these places. In general, people don’t realize that many body care products
are made using petroleum-derived ingredients that often are not rapidly biodegradable and can contain preservatives that
may be potentially disruptive to sensitive ecosystems.

Nearly all shampoos, lotions, conventional liquid soaps and dish washing liquids would not
exist if it was not for giant oil refineries which pump out core compounds of these synthetic
products found in nearly every home in America. Even some so-called natural and organic
shampoo and soap brands are actually made with synthetic hybrid petrochemical-vegetable
detergents.
Want to Learn More?
For the eco-conscious, visiting pristine regions
of the world doesn’t have to mean life without Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
(TIES Business member)
soap. Instead, bring along a concentrated
www.drbronner.com
organic liquid soap such as Dr. Bronner’s.
Made with 100% biodegradable and
ecologically clean ingredients for 60 years, the soap is gentle on the skin and earth.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, known as a “the camping soap,” is made from organic coconut,
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap in
Peppermint Flavormmunity.olive, jojoba and hemp oils and scented only with organic essential oils. Peppermint is the
most popular scent and has been praised by users for its tingly fresh sensation it leaves on the
skin. Some users report the peppermint as sort of an insect repellant, while others say it even keeps the bears away.

Regardless of whether it keeps the bugs away, Dr. Bronner’s is as organic as soap can get. Real organic soaps like
Dr. Bronner’s are biodegradable in 24 hours, leaving no pollution behind. As a multipurpose soap you can use it for
everything: Bathing, dishes, shaving, brushing your teeth, laundry. Its use is only limited by your imagination. Using a
multipurpose soap cuts down on the amount of gear you need to take along too. Recommended by the Sierra Club and
US National Park Service, Dr. Bronner’s is an essential item no eco-explorer should be without.

For pricing and submission

guidelines, contact:
newsletters@ecotourism.org
7
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
Respecting Place and People:
Sustainable Travel in Morocco
By Natalia & Thomas Baechtold, Annie Vanderwyk
RawPerspectiveImages.com
T he key to understanding sustainable travel is to
acknowledge the interconnectedness between the
environment and people. The most effective way we
have found to better understand this holistic relationship
is to become immersed in the landscape and culture of
Indigenous communities.
As environmental photographers and videographers,
we seek opportunities to document the ongoing
relationships of global Indigenous peoples and the
environments they have inhabited for millennia.
We do not take on the role of retrospective cultural
purveyors but celebrate the 21st-century cultural lives of
Indigenous communities globally. Through our camera
lens we have captured the synergy of the environment
and people, and through our extensive travel we have
gathered a wealth of sustainable travel research.
We wish to share our experiences as global travellers
to answer some questions regarding the physical
needs of the environmentally conscientious traveller
including cultural perceptions and actions that should be
considered in support of successful sustainable travel.
An Oasis in Morocco
The first thing we advise to take on a sustainable
cultural adventure is an open mind and an attitude
to embrace difference. Encountering alternative
landscapes, climate and culture are the essence of a true
adventure outside of your usual cultural environment.
The Sahara desert at first feels like a harsh, desolate
and infertile expanse. Not one step should be taken into
this environment without consideration of hydration,
transport and local guidance. Mohamed, our guide,
host and friend, shared his traditional knowledge learnt
through generations of his family as farmers in the
Sahara. The first thing to learn is that this land and
climate has been survived by generations of Berber
peoples and their clothing reflects a respect for the
desert and their own survival. We took time to purchase
suitable Berber clothes that proved to be the most
comfortable, practical, grit and camel-friendly option
for the next 10 days’ trekking.
The Kasbah provided a magnificent image of protection,
subsistence and survival against the desert surrounding
this oasis of life. Mohamed’s family embraced our time
together sharing their space, food and daily routines.
Every evening, all residents of the Kasbah celebrated
the coolness of the setting sun and the end of a working
day by gathering together outside the walls of the family
compound to watch the children play, share stories of
our lives and move to the traditional music played by
the older family members.
Our cameras recorded the most precious souvenirs with
each image framed by the mighty sand dunes of the
Sahara, a landscape that continually brushed away our
footprints and reclaimed its pristine environment.
Sustainable tourism demands a consideration of the most
precious commodity, water. The day to day needs of our
bodies demand an exploration of Sahara bathrooms and
toilets. As we loped through the desert on our camels the
freedom of the desert provided countless sand dunes to
hide behind.
Photos by RawPerspective Images
8
Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
Respecting Place and People (Cont’d)
The desert is so dry that the sand did not at anytime stick
to our bodies, so showering didn’t seem as urgent as in
humid climates. Toilet paper was used in the trekking
camps, but collected and burnt before the camp was
packed up every day or two.
Want to Learn More?
Raw Perspective Images
(TIES Sponsor Member)
www.RawPerspecitiveImages.com
The Kasbah offered a more luxurious toilet option, a mud
out-house that was so tiny that a person over 6 feet tall
would have to almost crawl to get in. It had a tiny window
for light and an aroma that made you want to exit as
quickly as possible. The local custom is to use water and
the left hand for toilet clean-up, so consider bringing your
own toilet paper. Both trekking and in the Kasbah basins
and buckets are used to bathe to maximize water use.
Wearing the Shash, the traditional Berber head wrap, not
only masks the desert from your face, but hides serious
‘hat hair’ with the once a week hair-wash option. So forget
the hairdryer and the fancy shampoos and conditioners,
do yourself and the environment a favour and stick to the
Berber ways so as the desert winds blow, they erase your
footsteps and continually shape a magnificent landscape
9
and inform the colour of the Indigenous peoples and their
unique cultural ways.
Take:
- As many photographs as you can, consult your local
guide for permission and protocols when photographing
people.
- A cultural experience that will last a life-time, and the
friendship of the local peoples.
Leave:
- Only your footprints, if the desert will allow.
- With a great respect for the environment and the
reciprocal cultural experience that you have shared with
the Indigenous community.
What to pack:
- Camera and extra charged batteries for the ultimate
souvenirs on the desert trek.
- Local clothing, especially a Shash.
- Toilet paper, unless happy to use your left hand.
- Gifts that reflect respect and thanks for your host
community.
- A deep desire to experience difference, environmentally
and culturally.
Photos by RawPerspective Images
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

TIES EcoCurrents 2008 Topics

In 2008, the EcoCurrents e-Magazine will focus on sustainable use and management of natural and cultural resources in
ecotourism, highlighting best practice examples and up-to-date information on relevant issues and challenges.

First Quarter 2008 (March 2008):

Conservation and sustainable management of water resources in ecotourism.

Second Quarter 2008 (June 2008):

Alternative and renewable energy use for sustainable tourism development.

Third Quarter 2008 (September 2008):

Agricultural and forestry resources and innovative solutions for ecotourism.

Fourth Quarter 2008 (December 2008):

Sustainable development, capacity building and community wellbeing.

Call for article submissions:

Share your stories with TIES
members from around the world!
We encourage our members to share
best practice stories, project and news
updates by submitting articles for the
upcoming editions of EcoCurrents.
If you are interested in submitting
an article on one of the above
topics, please contact the editor at:
newsletters@ecotourism.org. Copies of
the Editorial Policies are available upon
request.
We also welcome comments, questions
and suggestions from our members.
2008 EcoCurrents Publishing Schedule
Q1 (March 2008)
Article submission deadline: February 25, 2008
Advertisement submission deadline: March 3,
2008
Q2 (June 2008)
Article submission deadline: May 26, 2008
Advertisement submission deadline: June 2, 2008
Q3 (September 2008)
Article submission deadline: August 25, 2008
Advertisement submission deadline: September 1,
2008
Q4 (December 2008)
Article submission deadline: November 24, 2008
Advertisement submission deadline: December 1,
2008

10
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

Special Holiday Thanks to TIES Sponsor Members

THANK YOU--Your Support is Our Strength
We look forward to another great year in 2008!

Sponsor-level UCFC* Members:

California Polytechnic State University
North Carolina State University
West Virginia University
University of Utah
*UCFC: University Consortium Field Certificate - TIES’ Training and Education initiative for ecotourism students. For
more information on the UCFC program and to join, contact: education@ecotourism.org.
11
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

AYNI – THE GIFT OF GIVING AND RECEIVING WITH TOURISM

By Nina Fogelman

Discovering opportunities to help develop “Rural Living Tourism” in Peru has become a real passion for me. My most recent visit
in September, 2007 led me to a community in the Lake Titicaca area that truly captured my heart. I feel blessed to be able to offer
opportunities to a segment of Peru’s tourists who wish to participate in unique and rewarding activities, and return to Peru, to my
heart of hearts.

The local residents of a village called Atuncolla (pronounced atoon coya) are the descendents of the
Qolla Kingdom in the Andean highland region. The Qollas rose to power following the collapse of
the Tiahuanaco culture in the 12th century, and were later conquered by the Incas. 14 families have
organized in this community with the compassionate guidance of Victor Pauca to form an Association of
Living Tourism—LOS QOLLAS SILLUSTANI, ASTURIS.

The president of the Association is Santiago Monteagudo

Bruna, and his main assistant Julio R. Vilca Monteagudo, who
is tremendously dedicated to helping their piece of the planet
improve on all levels.

Julio, Victor Pauca & Nina Victor Pauca, a retired engineer and native of Peru, now
with Atuncolla President San- dedicates his life to organizing and aiding the local communities.
tiago Monteagudo, grinding He honored me with an invitation to visit Atuncolla and see if my
flour from Quinoa for company, Ancient Summit Enterprises, would be interested in
the bread. Julio’s family—Isabel gifted me with this
participating by sending tourists and volunteers to donate their beautiful rug. She makes them right there to
time and talents while experiencing life in the community. sell to visitors.

At Ancient Summit, our goal is to offer opportunities to a segment of Peru’s tourists to participate in unique and rewarding
activities. These visits help support families and communities with very few resources.

In order to help, we design

“Wear and pack clothing and shoes that you
special visits provided by
will not mind leaving behind. This serves
local member families. We are
a double purpose: you are recycling your
training locals as guides and
clothing in a wonderful way, and you will then
helping prepare them in general
have plenty of additional room in your bags for
to succeed as a new product
purchasing handicrafts from the local artisans,
of Rural Living Tourism. To
helping support the community. For children,
qualify, the project must meet
used sports team uniforms are great gifts.”
conditions to ensure respect for
- Nina Fogelman
the environment, customs, and
As a community project, this classroom traditions of locals, develop self-
was built with the help of some gener-
ous volunteers. It costs very little to esteem, and provide a system to educate the children. In other words, we create an ecotourism
donate the needed books for these kids. product which is auto-sustainable and sustainable over time.

AYNI is an ancient Andean word meaning RECIPROCITY. The development of this class of Participative Ecotourism provides the
opportunity for AYNI. Visitors are able to lend a hand to people with limited access to economic resources in order to give their
children a better chance for the future, helping them become productive members of society as well as mindful custodians of the
planet.

“Peru taught me so much about life, my relationship with others and with the world around me. When
friends came to visit, it was very important for me to share this with them and so I showed them
‘Peru My Way’ which always included integrating with the locals and their culture. Please consider me
your Cultural Hostess in this magical land: nina@ancientsummit.com.”
- Nina Fogelman

Nina Fogelman--When in 1983, Nina accepted a one year contract in Peru as Director of an Alternative Healing Arts Institute,
little did she imagine she would end up living there for the next six years. Through a series of circumstances during her stay in the
Sacred Valley of the Inca, she “love” adopted 4 local children who are now grown into extraordinary adults with children of their
own. This led her to a chain of events that have helped her to support others to have similar experiences, resulting in the creation of
Ancient Summit Enterprises, Inc., which dedicates to personalized and unique visits with a conscience to Peru. Nina’s love of Peru
and her ability to move between the two cultures broadens and enriches your Peruvian experience. www.ancientsummit.com

Photos by Nina Fogelman

12
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel
An Eco-Bag Insider Continued from Page 3
Do your homework beforehand, online and off-line, and take
your notes with you instead of those five heavy guidebooks.
Choose to buy the local guidebook, not that from the same old
companies. Do invest in a good phrase book or dictionary and
learn the local language, so you can at least thank and greet the
locals.
Below are some tips on necessary items to bring with
you when you travel. The general rule of thumb is that
you have to think of what is practical and healthy.
Clothing Tips:
- Organically-grown, casual, not flashy, fast-drying,
long-sleeved clothing, in the colors of nature, lest you
scare away animals or attract unwarranted attention
- Pants that can be transformed into shorts, and vice
versa, come in handy when necessary to adjust to
cultural or climatic conditions.
- A light-weight fleece that can double as a pillow
- Dresses and other items to cover yourself/your head
if visiting religious sites.
- Empty canvas or bio-plastic bags to separate dirty
clothes from clean ones and wrap dirty shoes.
Staying Healthy:
- If you shave, opt for electric to save on water and
chemicals.
- Mosquito repellant and sun block/sun tan lotion
made with natural, organically-grown ingredients.
- A first aid kit (especially for bites, including syringes
where health standards are low) as allowed by flight
regulations (one more reason to try to travel by other
means!).
- Antiseptic gel for your hands/toilet seats.
- If you can find a small one, a thermos and a portable
eco water purifier, to avoid those malaria tablets--oth-
erwise a boiling water kit, anything to avoid buying
damaging and unhealthy plastic water bottles.
First International Seminar on Tourism in Peace with Nature and People, March 24-28, 2008
13 www.houseofpeaceanddialogue.com
Do’s and Don’ts:
- Instead of taking an mp3 player with headphones,
take in the sounds of the place you are visiting and try
communicating with local people.
- If visiting friends/acquaintances, bring a small or-
ganic gift from your country and a picture from your
hometown.
- A recycled pen and recycled notepad for your mem-
oirs/travel notes. Don’t take that expensive palmtop
which will get certainly wet.
- And of course your camera which should fit in your
pocket. Be careful where you point it!
Don’t Forget…:
- A simple, cheap, watch with alarm clock so as not to
miss your connections.
- Photocopies of travel documents to save you money
and time in case of loss.
- Rechargeable batteries, if taking electric appliances
with you.
Lastly, on your way back don’t forget to make space
for your rubbish, especially plastics and batteries (for
which relatively few destinations have proper recy-
cling procedures) and for authentic local eco-gifts for
your friends and for you, to remind you of that special
place.
And the very last ingredient for your ecobag is, espe-
cially if hiking, that you carry it yourself; slavery is
abolished!
Antonis B. Petropoulos is Director of ECOCLUB®, the In-
ternational Ecotourism Club™, and lives in Athens, Greece.
He is an avid seeker of genuine eco-products and you are
welcome to contact him with questions or suggestions at:
 Uniting Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Travel

TIES NATIONAL & REGIONAL

ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
Aboriginal Tourism Australia • Alaska Wilderness Recreation
& Tourism Association • Armenian Ecotourism Association •
Asociación Argentina de Ecoturismo y Aventura (AAETA) •
Asociacion Ecoturismo Guatemala • Asociacion Ecuatoriana
de Ecoturismo - ASEC • Belarusian Assocation of Agro and
Ecotourism • Belize Ecotourism Association (BETA) • Benin
Ecotourism Concern (ECO-BENIN) • BESST(Business and the
Environment linked through Small Scale Tourism) • Brazilian
Society for the Environment • Brazilian Adventure Travel Trade
Association (ABETA) • Camara Nacional de Ecoturismo de Costa
Rica (CANAECO) • Central Balkan Kalofer Ecotourism Association
Photo Credits Page 1: Photos by TIES. Page 2-3: Phots by TIES. Page 6 Ar-
• Chitral Association for Mountain Area (CAMAT) • Tourism
ticle photo courtesy of Black Sheep Inn. Page 7: Article photo courtesy of Dr. Discover Nepal • EcoBrasil - Associacao Brasileira de Ecoturismo
Bronner’s Magic Soaps. Page 8-9: Article photos courtesy of RawPerspective • ECO-NIGERIA - Ecotourism Society of Nigeria • Ecotourism
Images. Page 10: Photos by TIES. Page 12: Article photos courtesy of Nina and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS) • Ecotourism
Australia • Ecotourism Kenya • Ecotourism Laos-Mekong Tourism
Fogelman. Back Cover: Photos by TIES.
Development Project • Ecotourism Norway • Ecotourism Society of
Bicol Region • Ecotourism Society of Ethiopia • Ecotourism Society
of Saskatchewan • Ecotourism Society of Sri Lanka • Ecotourism
Society Pakistan • Ecotourisme France • Ecotourismo Italia •
Estonian Ecotourism Association (ESTECAS) • Fiji Ecotourism
Association • Grand Bahama Island Ecotourism Association •
Green Tourism Association • Hawaii Ecotourism Association •
Himalayan EcoTourism Society • Indonesian Ecotourism Network
(INDECON) Foundation • Iran Ecotourism Association • Iringa
Ecotourism Society • Israeli Ecotourism Society • Japan Ecolodge
Association • Japan Ecotourism Society (JES) • Kamchatka
Ecotourism Society • Kunigami Tourism Association (KUTA)
• La Ruta de Sonora Ecotourism Association • Mesoamerican
Ecotourism Alliance (MEA)/RARE Center • Mexican Association
of Adventure Tourism & Ecotourism (AMTAVE) • Mongolian
TIES BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ecotourism Society (MES) • Murghab Ecotourism Association
(META) • Nigeria Ecotourism Foundation • Nunavut Tourism •
Heba Aziz, Director, Research Services, Jameirah UAE
Russian Ecotourism Society • Society for Ethical Ecotourism
• Rajiv Bhartari, Indian Forest Service & Corbett Tiger
(SEE) Southwest Florida • Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation
Reserve, India • Sylvie Blangy, European Marie Curie
(SLEF) • Sustainable West Virginia • Swedish Ecotourism Society
Research Fellow, Department of Geography & Environmental
• Taiwan Ecotourism Association (TEA) • Thai Ecotourism and
Studies, Carleton University, Canada • Kelly Bricker (Board
Adventure Travel Association (TEATA) • The Ontario Ecotourism
Chair), Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation
Society (TOES) • Tilos Park Association • Virginia EcoTourism
and Tourism, University of Utah, USA • Tony Charters
(Vice Chair), Principal, Tony Charters & Associates, Australia Association
• Richard Denman (Secretary), Director of Tourism
Consulting, The Tourism Company, United Kingdom • Andrew
Fairley (Treasurer), Chairman, Alpine Resorts Council
Victoria, Australia • Kamelia Georgieva, Manager, Human
Research Center, Bulgaria • Glenn Jampol, President, Finca
Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica • Karen Lewis, Owner,
Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Costa Rica & USA • Hitesh Mehta,
Architect, Landscape Architect and Ecotourism Planner, HM
Design • John Poutasse, Attorney, LSL Law, USA • Ravi
Ruparel, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank,
USA • Chandra de Silva, CEO/Founder Director, Ranweli
Holiday Village, Sri Lanka • Keith W. Sproule, International
Ecotourism Consultant, USA • Masaru Takayama,
Executive Director, Japan Ecolodge Association, Japan •
Wolfgang Strasdas, Head of Program, Sustainable Tourism
Management Master Program, University of Eberswalde,
Germany • Jan Wigsten, Consultant, Natural Consulting and
Training, Sweden & Marketing Director, Nomadic Journeys,
Mongolia • Carolyn Wild, President, WILD International,
Canada &Australia