Understanding green tourism, ecotourism and sustainable tourism Posted on 5 February 2019 With the rise of green, eco and sustainable tourism, being environmentally-conscious has become a practice that you can take with you wherever you go. Countries can be damaged by the impact tourism has on natural environments and ecosystems. Overcrowding, for example, can have a long-lasting negative impact, such as Maya Bay in Thailand, which has had to close indefinitely. Becoming a more informed and responsible tourist by understanding what the terms green, eco and sustainable tourism all mean is of the utmost importance, and can help you when you’re selecting your destinations. Green tourism Hotels that are considered ‘green’ are essentially environmentally friendly and practice sustainable operation methods. Using recycled water for toilets and encouraging guests to take showers instead of baths and re-use their towels are some of the practices that will lead to a hotel being categorised as green. Green hotels are extremely appealing to travellers, who feel a sense of virtue when booking a stay and supporting these establishments. However, it is for this very same reason that many hotels may deploy this as a marketing scheme and brand themselves as green hotels when they technically don’t qualify as such. It’s important to do a little further research into such declarations, although luckily most environmentally-friendly hotel will disclose information on their websites about their sustainability practices. Some South African green hotels include: The Oyster Box Hotel, Unhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal View this post on Instagram The perfect cup of coffee to kick start your week. 📷: @ruthlessrootman . . . . #TheOysterBox #Coffee #views #RedCarnationHotels #LHWTraveler #Umhlanga #Mondaymotivation A post shared by The Oyster Box Hotel (@theoysterbox) on Sep 17, 2018 at 12:00am PDT Verde Hotel, Cape Town, Western Cape View this post on Instagram It’s not often that you see this kind of ‘green’ beauty just 400 meters away from an airport! . @hotel_verde, offering 4star accommodation and conferencing that ensures you the best carbon-neutral hotel stay yet! #hotelverde #africasgreenesthotel #airport A post shared by Hotel Verde ♻️ (@hotel_verde) on Dec 8, 2017 at 2:03am PST iKhayalamafu Eco Estate, Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal View this post on Instagram Last stop! #viewfromthebalcony #drakensberg #seriously #timefliessofast A post shared by Eefje (@eefje.88) on Jul 23, 2017 at 6:20am PDT Thaba Eco Hotel, Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, Gauteng View this post on Instagram View from the top…#celebratinglife #thabaecohotel #tranquillity #getaway #kraal #restaurant #joburgsgreenheart #johannesburg #weddingvenue #spa #hotel #bestfourstar #food #accommodation #amazingviews #conferencevenue #thaba A post shared by Thaba Eco Hotel (@thabahotel) on Oct 16, 2018 at 10:41am PDT Ecotourism Ecotourism has been defined by the International Ecotourism Society as ‘responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education’. Ecotourism is essentially about respecting and supporting the natural and social environment of the area you are travelling to. Making use of local guides and supporting conservation-based initiatives and local trade is part of this. The concept of ecotourism is about the activities that you partake in rather than whether you are staying in sustainable accommodation. Some South African ecotourism destinations include: iSimangaliso Wetland Park, St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal View this post on Instagram Welcome to our #worldheritagesite, young ones! This proud mama #lioness at #uMkhuze in the #iSimangaliso #Wetland #Park introduces the newest residents to photographer Teegan Parker-Dennison of @wildlife_act, who do monitoring of priority species in the Park. #lions #wild #wildeyesa #wildlife #bigcats #predators #felines #safari #southafrica #africa #africatravel #Zululand #explore #travel #ecotourism #conservation #gameviewing #nature #ig_nature #ig #instagram A post shared by Isimangaliso Wetland Park (@isimangaliso) on Oct 22, 2018 at 7:26am PDT Agulhas National Park, Bredasdorp, Western Cape View this post on Instagram Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa (…where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet….and not cape point…what most of the Capetonians believe! 🤣) Never been disappointed with @sanparks accommodation ❤️…it is always an amazing experience! A post shared by Henning Gawrisch (@collateral_me) on Jan 21, 2019 at 5:08am PST Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal View this post on Instagram I barely managed to gulp down my hot coffee before we headed out with @fi.evans7 at 4am in search of a pack of wild dogs. Our efforts were rewarded with the most incredible interaction with the Bhejie pack, who we followed for a few kilometers as they started their morning hunt. One of the most powerful moments I managed to capture on camera was this, a small herd of zebra watching as the pack moved past them, obviously searching for a smaller more vulnerable quarry… Being a part of the conservation efforts of @wildlife_act has to be one of the most profound experiences anyone who loves African wildlife could wish for… #AfricanWildDog #PaintedWolf #PaintedDog #AfricanWildlife #WildlifePhotography #NatGeoAfrica #NatGeo #BBCEarth #RedList #EndangeredSpecies #Conservation #Imfolozi #Canonrsa #Canon7d #canonwildlife #canonwildlifephotography #VSCO #VSCOx #WildlifeACT A post shared by @ _bushbuck on Jan 25, 2019 at 10:35am PST Garden Route National Park View this post on Instagram Nature flex💪🏼also still from our roadtrip over the holiday season • • • • • • • #nature #explore #adventure #journey #sonya7sii #carlzeisslenses #waterfall #chasingwaterfalls #naturephotography #naturelovers #flowers #forest #adventuretime A post shared by Schalk Hanekom (@journey.with.schalk) on Jan 31, 2019 at 11:35pm PST Sustainable tourism This term shares almost the same definition as ecotourism, but sustainable tourism also entails the caring for, and fair paying of, communities, along with the practices of ecotourism. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines sustainable tourism as ‘referring to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development.’ As consumer’s demands begin to shift toward engaging in sustainable efforts, there are ample opportunities for tourists to explore South Africa in a sustainable way. Sustainable tourism companies in South Africa include: Local Knowledge Tours based in Cape Town View this post on Instagram The Local team spent their Saturday with the @sentinelocean @wavesforchange program in Hout Bay. @wavesforchange is an incredible initiative that aims to help children from high-risk communities. The aim of this program is to use surfing and surf therapy to teach these kids important life lessons. With inspiring mentors such as big wave surfer @franksolomon leading the way, this initiative has experienced incredible results since its recent inception. @localknowledgetours is a proud supporter of local initiatives that have a positive impact on our country! DM us if you would like to get involved with this incredible program. A post shared by Local Knowledge (@localknowledgetours) on Aug 16, 2018 at 3:06am PDT Zimele Community, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa View this post on Instagram Enjoying a meal prepared by Zimele women who have started a catering/restaurant business in their community. 📷: Xolani Zondi #zimeleusa #zimelewethu #southafrica #communitydevelopment #empoweringwomen #womenownedbusiness A post shared by Zimele USA (@zimeleusa) on Jan 16, 2019 at 5:50am PST WESSA, based across South Africa View this post on Instagram Thank you to everyone who came through to Sunrise beach for #internationalcoastalcleanup day. We are #peoplecaringfortheearth A post shared by WESSA (@wessa_sa) on Sep 15, 2018 at 3:36am PDT Image source: Pixabay Related Posts Buildings, roads and homes flood as severe weather hits KZN 18 May 2023 Good news from the brink of extinction in Volcanoes National Park 11 May 2023 Photojournalist Graeme Green went to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park to document the recently opened campus... read more Curiosity skilled the cat 5 May 2023 A member of The Explorer’s Club and founder of Curiosity Company, Francois Malherbe uses tracking... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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