ETHICAL TRAVELLER: CATHERINE MACKon responsible tourism
OFTEN IT IS the people, not just the places, that inspire us to travel. You meet someone at a party who bubbles over with excitement about somewhere they have just visited. Or you might be lucky enough to get the keys to a friend’s holiday home in some hideaway heaven.
One person to put my feet firmly on the road to ethical travel was Laura Burgess, the founder of EcoEscape. Three years ago she decided to write a green travel guide to the UK. At a time when Rough Guides and Lonely Planet were taking over the bookshelves, and budget airlines the runways, “eco” was still associated with warriors and washing-up liquid.
Laura worked for an English regional tourist board; keen to tell the world about the places she liked, Laura left her job, looked for funding and (still only 24 at the time) received a young person’s lottery grant to self-publish EcoEscape United Kingdom. This was one of the first green guides to the UK, listing 50 ecoescapes, all shining examples of her philosophy that travel should be as ethical as any other consumer product yet still a great thing to do with our time off.
I loved Laura’s first publication so much I asked her if I could write an Irish version; it was published last year.
Laura continues to inspire me to travel through her new enterprise, EcoEscape Tours, an online booking service for the sorts of trips she likes to feature in her books.
She says: “Every ecoescape I’ve taken has been a memorable experience, from kayaking, coasteering and fishing at sea to wildlife watching, cycling, eating great food or simply taking time to escape from everyday life. It’s exciting to think that travel in the UK and Ireland can leave such a wild and wonderful impression. I like to think that EcoEscape Tours is a complement to the books.”
At the moment her list of tours is modest, but as someone who prides herself on meeting everyone she represents, and experiencing what they have to offer, she will build her business slowly, surely and, without doubt, ethically. You can choose from kayaking off the Welsh coast, watching wildlife in northern Scotland, foraging in woodlands and cycling along Loch Ness. Accommodation ranges from cosy timber cabins and ecolodges to luxury BBs. Irish tours are to follow.
When I asked Laura what sort of people she liked to represent she said: “I like meeting people who know how to create a wonderful place to stay. I’m not just talking plump pillows and polite conversation. I mean those who fell in love with where they live and work, and want nothing more than to pass on a bit of that sparkle to their guests.”
If anyone knows about passing on that sparkle, Laura should. It’s what led me to get up and go around Ireland, after all, and meet some of these wonderful people she talks about. So if you are looking for a good ecotour, just do what I did. Talk to Laura.
See www.ecoescape.org/ tours
macktourism@yahoo.co.uk