New trends in tourism: eco-lodging

Eco-lodging is the first step toward ecotourism. After all, even the most environmentally friendly ecotourist isn't going to sleep in a tent.

The most common trait of eco-lodging is that the hotel is an energy-saving facility that offers green products, located in a setting in which vacationers may experience the natural environment (and foods) of the homeland. This concept started during the late 1980s, when global warming gradually became a concern.

Latin America is a hotbed for eco-lodging and ecotourism, as nations support entrepreneurs who strive to attract upscale visitors from the United States, Canada and Europe who at least perceive themselves as environmentally friendly and as green advocates.

Costa Rica Is An Eco-lodging Pioneer

Costa Rica is at the forefront of eco-lodging in Latin America. One example is the efforts of E4 Initiatives, which describes its mission as providing "the best services for our guests in Costa Rica, while finding ways to minimize travel impact on our environment."

Some of the most devoted activists in the environmental, anti-global warming movement are critics of eco-lodging and ecotourism in places such as Costa Rica, or in Latin America or Africa as a whole. They assert that a typical vacationer who heads for an eco-lodging experience starts with jet travel that consumes huge quantities of fuel. Furthermore, they say that some eco-lodging facilities are built in the middle of natural areas, actually causing ecosystem damage rather than representing progress.

This does not deter Costa Rica's E4 Initiatives, which tells vacationers seeking eco-lodging: "Let E4 be your guide to one of the most biologically intense places on the planet. We invite you to explore our site and discover our commitment to unique, responsible and unforgettable travel experiences in Costa Rica."

Eco-lodging Provides 'Conservation' With 'Comfort'

E4 Initiatives has rated Costa Rica's top five eco-lodges based on "conservation, education, comfort, and hospitality, with a strong emphasis on (eco-friendly) sustainability and interaction with nature. ... We love remote locations with minimum tourism traffic, opportunities to be alone with nature, and unique encounters with wildlife."

Again, the eco-lodging cynics enter the picture. They wonder whether "comfort" involves rooms with air conditioners that send carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which today is considered an environmentally friendly no-no.

You will notice a common thread in the names of the E4 Initiatives' top five eco-lodging picks. They are La Cusinga Rainforest Lodge, Esqunas Rainforest Lodge, Laguna del Legarto Rainforest Lodge, La Amisad Ecolodge and Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Lodge.

Howler Monkeys and Humpback Whales

Here's part of the E4 Initiatives' pitch for La Cusinga: "For visitors who want to wake up to howler monkeys just a few feet from their bedroom window, see humpback whales passing through Ballena Bay, or explore the numerous trails on La Cusinga's 250 hectares of virgin rain forest by day and night, this is the place to be."

An eco-lodger at La Cusinga is assured that the lodge and its furnishings were built from trees on site, and that total reforestation took place. Solar power is used. Soaps and shampoos are biodegradable. Menu dishes are "97 percent organic." Waste food is composted. Most employees, including tour guides, come from the home community of Uvita.

Costa Rica is just one example of nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa that are promoting eco-lodging. The United Nations in 2002 celebrated the "International Year of Ecotourism."

Sources:

E4 Initiatives, Costa Rica

Ecotourism Activity Guide

Center for Biodiversity and Conservation

Sustainable Ecotourism Info Sheet

What is Ecotourism?

Content by Michael Thompson, Associated Content for MercaTrade.com

Back to Resources