A partnership with local communities and an abundant natural environment
Did you know that…
- From 1950 to 2005 international tourism arrivals expanded at an annual rate of 6.5 percent, growing from 25 million to 806 million travelers.
- Tourism provides 6-7 percent of the world’s jobs.
- Tourism accounts for an estimated 12 percent of GDP for Tanzania.
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries. With an expected 1.5 billion international arrivals by the year 2020, our world is becoming smaller and smaller with the accessibility of travel. In the 21st century, travel has become part of our daily lives with nearly everyone we know taking a weekend trip here, a study abroad or volunteering experience there. Tourism can bring our seemingly infinite world together by sharing cultures and customs, and bridging the gaps between developed and developing countries.
On the other hand, the tourism industry has also been criticized for the harm it has done. Carbon emissions stemming from air travel, lack of respect for natural resources and local communities, and the commercialization of different cultures are just some of the claims made against tourism. At the same time, destinations in developing countries are increasing and tourism can provide a vital livelihood in some communities. There are clear paradoxes in the tourism industry with quite difficult questions to answer.
However, the world is becoming increasingly aware of the problems that tourism poses and is reacting to them. The UN has already mentioned tourism as a key player in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by “promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism” and by developing a global code of ethics for tourism. Airlines are committing to cut back their emissions, hotels are conserving their water usage, and tourist sites are involving local communities in their services. Many forms of alternative tourism with their own goals have also sprung up as a result – pro-poor tourism, volunteer tourism, and ecotourism.
In support of an environmentally friendly, low-impact, sustainable tourism movement, this week we’d like to spotlight an ecotourism forest lodge right in our own backyard! The Udzungwa Forest Camp, also known as Hondo Hondo (the Swahili name for hornbill), is located on the border of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park in the Eastern Arc Mountains of southern Tanzania. This area, known as the “Galapagos of Africa” was named a “biodiversity hot spot” by Conservation International and is home to 50 percent of the country’s plant and animal species. Featuring accommodations such as en-suite luxury safari tents and traditional thatched huts, this unique forest camp highlights the goal of being one with their natural environment and respecting the rich habitat around them. Hondo Hondo uses local, natural materials like bamboo and coconut wood for their furnishings and uses linens and products produced by the local Ifakara Women Weavers Association.
Hondo Hondo has also planted 400 indigenous trees to date on the site that was previously farmland, and intends to plant even more – a goal that ARC strongly supports! Having committed to maintaining an emphasis on renewable energy as part of their eco-practices, their water is entirely heated via a solar piping system and their electricity comes from a micro hydropower generator.
In addition to earth-friendly practices, another important aspect of ecotourism is maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with the surrounding community. Hondo Hondo is a member of the local Tanzanian community in and around the park and supports local artisans, like the Ifakara Women Weavers Association and a local workforce, which constructed the entire forest lodge. Our favorite project of Hondo Hondo is their work with the Mang’ula Primary School. In addition to providing maintenance for the school, they are part of the “Pack for a Purpose” project, which encourages visitors to donate school supplies specific to what the school needs. They also participate in World Environment Day where a competition is held among students and the winning group of Mang’ula school children wins a safari outing in Mikumi National Park!
A member of the International Ecotourism Society and the International Ecotourism Club, the unique Udzungwa Forest Camp is a great example of ecotourism – or more simply, comfortable travel accommodations in partnership with a rich, natural environment that aims to help local communities prosper while also satisfying visiting guests. According to Hannah Wood of Hondo Hondo “Being truly ‘eco-friendly’ is harder than you may think, especially in Africa where things can be hard to get hold of and the existing way of doing things can sometimes be impossible to change. We interpret ecotourism as referring to responsible and sustainable tourism both in terms of the natural world and the local community.” This balance is at the core of tourism practices that are sustainable and highly advantageous for the future of tourism.
You can check out the rest of their eco-practices, as well as a number of activities and excursions they offer while staying at the lodge (Be sure to check out the bird watching option at Udzungwa – one of the top ten birding locations of the African continent!)
Visit the Udzungwa Forest Camp website
Follow the Udzungwa Forest Camp on Facebook and Twitter
Photos courtesy of the Udzungwa Forest Camp website
Sources:
Leave A Comment