Times Record "Sustain Maine" op-ed series
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Maine Initiatives and Swedish Lessons
June 2003
David Vail
June has been cool and damp, but the weekend traffic crush on outer Pleasant Street is a sure sign that tourist season is upon us.
Maine's economic vitality depends on the 22 million paying customers who share our backyard from Memorial Day to fall "leaf peeping" season. Tourists spend nearly $6 billion a year here, making tourism one of Maine's largest income sources. With over 70,000 jobs, tourism is also our largest employer. The Maine Office of Tourism and the private sector invest several million dollars yearly in promotions to keep tourists coming to "Vacationland."
A danger lurking in these big numbers is that Maine's special places can be "loved to death." There are hot spots where the press of tourists already exceeds my notion of sustainable carrying capacity, for instance canoe congestion on the Saco River and tour bus congestion in Kennebunkport; trail erosion on Tumbledown Mountain and disrupted seabird habitat on Casco Bay islands; and Sunday traffic gridlock from Bath to Wiscasset. As these examples convey, carrying capacity limits are social as well as environmental.
Tourism hot spots are increasingly recognized and piecemeal responses are taking shape, for instance Kennebunkport's tourbus parking restrictions; the Maine Island Trail Association's voluntary camping limits; Baxter Park's reservations for Mt. Katahdin; and an Allagash Wilderness Waterway access limitation plan taking shape. Maine's Office of Tourism also targets promotions at off-peak seasons and less-congested interior and Downeast regions.
A new initiative to address the sustainable tourism challenge is the Maine Tourism Commission's creation of a Natural Resources Committee. It "recognizes the importance and value of Maine's natural resources, both as a legacy to be protected for future generations and as the foundation for much of Maine's existing and future tourism industry."
The Legislature has charged this multi-stakeholder Committee to submit findings and recommendations in early 2004. As a preliminary task, the Committee is surveying "key informants" around the state to inventory critical resource management challenges. This will set the agenda for region-by-region stakeholder meetings, designed to assess carrying capacity limits and impacts on nearby communities.
The Committee is in part a response to legislation calling for a Maine ecotourism initiative. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Sean Faircloth (D - Bangor), is convinced of ecotourism's "win-win" potential. In many parts of the world, he notes, ecotourism enhances rural economic vitality as it protects outstanding natural attractions.
Based on my experience in Sweden, Rep. Faircloth is right. I've been a "participant observer", studying ecotourism certification with Swedish colleagues. Sweden resembles Maine in its geography and natural attractions, its localized hot spot problems, and its rural economic reliance upon tourism. We can learn from Swedish efforts to protect fragile natural systems while building a clientele of environmentally conscious tourists.
Sweden has adopted the International Ecotourism Society's 1992 declaration of principles: "Ecotourism is responsible travel that helps protect natural environments and support local people's well-being." In a creative partnership between the state Tourist Board and the non-profit Ecotourism Federation, Sweden has adopted detailed accrediation criteria and, in 2002, certified the first dozen ecotourism operators.
Ecotourism Swedish-style entails minimizing environmental damage, restoring ecosystem health, educating tourists about nature conservation and cultural heritage, and involving local residents in tourism management and benefits. Importantly, nature and cultural heritage are intertwined in the Swedish understanding of ecotourism.
Tour operators seeking certification must meet core standards based on these principles and also fulfill a portion of "bonus" criteria, for instance cultural education and habitat restoration. Certification is a two-stage process, with written applications and site visits overseen by the Ecotourism Federation's audit committee. In the 2002 round, just twelve of 25 applicants were awarded certification. However, training programs are now in place to help more tourism operators qualify. The successful applicants ranged from a dogsled safari business to a log rafting outfitter and from Lapland reindeer culture tours to a mountain lodge offering children's nature education.
Applicants pay a nominal fee and certified operators make annual payments to help defray program costs. In return, they receive extensive free publicity and the right to use the "Natures' Best" logo in their advertising. (See below) Early assessments suggest that certification pays, not just for the environment and for certified operators, but also as a potent image-maker for all of Swedish tourism.
http://www.naturesbest.nu/en/ site »
Sweden's certification experience offers three insights for Maine. First, high standards and third-party evaluation are keys to a credible ecotourism brand image. Second, government plays important roles in fostering ecotourism, but certification need not be a state-run program. Third, ecotourism alone cannot deal with too many visitors at prime attractions. That requires complementary measures to limit access.
Maine has tremendous potential to capitalize on ecotourism, both in venerable market niches like sporting camps and windjammer cruises and in comparatively new niches, such as guided bird and whale watching. One exciting venture is already underway, linking the Island Trail Association's camping limits with the sea kayak guides' commitment to "leave no trace". This just might be the catalyst for an innovative Maine-wide marriage between ecotourism and sustainable resource management.
David Vail teaches ecological economics at Bowdoin College and is a member of the Tourism Commission's Natural Resources Committee.