Growing Eco-tourism in Costa Rica and Belize
Are you young and adventurous but also old enough to be a member of AARP? You are excited by travel, but you don’t want a bus tour with a bunch of other seniors.
Fortunately, plenty of people are like you, passionate enough to experience up-close the miracle of rainforests, wildlife refuges, marine reserves and other places famous for their beauty and biodiversity.
Eco-tourism, as it is called, it’s the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry.
Director of the international travel program of the Massachusetts Audubon Society said, “People want a richer experience than they can get on a 30-person bus tour. They want to walk the trails and meet local people, and travel in a way that is responsible to the environment.”
Even people older than 50 can now choose trips designed specifically for them, now that eco-tourism has become so popular.
“I’ve found that people over age 50 don’t feel the competition to get from Point A to Point B, like some younger people,” said the person running Walking the World, Ward Luthi. Walking the World is a Colorado company that runs walking tours throughout the world for people older than 50. “They like to savor wherever they are, and they tend to have more tolerance for different physical abilities.”
Even Elder Hostel and Saga Cruises organize trips, bringing people over 50 up-close to natural environments. Although the Massachusetts Audubon and the National Audubon Society trips are not specifically for this age group, the vast majority of tourists they are handling are in their 60s and 70s, O’Neil said.
Kathleen Anderson, 85, founding director of the Manomet Bird Observatory in Plymouth, has been on safari and in the rainforest, but her favorite trip was to the fjords in Greenland.
“It was this remarkably beautiful and austere landscape,” said Anderson. “I saw glaciers calving into the water, my first polar bear, birds, seals and whales, and an Inuit hunter going out to hunt whales. These trips keep you learning and alert.”
However, travelers are recommended they choose Eco-trips carefully, because some may claim the mantle without justification. According to the International Eco-tourism Society, the way people travel should be considered as it plays an important role in a true Eco-tour, besides its destination.
Organizing about 25 trips a year, O’Neil said, “One of the elements is that it can’t damage the natural area and it has to provide benefits to local people.” Groups of travelers should have not more than 20 people, understand and use the knowledge and skills of local guides, and stay and eat at local lodgings and restaurants.
First time Eco-traveler usually have these countries on mind eco-traveler, Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Ecuador and Kenya, because of the large protected natural area and many years of promoted tourism. But many other countries also have eco-tourist opportunities.
Although the air fare is costly, these destinations can be good value for your dollar.
“As prices have gotten more expensive in Europe, people are more inclined to go to places like the Galapagos Islands or on a safari,” said Marilyn Wexler, a travel consultant with Tzell Travel Group in Boston.
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