Iran’s Isolation Encourages Sustainable Tourism
by Katia Savchuk for Ethicaltraveler.org

Iran does not top most lists of sustainable travel destinations, but the country’s isolation may have unwittingly made it a pillar of responsible tourism.

“Iran has not been McDonaldized yet,” said Jerry Dekker, a former humanities professor who has led over 30 cultural tours for Americans with Iran Traveler and lived there for 13 years. “There are no foreign companies; there are no foreign-owned hotels.”

Political tensions of the last half-century have protected the history-laden country from excessive foreign influence and incursion. Tour operators say this has kept tourism culturally authentic and environmentally friendly.

“Iran’s isolation has in some respects preserved the character of the natural and cultural resources, making it a more unique and less homogenous experience,” said Jim Sano, president of Geographic Expeditions, which has led Iran tours for over 15 years.

Visitors to Iran find echoes of one of the world’s oldest civilizations, as well as traditional food, locally made goods and a thriving national park system. Archaeological sites like Persepolis, the seat of the ancient Persian Empire, are well preserved and relatively non-commercialized, according to Dekker.

The isolation and lack of commercialization not only make for a unique experience for visitors, but have also protected the country from the detrimental effects of mass tourism. “Tourism can have a very negative effect, especially on countries that are developing,” said Dekker. “In Iran you have not had this.”

Although tourism would be an economic boon, Iran’s lack of dependence on the industry has helped it develop a self-sufficient economy and excel in sectors such as medicine, Dekker explained. “Iran has not become globalized in a negative way,” he added.

Although foreign tourism in Iran has declined in recent years, some American tour operators have seen an increase in visitors there over the past year. The State Department warns that travel is risky, but Americans are free to visit the country with a visa and a government-assigned guide.

If the political climate improves, tour operators predict that Iran’s cultural and archaeological treasures will draw many more visitors. It would be up to the government to ensure that tourism remains responsible.

“With a fairly nascent tourism industry, Iran has the opportunity to put safeguards in place to preserve the sites and culture and to make sure that Iranians benefit from jobs and businesses,” said Joan Russell, travel director for the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, which organizes trips to Iran. “However, Iran could go the route of Egypt, say, and potentially harm their archaeological sites with tour bus pollution, wear and tear from too many visitors, souvenirs made in China, and so on.” That scenario may not be unlikely if tourism accelerates.

“Quite honestly, at this point, it is difficult to imagine the Iranian government caring too much about responsible tourism,” said Janet Moore, president of Distant Horizons, which runs cultural tours to Iran for the World Affairs Council. “They are unlikely to seek advice on this issue, and this could definitely create problems if the number of travelers increases greatly.”

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Catalonia Bans Bullfighting
by Natalie Lefevre for Ethicaltraveler.org

Catalonia became the first mainland Spanish region to outlaw bullfighting after the regional parliament passed the ban by a vote of 68 to 55 with nine abstentions. Many heated debates centering on animal rights versus preserving traditional culture preceded the passing of the ban, which will take effect in 2012.

The origins of the corrida – as bouts are known – in Spain can be traced back to 711 AD, when the Moors from North Africa conquered the Iberian Peninsula and ritualized the rough form of bullfighting practiced by the Visigoths. Ever since, bullfighting has remained very popular and each week, several thousand Spaniards attend local bullfights.

Animal activists have reacted enthusiastically to the ban. Aida Gascón, the Spanish director of AnimaNaturalis, an organization that campaigns against bullfighting, told the New York Times that the ban is “the most important victory for animal rights that we’ve had.”

But many Spanish do not believe that animal rights were the main motivation behind the ban. Catalonia is a wealthy region with its own language and culture and a growing degree of self-rule. Many in Spain see the bullfighting ban as part of the efforts of independence-seeking Catalonia to stand out from the rest of Spain.

Luis de Grandes Pascual, a Spanish member of the European Parliament, expressed his concerns in the New York Times: “There is a legitimate debate about the pros and cons of bullfighting, but this has now fallen hostage to the agenda of Catalan nationalists determined to show their values are not those of the rest of Spain.”

Catalan politicians stress the fact that the popularity of bullfighting has been on the decline in recent years in Catalonia. The only remaining bullring in Barcelona stages just 15 fights per year, and these rarely sell out and attract only 400 season ticket holders, compared to 19,000 at the main bullring in Madrid. Antonio Lorca, the bullfighting critic for El País, the leading Spanish newspaper, agrees “there is no doubt that Catalan society has completely turned its back on this practice.”

The bullfighting sector is worried that this could set a precedent for other regions where bullfighting is less entrenched than in Catalonia. They fear that the Catalan ban could be the beginning of the end for Spain’s most controversial sport.
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Argentina's Growing Whale-Watching Industry
by Stephanie Grace Loleng for Ethicaltraveler.org

Jutting out from Argentina's east coast some 800 miles south of Buenos Aires, the oddly shaped piece of land known as Peninsula Valdés has become known as one of the best places in the world to observe the southern right whale. From May to December, close to 1,000 of these whales gather in the waters just off the coast of Chubut to reproduce, making this the prime time for whale-watching tours in the region.

Citing a report entitled “State of Whale Watching in Latin America,” published in 2008 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Global Ocean, and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Marcela Valente noted in a recent Tierramérica article that whale-watching tours are "making a vital socioeconomic contribution" to Argentina's economy. In fact, whale tourism has grown 11.3 percent each year since 1998, triple the rate of growth for international tourism in the region.

Tour operators are sensitive to the whale population and their breeding season and ask guests to follow strict guidelines while on the tours. Tourists are not allowed to throw garbage out of the boat, shout or touch any of the whales as they get closer to them.

Boats are required to follow specific guidelines as well. For instance, no boats may approach mothers and their young until after August 31, and each boat must stay 50 meters away from the whales, especially when they breach. The Patagonia Nature Foundation monitors tour operators to make sure they are abiding by these rules.

The Patagonia Technique and the Best Practices Code for Whale Watching, established in 2007, also impose further rules to protect the whales. A maximum of six companies may operate in the area, with one boat per company at a time, each with a maximum capacity of 70 passengers. Boats must be silent and, to avoid pollution, may not have oil-powered engines.

The whales around Peninsula Valdés are among the approximately 7,000 southern right whales living in the southern hemisphere. They differ from other whales in that they don’t have belly furrows or flippers on their back. A long, narrow jaw accounts for as much as a quarter of their body length. From their blowholes, they spray a V-shaped water stream that can be seen from miles away.

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