Ecotours
So, What is a Green Traveler Anyway?
From "The Green Travel Sourcebook" by Daniel and Sally
Wiener-Grotta, John Wiley and Sons, NY, 1992.
Bandwagons and buzzwords aside, just who or what are Green Travelers,
and how are they different from ordinary tourists or sightseers?
Green Travelers are ordinary people who have decided to do extraordinary
things on their vacations. For instance:
-
Green Travelers may be individuals who are dissatisfied with passive, sybaritic,
numbing vacations, and instead crave more zest, meaning, and satisfaction.
-
Green Travelers may be particularly sensitive to the environment and culture,
and want to learn how not to encroach, change, or spoil things, so they
may be enjoyed by future generations.
-
Green Travelers may be lovers of nature, of beautiful, unspoiled, pristine
places where they can discover a new intimacy with the variety and beauty
of a wilderness.
-
Green Travelers may be people who actively seek to develop a better understanding
of who we are and where we are going, or crave new knowledge and insight
about themselves by learning about the world.
-
Green Travelers may want to meet people on a personal, one-to-one level
and enjoy the differences as well as the similarities between our many
and diverse cultures.
-
Green Travelers could be latter-day Shackletons and Burtons saddened that
there are no more frontiers or unexplored regions but still eager to visit
exotic or remote places few have seen before.
-
Green Travelers may be Walter Mittys who secretly (and not-so-secretly)
crave adventures and personal challenges, albeit within a relatively safe
and comfortable framework.
-
Green Travelers may also be infused with the spirit of an Albert Schweitzer
or a Louis Pasteur, wishing to donate time and talent to healing the sick,
helping the poor, or contributing to the advancement of science.
-
Green Travelers may be armchair scholars or perennial students who want
to continue learning in an academic or on-location environment long after
leaving school.
In short, there's no particular profile of a typical Green Traveler. Green
Travelers come from all ages, educational backgrounds, ethnic groups, and
occupations. They may be youngsters or octogenarians, lawyers, carpenters,
or assembly-line workers, college-educated or high-school dropouts. There
are families, couples, and singles, North Americans, Europeans, and most
other nationalities among Green Travelers.
What distinguishes Green Travelers from ordinary vacationers is their
frame of mind, a sense of purpose and caring, and a degree of commitment
to make the most out of their vacations. As a rule, they tend to be just
a little more courteous and respectful of people, wildlife, and the environment,
less complaining about local conditions, and interested in historical or
cultural points of reference.
Take me back to Bundok's Ecotours Page |
