Blog | Carol Patterson

Environmental Tourism Column: Guide Training and Sustainability in a COVID-19 World

June 21, 2020 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Outdoor adventure led by skilled guides has always had the potential to reduce tourism’s environmental impacts (e.g. “That’s too many people on that trail!”). But can guided tours make tourism safer during a pandemic?

Guides can shape tourism understanding & behaviour

Pre-COVID-19, guides interpreted natural history and taught appropriate behavior, while local economies benefited from dollars spent on the value-added service. Miles Phillips, Associate Professor at Oregon State University, thinks organized tours may have a new role. “I work with rural communities in coastal Oregon and they have mixed feelings about reopening to tourists due to concerns they may bring the virus with them. There’s an opportunity where small group travel, maybe families or intact groups, have the opportunity to be part of the early recovery plan.”

Phillips has been passionate about the economic and environmental benefits of professional guide training for decades. He developed programs for Texas ranchers looking to diversify, and the Guide & Outfitter Professional Training Program (GORP) in Oregon. With the recent pandemic pause, Phillips offered online courses to the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators in Kyrgyzstan completed by 11 people. “Kyrgyzstan does not have any guide accreditation. Upgrading for international content gives a big advantage for future guides,” explained Mansur Abylaev, Baibol Travel CEO.

Perhaps going forward, we can lean on local experts to travel where we’re welcomed and in ways host communities endorse.

Torngat Mountains National Park

April 21, 2020 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Most people have never heard of Torngat Mountains National Park and only a few hundred visit every year. But a visit to this isolated park (you can only reach it via charter aircraft or cruise ship) will change you. One of Canada’s most unique national parks (and that’s high praise as there are so many amazing Parks Canada sites) it is also an Inuit homeland.

Torngat Mountains National Park is visited by fewer than a thousand travellers each year

I was approached by National Geographic recently to write about this special destination and the result is a story that explains why Torngats is known as the “place of spirits”. You can read the full story here.

Canada’s North is still relatively undiscovered to travellers so if you want to enjoy travel experiences that are not heavily scripted and allow meaningful interaction with hosts, you will enjoy Newfoundland and Labrador’s Torngat Mountains National Park.

Inuit welcome tourists to important cultural sites

It’s that rare place where you might spot a polar and a black bear in the same day. Did I mention you’ll need a Inuit bear guard to keep you safe while you’re exploring it?

One thing that will be sacrificed if you’re contemplating a trip like this is spontaneity. You don’t just drop into the Torngats. You need to arrange a trip to Basecamp or join an expedition cruise (at this time, all 2020 cruises have been cancelled).

This destination may not be on your travel list for 2020 but when you’re dreaming of your post-pandemic travel plans, you might want to put Torngats at the top of your 2021 or 2022 wishlist.

Can We Make Travel Greener? One Scientist Weighs In

April 15, 2020 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

In weeks we’ve gone from lamenting overtourism at popular destinations (hello Venice) to despair at hotels emptied by coronavirus. With many of us pondering the future, it seemed a good time to chat with Vancouver designer and environmental scientist David Oswald.

The pandemic allows time for reflection on tourism’s impact on host environments

How bad were the tourism industry’s environmental impacts prior to the COVID-19 outbreak?

Bad. But it’s unrealistic for us to say we’re going to stay home and look at websites. We need to change the way we are travelling. We’ve got to find ways to have less greenhouse gas emissions.

Airlines need to find ways to lower their carbon trajectory. Carbon offsets are a legitimate option if done properly but offsetting shouldn’t be the responsibility of the consumer. You need to move it into the mainstream so it’s no longer a choice.

Belize, for example, has phenomenal scuba diving and they do a good job of managing their parks. Part of your fee goes into paying to manage that park. They have a fixed number of people who can go per day to places like the Blue Hole.

Hotels need to have an environmental management system. Energy, water and materials – if you track those and put in measures to reduce them, it’s a great start. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Carbon offset shouldn’t be consumer responsibility

What can travellers do when making their plans?

If you want to fly on an airline that’s paying attention to this issue, then look at the airline website and get their sustainability report. Compare it to other airlines. And ask hotels about their sustainability programs.

Select travel options that reflect your values

Will COVID-19 help us press the reset button on travel’s impact?

Yes, it will literally slow things down. Secondly, it could open up a new dialogue around risk – human risk and environment risk because they are interrelated.

Apparently, this virus came out of exotic species being sold at a wet market in China. It’s an interaction between humans and their environment. It doesn’t seem like a good idea to me now when you look at the broader impact.

We may be entering into the biggest economic downturn in 100 years and it’s caused by us messing with nature. That’s got to cause people to think about things.

This article originally appeared in the SATW (Society of American Travel Writers) Maple Leaf newsletter April 10, 2020

Vernon’s Small Town Charm

April 9, 2020 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Vernon may not be as well known as Kelowna, its Okanagan neighbour but it offers plenty of small-town charm, agricultural products, and outdoor adventure.

I headed there in February to check out the Vernon Winter Carnival and get my fitness pride back. Do you remember those commercials in the 1970s where Canadians were shamed over their fitness levels by comparing our activity levels to an aged Swede and finding us lacking? I’ve never forgot them.

In Vernon there are plenty of reasons to get outside – even in winter – and I took advantage of as many as possible. You can read about the buffet of activity choices in my story for Roadstories here.

Have you been to Vernon? What were your favorite finds? I thought one of the coolest parts of Vernon was the hotel with a river running through it. Yes, you read that right. The river runs through a hotel, not next to it. I’m not sure about the engineering that makes it possible but the river can be seen from the restaurant or the lounge and it’s a sizeable river. It rushes past the concrete and dinner tables, the sound of tumbling water adding unexpected quirk to a hotel common area.

Do you know more than a fifth grader about First Nation’s history?

December 17, 2019 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Do you know more than a fifth grader about First Nation’s history?

I didn’t which is how I came to be at St. Eugene Resort near Cranbrook, British Columbia.

This is a great resort for golfing, hiking or going to the spa, but perhaps the most memorable vacation experiences come from learning about First Nation’s history and the dark period in Canada’s past where children were ripped from their families and their culture destroyed.

It sounds (and is) depressing but the Ktunaxa are focused on healing and the future. They want guests to learn about their culture while enjoying a special holiday. They have turned the former residential school into a tool to teach culture and create economic wealth. To learn why you should visit, read my recent story in Family Fun Canada here.