The Future of Ecotourism
Angela Nastasi
HTT/210
February 24, 2013
Michelle Goodman

The Future of Ecotourism
The Sequoia National Forest inherited its name from the giant sequoia trees that inhabit this beautiful forest. These trees are the largest in the world and an amazing sight to see. The Sequoia’s is one of nineteen National Forests in California (United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, n.d.). The over 12,000 feet peeks provide visitors the opportunity to witness spectacular views that only this forest can provide. If travelers do not continue to preserve the environment there are drastic changes that will occur. Providing tourists with knowledgeable information regarding how to maintain its beauty is imperative for preservation.
As a yearly visitor of the Sequoia National Forest I wanted to provide readers with an insight to how precious this ecotourism destination is. Because this destination and its beauty rely solely on the respect of its visitors to prevent overpopulation and harm to the resources, I felt it was important to offer information on how we can keep its beauty for years to come. In addition to the enormous redwood trees the Sequoia National Forest is also known for its bodies of water such as Hume Lake, Jennie Lakes, Kings River and the Kern River and is also home to many beautiful meadows. As beautiful as the Sequoia National Forest is, that can change for the worse if travelers are not aware of the steps they can take to ensure they are not harming the environment. Currently, the lakes and meadows encounter results of ecotourism on an annual basis. Between fishing, camping fires, and not properly disposing of waste, the forest as well as its wildlife is in constant danger.
In order to restore and prevent from future damage to the forest, it is important to follow some simple ecotourism practices when traveling to this remote beauty. The first practice I wanted to discuss is to protect fragile environments by not disturbing the trees. Many people want to take a pice od their trip home, but there are gift shops that sell baby sequoia trees so you don’t need to take one from the wild. In order to keep the Sequoia’s a desired destination that differs from the city life most of us live in, when traveling there you need to be aware of your surroundings and respect the nature. The second practice is to defer to wildlife. We need to remember that the forest is home to these animals. Bears, deer, rabbits, squirrels, snakes as well as many others rely on this land to survive. Think about how you would feel if a bear entered your home without permission. Try to admire the animals without disturbing them or disturbing their normal behavior. Third, be sure to listen, observe, and reflect on what you experience. This will help you relate to nature and gain a respect for how beautiful many areas can be. Last, it is important to apply what you have learned so others who visit can have knowledge of the environment they are entering.
In each tourism environment, there are stakeholders who help to operate and maintain the culture and resources within such. For the Sequoia National Forest, the main stakeholders are those of local communities. Most of the tour guides, park rangers, and store owners live in the forest. These individuals not only promote the area to earn money for preservation, they educate their visitors to have the tools they need to prevent from future harm. For many who live here the forest is their way of life. These community members need us as tourists just as bad as the forest needs them to keep nature just that, nature.
There are approximately four accredited ecotourism organizations that help to preserve tourist environments as well as nature (Biederman, 2008). One of the organizations I felt could do a great deal to help preserve the Sequoia National Forest is The International Ecotourism Society, also known as TIES. TIES mission is to “promote responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people by: creating an international network of individuals, institutions, and the tourism industry; public institutions and donors to integrate the principles of ecotourism into their operations and policies” (Biederman, 2008). TIES also collaborates to collaborate with other organizations to ensure all needs are met.
All traveled tourist destinations endure a variety of people, who have a variety of diverse cultural standards and it is impossible for all of us to think the same. This is a huge challenge for nature such as the Sequoia’s because different cultures may not understand how harmful humans can be without intention. The other challenge is preventing fires during the summer months when surroundings are dry. Ensuring tourists understand fire safety is the key to preservation as well. On the other hand, the opportunity to expand wildlife in this environment is tremendous. The natural resources, if left uninhabited can provide miles and miles of food and shelter for animals and reptiles of many types. Another positive opportunity for the Sequoia’s is the amounts of natural resources the beautiful redwood sequoia trees have the capability of providing for the wild life within.
My hope is that I have educated you enough for you to feel confident to travel to a secluded place of interest and be able to leave knowing your visit did not harm the environment during your stay. If we all think about the places we travel as our homes and how we would want them to be treated if they were our own, we can stay aware of our actions. Remember; before you travel make sure you do your homework on the condition of your destination. By doing, so you will provide yourself knowledge to help you along your journey.

References
Biederman, P. S., et al. (2008). Travel and Tourism: An Industry Primer. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Prentice Hall.
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. (n.d.). Sequoia National Forest. Retrieved from http://www.fs.usda.gove/main/sequoia