Community-Based Eco Tourism in Indonesia

 The folowing is from WWF for a living planet.
About Borneo Ecotourism
Kayan Mentarang National Park
Malinau
Nunukan
Community Interests Meet Environmental Responsibility
Ecotourism can be a sustainable enterprise. But to deliver on its promises, conditions must be created for communities to control the intensity of tourism, retain autonomy, and develop tourism in accordance with their own vision of the future and the needs of the environment.

Two aspects need to be addressed to develop ecotourism as a successful conservation-based enterprise. On the one hand, it has to be equitable and benefit local people . On the other hand, the enterprise has to be economically sound, generate revenues and be professionally operated. For this reason, it is important to develop appropriate marketing strategies and to engage in an open dialogue with the private sector.

Developing Community-Based Ecotourism
For a successful ecoutourism enterprise we need to pay attention , to people and nature, to capacity building, to partnerships and then support these efforts through adequate  practices and policies. With this mind, in developing community-based ecotourism we need to: adopt conservation principles, regulate the number of visitors, and closely monitor impacts
Ensure equitable benefits for local communities
Encourage fair partnerships between local communities/entrepreneurs and tour operators
Create “special transboundary ecotourism zones” where tourists are allowed to cross border for tourism purposes in areas like HoB with high potential for ecotourism.

WWF, a Natural Role in supporting Ecotourism
At several field sites, WWF is engaged in helping local communities  develop, promote and market community-based initiatives by :

Building capacity of communities to lead small ecotourism enterprises
Encouraging communities to enter  fair partnerships with private sector
Help strengthen environmental awareness
Support conservation efforts
Apply and monitor “Green and Fair” criteria in ecotourism development as part of a strategy to bring added value to this enterprise based inside or in the surrounding of conservation areas.
Help promote  Green & Fair products  like local crafts, NTFP, and local agricultural products to tourists and a wider market. .

Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog Photos of the Day 12/30/10

A couple camels from a recent Bali tour that included the island of Java.

Balifornian Tours Bogor-Jakarta, Java, Indonesia 2010.

Want to submit your photo for the Bali Tour Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Bali's Ecotourism Network

Balifornian Tours works with several organizations to give back to the island, remain sustainable, lower our impact and build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.  Please contact us to learn more and see how we can incorporate this into your own tour.  Most of our tours contain elements of ecotourism and charity.  We encourage you to bring donations of clothing, children's toys, tools, etc to donate to impoverished villages in Bali and throughout Indonesia.  We want your tour to be as rewarding and memorable as possible. Bali Village Ecotourism Network- from ecotourism baliwww.com

Mass tourism, and bombing has struck Bali. This tropical island paradise has changed rapidly. It is not only slowly destroying the environment, but also weathering a down turn in the economy. Since 2002 Village Ecotourism Network (VEN) was launched to respond the situations that happen unexpectedly.  We take part to empower the villages and contribute to below objectives. It is such an honor to work together and in collaboration with Wisnu Foundation, the oldest NGO in Bali that is concerned about Nature and Environment.  Ecotourism is about connecting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel.  This means that those who implement and participate in responsible tourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles: • Minimize impact.  • Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.  • Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.  • Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.  • Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people.  • Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate.   Sustainable travel is:  "Tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and  enhancing the environment for the future."  So, please help us by taking part in this program. No matter what you contribute, it means a lot to BALI before it is too late.  If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us by using the form below. We will come back to you with prompt reply. Map of Bali Village Ecotourism Network, please click to get more information

Nightlife in Bali ~ Kuta

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Tenganan and The Bali Aga- The real old school Bali

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The Bali Aga of Tenganan ~ A Photo Essay