| Opulent Eco Travel |
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Page 1 of 7 Traveling with a conscience doesn’t have to mean cold showers and warm beer 
Photo by Fredrik Brodén
CAN LUXURY TRAVEL BE RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL? Can you sip a martini, be driven around by a khaki-clad ranger, and then retreat to a beautiful bedroom complete with 500-thread-count linens and a steaming bath, yet still claim to be a responsible traveler? Answer: Yes. Although it depends. It depends on what your hosts are doing to channel the benefits of tourism. It’s tricky to balance indulgence and mindfulness, and it’s often hard for people to see that there’s more to responsibility and sustainability than changing the lightbulbs. The reality is that tourism is one of the planet’s biggest industries, particularly in less developed parts of the world. The luxury market may account for only 3 percent of global arrivals, but it delivers 25 percent of the industry’s revenue. That means the high-end traveler has the power to deliver a disproportionate amount of positive impact, per person, into supporting conservation efforts and rural communities through ecotourism. In Africa, where we at Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa) operate safari lodges in six countries, the advent of ecotourism has been the turning point for the survival of wildlife areas and the people who call these beautiful places home. At last, these areas have a sustainable means of generating income that doesn’t depend on mining, consumptive hunting, or departing for city employment. It is the very fact that huge tracts of land can be economically sustained by a small number of visitors that makes the case for luxury safaris. This does not mean that the earth’s wild spaces are a privilege to be enjoyed only by the wealthy, but the luxury lodges generate much-needed employment and income for parks and game reserves from significantly fewer beds. That’s key when you consider environmental impact. It’s a realization that nearly every environmental department has come to and embraced as an economic lifeline for national parks and lands rich in biodiversity that need protection. If you accept the argument that high-ticket travelers can deliver meaningful benefits to conservation and communities, the next question is, why would they choose to go on a safari and experience the remarkable, sometimes frightening world of nature rather than retreat to a chic establishment on more familiar turf? 
Courtesy of CC Africa
The good news is that once these travelers arrive and African hospitality begins to work its magic, they fall in love with the more soulful side of their safari. After a trip, more than anything else, our clients talk about the genuine people and communities they encountered, the tangible ethics of the company, and how the whole experience was deeply nourishing. This is the new, prized luxury. The appetite for irrational exuberance and extravagance seems to be waning, and there is an emergence of a traveler with heart who seeks a holiday that delivers a sense of connectedness. These same people are also asking all the right questions about whether their travel created something positive. But they still seek to travel in style and are prepared to pay for it. The intersection of these two realities—a wealthy traveler who desires authentic experiences, and a world that needs more conservation efforts—is potentially a match made in heaven. Responsible, respectful high-yield ecotourism is a powerful interlocutor between these worlds, and if that means we need to offer our guests four fluffy towels, great views, and a chilled chardonnay to win them over, then that’s precisely what we will do. |
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