Regenerative Forest Tourism
Immersing ourselves in nature is an essential part of the human experience. The restorative joy of walking in a forest or camping in the woods provides a state of calm and improves our overall well-being, inspiring the term “forest bathing” from the Japanese word shinrin-yoku. With natural woodland spaces providing tremendous positive benefits for visitors, it is essential that that positivity is reflected back towards the host environment through travelers traversing them with sustainability in mind. This International Day of Forests, RISE Travel Institute takes a look at how forest tourism can be participated in ethically and sustainably, keeping with this year’s theme of “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being.”
Enjoy Safely and Respectfully
Taking a walk in the woods sounds like a simple outing, but individuals can severely hurt themselves or the local ecosystem and wildlife without the proper preparation. Whether visiting a forest locally or internationally, it is essential to understand the regulations and best practices for the area ahead of time. A lack of awareness of local poisonous plants or the trail routes can result in serious harm for individuals. Everything from making a fire to disposing of garbage can have a tremendous negative impact on natural spaces when not done properly.
Colorado national parks recently received an uptick in visitors due to the pandemic, and park services saw a dramatic increase in litter. Visitor service manager Mary Ann Bonnell noted, “The other issue we are seeing is bagged trash being left in picnic areas next to full trash cans, in this case, the visitor thinks they are doing the right thing by bagging trash and leaving it next to existing trash cans. But bagged trash will be too tempting for wildlife.” In this scenario, although tourists are visiting with the best intentions, they may be putting local wildlife at risk of becoming nuisance animals. This mistake could have been prevented by understanding the local needs of the forest and following leave-no-trace principles.
Make a Sustainable Impact
The only way we can keep enjoying forests is if they are still there. Beyond treating natural spaces respectfully, we can make choices in our own lives to help protect forests.
Taking a look at how our diets, modes of transport, and energy use affect natural spaces can help us mitigate negative impacts at an individual level. Driving energy efficient or electric vehicles helps reduce damaging fossil fuel use and pollution. Avoiding products linked to mining deforestation can help reduce mining in overmined areas. Four products, beef, soy, palm oil, and wood products, currently cause most tropical deforestation. Cutting down our consumption of these products will have a direct impact on natural environments. Whether you commit to a vegan or vegetarian diet or just choose not to eat meat for 1–2 meals, you can make a difference to the amount of beef produced and the soy used to feed meat and dairy animals.
Consider Community-Based Ecotourism
When selecting your forest destination, take into account the organization you are supporting with your visit. Who maintains the trails? Who are the tour guides and rangers? In some countries, forest areas are administered by the local community enabling your tourist dollars to go directly towards the local population. In one example from a report by the Global Forest Coalition, they mention that community forest groups in Nepal “now manage community-based ecotourism activities at the local level, providing much-needed income for poor forest-dependent families and a key source of livelihoods for many communities.” Support local communities by visiting forests managed by community forest groups.
Forests are self-sustaining and will provide peace and nature to many generations to come as long as we do our part and help keep them from being destroyed. Camping, hiking, and backpacking all provide unique tourism opportunities in many nations around the world. Visit a new forest or one in your own backyard for a deeper connection and appreciation of nature.
About RISE Travel Institute:
RISE Travel Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that inspires responsible, impactful, sustainable, and ethical travel through education. Programming includes The RISE Travel Institute Flagship Program, a ten-week course offered twice yearly that guides travelers and travel professionals using a systems approach and anti-oppression principles. Additional courses include Experiential Journeys, a K-12 Teacher Training program, thematic short courses, and destination courses. We envision a world where travel is a force for positive transformation for both travelers and travel destinations.
About the Author:
Jay (he/him) is a writer and marketer from New Jersey. With a background in content marketing ranging from digital advertising to B2B thought leadership, he brings extensive copywriting experience to the RISE team. Above all, Jay wishes to have a positive impact on the environment and communities locally and throughout the world.
Outside of advocating for sustainable and ethical tourism, he enjoys hiking, backpacking, plant based cooking and playing guitar. Jay has a BA in English from Rutgers University and is always looking for book recommendations.
