Eco-tourism: The Real Deal or The Next Big Scam?

The "going green" movement has finally hit the travel industry. No longer restricted to cleaning supplies, fuel emissions, and compost heaps, more and more people are integrating this movement into their daily lives as well as their vacation time.

Referred to as Eco-tourism, this latest craze is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel according to The Community Based Eco-tourism Project in Chi Phat, Cambodia.

These trips are becoming increasingly popular. Chi Phat has even be featured recently in The New York Times travel section.

"In Koh Kong province in Cambodia, new eco-friendly resorts are drawing both backpackers and more luxury-oriented travelers. Among them is 4 Rivers Floating Lodge, on the Tatai River."(New York Times March 4, 2011)

According to this article, travelers can eat by the light of fishing cages, bird-watch at sunrise, mountain bike across rocky streams and swim in a waterfall. Oh, and one other minor detail: they have to fend off rain forest leeches!

Forgive me for not jumping for joy at the thought of rain forest leeches. Traveler David Lambert might think that the bite is no worse than a mosquito bite, but I happen to cringe at the idea of some worm-like thing sucking the life out of me!

Now don't get me wrong, I am a huge proponent for "going green" (after all, I do live in Austin, Tx), but I fail to see the attractiveness of running off to some remote village to camp out for a week during my vacation time. Call me old-fashioned, but I am perfectly fine with laying on a beach reading a book, hitting the slopes for a ski vacation, or touring Europe with my family.

However, society seems to disagree with me and is ready for a change.These villages like Chi Phat are unique because until recently they have had little contact with the outside world. Government is now stabilizing there, and more roads are being built, leading to this rise in environmentally-conscious travel.

These eco-tourists seem like pioneers to me though. I understand the desire to explore untouched terrain. It actually seems fascinating, even though I am not sure I personally am that adventurous.

It all seems so counter-intuitive that these pioneers come in a set up shop to explore the natural beauty of the country while simultaneously building luxury lodgings and golf courses. They finish their "roughing it" adventure then tell the world, opening up grand opportunities for big resorts and luxury vacation hot-spots. It just makes no sense to me. How are you conserving a nation by importing luxury feature from home?

If the whole point of eco-tourism is to conserve and improve the area you are visiting, why are they encouraging luxury amenities? Sure, I appreciate a good Hilton or Ritz Carlton, but can eco-tourists really tout the benefits of helping the uncharted territory of Cambodia while resting comfortably in a king-sized bed?

When breaking eco-tourism down to it's fundamentals, I completely get it. It may not be for me, but it is certainly commendable. I just feel like, if implemented improperly, this could end up being the next big ploy for big companies to "strike gold" in previously undeveloped countries.

I guess I will have to wait and see if I should be avoiding the Cambodian leeches or if I should be packing for my next luxurious vacation.