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Regional Research and Training Centre and Data Base on Ecotourism: An essential tool to develop Ecotourism in Sri Lanka and South Asia

by Palitha Gurusinghe , President, Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF)

The concept of Ecological Tourism or popularly known as Ecotourism is a new dimension of the global tourism industry in which selected sites and locations and sometimes entire geographical zones are preserved for people to visit and appreciate them in their pristine natural beauty. Ecotourism has a strong focus on learning and discovering nature as a real life experience. Therefore, research, Training and collection of data is an essential requirement in ecotourism development.

Ecotourism education and related research programmes have been considered as the most important field as far as future development of ecotourism is concerned. Education of tourism industry operators, their customers and the wider community is an essential, but often overlooked component of sustainable and ecotourism.

Dr. Rosemary Black, Lecturer, Charles Sturt University, Australia, explains why Ecotourism Education is important to promote sustainability and ecotourism, Education and Interpretation are important elements of the ecotourism experience and can be provided through various types of media by industry operators, government departments such as national park agencies, and local communities. If ecotourism seeks to promote responsible travel, then its foundation must be education, and it should aim to include both the local community and the domestic and international travellers.

An ecotourism experience is usually associated with learning and environmental consciousness. Bragg (1990 p.12) suggests that "ecotourism involves active appreciation, education or interpretation... (and it) strengthens environmental awareness, concern and commitment, through an increased understanding and appreciation of nature". Ceballos-Lascurain (1990 p.7) proposes that this process of discovery and learning has the potential to lead to ecotourists who "will eventually acquire a consciousness and knowledge of the natural environmental together with its cultural aspects, that will convert him (sic) into somebody keenly involved in conservation issues".

Distinct rules

In the ecotourism context interpretation and education can serve two distinct roles, that of satisfying visitor information needs and of visitor management. The values and attitudes of tourists are beginning to change, and tourists are now demanding more environmentally responsible services and products as well as information. Tourists want to learn about the environments they visit as well as understand their connections with a broader environment. Thus, education and interpretation have an important role in ecotourism. Through interpretation and education, ecotourists can gain a better understanding, awareness and appreciation of the natural and cultural environment.

Ecotourism activities often involve active participation, which allows for the visitors to appreciate the importance of natural and cultural conservation. Providing education and interpretation as part of an ecotourism experience has the potential to make people aware of and actively involved in environmental issues following their experience. Thus, education and interpretation creates the potential to provide the ecotourist with an environmental consciousness and to facilitate long-term attitudinal and behavioral changes.

Widespread management

Education and interpretation has become a widespread management tool in the natural resource management profession as it has the capacity to reduce inappropriate behaviour on a voluntary basis through education (Alcock 1991 Beckmann 1988; While traditionally education and interpretation programs have been provided by government agencies such as national park and forestry organisations, with the increased interest in ecotourism, private operators and tourist resorts have recognised the importance of education and interpretation in terms of meeting the needs of the tourist as well as protecting the resources. Ecotourism operators are in an excellent position to provide environmental and cultural interpretation. This is usually provided through guides and other media such as brochures, videos, walks and talks, and also through the provision of information prior to, during and after the experience.

Generally, 89 per cent of ecotourists are undergraduates, graduates, graduate students or the high professionals in different caliber. The Ecotourists looking for travel in relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying way of life of the people, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations.

Ecotourists are primarily interested in improving their knowledge. High levels of sophisticated information, careful study, documentation, and increased understanding are key attributes.

They have high levels of dedication to their activities, associated with a strongly held coherent attitude set. They have an environmental philosophy that is well developed and that is reflected in many other cultural forms, such as literate and art. Since ecotourists are a well-educated segment of the tourism industry, it is very essential to provide an in depth information on the country, ecotourism locations, attractions, people and their life styles, socioeconomic and sociaocultural background, biodiversity and environmental conservation etc.

Information thirst

To satisfy the thirst for information of ecotourists, the ecotour operator, tour guide (interpreter), service providers, visitor centre and park managers and the general community who are involved in the service providers visitors centre and park managers and the general community who are involved in the ecotourism operations to be educated and trained in different areas in different assignments according to the sectors handled by them.

In some cases, ecotourists are looking for sophisticated data in IT devices for their research assignments on graduate and post graduate programmes at home. For officials and decision makers of tourism authorities both private and public sector, park managers, local bodies, may need different sort of information such as data, guidelines, base line data which will be helpful in planning and implementation and development of indicators to prepare ecotourism programmes. At present, subjects such as Ecotourism, Sustainability, and Environmental Conservation have been included in the high school and university curricula, researches and postgraduate programmes. In Sri Lanka hardly any facilities available in Universities or higher education institutes for those who wish to pursue their study programmes in Ecotourism.

However, in Sri Lanka, Ecotourism has become a very popular subject, "Ecotourism" seems to be the famous, topic of the day in Sri Lanka, not only among the tourism circles but also with academia, intellectuals and even politicians. Everyone wants to be part of it. Well, the trend is fine, because, Sri Lanka being a traditional destination for nature tours, she possesses all the ingredients to offer the bests for genuine ecotorists.

Nevertheless, poorly planned ecotourism programs provide local populations with little besides social tension and environmental degradation, while leaving the tourist dissatisfied and cheated. Without careful planning, guidance and management ecotourism will not stop tourisms' current environmental and socio-economic impacts and it will create new ones, such as environmental destruction, pollution and, increase the gap between rich and poor.

Unplanned ecotourism

In Sri Lanka the problem of unplanned ecotourism practices are already felt by the visiting ecotourists and the Ministry of Tourism. According to a report published by the World Bank Project in Ecotourism, 'the Ministry of Tourism in Sri Lanka has already received complaints from international tourists about unscrupulous practices, 'green washing' and lack of satisfaction with ecotorusm products in Sri Lanka'.

In the light of the above situation, research and training in ecotourism, conducting of ecoguide and interpretation programmes, collection of data on ecotourism have become vital components in ecotourism fabric. This is true not only from Sri Lankan point of view but also on worldwide, regional and sub-regional basis.

However, in the race to develop new tourism products and services in natural areas, it is often marketing infrastructure and management that receives priority and the development of educational programmes is an after-thought. The potential to use the vastly expanding knowledge that we have with regard to natural and human system in the educational programmes for ecotourism is not only important, but essential to long term sustainability. Any attempt to implement sustainable practices that do not incorporate educational programmes will be self-defeating. Future generations of ecotourists will need to be more aware of environmental considerations not only when holidaying, but also in the daily lives.

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF) is clearly aware of the necessity of education, research and collection of data on ecotourism, and applying those data and findings to develop ecotourism, not only inSri Lanka, but also in whole South Asian Region. We first attempted as far back as in 1999/2000, to formulate and establish a 'Research and Education Centre and Date Base on Ecotourism' for South Asian Region with the support of Ecotourism Society of Pakistan (ESP). Unfortunately, the project did not come off the ground due to some disagreements between Pakistan and few other countries in South Asia.

The project saw its breakthrough when the SLEF was able to forward a proposal to the first ever South Asia Regional Conference on Ecotourism (SARCE), held in Sikkim, India. The SAARC was one of the 6 (six) Regional Ecotourism Conferences mandated by the United Nations' Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) which held prior to the World Ecotourism Summit (WES) in Canada in May, 2002. The recommendations and proposals, which come through SARCE, were to be forwarded to the WES for implementations and follow up actions.

Our proposal to establish South Asian Regional Centre for Training and Ecotourism and Regional Data Base on Ecotourism was well accepted by the SARCE and was included in the final declaration. Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation has been the only Ecotourism organisation in South Asia to lobby for a centre of this nature since 1999. Needless to stress how this centre will help to boost the image of Sri Lanka and the cause of Ecotourism in the region! Subsequently, the proposal was accepted by the World Ecotourism Summit (WES), and included in the final declaration of 'Chutes Montmoreney Declaration dated 24th May, 2002, prepared jointly by UNEP and the International Ecotourism Society (TIES).

As far as the sequence of developments are concerned, Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation is proud to be the initiator of South Asia Regional Research Centre and Regional Data base on Ecotourism.

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