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BEST PRACTICES IN ECOLODGE PLANNING, DESIGN AND GUIDELINES Cairo, EgyptMarch 25th, 2000
Hitesh Mehta
ASLA RIBA Associate AIA MRAIC MAAKA MAAKLAE D S A 
I TRENDS IN ECOLODGE PLANNING, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
 
 
Introduction and Definitions

Before I address Best Practices in Ecolodge Planning, Design and Guidelines, it is important to first understand what makes up an ecolodge.

It is a lodging facility that: 

  • pays attention to the natural setting and respects vernacular architecture in its design.
  • meets its energy needs through passive design and renewable energy sources.
  • uses environmentally sensitive materials wherever possible
  • employs sustainable construction techniques. 
  • has a sustainable approach to water, wastewater and sewage.
  • educates both the staff and tourists on local natural and cultural issues
  • involves and empowers the local community in the planning and operation stages.
  • contributes to local cultural and natural conservation through education programs and research.
The one thing to bear in mind is that no matter what you build, there will be impact on the land, so the idea is to create the least amount of impact. As the famous inventor of the 20th Century, Buckminister Fuller said: “ When you build a building, you rape the earth”.

I presume that many of you at one time or the other have asked the question “WHY ECOLODGES” ? 

As a developer you could easily get good return of your investment by building a 300 room traditional resort. But there is a problem here, you will end up destroying the same environment that your guests have come to enjoy through use of non-renewable sources of energy, waste and water pollution , soil erosion and noise pollution. In the future, you may get an opportunity to develop a lodge on the banks of the River Nile. The first thing to do is to intensively study the site and you may be surprised to see that there is some very interesting life on the site. Or you may get an opportunity to develop a hotel on the Red Sea Coast and find that there is a very healthy ecosystem that is present.

Every landscape has an existing ecosystem and it is important that both the biological and cultural diversity not only be maintained but enhanced. As Henry David Thoreau, the famous American nature writer said “ You must look thru and beyond nature to really understand it”.

So I ask again, “WHY ECOLODGES?” Because with the current increase in tourism, lodges are inevitable, so it is crucial that we have buildings that are going to have the least amount of impact on the ecological and cultural environments.

My presentation consists of the following:

  • Current International Trends
  • Future Trends
  • Ecolodge Guidelines and Standards
So, what is a trend:

As per Webster Dictionary, a Trend is defined as:

“The general direction that something takes, a continuing tendency”

For example one could say that the trend has been for a while now that women are increasingly doing what have been traditionally considered men’s jobs. 

A CURRENT TRENDS

To determine what the current trends in Ecolodges are, I sent out a questionnaire late last year to over 125 lodges around the world and followed it up with research and interviews. The trends are classified in seven categories. What I call the SUPER SEVEN.

For the purpose of my presentation, I shall only concentrate on the planning, design and technology trends.

  1. PLANNING AND DESIGN 
  1. PHYSICAL CONTEXTUALITY
  • ELSA’S KOPJE
  • Elsa’s Kopje is the latest ecolodge in Africa. The developers approach to the physical contextuality of the rock outcrops of Meru National Park in E. Kenya is remarkable.
  • Stefano Cheli, the developer has successfully blended the lodge into the surrounding environment. A local swamp grass was used as the roofing material. The strands of reed were made into small bunches and tied with sisal string, then they were soaked to prevent them from cracking. They are then twisted around the horizontal lengths of timber. This method has been used by the local people for generations.
  • This technique was time consuming however it helped blend the lodge into the surroundings perfectly. Not being a regular shape made them hard to define as roofs from a distance, almost appearing like boulders. 
  • Existing rocks were incorporated into the rooms & left in its natural condition.
There was no glass used anywhere. 
  • SATAO CAMP
  • Satao Camp is tastefully done and located in Tsavo National Park, Kenya, under a shade of mature Tamarind trees. It does not mimic the local vernacular forms but takes it a step further by creating organic forms with the same material.
  • The same architectural theme is carried throughout the project and even the landscape lighting and fire hose stand is creatively done.
  1. CULTURAL CONTEXTUALITY
Three projects in different parts of the world exhibit that vernacular architecture is truly timeless.
  • SERENA HOTELS
  • The Serena Group which is owned by Islamic spiritual leader, The Aga Khan, take the cake when it comes to cultural contextually. They set the trail ablaze with Amboseli and Mara Serena lodges in Kenya and in 1998 opened a real gem of lodge in the exotic island of Zanzibar.
  • An existing house in the old town of the city was painstakingly restored and renovated. The main concept was to conserve both the esthetical and cultural character. The ethos are extended to the interior by using local materials, crafts, motifs and design idioms; regional culinary dishes, prepared by award winning chefs, combined with international standards of management and service. 
  • HOTELITO DESCONOCIDO
  • On the Pacific coast of Mexico, lies the Hotelito Desconocido, an ecologically & culturally sensitive development that is located on one of the most important sea turtle and bird preserves in the country.
  • Built in the traditional style of a Mexican fishing village, Hotelito exists in peaceful harmony with its delicate surroundings, caring for its natural habitat without compromising the comfort of its guests. Thatched-roof huts made of reed grass, wood, & clay, sit perched on stilts over the calm waters of an estuary.
  • CHUMBE LODGE
  • On the other side of the globe, off the exotic Island of Zanzibar, is located Chumbe Lodge. The Architecture of the bungalows is a true work of art. 
  • Instead of copying the vernacular style the developers improvised using the state-of-the-art of eco-architecture, in local materials with mangrove poles and coconut leaf thatch, and equipped with specially designed furniture built on the island and fitted with colorful African fabrics.
  • The Visitor Center is very tastefully designed and uses local building forms and technology in new ways. A continuity of the vernacular, so to speak. The Lodge recently won the coveted British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow “Global Award”. 
  1. HOLISTIC APPROACHES TO DESIGN
Holistic approaches to design are becoming more and more common. Several projects have demonstrated that “The right approach is the total approach.”
  • ECO-BEACH RETREAT
  • Located in Western Australia, Ecobeach was designed with an Integrated Planning Approach – Looking at everything and how each is connected to the other – Holistic in nature where the place comes before the people. The plan integrated the complete anticipated range of activities at the retreat, from construction through to operation. 
  • An aerial view of the site would show that there is minimal land degradation due to careful construction techniques and strict environmental management protocols for contractors.
  • A 3 km network of elevated boardwalk, constructed from recycled timbers, joins all huts to reduce site degradation. 
  • PUNTA MANGLE ECORESORT
  • Fresh from the E D S A ‘s drawing boards is a project from the Caribbean island nation of Dominican Republic. 
  • We are currently working on a 64-unit ecoresort and the client H2O Developments initial briefing is for us to design with the triangle in mind.
  • The spiritual aspect is a very important part of the project & one of the main components of the program is a spa & wellness center. The baby boomers are coming in a big way and we need to get ready for them.
  • We will also be having a small observatory complete with a hresolution telescope to view the awesome tropical sky at night.
  • KOHALA MOUNTAIN CAMPS
  • Jim Hadley, the Architect for Maho Bay Camps, together with his wife recently completed the planning of Kohala Mountain Camps in Hawaii.
  • The planning was influenced by the deeply spiritual views of nature held by the local people. The landscape architect took advantage of the traditional Hawaiian land division of the a hupua’a which differentiates parcels of land according to watersheds, to prepare the site plan. A vertical organization for the site was developed that takes advantage of natural features while minimizing impact on the land.
  • The designers believe that living lightly on the land and in harmony with nature will be a learning experience for guests, as well as an escape and retreat, helping to transform the consciousness of all involved: guests, staff, and the local community.
  1. ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AUDITS
Environmental Planning Audits is another growing trend.
  • KENYA TOURISM DIVERSIFICATION PLAN
  • In March of last year, four international consultants including me were contracted by the European Union to contribute to the diversification of Kenya’s tourism base through a sustainable model of tourism reconversion. The main concept of our strategy was to make the tourism product more environmentally and socially conscious and therefore more compatible with its southern neighbors.
  • My task was to carry out an audit of some representative existing accommodation facilities and propose various sustainable design techniques that should be used to improve the product. 
  • We carried out our investigations by using three methods: interviews, participatory workshops and finally on-site visits to the various protected areas and lodges. 
  • The participatory workshops were the first ever in the history of Kenya where all the stakeholders in the lodge design industry were gathered on one table. A lot of the deliberations from here compromised the recommendations that 
E D S A made to diversify and improve the Kenyan tourism design product, thereby making it more enticing than what is offered anywhere in Africa.
  • MONTE CARLO RESORT
  • We are noticing that environmental sensitivity is increasing among developers, so much so that they are shelving existing plans that have been approved by local authorities and contracting environmental planners to re-visit the design in order to make it more environmentally & socially conscious. Such was the case with a resort complex in S.W. Puerto Rico.
  • Three months ago we carried out an environmental audit on an existing master plan that had been prepared by an architect. We found that drainage was an issue, roads had been laid on ridges, and there had been no detailed existing vegetation analysis.
  • We prepared an overall master plan that respected the lay of the land and we suggested eco-design techniques for all aspects of the landscape design. 
  • No effort will be spared in creating a development that maintains the existing sacredness of space. Existing indigenous nature vegetation will be retained & villas & hotels will be sited in a way that provides uninterrupted views of the ocean.
  • We even researched the whole western region of Puerto Rico and prepared an ecotourism and adventure activity plan for the resort, which is planned to become the largest solar powered community in the world. 
  1. PHASING
Another major design trend that I would like to mention is that of Phasing.
  • In a recent survey of 130 lodges from around the world carried out by the Ecotourism Society, it was found that only 19% of the ecolodges were built at one time. 22% were built in two stages and an incredible 59% developed incrementally as resources allowed. Phasing the project is definitely the prudent way to develop. 
  • A great case study is the Jemby Rinjah Ecolodge in Australia. The development has been staged with ammendments as they went along to take into account ideas and requests that came from guests. 
  • Stage 1 was completed in 1986 with 6 visitor cabins and managers residence
Stage 2 and 3 was completed in 1993 with 3 cabins, 3 group ecolodges, conference center and dining room

Stage 4 was completed in early 1998 – with a solar powered deluxe unit.

  1. PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
  • LOBOLO
Involving the indigenous peoples in the planning process is making waves.
  • I am the planner, architect, & landscape architect for an ecolodge which is designed to be developed on one of the most beautiful of the Kenyan Rift Valley Lakes, Lake Turkana. 
  • It is here that the earliest fossils of Humankind have been discovered. 
  • In the beginning stages, we held participatory planning sessions with the local Turkana elders. They have been living on the land for centuries and helped in the siting of the various units and the trails. They will also be providing all the furniture and artifacts. 
  1. CARRYING CAPACITY
An aspect of design that is being increasingly addressed by planners is the issue of carrying capacity.
  • LOBOLO
  • The whole landscape around Lobolo Lodge is a desert and the site of the lodge is actually an oasis. We wanted to make sure that we do not overdesign and therefore violate the carrying capacity of the site. Intensive studies were done on the rate of water flow of the spring, the water needs of the lodge and the minimum water needed to sustain the local Turkana tribe and their cattle. This eventually determined the number of units that we could design.
  1. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
  • FOUR HORIZONS
  • As with Carrying Capacity, the other aspects of ecolodges that is largely ignored by most operators is monitoring and evaluation. The Four Horizons Lodge in Australia is definitely setting new standards.
  • Energy consumption aspects are systematically logged and analyzed – this covers use of the electricity, water, gas, diesel & wood fuel. Due to the small scale of the operation, environmental performance is mainly operated on a personal observation and recording basis. Records of observed wildlife and systematic counts of rare species are also noted. 
  1. WORKSHOPS
  • The final design trend we are noting is the drive by various countries to create ecolodge awareness amongst the public and professionals. We have now done workshops in Kenya and the Philippines and will be conducting another one in the Caribbean in July.
  • These workshops are attended by all the stakeholders in the lodge industry. They include Landscape Architects, Architects, engineers, lodge owners, National Park Service personnel, appropriate technology practitioners, marketing and financial consultants. 
  1. TECHNOLOGY
No. 2 in the super seven club is trends in technology of which there are several.
  1. DESIGN FOR DECONSTRUCTION
  • MONGOLIAN YURTS 
  • Have you ever heard of a collapsible eco-camp? Well, Jan Wigsten operates a trek in Mongolia whereby tourists and the local herdsman join in building one yurt, which is used as a “mess’ tent where food is eaten and where the staff sleep.
  • It takes 30 minutes if four people join in the process of building the yurt. 
  • The yurt when folded, fits perfectly on to one cart. It is as if the yurt & the cart are made for each other. Horses, yaks & camels of the local people are hired to tug the carts.
  1. GIS IN PLANNING
Geographic Information Systems, also known as GIS is becoming widely used especially for projects in environmentally sensitive and fragile areas. It is a very effective computer aided design technique for site analysis.
  • BRASSTOWN RESORT
  • For a resort in Georgia, USA, the Landscape Architect prepared a master plan that was guided by a combined overlay analysis of the site resources. 
  • The master plan is derived from a composite analysis with intensive uses located in least impacted areas. 
  • The lodge was specifically sited to visually protect ridge lines, maximize views, and preserve the environmental resources of the site. 
  • We are seeing more use of this technology for Tourism planning at the national scale, and for Protected Areas. 
  1. TECHNOLOGY AS AN INTERPRETATIVE EXPERIENCE
  • Stanley Selengut’s new units at Estate Concordia offer the guests a unique interpretive experience. For example, a hand pump in the solar-heated sholets guests monitor how much water heat is available and whether they need to add cold water. Even the new composting toilets have a thermometer that let guests determine if there is enough organic matter in the system. 
  • The Asa lodge in Sweden is located on the banks of a fast flowing river and all the electricity is provided by a hydroelectric generator.
  1. INFLUENCE FROM GREEN HOTELS
  • The other major technological trend that I am noticing is that Green Hotels are creating a market for innovative technology and this is slowly filtering into ecolodges. For example: Virtually everything in Sjoyst Hotel’s guest rooms is recycled or recyclable including all the fabrics and the wood floor.
  • The Radisson in Malta produces 45,000 gallons of water a day for it’s own use through an on-site reverse osmosis plant.
  • ANA Hotel Singapore has embarked on a major program to change its air conditioning plant to energy saving chillers using chlorine –free HFC’s . Chiller manufacturers have dramatically improved the efficiency of their equipment, which justifies replacement for economic reasons alone, especially when operated throughout the year.
  • Beach cleaning is one of the several environmental initiatives at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, Malaysia. It can clean 17,000 sq. m of beach in an hour, sifting the sand to collect debris such as cigarette ends, sweet wrappers, and dried leaves and raking it smooth to leave behind a finely combed trail.
3. ECOLODGE PLANNING CASE STUDY
  • SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MAYAGUANA
  • Mayaguana, a 70,000 acre Island in the Bahamas, has a total population of 300 inhabitants, kilometers and kilometers of white sandy beaches, thousands of West Indian Flamingoes and pristine natural vegetation. I would like to present to you a quick case study of an interesting island sustainable tourism plan that our firm is doing for Mayaguana. We believe that E D S A’s approach encompasses a lot of the trends that I have mentioned earlier in this presentation.
  • The all island conceptual land use plan has been sustainably designed and engineered to ensure that there will be minimum negative impact on natural environment and will act as a catalyst for social development and island conservation.
The overall master plan suggests the development of 5 low-impact boutique inns, a village center, a research facility, a protected preserve and an interpretation center. Each one of the inns will gave a unique character and theme that will be connected to Mayaguanan traditions and vernacular architecture. 
 
  • What is innovative about this project is the process that we employed to make sure that all additions to the built environment and island infrastructure will be at a scale that is appropriate to the local ecological and cultural carrying capacity of the island.
Before we were brought on board, the clients had already trekked the entire 105 kms. of the island and built a good rapport with the local citizens who live in three villages. 
 
  • We then carried out an intensive site analysis of the entire island with the expert help of the local inhabitants. We consulted with world authorities who identified sites of American Indians. 8 sites had been discovered and catalogued. Local divers helped us identify the area resources that the island depends on. 
  • Members of the Island council and leading citizens from all three settlements have made valuable contributions to the planning process. 
  • We interviewed several elders of the community to research the history of the island.
  • Apart from visiting their houses, we even socialized with them at their social halls.
  • Once the analysis was completed we invited several local people to participate in a planning workshop. The final overall master development plan is the result of extensive fact finding and personal contributions made by many present and past residents of Mayaguana. 
  • In addition to the development of low impact tourism accommodation facilities and residential lots, the overall Master Plan also establishes the Island as a model for research and education into the process of sustainable development. The client had already assembled the University of Florida and Harvard, and conservation agencies like Earthwatch to attract principal scientists and educators in all the relevant disciplines to use Mayaguana in their field research and sustainable education endeavors. 
  • The master plan had also sent aside 22,000 acres as a conservation and teaching preserve, and Heritage Park which will complement and support the planned Research Center for visiting scientists. The protected lands include a rookery for seabirds such as the Blue Footed Booby, and egg-laying venue for the green turtle, nesting areas for the Bahamian Rock Iguana and West Indian flamingoes, a healthy coral reef system, blue holes and caves. 
  • With the implementation of scalable development, it is expected that other economic opportunities will follow for local participation and ownership to the benefit of island residents; transportation, food service, crafts, laundry, fishing tours, etc. Mayaguana will be a phased development and the project has been prioritized with respect to those areas requiring the least amount of new infrastructure support. 
  • The client will also endeavor to help create an environment that encourages former Mayaguanans to migrate home from the capital, Nassau and elsewhere to repatriate needed skills and off island experience. 
  • The total number of lodge beds on the island of Mayaguana will be determined by the carrying capacity of the area and it’s resources. A team from Earthwatch will study the supply of sea food and determine the number of bed units.
B FUTURE TRENDS
  • CRUISE LINERS
  • The Cruise Line Industry is getting ballistic. Royal Caribbean’s “Voyager of the Seas” which was launched last November hosts 3,100 guests at one time, and has a casino, 9 bars, 10 dining rooms, a skating ring, 4-story shopping arcade and a rock-climbing wall. 
  • What is scarry is that Cruise ships are becoming floating Las Vegas’es that take you to destinations that are not as important as the ambience of the vacation experience aboard the ship. 
  • A Bahamas based company is coming out with a residential airline with 50 homes each valued at $2m!! We will need to make sure that these terrorists of the seas have no impact on the ocean that they reap profits from.
  • My definition of Ecolodges includes cruises, airlines and trains since they all places where tourists live in and they are accommodation facilities like all others and create the same damage to the environment.
  • SPACE LODGES
  • Resort destinations of the future are sure to involve the exploration of space and living seas. Several companies in the US have been given the license to develop small aircraft that can go into space….
  • Undersea hotels are not far away and a “room with a view” may take an entirely different meaning. 
We will need to address these new trends before they go out of hand. 
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • The furious pace at which our inventors are working and the rate at which the .com companies are multiplying, technological trends will significantly alter the character of future destinations.
  • It will be important to heed Sigurd Olsen advice “…we must seek balance between ecology and technology…..” 
  • INCREASE IN UPSCALE FIVE STAR ECOLODGES
  • The baby boomers are coming of age and we will definitely see an increase in five star upper scale ecolodges. We will need to make sure that the rest of the tourists are also attended to.
C CONCLUSION

Times are changing fast. Mega-resorts continue to be built without any social or environmental mitigation. 

  • An eleven hundred room hotel in the Canary Islands is presently being built where the existing environment had to be destroyed to locate the new hotel.
All I can say is that we have a lot of work to do. If we do not act quickly we may soon have Cancun’s and Costa del Sol’s everywhere.


II CASE STUDIES OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR ECOLODGE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
 
 
A BACKGROUND HISTORY

One way to successfully check the development of uncontrolled growth is through the creation and implementatioof policies and regulatory frameworks. One very important framework is Ecolodge Guidelines. Efforts to create guidelines for the ecotourism profession and industry date back to the early 1990’s. Ecolodge guidelines are particularly needed at this time, in order to ensure ecotourism lodging meets the highest possible international standards, not the cost-saving eco-efficiency approaches being promoted by the mass tourism industry. 

The demand for ecolodge guidelines has never been greater as national governments, NGO’s, development banks and aid agencies all set their sites on Ecotourism as a sustainable development tool.

I would like to present a brief worldwide history of steps taken by various governments and organizations and then dwell into current trends:

1991

  • U S A 
The first attempt that was made to produce Ecolodge Guidelines was by the United States National Parks Service. In November 1991, they launched the Sustainable Design Initiative with a workshop in Maho Bay, Caribbean. The participants were from a diverse group, which included the American Institute of Architects, American Society of landscape Architects, national parks and conservation organization, The Ecotourism Society and architectural and engineering firms.

The outcome was a set of guidelines for the application of sustainability to the management of sensitive natural and cultural resource areas. The guidelines were developed for nine topics, namely: interpretation, natural resources, cultural resources, site design, building design, energy management, water supply, waste prevention, and facility maintenance and operations. 

It is a well produced book but unfortunately it has not been very practical and together with the fact that NPS has had some trying times in the 90’s, the document had not been well implemented in the US National Parks. As of now, it sits very comfortably in bookshelves.

1992

  • AUSTRALIA
Australia has been a leader in the ecotourism field and has taken great strides to ensure that resort development takes place in an environmentally sensitive way. 

Following extensive consultation with all community sectors, Australian governments adopted in 1992 the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development.

The Strategy defines ecologically sustainable development as 'using, conserving and enhancing the community's resources so that ecological processes on which life depends are maintained and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased' 

The Strategy sets out the broad strategic and policy framework under which governments will cooperatively make decisions and take actions to pursue ecologically sustainable development in Australia. It urges “governments to develop and manage the tourism industry in such a way as to conserve the nation's natural resources and built heritage base and minimize any negative environmental, social and cultural impacts.”

1993

The Australian Commonwealth Department of Tourism commissioned the Australian Conservation Foundation to carry out a study to investigate cost-effective energy and waste minimization practices relevant to ecotourism and nature-based tourism operators. The “Best Practice Ecotourism: A Guide to Energy and Waste Minimization” was developed to assist these operators to further down the path to achieving best practice. The incentives to do so for example, the opportunity to become an accredited ecotourism operator under the national Ecotourism accreditation program.

  • PEW CHARITABLE TRUST
Pew Charitable Trust, a private organization from New York, initiated a draft preliminary study as a first step toward encouraging the practical application of conservation tourism on an international scale. 

The trust had felt that government efforts to curtail or halt the destruction of some of the world’s most biologically diverse and spectacular ecosystems had failed. In 1993, the study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a network of “conservation lodges” throughout the world aimed at generating income to help protect areas of ecological and where appropriate, cultural significance. 

It was designed to evaluate whether an international network of lodges and related tourism facilities could generate sufficient revenue to support a core management structure while simultaneously making a significant contribution to local conservation and related development activities.

The study contained some very interesting Site selection, design and construction guidelines.

1994

The regional tourism commissions were the ones that took the lead role in developing standard for ecolodge development. 

  • SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The South Australia Tourist Commission published the South Australian Design Guide for Sustainable Development to assist developers wishing to establish ecotourism developments in South Australia. It contains guidelines for development, design, management and a whole range of other information pertinent to the establishment and operation of ecotourism ventures.

It is not intended to be a “do-it-yourself” textbook, but rather a guide to help understand the issues involved in such developments and identify where further information or assistance can be obtained.

  • CANADA
The Alberta Economic Development and Tourism commissioned a study 

“ Alternative and Minimum Impact Technologies for Remote Tourism Developments” The study was intended to identify a range of feasible alternative and minimum impact technologies and management systems, which would be useful for consideration both by established facilities and new developments. 

The study begins to demonstrate the range and type of approaches to planning, design, construction, equipping, and operation of such an environmentally responsible establishment, by reviewing the alternate technologies ant practices available in three broad categories: energy, water and sewage. and waste management.

  • ZANZIBAR
The Zanzibar government recognized that one important prerequisite for such class tourism is an unspoiled natural environment. It was felt that if environmental consideration is fully incorporated into the design of hotel projects from the outset, then undesirable and costly environmental problems could be avoided later. 

The government therefore prepared guidelines for potential investors in the preparation of the EIA.

1995

  • TANZANIA
TANAPA ( Tanzanian National Parks ) required all government agencies, and private developers to comply with all aspects of a document that they produced on “Development /Action/Lease Procedures”. This document was produced with the help of IUCN. TANAPA is committed to these same procedures for all development under its jurisdiction. 

This document provides a step-by-step procedure for seeking approval to develop roads, facilities or activities within any national park in Tanzania. 

Interested parties are expected to prepare a development prospectus as per guidance from the document. After review by TANAPA those parties that receive approval have to produce a full project proposal that includes an EIA. Guidelines for the preparation of this EIA are contained in the document. 

Following the completion and approval of a full project proposal / EIA, the Interested party will enter into lease negotiations /agreement with TANAPA.

  • KENYA 
Until 1995, there had been no guidelines and no real approval process and therefore uncontrolled growth has lead to the degradation to both the natural and visual environment in Kenya. Hotel and lodge developments were springing up in the National Parks and Beaches in Kenya. As a result, The Kenya Wildlife Service developed a short requirement list that they intended to issue those developers who would lease property within KWS’s jurisdiction. 

These guidelines were derived from the various National Statutes i.e. land planning Act, Town planning act etc. and modified as appropriate to suit KWS biodiversity management goals.

This regulatory technique never got off the ground due to increased corruption and incompetent KWS Staff. There was not a single Architect, Planner or Landscape Architect to review the plans presented by the dev.

  • WTO, WTTC AND THE EARTH COUNCIL
WTO, WTTC and The Earth Council joined hands to produce a document 

“ Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry” which provides a blueprint for securing the sustainable future of the planet into the 21st Century. The document translates Agenda 21 (program of action adopted at the Earth Summit) into a program of action for Travel &Tourism.

The document is also geared towards private companies and gives guidance on how they can establish systems and procedures to incorporate sustainable development issues as a part of the core management function. Some of the priority areas included waste minimization, energy efficiency, management of fresh water resources, etc.

  • THE INTERNATIONAL HOTELS ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE (IHEI)
The International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) based out of London published the “ Environmental Action Pack for Hotels ”. The IHEI is an international network of hotel companies, which exists to promote the continual improvement in environmental performance in the hotel industry worldwide. It also aims to promote the long-term benefits of good corporate citizenship and sustainable development as a natural part of successful business operations.

The aim of the action package to help the Hotel Operators introduce environmental management as an extension to the daily running of their businesses. The Action Pack seeks to help the operators to immediately start planning and taking simple practical action. Some of the issues that were included in the pack were energy; solid waste; water and effluents and emissions.

1996

  • MALAYSIA
The Malaysian Ecotourism Plan was accepted by the Government in 1996. It was formulated and adopted by the government to assist both the federal and state Governments in the development of Malaysia’s ecotourism potential. The Plan is intended to serve both as an appropriate instrument within the overall sustainable development of Malaysia and the economy as a whole, and as an effective tool for conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the country.

The plan was divided in six parts:

  1. Policy matters and strategies
  2. List of Ecotourism areas
  3. Guidelines
  4. Current state of ecotourism in Malaysia
  5. Description of ecotourism situation in the Asia-pacific region 
  6. Supplementary Material
The guidelines form a basis for specific activities and functions in all ecotourism areas and for management of sites in specific habitats. These guidelines are available for use especially by planners, area managers, and the private sector.
  • IUCN
In 1996 IUCN published a book following the IV World Congress on National parks and protected Areas conference held in Caracas, Venezuela in February 1992. It is based mainly on papers presented at the two tourism workshops held during the congress, although many other sources, as well as research carried by the author, Hector Ceballos have also been used. 

The publication has been planned as both a practical handbook and as a reference source, for use by a variety of readers.

  • IHEI
The International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) published ‘Striving for Excellence” to communicate environmental Quality in the hotel Industry. The book for written for hotel general managers and senior corporate management who are in key positions to influence the success of environmental program’s and the way in which these are communicated throughout their operations.

The first section presents guidelines for successful communication, which can be adapted to suit local conditions for developing a self-propelled environmental program. The last section showcases seven best practices of those hotels that have successfully implemented environmental management programs.

1998

  • MEXICO
The Amigos de Sian ka’an (ASK) the University of Quintana Roo and the Coastal Resources Center (CRC) at the University of Rhode Island worked on an Integrated Coastal Management project along the coast of Quintana Roo, financed by USAID. The guidelines that were developed by the ASK and CRC were geared towards developers, investors, government, and communities interested in developing the coastal zone in a manner that will mitigate ecological damage, thereby increasing long-term gains.

The guide includes practical measures for the design and placement of coastal infrastructure. Recommendations are based on principles and techniques that respect the dynamics of coastal ecosystems as well as maintaining traditional uses of the shore. The goal of the Guidelines was to protect tourism investment and preserve the environment as a core element to the tourist attraction. 

  • KENYA
Kenya developed its EIA guidelines for hotel development in 1998. This was a very detailed document that laid out all the necessary steps that developers had to take and all the material that needed to be included in the EIA.
  • EGYPT
The Tourism Development Authority prepared the “Best Practices for Tourism Center Development along the Red Sea Coast “ TDA had recognized that priority must be given to guiding private development in ways that protect Egypt’s natural heritage and insure that tourism can be sustained far into the future.

In the Best Practices, TDA defines well planned and managed –as distinct from haphazard and destructive – tourism development for the Red Sea coastal Environment.

They are not presented as a rigid set of prescribed steps and procedures, but rather as guidance and assistance in designing successful tourism facilities and managing the environmental assets on which tourism depends. 

  • CARIBBEAN
The Caribbean Tourism organization commissioned Hagler Bailly to prepare a “ Policy and Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Tourism in the Caribbean” for consideration and endorsement by the CTO membership. 

It is organized to serve as a reference document to provide CTO member governments with an overall framework for policy development at the national level supported by possible policy instruments that can be applied in different stages of sector and project development.

In preparing this document, CTO recognizes that in order to achieve sustainable tourism across the region the following elements will need to be in place: (1) regional consensus on a sustainable tourism policy; (2) the requisite regulatory framework which can facilitate the implementation of sustainable tourism development principles; (3) an action plan that identifies necessary actions for implementation of the regional policy at the national level.

  • IHEI
Green Hotelier, the quarterly magazine of the IHEI began issuing pull out sections in their magazines that focused on “purchasing Guidelines” for various elements such as “ energy-efficient lighting”, chemicals for cleaning, environmentally preferable flooring materials.
  • E BUILD, INC.
E Build , Inc a private organization, headquartered in Vermont, USA began publishing guidelines in their monthly newsletter “Environmental Building  News”. Some of the Guidelines Checklists included that of “Design and Construction”, Interior and outdoor lighting”, “Paints” etc. This newsletter is backed by intensive research and is well respected in the consultancy field.

1999

  • CANADA
In 1999, the Canadian Tourism Commission commissioned the preparation of a compendium of exemplary practices carried out by adventure travel and ecotourism operators, as a tool to transmitting successful lessons. The catalogue will enable operators to review the applicability of a wide range of successful, practical approaches to their own operations.

The use and application of principles and practices learned from the case studies can lead to other operators having access to an exemplary pool of successful ideas and actions. The catalogue may thus help to stimulate grassroots efforts in adventure travel and ecotourism throughout Canada to improve the sector in quality, success components and competitiveness.

B Current Trends in Ecolodge Guidelines

One of the main trends is the preparation and implementation of specific guidelines by various provinces and states. Australia as expected is the leader and two of its states, Queensland and Western Australia are at the forin this field.

  • WESTERN AUSTRALIA
In March 1999, The Western Australian Planning Commission a state of the art “Planning and environmental guidelines for Tourism Development on North West Cape”. 

The purpose of these guidelines is to:

  1. Provide state agencies, local government, community and proponents with clear guidance regarding tourism development
  2. Delineate ‘limits of acceptable change” which will ensure the wilderness experience remains available and 
  3. Preserve, enhance and protect the fragile environment of the North West Cape.
  • QUEENSLAND
In 1999, Tourism Queensland went one step further and came out with “ Grow your Ecotourism Business – A support Kit for Operators” which is a two volume publication produced to assist existing operators to further develop their businesses and, importantly , to provide guidance to individuals, groups and organizations seeking to develop new ecotourism products. 

The kit is the only publication of it’s kind in the world, presenting user friendly information and suggestions on the status of Ecotourism and nature based tourism in Queensland, best practice techniques across a range of operational areas, business planning, permitting and approval processes, interpretation, conservation, marketing and sustainable design.

  • SABAH, MALAYSIA
The Ministry of Tourism Development, Environment, science and technology has decided to revise and reproduce the guidelines, originally prepared by the Federal ministry of Culture, arts and Tourism, and place them in the context of Sabah’s environment and Sabah’s tourism. By making them widely available to the tourism industry, the industry’s employees, it’s clients, operators, entrepreneurs and its regulators, the Ministry hopes to continue their efforts in continually improving and upgrading the ways in which tourism is carried out.

The guidelines are intended for all players in the field of Ecotourism: planners, site managers, government agencies, trainers, designers etc.

Guidelines are divided into three sections:

Part A Guidelines on Ecosystems

Part B Guidelines on Skills and Practices

Part C Guidelines on Administration and management

The other trend in keeping with the prominence of the World Wide Web is a Web Site that is fully geared towards providing guidance on various ecolodge issues:

  • TWIN WEB SITE - AUSTRALIA
In 1998, The Office of National Tourism prepared an Internet usable resource directory in the belief that it will be of assistance to the reader. It covers a wide range of issues, it is not intended to be a detailed reference but a preliminary guide. 

The Resource Directory aims to provide a convincing and sensible rationale for developing low-environmental impact tourism accommodation. It covers a wide range of issues that need to be considered throughout the development process of building an accommodation facility such as: energy, waste, water, building materials, management, approval process and case studies. 

The discussion of the qualities and features that make a tourism facility ecologically sustainable will be especially important for those who are starting out with little knowledge or background in the area. 

The twelve case studies demonstrate the principles of sustainable tourism and are examples of commercial success based on sound environmental practices.

  • COSTA RICA CST WEB SITE
The Costa Rican Tourism Institute and the Costa Rican National Accreditation Commission in 1999 developed the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program. It is a program that seeks to categorize and certify each tourism company according to the degree to which its operations comply with a model of sustainability. To this effect, four fundamental aspects are evaluated:
  1. Physical-biological parameters
    Evaluates the interaction between the company and its surrounding natural habitat. 
  2. Infrastructure and services
    Evaluates the management policies and the operational systems within the company and its infrastructure. 
  3. External clients
    Evaluates the interaction of the company with its clients in terms of how much it allows and invites the client to be an active contributor to the company's policies of sustainability. 
  4. Socio-economic environment
    evaluates the interaction of the company with the local communities and the population in general. 
Evaluation Guidelines:

The Evaluation Guidelines are a set of best practices in implementing sustainability measures in tourism businesses. Currently, guidelines have been developed for hotels only. Other tourism sector business guidelines are being developed.

The Evaluation Guidelines are not meant to be taken as definitive CST standards. They are guidelines that assist the business person design their own sustainability strategy. 

  • EGYPT
In 1999, TDA prepared a short manual “ Guidelines for Ecolodge Development in Egypt” to guide visitors , and others who may be interested , toward a common understanding of what an ecolodge in Egypt should aim to represent, and to detail how they intend to classify these lodges in order to distinguish them from traditional hotels. 

The manual was made into three brochures:

  1. Ecotourism and the Egyptian Context
  2. Ecofriendly Lodges in Egyptian settings
  3. Requirements for ecolodge design in Egypt.
The requirements for ecolodge design was divided into three sections:
  1. Generic recommendations for the architecture of ecolodges for planners, architects, and consultants working in the field of ecotourism
  2. Eco-lodge “DOs” and “DON’T’s”, or guidelines for investors to be delivered to their consultants, before starting the design.
  3. An ecolodge checklist for TDA and investors.
  • TES INTERNATIONAL ECOLODGE GUIDELINES BOOK
The International Ecolodge Guidelines to be published by The Ecotourism Society promise to be the most comprehensive and far reaching guidelines in the tourism industry, and will help set the standard for such facilities worldwide. I am the editor of the book and have co-written two of the chapters on Site Planning and Architecture Design.

The Ecolodge Guidelines book is the culmination of four years of work, which began at the Second Eco-lodge Field Seminar organized by the Ecotourism Society in Costa Rica in 1995. The main purpose of the conference and field seminar was to formulate Ecolodge Guidelines. Many of the guidelines were compiled from participatory work-sessions at the conference, which were attended by people from 35 countries. It is the intention of the Ecotourism Society for these guidelines to be internationally applicable. As such, the guidelines are flexible enough to be universal and not prescriptive. It is left upon the user to adapt to the local situation whether that is in the Amazon, in the Savannah of Africa or in Mt. Fuji.

Because of the changing nature of the ecolodge industry, the guidelines as discussed at the conference have been updated and new ideas and concepts have also been covered. Age –old concepts and ways of design such as Feng Shui, Vastu Shaastra and modern concepts like Gaia and Permaculture are mentioned in detail making this book one of the most universal as regards guidelines. For more detailed information on the particular chapters, a bibliography and Internet sites have been included where you can get more detailed information. It is our hope that this book will be published in Spanish and French and perhaps someday in Arabic.

It is the intention of the society that these guidelines be also used for other Ecotourism Facilities like visitor centers, warden’s houses, staff accommodation and entrance gates. It is also the editor’s wish that the guidelines be useful in the emerging field of ecolodge development, but also that the recommendations be applied in some measure to the traditional hospitality sector, in order that negative environmental and social impacts be minimized. These guidelines will help people get a better definition of Ecolodges, and in so doing, help tourism agencies to set up criteria to determine whether a lodge is an ecolodge or not. 

These guidelines are designed for any group out there that is connected to Ecolodges whether it be a developer, an architect, an owner, a manager, marketing director, a consultant, government representative, NGO etc.

The table of contents reveals that this new document will indeed be comprehensive. General topics covered are: 

  • Site Selection, Planning and Design
  • Biophysical Impact
  • Architectural Design
  • Socio-economic and Cultural Impacts
  • Legal and Financial Factors
  • Operation and Management
  • Marketing and Promotion
 

 



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