Recession may hinder sustainable tourism.

AuthorBlock, Ben
PositionEYE ON EARTH

Developers of ecotourism and other "sustainable tourism" operations are searching for ways to ensure that the global economic slowdown does not undermine years of progress. The World Tourism Organization expects cross-border visits this year to remain steady or decline slightly, according to a January assessment.

Businesses are already cutting travel budgets, which often means bypassing more expensive eco-conscious destinations. Less than 20 percent of companies rated environmentally sustainable travel--trips that do not adversely affect habitats, local communities, or cultural heritage--as a high priority, according to a survey conducted between December and January by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and KDS, a European business consultancy.

Ronald Sanabria, who directs the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable tourism training program, observed that more hotels are seeking ways to reduce their energy costs in case fewer visitors arrive in the coming months. Travel businesses in Central America are also marketing closer to home to prepare for declining interest from North America and Europe, Sanabria said.

Matt Landau, founder of the online newsletter The Panama Report, sees the economic downturn as spawning new possibilities, which he calls "recession...

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