ECO RESORTS, SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AND GREEN HOTELS

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as 'responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people'.

In October, 2008, twenty groups including TIES, the UN Foundation and the Rainforest Alliance released a new standard for the term, 'sustainable tourism'.  The criteria posted at sustainabletourismcriteria.org, mandates that sustainable travel companies maximize benefits to the local population and culture through their businesses and take steps to remain carbon- neutral.

This widens the definition so that an energy efficient hotel in the heart of Kuala Lumpur which is also of benefit to the local community could be considered sustainable.

A problem arises because of the over-use of the terms 'ecotourism', 'green', 'environmentally friendly' and the rest!  They are used to denote an idea of being 'hip' and 'cool'.  This can lead some businesses to use this label as a marketing tool, merely paying lip service to environmentalism by declaring they are green with no action taken to ensure they are.

It is undeniable that green travel has gone from being a trend for the more well-informed traveler to being part of mainstream consumer and corporate culture.  As eco friendly travel has gained popularity (78% of Americans consider themselves environmentally conscious, according to a 2007 survey by the Travel Industry Association), some people worry that its meaning has been watered down.

Is this the case in Malaysia?  Eco Malaysia will be reviewing resorts, hotels, tourism and travel organizations throughout the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak, to discover the truly green and the not so green contenders.  Small steps taken along the way to being totally environmental will be applauded too, as the first moves are always the most difficult. We hope to provide a source of ideas and support, and promotion for those in the travel industry who have the heart to tread the environmentally healthy path.