“Is that boat operated by a whale watching company?” I asked, as we peered at Orcas through the fog-shrouded waters of Vancouver Island’s Johnstone Strait.“Yes,” our interpreter said. Hesitating, she continued, “But they don’t always adhere to the rules for watching whales.” I wasn’t surprised at this news; the boat did not carry any identifying logos, the passengers seemed crammed into a small space, and they were too close to the whales. It looked more like a craft out for a spin, than a professional whale tour boat.Canada’s growing whale watching industry has many reputable tour companies, but there are others trying to capitalize on the economic opportunities without adhering to legislation or best practices. Customers may be able to watch out for their needs and safety, but who looks out for he whales?The Canadian government has taken a huge step forward with new Species of Risk legislation. Whale watching companies...

Iceland is gaining a reputation as the hottest ‘cool’ destination in the Atlantic because of its stunning scenery and unique geothermal features. What is less well known is the abundance of wildlife watching opportunities found here. Located at 66° North, Iceland lets its visitors look at the Arctic Circle.Iceland is also a great place to cast your gaze on several species of whales including Minke, Humpback, Sperm, Sei and the rare Blue whale. It is estimated that 14 species of whales reside or travel through the waters around this island nation.Reaching Iceland for whale watching is relatively easy despite its location near the top of the world. Daily flights from North America and Europe arrive in Reykjavik; from here you can hope a short domestic flight to the city of Akureyri. An hour’s drive east will bring you to Husavik, often called the whale watching capital of Europe. The Husavik harbor,...

The right guide can make or break a tour and go a long way to building a successful company. We’d like to hear your stories about encounters with a great guide or interpreter or someone else who helped you enjoy an outdoor experience. Send us a few words (250 or less) of great or funny guiding and we will run the best ones in future issues of our newsletter, EcoTourism Management. It is a great way to garner recognition for those people who are the heart and soul of nature tourism. Send your entries by June 30 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you’d like to read about my encounter with a great guide check out the latest issue of EcoTourism Management at www.kalahari-online.com/spr08.pdf.

Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, the man who coined the term ecotourism shares his thoughts as we approach the 25th anniversary of this concept. He worries that ecotourism is being confused with adventure travel and some of ecotourism's benefits are being lost. To read more visit http://www.borneoecotours.com/ecotourism/

“I’ve never touched a whale before,” said Fred, our guide. I thought I’d misheard! The tour brochure had several pictures of people touching grey whales. How was it possible that an experienced guide hadn’t gotten close enough to touch a whale? “Usually I’m on the other side of the boat, balancing it when people rush to one side to see the whales,” Fred continued. In that instant, I knew my trip was going to be great because my guide was focused on his clients’ experiences.Unfortunately, there are many situations where a guide wants to be in the center of the action. They take the best seats or have the best photo-taking angles. I’ve never understood; do these guides think their worth depends upon being front and centre, or are they so carried away with enthusiasm that they push everyone to the side? Regardless, the result is often frustrated customers, and that’s...

Ever noticed how many travel brochures don’t show the hordes of people you’ll be sharing the beach with? The water is inviting, the sand looks free of bugs (they don’t show the chemical sprays that make it so) and there are few people in sight. Just sign up for your all-inclusive holiday and you’ll find yourself in beach bliss! Well, I’ve tried those trips and been bored to tears. Fortunately, there is a better way to experience the ocean.I recently took a trip with Baja Airventures. I stayed at a yurt camp where the only neighbors were the ten people who arrived with me on a private air charter (no need to worry about security line-ups here). We finished the week off with some mind-blowing whale watching and made sure our spending stayed with locally-run businesses. This was a week at the beach worth writing home about. To see the difference,...

I had the opportunity to interview Lotay Rinchen, Senior Travel Manager of Bhutan Expeditions, recently. He shared some very interesting insights on tourism in Bhutan and the changes that may occur as the country moves towards its first demogratically elected government. To see the interview, please check out my newsletter at http://www.kalahari-online.com/win08.pdfCarol

Travelodge is taking hotel recycling to a new level. They are building a pop-up hotel in West London using the large metal shipping crates that are ubiquitous at every shipping port. Many crates sit idle and can be a waste disposal problem so finding a new use for them is a win-win situation.In China the crates have been modified to include bathrooms and windows and furnishings will be added in England once the hotel is assembled. The hotel chain feels this construction method and the flexibility to dismantle the hotel will allow them to meet the fluctuating demand levels that accompany major sporting events like the Olympics.The 120 room hotel will be 10% cheaper to build than comparable hotels and cost only 19 pounds a night - a deal in London. I think reusing shipping containers is a great idea and may provide some positive spin-offs if the technology can also...

I got the chance to tag along with Santa today when he delivered his presents to the elephant, red panda and tiger born this year at the Calgary Zoo. My first introduction to ecotourism was at the Calgary Zoo and I was on the board for a number of years so I’m always thrilled when I get the chance to visit. This was the first time I’ve seen the baby elephant and she is adorable. She was particularly fascinated with Mrs. Claus (perhaps she knows where the real gift giving decisions are made….)If you like animals at all you’ll enjoy this video clip http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=crKHWiNXQYUHappy Holidays!Carol

I was pleased to hear recently Ecotourism Australia has taken drastic steps to preserve its ecotourism brand. They took Trek North Safaris to court for protect Eco Australia’s intellectual property and to protect the public from potentially misleading environmental marketing. Trek North Safaris was using the Ecotourism Australia ECO Certification logo without permission and was not a member of Ecotourism Australia nor certified by Ecotourism Australia. The Queensland Supreme Court ruled that the company was to cease use of the logo, destroy all items that contained the logo and pay Ecotourism Australia’s legal costs. This is the first case I’ve seen where legal action protect an ecotourism certification program and it marks an important point in the evolution of ecotourism. Ecotourism Australia has one of the world’s most recognizable ecotourism certification programs and stopping such fraudulent use ensures their brand retains its credibility. If certification programs are to succeed we need...