Interesting Green: Green’s the buzzword for holidays

MY PAPER, MONDAY MARCH 15, 2010, TRAVEL, PAGE A13
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By AGENCIES

PHOTO: DITCH THE CAR: Cycling tours, such as the one pictured above in Florida, are one way to see a country and help cut down on one’s carbon footprint when travelling. (PHOTO: INTERNET)

Berlin

CRUISE packages, overseas getaways, trekking tours of the Himalayas – there was no shortage of exotic destinations on offer at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair that ran from last Wednesday till yesterday.

PHOTO: http://www.crownspahotel.com/images/green-tourism-business-award/gtb_tourism_logo.jpg

But if there was one big buzzword for the industry, it was “sustainable travel”, noted German TV and radio broadcasting station Deutsche Welle.

PHOTO: http://rcd.typepad.com/personal/1wnz_westcora3.jpg

At the fair, travel providers responded to a rising demand for eco-tourism by marketing adventure packages with a “green spirit”, said the broadcaster.

Exhibitors from more than 30 countries featured holiday tours ranging from environmentally friendly trips at eco-resorts to carbon dioxide-emission-free walking, cycling or sailing vacations.

PHOTO: http://upickgrapes.farmvisit.com/images/farms/1073_farm.jpg

ITB Berlin spokesman Astrid Ehring told Deutsche Welle that, as green travel grows more popular, some tourists are expressing interest in trips that incorporate volunteer programmes. “People are looking more and more for specific products and authentic experiences, and green tourism is a way of getting these kinds of experiences,” Ms Ehring said.

She added: “We think that (green tourism) is not only a trendy topic, but it’s a social necessity – and it’s a pre-condition for long-term economic success.”

PHOTO: http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/9/7/0/9/ar121897975390798.png

Some projects, such as the European Destinations of Excellence, launched in 2006, encourages countries to adopt healthy and sustainable tourism policies, noted Deutsche Welle.

The initiative selects locations each year that exemplify sustainable practices. But, in recent years, the fight is to reconcile tourism in such locations with local conservation concerns. One example would be in Germany’s “Green Belt”, the old border between the former East and West Germany, an area that features miles of pristine natural landscape, and which is now a tourist destination.

PHOTO: http://www.greenbuildinglawupdate.com/uploads/image/2010%20green.jpg

“Tourism is an important source of revenue and jobs in these areas,” Ms Barbara Engels, a spokesman for the Bonn-based Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, told Deutsche Welle. She added: “But as it grows, so do the demands it makes on the area and the influence on nature.”

PHOTO: http://www.tynybrynfarms.com/Tynybryn_Farm.JPG

Germany’s Green Belt, for example, is a success story. Since it was turned into a tourist destination, wildlife such as foxes and rabbits have all but taken over the once-heavily-fortified watchtowers in the area.

PHOTO: http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs47/f/2009/166/a/1/Green_Earth_by_Neijman.jpg

And at Harz National Park, lynxes, unseen for decades, have been successfully re-introduced since the border came down in 1989, said British newspaper The Guardian in a story on the area last year.

Developing economies have a lot to gain in the sustainable tourism market, noted Deutsche Welle.

PHOTO: http://www.neilmeyerhoff.com/files/images/Switzerland%200004rs.thumbnail.jpg

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (WTO), developing nations took in one third of the US$735 billion global tourism industry in 2006. Such countries are particularly well-suited for green-tourism opportunities because of their untouched natural preserves, said Deutsche Welle.

PHOTO: http://www.itritek.com/i//green_earth.jpg

As green tourism grows, tourists and travellers are encouraged to note that, ultimately, a holidaygoer’s choice of destination and means of transport can have a significant impact on the environment.

The WTO estimated that the tourism industry accounts for 5 per cent of the world’s total greenhouse-gas emissions annually, said Deutsche Welle.

AGENCIES

PHOTO: http://images.clipartof.com/small/21612-Clipart-Illustration-Graphic-Of-A-Green-Earth-Circled-By-Recycling-Arrows-Over-A-White-Background.jpg

HELPDESK 我的字典
Wǒ de zì diǎn

Sustainable travel (Green Tour): 绿色旅游
lǜ sè lǚ yóu

Eco-resorts: 生态度假胜地
shéng tài dù jià shèng dì

Wildlife: 野生动物
yě shēng dòng wù

Greenhouse: 绿屋
lǜ wū

PHOTO: http://www.visitcumbria.com/simon/whinash-3738b.jpg

CYCLE, TREK OR TAKE A TRAIN
Want to have a “green” holiday? Here are some tips:

PHOTO: TREK ATTACK: Trek through Harz National Park in Germany, which has gorgeous features, like this waterfall. (PHOTO: INTERNET)

PHOTO: DITCH THE CAR: Cycling tours, such as the one pictured above in Florida, are one way to see a country and help cut down on one’s carbon footprint when travelling. (PHOTO: INTERNET)

Cycling instead of taking a tour bus can not only help save the planet, but you’ll get to see an aspect of a country you’d never see if you were travelling by car, bus or train.

Check out Toronto-based Tour d’Afrique, which specialises in trans-continental bicycle trips that let you transverse Africa, slice through Europe, follow the Silk Road, and ride around South America.

On its website, you can plan your own cycling “dream tour”. Check out http://www.tourdafrique.com/, where you can log on to the site and design and name your trip. Plot your route there, and get costs for the number of riders and hotels.

PHOTO: http://www.adbio.com/images/other/green-earth-150a.jpg

A trekking tour, like one that involves cycling, is a physical way to see a country. For tours in Thailand, check out Bangkoktour.se (www.bangkoktour.se).

The website and tour agency not only give ideas on trekking tours, but they also feature ecolabelled hotels.

They cooperate with Green Leaf, an organisation that works against pollution within the tourist industry in Thailand.

The agency is working on expanding its tours to the rest of South-east Asia.

PHOTO: http://www.aidswalklb.org/GreenEarth_000004125905Medium.jpg

As a traveller, be responsible. You’ve probably come across linen reuse programmes, in which hotels give guests the option of using the same towels and sheets for days at a time, notes Forbes.com. Take this to heart, especially if you’re in a country where water is an important resource.

Hotels like the Marriott plan to offer recycling bins for newspapers in guest rooms and lobbies. Watch out for those, be aware of what is available in any place you stay, and make sure you use the facilities provided.

PHOTO: http://www.peacecoffee.com/blog/uploads/peacecoffee/Biodiversity.JPG

Ditch the plane for a train. Train journeys, such as in places like Australia, have a lot over air travel: No security lines, better scenery and departures from city centres. Check out your options in each country before you go. Indonesia, for example, features trips via its only steam passenger train.

Search for Indonesia’s Train Company online, or book through your local travel agent. The company lets you travel down rails built more than a century ago, from Ambarawa to Bedono in central Java.