Socially-Responsible Caribbean Tourism
Your vacation can do a world of good
The day of the ‘Ugly American’ tourist is fading fast. Statistics show those venturing to foreign lands increasingly want to leave as light an environmental footprint as feasible. If there is an impression to be made, they want it to be a good one.
The socially-responsible groundswell is unmistakable. According to SustainableTourism.net:
- A 2010 study by a mass tour operator found 44 percent of US and European customers said if a company offered a sustainable holiday option that they’d take it.
- A 2009 study of Toronto visitors found 15 percent always considered the impact on a host community when they travel, and 48 percent bought local souvenirs. Thirty-four percent of US residents would visit an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort.
The market is responding, especially in the Caribbean.
Who’s doing what, and where:
The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association says many of its members are starting to use solar energy to power rooms, laundries and restaurants. They’ve begun installing low-flow showers, sinks, and toilets – and are using organic cleaners and non-toxic chemicals. “Grey water’ doesn’t go to waste. Instead it’s put through drip systems to water gardens. Chlorine is being eliminated from swimming pools. Plastic is kaput as shops, restaurants and hotels adopt a policy of ditching plastic bags. The latter helps Arubians protect some of their most precious critters: turtles.
Ecotourism is taking off in Panama, allowing the people who live in an environmentally-sensitive area such as the rainforest, to benefit lastingly from the travelers who come there to experience it. Researcher Irina Klytchnakova says Panamanian tourism exerts a multiplier effect on the economy of the Central American nation, and promises real benefits to that country’s poor.
The World Bank reports that, in Mexico, indigenous communities are guiding visitors through delicate rainforest areas, and protecting their own extraordinary habitat at the same time.
Jamaica isn’t taking a backseat to any island when it comes to sustainability. Half Moon resort now has Green Globe Benchmark certification. Some 90 percent of its food is purchased from local providers. Hotel Mockingbird Hill is working to switch its main source of power from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The property also aims to compensate for every drop of water used through conservation and recycling. Reliable Adventures Jamaica wants to show visitors that there’s more to a Caribbean vacation than good rum and a cool beach. Tours take customers to the Bluefields area to drink in the islands culture up close. Travelers also visit a local community to meet the people who work, love, and live in this land.
More community-based tourism
In the Dominican Republic, community-based tourism is beginning to catch on. Visitors are increasingly immersing themselves in the day-to-day lives of indigenous people, while helping them preserve their environmental and cultural heritage in the same instant.
Leading the way at lending a hand are students. A recent team of tourism management students form Toronto’s Humber College went to Grenada to learn, leave something of themselves behind and make a difference. They volunteered at the Queen Elizabeth Home for Children, helping to renovate the place.
Before you book that next Caribbean vacation, check with your tour operator or hotelier and find out what sort of specific, concrete action they’re taking to spur sustainable, socially-responsible travel. Tell them it matters.
“The business case for engaging in ‘green’ business is stronger than ever,” says Brian Mullis founder and CEO of Sustainable Travel International. He contends “customer loyalty” is linked to precisely the kind of responsible, sustainable practices more companies are adopting.
The numbers prove him right.
(Featured image: Márcio Cabral de Moura)
