Ecolodges
Ecolodges
Ecolodge Resources
International Ecolodge Guidelines (Member log-in required)
Given the continued demand for ecotourism destinations, the increase in numbers of lodging facilities seems inevitable, and for this reason, these guidelines have been written to allow for the creation of ecolodges. Our aim has been to provide a framework for the design, development and operations of future lodges such that they uphold the social and ecological integrity of their given environments, and thereby allow for sustained benefits from ecotourism without damaging or destroying the very natural resources on which they depend. (© 2002 The International Ecotourism Society)
The Business of Ecolodges: A Survey of Ecolodge Economics and Finance (Member log-in required)
Ecolodge sponsors and managers are diverse and include communities, corporations, families, governments, NGOs and individual entrepreneurs. This diversity exacerbates the fact that little or no information on the economics and financing of ecolodges is available. As a result, entrepreneurs and financiers have not had a sound base to make financial projections, evaluate requests for funding, or benchmark their performance relative to their competition. (© 2001 The International Ecotourism Society)
ICF Study on Nature-based Lodges
In 2003 and 2004, TIES and Epler Wood International were involved in a major study, on behalf of the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, of the environmental, social, and economic footprint of ecolodges and nature-based lodges around the world. TIES implemented a detailed survey to compile data on the current practices of the nature lodges operating in developing countries with significant nature tourism offerings.
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More on Ecolodges
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Latest News and Articles on Ecolodges
Photo by Hans Tammemagi
By Hans Tammemagi
The Land Rover bumped along a riverbed, passing scraggly trees and splashing through occasional pools that soon would be dry. I was on a safari tour in the Damaraland region of Namibia in southwest Africa. Since leaving camp, we had passed through a parched, barren, rocky landscape. But the wildlife was like Alice in Wonderland.
A row of oryx trotted along a ridge, baboons scampered on a cliffside, orange and green parakeets squawked in a bush. We turned a corner and, suddenly, four elephants were coming right at us,...
El Remanso Lodge Receives "Five Leaves"
El Remanso Lodge (Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica) has been awarded with the "Level 5" of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), a rigorous certification program by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) that evaluates tourism companies' sustainability practices in natural, cultural and social resource management. CST is regulated by the Costa Rican National Accreditation Commission and consists of a scale of 5 levels of sustainable tourism achievements.
This is the highest possible rating and El Remanso has...
By Hannah Wood
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
"Let's build an eco-lodge."
"...OK!”
And with that it began. Three years ago, sitting on the balcony of our house in Dar es Salaam, my husband Woody and our two friends and business partners, Roy and Zoe, thought we’d start up a new business. Woody, Roy and Zoe already manage a safari company here in Tanzania. On their country-wide tours, Roy and Zoey send guests from all over the world into the hidden nooks and crannies of the country. The partnership seemed natural, as we were each...
By Hannah Wood
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
"Let's build an eco-lodge."
"...OK!" - And with that it began.
Three years ago, sitting on the balcony of our house in Dar es Salaam, my husband Woody and our two friends and business partners, Roy and Zoe, thought we’d start up a new business. Woody, Roy and Zoe already manage a safari company here in Tanzania. On their country-wide tours, Roy and Zoey send guests from all over the world into the hidden nooks and crannies of the country. The partnership seemed natural, as we were each...
Authentic Ecolodges world premier launch was held at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) in September 2010
Authentic Ecolodges
Launched in September 2010, the one-of-a-kind "chai-table book" Authentic Ecolodges is the result of many years of dedicated research by the world-renowned ecolodge guru and sustainable architecture and design expert, Hitesh Mehta. Having traveled through 46 countries in six continents, he hopes that Authentic Ecolodges will create environmental and social awareness around the world, and inspire everyone to enjoy the world and...
This article was originally published by Lights of Africa. View original article on Lights of Africa blog
Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Chumbe Island, a half-mile-long coral rag island just eight miles south of Zanzibar’s infamous Stone Town, has become a celebrated ecotourism success story in the Zanzibar archipelago. Its history is a narrative best told directly by Sibylle Riedmiller, a German conservationist who came to Chumbe looking for a coral reef to protect in the late 80s. After years of complex negotiations among several actors, Sibylle’s...
The Japan Ecolodge Association (ECOLA) released the first Ecolodge Guidelines developed specifically for Japan on June 18, 2006 at its annual general meeting in Kyoto. The tourism ambassador to the city of Kyoto joined ECOLA members and Board of Directors to celebrate the launch of the guidelines. The Ecolodge Guidelines comprise of a checklist of 110 items, covering six categories (Environmental Sustainability; Food and Beverage; Reduction of Wastes and Recycling; Saving Energy and Water; Green Purchasing; and Environmental Conservation). The first five categories comply with the Green...
