If you are a concerned citizen of the planet, and you have the disposable income for vacation travel, you ought to consider sustainable tourism of some sort--at the least travel that doesn't negatively impact the region to which you're traveling. According to the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism, the practice of ecotourism "embraces the principles of sustainable tourism, concerning the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism." In addition, ecotourism:
- Contributes actively to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage,
- Includes local and indigenous communities in its planning, development and operation, and contributing to their well-being,
- Interprets the natural and cultural heritage of the destination to visitors, and
- Lends itself better to independent travelers, as well as to organized tours for small size groups.
Ecotourism and Archaeology
About.com: How is Beyond Touring, well, different than other eco-tourist businesses?Laura Howard: One aspect that sets Beyond Touring apart from other eco-tourism outfits is that our roots are in anthropology, so whether we are working with indigenous or refugee populations, or eco-tourists we are sensitive to their needs and wants. I hold a Masters' of Science degree [from Florida State] in anthropology with a specialization in Maya archaeology, I've been working in Belize now for over ten years, five of which I resided there year-round which provided me with a real understanding of the country of Belize, its tourism industry, as well as its rich archaeological history and biological diversity. Now my company, Beyond Touring Inc., focuses solely on Belize: we do not offer trips to other parts of the Maya world ,we specialize in one country only. This narrow niche assures us that our clients will be provided with the best possible travel experience.
A second aspect that sets Beyond Touring apart from some other eco-companies is our involvement in helping to achieve sustainable management and quality of life improvement for the area and people that surround the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve (Indian Church Village, northern Belize). Each client is encouraged to contribute to one of the existing projects: Indian Church Village Library, Indian Church Village Artisans (ICVA), or the S.H.A.R.E. scholarship program. Clients can get involved on any level, some choose to primarily travel with us knowing simply by traveling they are supporting what we do and stand for, others may decide to become a project sponsor, as is the case with the 10'x16' addition we just built on the ICV library. There have been and are many levels of involvement with what we do.
Involvement in Local Projects
Can you tell us a bit more about your involvement in the local projects you mentioned and how they came to be?The Indian Church Village Artisans (ICVA) was built by a grant from the British High Commission and the Government of Belize; the scholarship program is primarily funded by S.H.A.R.E.; and the majority of funds to build and maintain the Indian Church Village Library have been secured through Beyond Touring (funding and labor). In addition, people who travel with us can and have contributed to one program or another in some manner (mini-workshops with the artisans, donation of school supplies, donation of various art supplies and tools, assistance with building construction, creation of pertinent school and library lesson plans, and painting). Recently, the Oklahoma Explorers (a private middle school group) assisted with the painting and repair of the library, a private individual provided me with $2 US for every $1 US I could raise for an extension on the library, and a Birmingham, Alabama high school group donated over 30 high quality books to the children's section of the library.
