Eco Tourism Blog

Nigeria: looking for investment in Eco Tourism :

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the Minister of Culture and Tourism wants private enterprise to develop eco tourism in the country in partnership with the government. Nigeria is planning to host an eco tourism and investment Symposium by November. This fortunately will also be the time for the Abuja Carnival 2006. After16 years of military rule this country gained peace only in 1999. Demographically the most populous region of Africa marred by the after effects of strife and corruption needs to preserve all its natural resources well. Map Via: The Tide

Village Tourism in Zambia :

A new tourism concept called ‘village tourism’ has been introduced by Thorn Tree Safaris. The concept cannot be truly regarded as new as it has been explored under ‘agritourism’ The concept means living with the villagers getting a feel of their culture and food habits . According to Stephanie Gabriel, it is aimed at showcasing the hospitality of Zambians. It’s a two way process in which the villagers are also helped and the guests entertained. Thorn Tree has aligned with Miyamba and Chipwa villages. The Zambia National Tourist Board (ZNTB) will this year be promoting Luapula and Northern provinces through the ‘Visit Zambia 2006′ campaign. Image Thanks: David Silwamba Via: All Africa

Across Africa in Comfort :

Escape Expedition is offering a break from big group, big vehicle travel with smaller 4×4 with air conditioning and leather seats for more comfort through the entre journey. Travel to more distant, unusual destinations on the same. Rates: From £1,075 for a two-week gorilla safari to £5,000 for a 10-week drive across 11 countries. Read

Green Washed through Green Revolution?

The so called high yielding varities of different plants are making sure that small scale farmers run out of business. Genitically engineered seeds for me symbolize interference with Gods natural order. Therefore the Gates and Rockefeller foundations new partnership that will, they say, spur an agricultural “Green Revolution” in Africa fills me with a lot of doubt. Not only will it adversely affect the environment but will also make lots loose their surplus profits.What do you Think? Image Via: Grist

Africa in danger of loosing Tourist influx due to Climatic Changes as per UN report :

The haven of safaris is in danger from global warning. The coastal zones are most likely to be affected by climate change with reduced fish productivity, coral bleaching, salt water intrusion, loss of beach facilities and tourism revenues. This is as per a new report on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in Africa , released by the data from UN bodies and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Rainfall has fallen by up to 2.4% per decade in tropical rainforests regions of Africa since the mid-1970s.The rate of decline has been fastest in West Africa and north Congo. Sea levels could rise by 15 to 95 cm by 2100, according to some estimates. It is also estimated that 30% of Africa’s coastal infrastructure could be inundated including coastal settlements in the Gulf of Guinea, Senegal, the Gambia and Egypt if Africa does not improve in climate and weather monitoring capabilities and policies. It needs 200 automatic weather stations, a genuine effort to rescue historical data and improved weather reporting capability. Continue reading “Africa in danger of loosing Tourist influx due to Climatic Changes as per UN report” »

Tree Nation: A project to fight poverty and environmental problems :

Fighting desertification and poverty is the utmost need of the nation, keeping this in mind Tree Nation; an online community has been started. It is an ecological project which has a focused objective to plant 8 million trees in the shape of a giant heart Large-scale plantation of trees will increase the land’s productivity and re-generate the soil. What is the purpose of Tree Nation? Desertification is the most threatening ecosystem change which is impacting the livelihoods of the poor, it is about land degradation caused by climate change and human induced factors. By planting your tree, you can help combat this process and regenerate the productivity of the land. Who can become the member of the community? Any one interested can become a member of tree nation community and play an active role in the development of the project, contributing suggestions, sharing photos and gathering ideas in the Tree-Blogs. The community will provide a platform through which everyone including, scientific experts, celebrities, politicians and students can debate and resolve global environmental challenges, and even create their own projects. How to proceed? Tree-Nation uses mapping technology in a different way. Your tree will have a GPS spot allowing you to track it on the internet wherever you are. There are four types of trees to choose from, ranging from €10 – €75 each. The tree can be named and a message added that people viewing it later can read. Continue reading “Tree Nation: A project to fight poverty and environmental problems” »

‘canned’ hunts to be outlawed in Africa :

Imagine being bred, fattened up and set free just to be hunted. Seems like the sequence of the childhood fairy tail where the evil witch keeps feeding the kids just to boil and eat them. This is just a hint of the plight of tigers in Africa. They are reared in captivity from 6 months to two years then set free to be hunted. They no longer see humans as there enemies and can hardly fend for themselves in the wild.There seems to be a major tourist influx for this kind of hunting tours. Thankfully, now a ban has been put on them. South Africa’s environment minister said that he was sickened by wealthy tourists shooting tame lions from the back of a truck and felling rhinos with a bow and arrow. Moreover , lions bred in captivity would have to be released into the open for at least two years before they could be hunted. Van Schalkwyk said a previously proposed six-month delay would not give lions enough time to develop self-defense instincts. However, conservationists feel that the law would be difficult to enforce and did not go far enough because it stopped short of an outright ban on intensive breeding of lions, leopards and other predators. Continue reading “‘canned’ hunts to be outlawed in Africa” »