Ecotourism; The real way to travel.

Ecotourism; A label given to travelling across the planet, treading lightly and not disturbing the people and other creatures that are living there.

Incorporating your ‘truths’ into making a living can often lead a person to choose his area of work in something he enjoys. Ecotourism offers a niche for those who wish to share an appreciation of other cultures, places and people, and the freedom of spirit that travelling can create. It must be a position of great responsability, and caution not to cross that fine line into the degradation of an area, the lifestyle of its’ inhabitants and its’ natural resources.

There are eco companies that carefully plan excursions and holidays to beautiful, interesting far flung places, enabling you to become part of the community at both ends of the journey – developing relationships with local inhabitants that are mutually satisfying. Rather than feel like an unwanted outsider and contracting into oneself resulting in all sorts of stand offish behaviour, the traveller can feel comfortable that he is accepted, even welcome at his destination, and expand into it, to develop a deeper connection there, and enjoy a much fuller experience.

We are all brothers and sisters sharing mother earth, and exploring each others cultures can remind us just how much or how little an impact different cultures have on our immediate environment and the planet as a whole, and may be an important part of the process of reconnecting with our more natural state of being as an integral part of life on earth.

Eco tourism is a wonderful way to travel the globe for a holiday or adventure, and eco friendly sustainable tourism can be experienced at both ends of the scale. It is strange but true that some of the simplest and most ancient of pleasures; saunas, massage, yoga, swimming, fine cooking with fine organic produce, meditation and relaxation, have become the main components of some of the most exclusive luxury resorts in trend, where these ‘simple pleasures are provided for you wrapped in exclusivity. For those who prefer a more down to earth adventure, there are plenty of opportunities for low impact back packing and trekking in some of the wildest places. Ultimately, the level of eco appreciation is down to, or up to the person doing the appreciating , for many these days that level is increased when they know that nothing has suffered so that they may enjoy.
How ‘green’ the eco tourism you are prepared to accept is of course your personal decision. A little greener is better than not green at all, and completely green is hard to find, although not impossible and a bit of research will uncover some travel destination options that are being as green as they can, avoiding green washing by not telling green marketing fibs, and aiming to grow greener as they evolve.

The BIG difference between ‘Green Marketing’ and ‘Greenwashing’.

Just so we don’t get a repeat of the 60′s when propaganda turned public relations and infiltrated the trusting hippy movement, aiming to ‘coin their concept’ of individuality peace and tried to divert them into being a whole new consumer market, we need to be very aware of the term of the full potential behind the word ‘green’.

When used with sincerity, the term ‘green’ helps when it comes to niche marketing for example tagging social networking Blogs, and quickly getting across your general standpoint. However, it is not really enough to hear or read the word green, and believe that whatever it is labeling or marketing will really be completely and absolutely beneficial to us, our lives and the planet. We need to be cautious of advertising that will exploit it and hopefully as we become more discerning it will make it easier for environmentally sustainable, holistic, eco conscious and truly ‘green’ marketing to reach it’s grateful market.

Image is from Futerra, in their own words; ‘ Futerra is the sustainability communications agency; from green to ethical, climate change to corporate responsibility. For over seven years we’ve helped you save the world.’

http://www.futerra.co.uk/

Jeannine

Green marketing meets social networking.

There is an interesting marriage occuring between green marketing and social networking, that looks to develop into a long and prosperous marriage.

The market for green, eco-conscious products, materials, homes and even holiday destinations is rapidly growing alongside the amount of better informed consumers, and finding these products is not as easy as one might think, obviously the more obscure your green desires are, the further from the mainstream market place they are.

Until now, the blanket media used by the small amount of corporate giants that manipulate not thousands, not millions, but billions of individuals acts as a very effective barrier between you and your green ideals. Now however, instead of going through the big in your face doors of the Obvious, getting lost in the never ending corridors of the mass produced mundane and ending up in the same unsatisfying place, you can enter into the cyber backyard where people are still talking to each other, and find personal recommendations and directions to backdoor urls.

This is great for small businesses, website owners and therefore web designers. Those whose marketing budget does not, and will likely never, match those of the all encompassing CEOS, can slip cheerfully to the front of the google qeue, just by putting in ‘alot of social networking hours’ being friendly , communicative and interested, introducing yourself to ‘friends’ and ‘friends of friends’ telling them about yourself, what you do and why you do it.

The internet has created an environment of social inhibition, you don’t wait to be introduced, you introduce yourself; through blogging, video, joining like minded groups on like minded networks, saying Hi, not only to your niche circles, but to the millions of people visiting some of the busiest places on the web today.

The internet has a habit of mimmicking the real world, in big ways; global communication and the interconnectedness of all things, and in smaller ways; the highstreet,the superstore and the directory. Here, websites became your shop front, and visitors passed by…if you were lucky, or if you paid for them to? Now it’s imitating the social domain; the swaree, the gathering, and the cafe. Your website is more like your business card and a word or two on a social networking site is like handing someone a friends telephone number scribbled on a scrap of paper.

So now there is a place for small but vital, world changing and important businesses, and eco conscious people to meet and exchange… and the propogation speed is fast and rambling, like planting strawberries in your vegetable patch, only to find that next season, they are popping up all over your herb and flower garden too.

Jeannine Lewis

http://www.greenseed.ning.com

Eco Conscious Green Marketing and Sustainability.

It may be that we are not the first generation, or even civilisation on earth to carry this responsability on our shoulders, or perhaps we are, but it seems that we all have to save the planet.

With this in mind, establishing equalibrium between personal economic security and an ecological conscience is a pertinant issue for a growing number of people.

It is enough of a challenge reaching your eco conscious niche clients without having to exclude potential clients because the fee you will charge them and later use to build your sustainable homestead infact involves slave labour and pollutes the atmosphere.

That ‘s why whenever a client comes along that also shares your vision for a perfect world, it’s great to be able to approach it with the natural enthusiasm that ensues, and a relief to let that creative imagination wander guilt free!

It can feel, that rather than having chosen a niche, you have been squeezed into one, but i think there is hope, because the need for a strong bond between design and eco friendly sustainability is increasing, and this particular marketing nich has become an asset, not just for the individual, but for the greater good!

Jeannine Lewis

Open Social networking site;
http://www.greenseed.ning.com