By ROBERT JUMPER
One Feather Editor
Ecotourism. Sounds like a truly scientific word with deep meaning. The premise of this philosophy isn’t rocket science. It is a merging of two words: ecology and tourism. Ecology is “the study of relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; it seeks to understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around them. Ecology also provides information about the benefits of ecosystems and how we can use Earth’s resources in ways that leave the environment healthy for future generations (Ecological Society of America).” Tourism is “the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation, relaxation, and pleasure while making use of the commercial provision of services (Britannica).”
A big difference between ecotourism and other forms of tourism is communities that invest in it also invest in the long-term health of their cultures and neighborhoods. The goal of most ecotourism efforts is low-impact, sustainable economic development. Both cultural and environmental protection are factored into ecotourism efforts. Typically, regarding this type of tourism, the community benefits not only from increased revenue and people traffic in their community, but also sees long-term communal benefits, like healthy air, water, and land.
The International Ecotourism Society state, “Offering market-linked long-term solutions, ecotourism provides effective economic incentives for conserving and enhancing bio-cultural diversity and helps protect the natural and cultural heritage of our beautiful planet. By increasing local capacity building and employment opportunities, ecotourism is an effective vehicle for empowering local communities around the world to fight against poverty and to achieve sustainable development. With an emphasis on enriching personal experiences and environmental awareness through interpretation, ecotourism promotes greater understanding and appreciation for nature, local society, and culture.”
The tourism industry has seen a significant shift in the habits and wants of the traveling public. Along with green energy, the tourism industry has seen a significant shift in its clientele’s perspective on what they would like to see and experience. Interestingly, visitors care much more about the “how’s” of an experience. For example, this generation of tourists actively seeks out “eco-friendly” hotels. “An eco-friendly hotel, often referred to as a green or sustainable hotel, is an establishment that prioritizes environmental sustainability and social responsibility throughout its operations. These hotels adopt a holistic approach to minimize their carbon footprint, conserve natural resources, support local communities, and enhance guest experiences in an eco-conscious manner (Hospitality World)”. So, a Qualla Boundary hotelier a couple of decades ago might expect a customer to ask what amenities they could expect, like “Is there a heated pool?”. Now, the business operator might get the question, “How is your pool heated?”. It matters to this tourism generation that they don’t contribute to pollution or erosion of the environment in their daily lives, and that includes where their products come from and how they are produced, right down to materials used to build their rented hotel rooms and the chemicals used to clean it.
Smart entrepreneurs are taking their cues from those they are trying to attract. And, in the tourism industry that has a trickle-down effect, if not a direct impact, on what amenities a town like Cherokee and the Qualla Boundary plan to provide.
Greenways, walking and bike trails, bike lanes on public thoroughfares, LED streetlights in parks, and a whole host of other green amenities are due to the acknowledgment of environmental conservation, and the public’s desire (both local and tourist) to be more mindful of conservation and environmental protection. A major theme of the Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derby, from its very inception, was the conservation and protection of natural resources, like the Oconaluftee River.
Tribal planning, in recent years, has expanded its vision beyond greenways to include bike trails, bike lanes on roadways, and other outdoor, low-environmental impact activities to get back to some pretty traditional views of our tribe regarding the protection of the land for future generations. For example, bike lanes as part of road planning are a nod to the environment as much as it is to road safety. These lanes make bicycling as a form of transportation more appealing, whether that is the Cherokee people going about their day-to-day activities or the ecotourist here to enjoy the beauty of our Boundary. It keeps the cyclists safer as they aren’t in the line of faster-moving, more powerful vehicles. It also keeps the cyclists off the pedestrian sidewalks, which reduces another potential health hazard.
Cyclistsauthority.com states, “Far from being just about individual health or environmental consciousness, bike lanes can drive economic growth. Cyclists, typically, are more inclined to shop locally. Areas with thriving bike lanes often report increased footfall in local businesses. Moreover, cities save on road maintenance costs because bikes, being lighter, wear down roads slower than cars. Tourism too gets a shot in the arm. Cities like Amsterdam or Copenhagen draw tourists in large part due to their cyclist-friendly reputations.”
Having eco-friendly amenities in our community helps not only tourists but also our community members lead a healthier lifestyle. Walking, running, biking, swimming…anything that gets us up and moving will make us more physically, spiritually, and emotionally fit. Frankly, that is how, when you look at old photos and drawings, our ancestors were so lean and fit. They may or may not have eaten more healthy foods, but they surely as a people moved, at work or play, more than we tend to do now.
I wanted to get some input from those who are responsible for the stewardship of our tourism efforts, both on and off the Boundary. One of those chosen few is Nick Breedlove. Nick has been the executive director of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority for eight years and before that was the Mayor of Webster, N.C. Nick shared this about his organization’s efforts on behalf of Jackson County (much of the tribal trust and real property, like Sequoyah National, is also in the municipality of Jackson).
“The majority of our visitors are drawn to ecotourism, a form of travel that focuses on nature-based travel, where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Jackson County serves as a prime base for many who come to explore two of the nation’s most loved national park sites: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. They are renowned for their unparalleled biodiversity, housing thousands of species and, with the arrival of spring, showcasing vibrant wildflowers dotting the hillsides.
“Welcoming an increasing number of visitors each year is both a privilege and a responsibility, challenging us to manage tourism sustainably. On our website, in our visitor guides, and across our social media platforms, we emphasize the importance of responsible tourism and educate our visitors on how to travel sustainably. This includes advocating for Leave No Trace® principles and providing essential pre-visit knowledge to minimize environmental impact, such as the importance of staying on designated trails to prevent erosion, reduce encounters with wildlife, and protect our ecosystem.
“We encourage visitors to take the Outdoor NC pledge, a state-wide initiative aimed at preserving our cherished locales. Our community appreciates and supports this conscientious approach, playing a pivotal role in safeguarding our beautiful region for future generations.
“In our commitment to conservation, we support numerous organizations dedicated to environmental stewardship. This includes assisting with funding Western Carolina University’s Tuck River Cleanup, which is the nation’s largest single-day river cleanup and is happening April 20 this year. We also fund initiatives like Cleaning Up the Mountains and groups like Friends of Panthertown, the Pinnacle Park Foundation, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and Smokies Life (formerly the Great Smoky Mountains Association) who all work to maintain our natural assets. Through these collaborations, we work to ensure that visitors in years to come will get to experience this beautiful place we call home.”
Sean Ross, the newly appointed Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Secretary of Commerce, who previously contributed to the tribe’s adult gaming operations marketing as the regional marketing vice president, expressed that he is completing evaluations to plan and execute a well thought out strategy to tourism on the Boundary, including ecotourism.
“Having evaluated the breadth of opportunities within the Qualla Boundary, I find the possibilities extremely encouraging for our tribe. We have a plethora of natural assets within our borders. Our tribe will create reasonable, relevant, and responsible projects that attend to the mental and physical well-being of our people and the visitors who come to our lands.
“In addition to all of that, we must initiate a widespread mindset within our leadership to manifest sustainability initiatives that encourage the realization of the full potential of the resources we are fortunate to have all around us.
“This cannot be applied piecemeal. We must take further steps to align all the projects in a systematic and calculated manner that addresses all the tribal initiatives to preserve culture, protect resources, grow assets, catalyze greater visitation, and bolster economic prosperity.
“There has been years of planning and information gathering many times over. These ideas or concepts are nothing new. I feel the time is now to dust these plans off and put projects into motion with the proper level of scope and financial support. We have applied an effective measure of diligence and believe we have a strategy that will achieve the objectives of our tribe.”
As Native Americans, as Cherokee people, we have always been ecology minded. As Cherokee people, we have always been a welcoming people. Ecotourism should be a no-brainer for us, at least the vision of it. As Nick and Sean have well stated, it takes education, enthusiasm, and effort. We need to take stock in what we have, enjoying those resources with an eye toward protection and conservation. It should be at the core of sustainable visitation planning. Our community has been brought up to revere nature and our natural resources. Now travelers are catching up with us and appreciating communities who pay attention to nature and culture. And it all comes to our people naturally. All we must do is remember it and apply it.
