Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel - Assignment Example

Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel Final Project: South Africa Introduction: This is the Memo of Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel. I have selected the area as South Africa. Section 1 Qualify: “Ecotourism” (Stocker, 2013, p. 186) can be defined as the conscientious travel to pure and habitually cosseted locations that endeavor to be of little impact and undersized. It may add to the knowledge of the traveler, endowed with money for preservation often unswervingly benefit the financial growth and political strengthening of the local population, and promote admiration for diverse cultures and hu­man rights. The concept of ecotourism has set the origin of tourists who are fascinated in sustainable journey, helping to safeguard both the environment and ethnicity. People demand experiences that are real and so they do not prefer canned tours. Despite of the locality, operators who sponsor ecotourism encompass alike assistance that are steady across the world. Many of the operators stress on environmental learning where travelers gain knowledge of how to conserve land and natural possessions. Ecotourism operators also employ regional natives as guides, as they will be really aware about the peculiarities of their nation. Due to the current demand of Ecotourism, a lot of travelers are in search of apt destinations for ecotourism, which eventually benefits the economic, environmental, and financial elements of the region. From corner to corner, the South African tourism is setting off and is the best ever-budding part of its economy. Ecotourism in South Africa can be an influential protection contrivance, as it acts as one that persuades natives to retain and look after the natural environment. Countries in Southern Africa, particularly South Africa and Zimbabwe, have key destinations related to ecotourism due to its profuse wildlife. The “White Paper of Development and Promotion” (Saarinen et al. 2009, p. 3) of Tourism in South Africa affirms that the charisma of the area is supported by comparatively reachable flora and fauna, good-looking landscape, pure environment, varied customary and community cultures and an overall pleasant climate. Section 2 Ecotour Trip Itinerary: The tour was operated by “Baobab Travels Ltd,” (Robinson, 2009, p. 238) which is a UK based private company founded in 2002 by environmental scientists Louise de Waal and Paul Giess. The company focuses on providing conscientious and sustainable tour experiences in South Africa.  Day 1 Friday - Arrive Johannesburg The arrival at Johannesburg can be scheduled at time and after reaching Johannesburg and the shuttle cab can be caught to reach the accommodation premises. “City lodge” (Ostrowick, 2014, p. 107) hotel arranged by the Baobab travels, which is nearly 5 minutes from the “Tambo International Airport” (p. 107) Johannesburg. Day 2 Saturday - Mpumalanga This day early morning at 6.30 the tourists would leave from Johannesburg to “Mpumalanga” (Mining Industry Business Opportunities Handbook, 2013, p. 133) a landscape described by panoramic passes, mountains, valleys, rivers, forests and waterfalls. They are to spend the nighttime in “Graskop” town, a tiny forestry town located on the “Drakensberg Escarpment” (p. 48) at the beginning of the Panorama way and the entry to the “Kruger National Park” (p. 46). Day 3 Sunday - Kruger National Park: The third day starts with an attractive drive along the way of Panorama, debatably one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa. The most stunning stretch is the “Blyde River Canyon,” (p. 48) which is the 3rd biggest valley in the globe, and filled with wildlife and lush vegetation. Stop at “Bourke’s Luck” (p. 48) potholes to view these stunning rock creations, created once before by erosion. In the day after arriving into “Kruger National Park” (p. 46), the tourists are to spend the night inside the park with game drives. Day 4 Monday - Kingdom of Swaziland: The mountainous Kingdom of “Swaziland” (p. 35) led by emperor Mswati the third, is one of the three kingdoms in South Africa. Swazi’s are proud of their deep-rooted cultures and lifestyle. The night is to be spent in Sanctuary of Mlilwane “Wildlife” (p. 35). Apart from plentiful birdlife, there are many animal species to be seen including giraffes, hippos, zebras, and antelopes etc that can be marked on a guided walk. Day 5 Tuesday – Wineland s-Cape Town A morning drive to the area of “Winelands,” (p. 31) which involves travel around “Stellenbosch” (p. 31), Africa’s second oldest royal settlement (p. 31) that has some of the greatest examples of customary “Cape Dutch architecture” (p. 130). Sample wines at a lot of limited wineries, visit the Franschhoek villages or tour a winery or Paarl. Carry on the journey to “Cape Town” (p. 130) throughout the day. Day 6 Wednesday - Cape Town Travel around “Cape Town” (p. 130) and view the attractions of Mother City’s, and visit the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, enjoy the famous beaches, Chapman’s Peak drive, the “Victoria and Alferd Waterfront” (p. 120) etc. A visit District 6 Museum for the impact of apartheid on neighborhoods is also acceptable, or the tourists can even be taken to the “Robben Island,” (p. 122) where Nelson Mandela was jailed for about 18 years. Furthermore, taking the cable car to Table Mountain, if it is a clear day, is also another good idea. Day 7 Thursday – Departure Enjoy the final day of the tour package in South Africa before leaving for the airport and the flight home. Section 3 Ecotour Marketing Plan: Geographical Location: The area is ecologically affluent as it consists of a wide variety of ecological entities, including the “Big Five” (Joyce, 2006, p. 54) and many bird species, and due to its nearness to the “Kruger National Park (KNP),” (Promoting Sustainable Livlihoods for Communities through the Use and Management of Natural Resources: Workshop Proceedings and Papers, 1999, p. 57) which is the biggest national park in South Africa and is a major tourist target for both domestic and international tourists . Age: 17-34 Gender: female about 62% and male about 38%. Education: Female students excessively form the greater percentage of university students. In other words, it can be said that the enrolment of the students of female in university is more than male student. In conditions of age, more than 67.3% of the participants were 30 or lower than the age of 30 whereas about 7.7% were lower than the age of 35 and the remaining were higher than the age of 35. Occupation: The people interested in ecotourism mostly had a research background and were often related to academic jobs where the urge to gain knowledge is quite high. Section 4 Ecotour interpretive/educational program: Day one: A photographic book, which gives an outline of the eco-tourist destinations in South Africa was given by the tour operators Baobab travels. The book gives an idea of the distance between the destinations and peculiarities of the places. Day two A walking expedition will be conducted from Mpumalanga to the Grasko town, which is a nearby tiny forestry town. This will enable the tourists to expand their knowledge about the mountains, valleys, rivers, forests and waterfalls of Mpumalanga. Day three The guide at the park arranged by the tourist operator would give a detailed description about the Flora and fauna of the Kruger National Park. The detailed description of the animals along with a slide show was arranged at the park. Day four The historical background of the Kingdom of Swaziland will be described in the bus with the help of a short video, which will ease the tourist’s effort in understanding the places. Day five The historical and archeological importance of the Wineland and Africa’s second oldest royal settlement Stellenbosch would be described by the archeological expert and professor of Archeology of the University of Cape Town, which was arranged by the tour operator. Day six A detailed booklet with description of the attractions of Cape Town, such as Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, and enjoyment of the famous beaches such as the Chapman’s Peak drive will be provided to the tourists by the operators. Day seven A gathering of the total tour group in the hotel lawn will be arranged and a group discussion about the tour experiences will be facilitated on the day before departure so that the members can share their experiences. Reference List Joyce, P. (2006). South Africa. New Holland Publishers. Mining Industry Business Opportunities Handbook. (2013). USA: International Business Publications. Ostrowick, J. (2014). The Affordable Insider’s Guide to Johannesburg. Lulu.com. Promoting Sustainable Livlihoods for Communities through the Use and Management of Natural Resources: Workshop Proceedings and Papers. (1999). Great Britain: IUCN South Africa Country Office. Robinson, P. (2009). Operations Management in Travel Industry. Saarinen, J., Becker, F., Manwa, H. and Wilson, D. (2009). Sustainable Tourism in Southern Africa: Local Communities and Natural Resources in Transition. Great Britain: Channel View Publications. Stocker, K. (2013). Tourism and Cultural Change in Costa Rica: Pitfalls and Possibilities. USA: Lexington Books. Read More