Greening Tourism? Is this Another Act of Green-Washing?: Dr. Vikneswaran Nair

The tourism industry’s interest in appearing to be “green” or “sustainable” has increased in exponential proportions over the past year. Although tourism is a profitable business (if managed well), yet the industry is taking its toll on the environment (not to mention the social impact on the local communities). For many people today, going on a ‘green-holiday’ is an increasingly central feature of the travel patterns that has spread across the globe. Has the tourism industry's growth through-out the years created an increasing amount of stress on the environment? Is “eco-tourism” and “green-tourism” considered as sustainable or being responsible?

As argued by Pleumarom in 1995, in the classic article, “Eco-tourism or Eco-terrorism?”, eco-tourism or green-tourism can be just as damaging as honest hedonistic holiday-making. Critics of the green tourism idea regards it as ‘eco-facade’ – a tactic concealing the mainstream tourism industry’s consumptive and exploitative practices by ‘greening’ it.

Green tourism is indeed the fastest growing sub-sector of the tourism industry. Similarly, eco-tourism is becoming the fastest growing form of tourism in Malaysia, currently making up about 10% of the country's tourism revenue (EcoMalaysia, 2010). But there are well-founded concerns that green-washing is instead slowly shadowing the eco-tourism industry whereby this concept of responsible tourism is seem lacking in adequate scientific foundations, and is not viable as a solution to the global environmental problem.

In Malaysia, the prefix, “eco” which represent “being green” or “environmental friendly” may sound benign but there seem to be an over-use of this terms to denote an idea of being ‘hip’, ‘cool’ and ‘friendly’ to the environment. This can lead some tourism 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.

Consequently, there are serious impacts to the expropriation of virgin territories which include wildlife parks, national parks or other wilderness areas. Development of mega-resorts, hotels, condominiums, shopping malls and golf courses in natural areas in the name of green tourism or eco-tourism to attract mass tourist is indeed green-washing! Such mammoth artificially landscaped projects tend to irretrievably wipe out the flora and fauna and sometimes even totally vanishing the entire eco-system.

Malaysia is blessed with breathtaking islands along with white sandy beaches and clear waters, which generates significant tourism receipt for the nation. Tourism growth in Malaysia has been assisted, to an extent, by the abundant and rich coral reefs and shallow tropical marine resources in this region. Recently, the impact of exceeding carrying capacity was seen in some of the major dive sites in the country. The closure of nine dive sites on the tropical islands of Tioman and Redang until the end of October (The Star, 2010) was indeed a wake-up call for all stakeholders to play their part in an attempt to relieve stress on the fragile marine ecosystems. These popular dive sites in the South China Sea was hit by coral bleaching blamed on global warming. The closure would give the coral a chance to regenerate and remove stress caused by tourism-related activities such as scuba diving and snorkeling. Hence, if these dive sites are not serious in enforcing carrying capacity, Malaysia may lose their Mother Nature that has attracted many eco-tourist to our top diving sites of the world.

Reports from EcoMalaysia (2010) further highlights that although Malaysia has a wide range of natural assets that makes eco-tourism a highly beneficial, sustainable and long-term form of tourism, there are enormous concerns for the future of eco-tourism, as many of the well known eco-tourism sites in Malaysia are now so over-used. Some of the examples are Wang Kelian in Perlis (limestone, caves and forests), Kenyir Catchments in Trengganu (lake, boating, trekking and fishing), Pulau Kukup in Johor (mangroves, wildlife, and seafood), Lower Kinabatangan River in Sabah (proboscis monkeys and wildlife), Pulau Redang in Trengganu (fish, coral reefs and an attractive marine environment), Pulau Sipadan in Sabah (fish, coral reefs and an attractive marine environment), and many others. One of the best eco-tourism practices have been displayed in the Matang Mangroves Forest in Perak, the Frangipani Resort & Spa, Langkawi and the Golden Palm Tree Resort & Spa, Sepang Goldcoast (see Box 1). However, there is still lack of best eco-tourism practices displayed in many of the marine parks in Malaysia.

Box 1: Golden Palm Tree Resort & Spa, Sepang Goldcoast, Selangor D.E.

Golden Palm Tree Resort and Spa stretches out from the Sepang coastline, almost a kilometer into the sheltered waters of the Straits of Malacca with 392 luxuriously appointed sea villas that shape a palm tree. With minimum impact to the environment and touted to be the first eco-friendly sea-hotel in the world, the resort has adopted a balanced management of the environment and development. Golden Palm Tree is a 5-star haven of peace, perfect for eco adventure, non-motorized water sports, family-friendly fun or to just relax and unwind. The resort has taken serious consideration of the fragility of the environment in the resort development and the day-to-day operations to avoid any green-washing. Maintaining the environment is critical for the success of the resort. Some of the green-initiatives adopted at Golden Palm Tree include:

· The use of the “alang-alang” thatching in the design of the roof of the sea villas and the resort in general to keep the resort naturally cooling with insulation against heat.

· Every villa comes with a ceiling fan and an air-conditioner, so you can opt to use either one. The full-length windows also allow for natural light and ensure one enjoys the different elements of nature like fresh morning sea breeze or the gushing cold wind at night.

· Besides periodic third-party water analysis and immaculate care for waste management with German technology, the developer has taken themselves to task for the maintenance of the public beach near the resort.

· Herbal or eco-friendly toiletries are used in the sea villas for all guests to avoid any form of chemical pollution.

· Only non-motorized sports are available for all guests at the resort, namely kayaking, wind-surfacing and sailing.

· Bicycles and battery operated buggy is used for all movements within the resort.

· The villas are all erected on concrete stilts without using concrete at the base. By doing so, the seabed is not harmed and will attract more sea habitat and marine life.

· The resort is surrounded by large stretches of mangrove forest formed over time and untouched by man. Guests get to go on eco-tours of these mangroves, fishing trips as well as agro-tours to the nearby plantation.

· The management tries to eliminate excessive washing of towels and linen by leaving notes made from recycled paper encouraging the guest to reuse. All staff name cards are also made with recyclable paper.

· To get the local community involved, surrounding villages around the resort are employed to work at the resort´s food and beverage outlets, at the spa and in the housekeeping department. To also assist economically, dragon-fruit grown in Sungai Pelek and its surrounding areas is used abundantly in the buffet spreads and restaurants here.

So, how do we make amends to ensure this biggest industry of the world (tourism) do not destroy the eco-system? One such approach is by understanding the concept of “Responsible Tourism” whereby travel aims to reduce the disastrous trail by promoting sustainable management practices at the operational level.

As propagated by Wild Asia (2007), a social-enterprise group based in Kuala Lumpur:

“…Today's tourists are people with a genuine interest about their holiday destination and are aware that their presence can have adverse affects on both the lifestyle of the locals and the environment. Responsible tourism provides this guarantee and assures the holidaymaker a guilt free trip”.

The environment is the resource base for tourism; without protection, the natural attraction that brought the tourist in the first place will be lost. As national knowledge assets and organisational innovation become the key factor in determining economic strength, tourism must learn, adapt and adopt.

Similarly, across the globe and now in Malaysia the term “green-hotels” is also mushrooming. It describes hotels that strive to be more ‘environmentally friendly’ through the efficient use of energy, water, and materials while providing quality services (Alexander, 2002). Green-hotels conserve and preserve by saving water, reducing energy use, and reducing solid waste. They have seen benefits such as reduced costs and liabilities, high return and low-risk investments, increased profits, and positive cash flows. Identifying these benefits and incentives has allowed the popularity of green-hotels to grow. Thus, green-hotels should not just appear as a green-washing exercise or a corporate social responsibility but an incentive for cost saving in the long term while doing good for the future generations to enjoy the environment as we do today.

In 2008, ASEAN showed its care and concern about the environment by uplifting its hotel industry standard in the form of the ASEAN Green-Hotel Recognition Awards (ASEAN, 2009) (see Box 1) presented to ASEAN properties with outstanding efforts in environmental conservation. In January 2010, Ten Malaysian hotels received the ASEAN Green-Hotel Award at a ceremony during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2010, out of the total 155 hotel recipients for the year (The Malay Mail, 2010). The Malaysian hotels that excelled in the award include The Andaman Langkawi (Kedah), Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah), Mines Wellness Hotel (Selangor), Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort (Tuaran, Sabah), Renaissance Kuala Lumpur, Hotel Melia Kuala Lumpur, Nexus Resort Karambunai (Sabah), Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Penang, Shangri-La's Hotel Kuala Lumpur and The Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa.

Box 2: ASEAN Green-Hotel Standard – Major Evaluation Criteria

1. Environmental policy and actions for hotel operation.

2. Use of Green products.

3. Collaboration with the community and local organizations.

4. Human resources development.

5. Solid waste management.

6. Energy efficiency.

7. Water efficiency.

8. Air quality management (indoor and outdoor).

9. Noise pollution control.

10. Waste water treatment and management.

11. Toxic and chemical substances disposal management.

In conclusion, greening tourism under the name of eco-tourism or any other synonym can have the same harmful effects as that of mass tourism if all the stakeholders in the tourism industry do not strictly adhere to the precepts of eco-tourism or responsible tourism. As highlighted by EcoMalaysia (2010), there are increased numbers' of visitors (eco-tourist) to almost all the marine park islands in Malaysia, as a result of increased promotion and green-washing done by various parties in the pretext of generating economic revenue. When demand rises, further development implemented in the areas that were previously untouched could cause extensive damage. Once destinations become popular, there is often no way to control development activities.

Thus, environmental destruction becomes irreversible and gradually destroys the natural resources on which the tourism industry actually depends. Hence, all stakeholders must play their role and act now. A Chinese proverb says that the longest journey begins with a single step. Let this be the first step on our journey to a bright, green future.

References

Alexander, S. (2002). Green Hotels: Opportunities and Resources for Success. Retrieved on 5 September 2009 from http://www.zerowaste.org/

ASEAN (2009). ASEAN Green Hotel Standard: ASEAN Tourism Standards. ASEAN publications, Bangkok.

Pleumarom, A. (1995). Eco-tourism or eco-terrorism? Proceeding of the presentation of the German Association for Political Economy, April 1995.

The Malay Mail (2010). 10 Malaysian Hotels Recognised as ASEAN ‘Green Hotels’. Published on 26 January 2010.

The Star (2010). Top dive spots closed due to coral bleaching. Published on 22 July 2010.

Wild Asia (2007). Responsible Tourism [Online]. Retrieved 6 August 2009 from

http://www.wildasia.net/

EcoMalaysia (2010). Marine Park Eco-tourism in Malaysia. Retrieved on 9 September 2010 from http://ecomalaysia.org/node/13

Finding the Equilibrium between Development and Sustainability: By Dr. Vikneswaran Nair

In the wake of globalization and economic restructuring, many nations and communities are struggling to redefine and rebuild their economies without impacting the equilibrium of sustainability. The topic of environmental sustainability has well and truly hit the headlines following the fraught Copenhagen Summit late last year.

The theme of World Environment Day (WED) 2010 certainly echoes the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet. Indeed humans are among only a handful of species whose populations are growing, while most animals and plants are becoming rarer and fewer. As outlined by UNEP [1], our present approach to development have caused the clearing of much of the original forest, drained half of the world’s wetlands, depleted three quarters of all fish stocks, and emitted enough heat trapping gases to keep our planet warm for centuries to come.

Asia and the Pacific encompass some of the world’s greatest biological, cultural and economic diversity. It covers 8.6 per cent of the Earth’s total surface area and nearly 30 per cent of its land area [6]. The region’s wealth in biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge is evidenced by the fact that 5 of the 17 members of the group known as the Like‑minded Megadiverse Countries are from this region: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

As we celebrate WED 2010, it is interesting to see how a small indigenous community in the interiors of Sarawak, bordering Kalimantan in Bario, have balanced the task of preserving all life on earth and at the same time controlled development. Bario is located in the centre of the Kelabit Highlands in the north east of Sarawak Malaysia, adjacent to the international borders of Kalimantan, Indonesian. The highland stands at 3,280 feet above sea level. Bario is the main settlement in the Kelabit Highlands.

There are regular flights between Bario Airport and Ba'kelalan, Marudi and Miri. There are two flights a day from Miri to Bario that flies via the 15-seater MAS-Wing twin-otter one hour flight. Bario is also reachable via river (2-days), logging road (15 hours) and trekking (a few weeks).

The Kelabits, at approximately 5,000 people, is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Sarawak. Like many other indigenous communities in Sarawak, the Kelabit live in longhouses in the highlands. However, due to economic and social factors, many have migrated to live in urban areas over the last 20 years. It is estimated that roughly only 1,200 Kelabits are still living in the highlands. The Kelabit language is widely spoken, and many have also learned to speak English and Malay. Currently, there are 12 villages (long houses) housing the predominantly religious Christians community and 13 homestays in Bario.

Bario lack constant supply of basic utilities. Besides the limited network coverage, water supply is through gravity-fed system and thus they rely on rainwater and river water for their constant supply. Limited electricity supply is provided through diesel generators and solar-panels.

Bario has potential to become a truly responsible ecotourism destination that emphasizes community based tourism. Nonetheless, the community in Bario is contended with their lifestyle. There is a lack of interest by the locals in developing this destination for tourist as money is not as important as knowing how to survive in this remote location. Although, majority of the Kelabits and the Penans in Bario can be classified as “hardcore poor” in the Malaysian definition, money is relative to them. What is more important is to improve on the basic necessities and infrastructure, i.e. proper roads, constant electricity supply, clean water supply, proper sewage and waste management and telecommunication connection.

In the past Bario has attracted many researchers from University Malaysia Sarawak with the e-Bario project [2] [3] [4]. The idea of bringing the Internet to Bario was conceived as a research project to determine opportunities for social development through the deployment of information and communication technologies within remote communities in Sarawak. The project was funded by the International Development Research Council (IDRC) of the Canadian government and MIMOS Berhad under the Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme (DAGS) [4].

The e-Bario project was designed to bridge the gap between the shy and unexposed community in the village of Bario and their aggressive, well-informed counterparts in Malaysia’s larger cities [3]. The project was to serve as the benchmark for future rural development initiatives in Malaysia and elsewhere in the developing world.

On a similar approach, Taylor’s University College, a leading private institution of higher learning in Subang Jaya, Selangor, is currently undertaking a megaproject of building a hostel for the primary school at Bario and at the same time adopting the school and the community for continuous engagement of their students and staff with the local community. Various community based development is outlined to further alleviate poverty among the indigenous community without upsetting the current socio-cultural equilibrium.

Community based development strengthens the ability of rural communities to manage their resources while ensuring the local community’s participation. Community based development can help the local community in generating income, diversifying the local economy, preserving culture, conserving the environment and providing educational opportunities.

Three main areas to look into for the community based development that is sustainable and responsible at Bario include:

Economic Aspect: Bario has tremendous potential to develop and sustain their homestay to give tourist the true experience. The current management of homestay can be improved further with proper guidance and structure.

Socio-Cultural Aspect: The rich culture of the Kelabits can be preserved by documenting them and making it available to all visitors. The younger generations will be involved in all the social events. Thus, the older generation can pass their know-how to these younger Kelabits who will then be proud to show it to the tourist. Hence, this will avoid the culture from dying.

Environmental Aspect: The current remote and rural setting in Bario is great but the environment is not 100% visitor friendly. Due to the lack of constant electricity, water and telecommunication facilities, the location may not attract many holiday seekers. Only the “hardcore” ecotourist will enjoy the destination. Thus, the community needs to sort out clean water supply, adequate toilet facilities, efficient solid waste disposal, extensive usage of solar panels (and wind mills). Getting the road tarred/cemented for easy transportation (i.e. rental of bicycle, motorbike, jeep, etc,) and walking/trekking, will further make Bario and destination for the “hardcore” and “not so hardcore” ecotourist.

All community based development in Bario can be segmented into two phases similar to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) homestay approach [5]:

Phase 1 – Developing community based development

· Assess community needs and readiness for development.

· Educate and prepare the community for development.

· Identify and establish leadership/local champion.

· Prepare and develop community organization.

Phase 2: Sustaining community based development

· Develop partnerships.

· Adopt an integrated approach.

· Plan and design quality mini projects that will benefit the community.

· Identify market and develop marketing strategy that will get others to assist.

· Implement and monitor performance.

In conclusion, it must be understood that sustainability is not like a project that can be completed at a certain point in time. Rather, it is an ongoing balancing act and at the heart of the issue are assumptions about the requirements of future generations and how we expect these requirements to be satisfied.

The vast scale of human activities for development poses a direct challenge to the resilience of the community’s ecosystem. The serious effects of these activities intense development are already evident today in many parts of the world including Malaysia. Rapid economic development in many local communities has led to massive changes in lifestyle and increases in correlated indirect drivers of biodiversity and cultural loss. As a result, nature has come under great pressure and much valuable biodiversity has been lost or continues to be degraded. The Bario experience has shown that a balanced development can achievable if the basic necessities of acceptable living are met. This world will certainly be far more interesting than listening to scientist arguing about who is causing climate change. Far more effective point of view from the environmental and economic experts will determine the balance of this fragile sustainability equilibrium.

References

[1] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2010). World Environment Day 2010. Retrieved on 6 June from http://www.unep.org/wed/2010

[2] ebario (2009). eBario Homepage. Retrieved on 6 June from http://www.ebario.com

[3] International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (2007). Connecting Malaysia’s rural communities to the Information Age: The E-Bario project. Proceeding of the World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva 2003 – Tunisia 2005.

[4] Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)(2009). eBario Project. Retrieved on 7 June 2010 from http://www.unimas.my/ebario/Main_index.htm

[5] Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) (2009). Handbook on Community Based Tourism: How to Develop and Sustain CBT. APEC Secretariat, Singapore.
[6] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2010). State of Biodiversity in Asia and the Pacific. UNEP Publications, Kenya.

[NOTE: This article was published in Issue 1/2010 of IMPAK, the Quartely Department of Environment Update on Environment, Development & Sustainability, Malaysia]