Algerian Sahara-desert motorway. Photo: Andre Shine
'In the poor South, tourism developments are often biased toward transnational corporations. This can mean the poor get poorer.'

In the first of her six-part surefish.co.uk series on eco-tourism, Andre Shine introduces some of the underlying reasons for responsible travel.

The ticking clock…
Travel, for the anyone who wants to get off the beaten track, is a time-bomb that started ticking half a century ago. Since then technology has catapulted us to every corner of the globe - eroding pioneering opportunities in its wake.

Trailblazers like Wilfred Thesiger- who was able to explore virgin cultures and landscapes - is a dying breed. Such exploration is no longer a reality for today's intrepid traveller. Not everyone aspires to venture into unknown tribal territory, but neither do we wish to arrive at a destination that looks second-hand, culturally depleted and littered with signs of mass invasion.

Borrowed time
Travel in parts of Africa - remote from high profile tourist destinations - still offers the perfect release. Journeys can be slow, as local buses tend to run on demand only and on unpredictable terrain. But the pace is in harmony with the environment - and culturally it can be an enriching experience, albeit an insurance risk at times.

Conservation or devastation?
But as package tourism fast expands into these regions, turning nature into a showcase for all, we need to ask the question, 'how are we changing the livelihoods of indigenous peoples whose land rights we should be respecting?'

This is where the debate begins. Eco-tourism is often dressed up as conservation. But while controlling access to game reserves, and establishing park rules may protect the ecological environment, governments often ignore the rights of people whose survival depends on the land. For example, the Maasai of East Africa and the Bushmen of Botswana have both have been evicted from National Park land - their lifestyles deemed incompatible with the environment.

Business 1, Poverty 0
In the poor Southern hemisphere, where the bargaining power of local stakeholders tends to be weak, tourism developments are often biased toward transnational corporations. This can mean the poor get poorer. Over half the population of both Kenya and The Gambia lived below the poverty line in 2001, yet both are popular tourist destinations. In short unfair trade leads to economic inequality.

Reversal of fortunes
Sustainable tourism can be developed into a positive alternative to other, less sustainable industries (including mining, which have a finite lifecycle and can generate irreversible ecological damage). Encouraging examples include a community in Ecuador, which has established eco-tourism in an area potentially rich in oil resources. External prospecting interests have been prevented from opening up the area for exploration due to the benefits offered by eco-tourism.

This is just one example, of a growing number of sustainable tourism projects. Tourism Concern has compiled details of sustainable tourism destinations in The Good Alternative Travel Guide which is available online.

Tread softly
As individuals, we may feel powerless to tackle transnationals as they aggressively negotiate with cash-hungry governments. Distance and a lack of awareness are also factors in failing to recognise conflicts between the livelihoods of indigenous people's and large corporations - too often the poor have no platform from which to make their voice heard. However, we all have the power to reflect on ourselves - and how our own behaviour influences both the human and ecological environment in which we travel. So, without taking a vow of 'solemn-ness' we can all become more aware of just how deep a footprint we leave on our travels.

Looking to travel responsibly? Try these links…
• cottages4you.co.uk
• ebookers
• Muirs tours
• responsible travel.com
• tellmeglobal traveller.com
• Travelleronline.com
• Tribes travel
• Travellers SOS

This article is part of a series - use these links to view the other eco-tourism articles
• Eco Tourism 2
• Eco Tourism 3
• Eco Tourism 4
• Eco Tourism 5
• Eco Tourism 6