August 22, 2005
COMMENTARY: Land rich | A Bar Harbor executive on why the time is right for Maine to explore ecotourism
By Costas Christ
CEO, Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce
On Sept. 14-16, ecotourism leaders, professionals, government representatives and others from across the United States will gather in Bar Harbor for the first-ever National Conference on Ecotourism. However, while Maine has traditionally promoted itself as a tourism destination based on outdoor recreation, it has lagged behind other states in pursuing the growing ecotourism market.
For example, Hawaii has established the Hawaii Ecotourism Association, West Virginia announced several years ago its goal to become the top ecotourism destination in America, and the prestigious World Legacy Award for successful destination stewardship ˆ a responsible approach to tourism based on the principles of ecotourism ˆ was awarded to the "Mountain Kingdom" of Vermont in 2003. Yet Maine has a rich cultural and natural heritage that stands up to the best travel destinations in America ˆ indeed even surpassing many of them ˆ and is ideally positioned to become an ecotourism leader.
To emerge as a top ecotourism destination and to tap the tremendous economic potential this represents, Maine must seize the opportunity at hand. That opportunity lies in the ability to transform Maine's traditional tourism industry, in the spirit of "vacationland," into a new kind of tourism that is based on responsible travel that protects nature, promotes cultural heritage and sustains the well-being of local communities ˆ the very definition of ecotourism.
Research conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme and Conservation International has indicated that the majority of tourism's expansion is occurring in and around the world's remaining natural areas. This coincides with other studies revealing that nature and adventure travel are the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. In the United States alone, $115 billion is spent annually on adventure travel. In the past year, 55 million Americans took a nature or adventure vacation ˆ and that's up 14% from previous years.
To help illustrate how this expanding market for nature travel affects even traditional tourism sectors, just take a look at the cruise ship industry, which has also been growing rapidly in recent years. In Central America, there has been a 500% growth in cruise ship tourism in the last five years. Maine has also seen rapid increases in cruise ship visitation during that same period ˆ for example, Bar Harbor went from 39 cruise ship visits in 1999 to 87 visits in 2004.
Cruise ships are following the same growth pattern as global tourism, where nature and adventure are the major areas of tourism expansion. This trend also reflects a changing tourism demographic, led by the so-called baby boomers. More people want to connect to the natural environment when they travel. They want to be enriched by cultural experiences. They want authenticity, and they want to enjoy a great tourism product, meaning excellent food, good accommodations and meaningful activities. This is what is driving ecotourism's expansion.
What's more, the principles that were first associated with ecotourism have evolved into what is now being called sustainable tourism. Whereas ecotourism is related more specifically to nature and adventure travel, the idea of sustainable tourism is to take these same principles and practices and bring them into the mainstream tourism industry ˆ from city hotels to country inns, from golf resorts to cruise ships.
In the process, tourism is transformed into a catalyst for protecting natural areas and enhancing cultural heritage which, incidentally, are at the very foundation of the growing tourism industry itself. Consider the following: A 2003 study by the Travel Industry Association of America revealed that 58.5 million U.S. tourists would be willing to pay more to use travel companies that strive to protect the environment. More than a third of U.S. travelers (39%) would choose a travel company that protects the historical and cultural aspect of a destination, even if the cost were higher.
When it comes to the state tourism economy, Maine is at a critical crossroads. The decisions made now will determine Maine's tourism development from here onward in profound ways, including whether Maine's economic future as it relates to tourism will be sustainable. No one has ever said that a tourism destination was spoiled because the environment was still clean, the culture still vibrant, and the scenic towns and communities still free from billboards and sprawl. Maine has all of these. It also has an historic chance to learn from the mistakes of other tourism destinations that have sacrificed their natural environment and cultural heritage for short-term economic gain, and to benefit from destinations that have promoted best practices.
In 1992, the country of Belize ˆ smaller than the state of Maine ˆ was a relatively unknown tourism destination heavily dependent on timber concessions, fishing and agriculture for its rural economy. As the traditional timber industry began to suffer and the loss of agricultural subsidies from Europe and America led to the decline in profitability for cash crops such as citrus and sugar, Belize's leaders quickly refocused their attention on what they had in abundance ˆ wilderness, picturesque villages and a beautiful coast. Just a decade later, Belize had emerged as one of the top 10 ecotourism destinations in the world, where it remains today. It is no exaggeration to say that nature drives its tourism economy ˆ it has become the number one economic income earner. There is a lesson here for Maine.
From the north woods to the western mountains and all across the state to the rocky coast, Maine is sitting on a goldmine of economic prosperity that can be more fully realized with a reenergized and refocused tourism strategy based on a clear care for the land and the local people. If ever there was a moment in time for Maine to identify itself with its natural heritage, this is it.
On Sept. 14-16, ecotourism leaders, professionals, government representatives and others from across the United States will gather in Bar Harbor for the first-ever National Conference on Ecotourism. However, while Maine has traditionally promoted itself as a tourism destination based on outdoor recreation, it has lagged behind other states in pursuing the growing ecotourism market.
For example, Hawaii has established the Hawaii Ecotourism Association, West Virginia announced several years ago its goal to become the top ecotourism destination in America, and the prestigious World Legacy Award for successful destination stewardship ˆ a responsible approach to tourism based on the principles of ecotourism ˆ was awarded to the "Mountain Kingdom" of Vermont in 2003. Yet Maine has a rich cultural and natural heritage that stands up to the best travel destinations in America ˆ indeed even surpassing many of them ˆ and is ideally positioned to become an ecotourism leader.
To emerge as a top ecotourism destination and to tap the tremendous economic potential this represents, Maine must seize the opportunity at hand. That opportunity lies in the ability to transform Maine's traditional tourism industry, in the spirit of "vacationland," into a new kind of tourism that is based on responsible travel that protects nature, promotes cultural heritage and sustains the well-being of local communities ˆ the very definition of ecotourism.
Research conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme and Conservation International has indicated that the majority of tourism's expansion is occurring in and around the world's remaining natural areas. This coincides with other studies revealing that nature and adventure travel are the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. In the United States alone, $115 billion is spent annually on adventure travel. In the past year, 55 million Americans took a nature or adventure vacation ˆ and that's up 14% from previous years.
To help illustrate how this expanding market for nature travel affects even traditional tourism sectors, just take a look at the cruise ship industry, which has also been growing rapidly in recent years. In Central America, there has been a 500% growth in cruise ship tourism in the last five years. Maine has also seen rapid increases in cruise ship visitation during that same period ˆ for example, Bar Harbor went from 39 cruise ship visits in 1999 to 87 visits in 2004.
Cruise ships are following the same growth pattern as global tourism, where nature and adventure are the major areas of tourism expansion. This trend also reflects a changing tourism demographic, led by the so-called baby boomers. More people want to connect to the natural environment when they travel. They want to be enriched by cultural experiences. They want authenticity, and they want to enjoy a great tourism product, meaning excellent food, good accommodations and meaningful activities. This is what is driving ecotourism's expansion.
What's more, the principles that were first associated with ecotourism have evolved into what is now being called sustainable tourism. Whereas ecotourism is related more specifically to nature and adventure travel, the idea of sustainable tourism is to take these same principles and practices and bring them into the mainstream tourism industry ˆ from city hotels to country inns, from golf resorts to cruise ships.
In the process, tourism is transformed into a catalyst for protecting natural areas and enhancing cultural heritage which, incidentally, are at the very foundation of the growing tourism industry itself. Consider the following: A 2003 study by the Travel Industry Association of America revealed that 58.5 million U.S. tourists would be willing to pay more to use travel companies that strive to protect the environment. More than a third of U.S. travelers (39%) would choose a travel company that protects the historical and cultural aspect of a destination, even if the cost were higher.
When it comes to the state tourism economy, Maine is at a critical crossroads. The decisions made now will determine Maine's tourism development from here onward in profound ways, including whether Maine's economic future as it relates to tourism will be sustainable. No one has ever said that a tourism destination was spoiled because the environment was still clean, the culture still vibrant, and the scenic towns and communities still free from billboards and sprawl. Maine has all of these. It also has an historic chance to learn from the mistakes of other tourism destinations that have sacrificed their natural environment and cultural heritage for short-term economic gain, and to benefit from destinations that have promoted best practices.
In 1992, the country of Belize ˆ smaller than the state of Maine ˆ was a relatively unknown tourism destination heavily dependent on timber concessions, fishing and agriculture for its rural economy. As the traditional timber industry began to suffer and the loss of agricultural subsidies from Europe and America led to the decline in profitability for cash crops such as citrus and sugar, Belize's leaders quickly refocused their attention on what they had in abundance ˆ wilderness, picturesque villages and a beautiful coast. Just a decade later, Belize had emerged as one of the top 10 ecotourism destinations in the world, where it remains today. It is no exaggeration to say that nature drives its tourism economy ˆ it has become the number one economic income earner. There is a lesson here for Maine.
From the north woods to the western mountains and all across the state to the rocky coast, Maine is sitting on a goldmine of economic prosperity that can be more fully realized with a reenergized and refocused tourism strategy based on a clear care for the land and the local people. If ever there was a moment in time for Maine to identify itself with its natural heritage, this is it.
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