Interview with ecotourist guide
Marlene Rivera

YCAC LATAM: What is ecotourism and how is it different from ordinary tourism?

 

MARLENE RIVERA: Ecotourism is based beyond knowing a place, it is based on a more natural aspect, following the principles of conservation and sustainability. At all times there must be a balance between nature and human contact. A way should be sought to reduce the environmental impact through this tourist practice and also in the same way establish that the community that lives in the place where tourism is practiced can also benefit in some way.

 

YCAC LATAM: How can a balance be maintained between the environment and tourism?

 

MARLENE RIVERA: I think that the most important thing is education, because here (in Puerto Rico) the educational system does not emphasize enough the physical contact of the person with natural resources. Nor is it taught in depth about ecosystems, which are quite varied. Tourism goes hand in hand with the human lifestyle, people who are native (of the region) must empower themselves with natural resources in order to appreciate, protect and conserve them. People should learn beyond what they have in their yard. They should be able to have a knowledge and a vision on how to keep (natural) places healthy for the present and future.

 

YCAC LATAM: In your expeditions and activities carried out in ecologically valuable places, how do you ensure the protection and conservation of the environment?

 

MARLENE RIVERA: In my excursions, I always provide a lot of environmental education about the flora and fauna of the place where we go. I try to make sure that nobody leaves trash or any belongings, as well as respecting nature. For example, if we are on a beach and we see a female bird nesting in a specific area, I tell clients that they can see but not get too close, so as not to disturb the species.

 

YCAC LATAM: What is the biggest challenge of being an ecotourism guide?

 

MARLENE RIVERA: I think the biggest challenge is to ensure the safety of people, because many aren't used to walking and exploring natural spaces. Another challenge is that now in many social networks, many natural sites that are critical places are going viral, without considering that these places should be respected. That also causes tour companies to bring too many people to these places, often several times a day or during the week. There's an irreversible environmental impact being caused. Not many people have that future vision - what can happen to our resources as we are impacting our access to them? In these social networks, there are many pages of internal tourism that don't have the responsibility of having a supervisory team. They leave it at the mercy that they are promoting that place in exchange for likes, shares, popularity and they don't realize that Puerto Rico has little nature left. I also think of all the species that could be affected by the movement of people, as well as the water and soil that are essential resources for us islanders.

 

YCAC LATAM: At the ecotourism industry level, is there anything you would do differently?

 

MARLENE RIVERA: There must be greater regulation of the places where tourist excursions are carried out, because not every natural site is a tourism destination. Also, workshops or some type of massive environmental training should be provided for the owners of tourism companies and even for local tourism accounts in social media so that better decisions can be made.”

 

YCAC LATAM: What initiatives or ideas would you propose to tourism agencies and government bodies in relation to healthier ecotourism?

 

Provide products approved by ecotourism agencies (sustainable products) to tourists to ensure that the environment and its ecosystems are not being negatively impacted (by pollution). This could be more expensive, but in the long run it wouldn't be so much of a problem. Another factor that should be considered is the frequency with which natural sites are visited and the number of people that are taken. For example, the bioluminescent bays cannot be invaded so much because if the phytoplankton, which is the organism that creates the illumination, is disturbed too much, the species can be exponentially damaged and reduced. Nature must also have spaces to be able to breathe and feel free.