Explore the greener, cleaner side of Central America and ensure your travels are as good for the region as they are for you.
Sustainable tourism is something of a mixed bag in Central America. Some countries – Costa Rica and Belize in particular – are world leaders in genuine, sustainable tourism. While in certain other nations sustainable tourism, and environmental protection in general, remains a challenge. There are certain simple steps that anyone can take though to ensure your holiday in Central America is as green as can be.
Protected areas
There are all sorts of protected areas in Central America. The highest level of protected area is a national park, which is funded and managed by government agencies. Visiting these does of course encourage the development of further national parks. But, from a community and environmental protection perspective, perhaps an even more worthwhile type of protected area to visit are the growing number of smaller community-established and managed landscapes. These are often restored forest eco-systems and visiting them puts money directly into local pockets.
A bed for the night
The type of accommodation you choose can make a big difference to your overall environmental footprint. There are a growing number of eco-friendly places to stay throughout Central America. Green credentials at such places can include the sustainable sourcing of building materials, clean power generation, working exclusively with local communities, restoring local habitats, and being engaged in community and environmental projects in the neighborhood. Check the websites of any hotels for their green credentials before booking.
People count too
When talking about sustainable travel it’s very easy to forget that this applies to people and community as much as it does wildlife and environment. Central America’s Indigenous peoples number in the millions and many of these people live in environmentally sensitive areas. Some might have been completely displaced from their land to make way for national parks and other protected areas. A great way of supporting the rights of Indigenous peoples and bringing income into host communities is through community tourism. This can be done through homestays with Indigenous peoples, using local people as your guide in a protected area or simply through purchasing locally made arts and crafts. A good Costa Rican based organisation is the Cooperative Consortium National Ecotourism Network (www. turismoruralcr. com/community-based-rural-tourism).
Voluntary work
A popular way of engaging in an extended stay in Central America is through volunteer tourism and there are a few very commendable projects out there that you can get involved in. However, volunteer tourism is also a business, and you should carefully check out any project you sign up too. In some cases, the project is of minimal benefit to the local community or the environment while in others your presence is simply depriving a local of an income.
Tourism hot spots
There are certain places in Central America that everyone wants to visit. But large numbers of people congregating on certain key sites can lead to issues of over development, erosion and environmental and cultural destruction. Instead of following the masses to the key sites why not blaze your own trail and check out quieter, lesser-known corners where you’re likely to receive a warmer welcome and your presence is more likely to be of greater benefit to the community.
Tour companies
If you’re opting to explore Central America on an organised tour, then make sure you choose your company carefully. For most tour companies, profit is the overriding goal but there are a growing number who take their environmental responsibilities seriously by working closely with local communities and investing a percentage of profits into environmental protection projects.
How you travel
Far too many people try to rush around Central America by private vehicle or plane in an attempt to see as much of the region as they can in a short period of time. Not only does this result in a fairly superficial image of the area but it leaves a big environmental footprint. A far more rewarding – for you and the planet – way of exploring Central America is to focus on one small corner and explore it slowly and in an environmentally friendly way such as by hiking or cycling.
Thatched houses and palm tree forest in the Kuna Yala archipelago, Panama