<B>By Nicholas RAINER</B>

Plans to metamorphose Mauritius into a sustainable island continue apace. On paper, at least. Yet if this concept is to really take off, the tourism sector, which is gaining increasing importance in the country?s economic landscape, will have to take a far more proactive lead than has been the case up to now. Given the industry?s dynamism and professionalism, one could be forgiven for thinking that this shouldn?t be too much of a problem. Why then is it taking so long for an ecotourism project worthy of the name to be set up? More importantly still, why aren?t the sector?s major stakeholders embracing responsible tourism with more enthusiasm and verve?

Perhaps part of the problem comes from the prevalent utilitarian mindset, which sees the environment more as a business asset than a series of intricately interconnected ecosystems. In an interview in l?express a few months ago, Patrice Legris, general manager of the Association hotels and restaurant owners of Mauritius (AHRIM) said: ?There probably are opportunities for green tourism, even if we know that the European tourist will come to Mauritius for the beaches and lagoons, which remain our greatest asset and influence clients in their choice of holiday destination.? Unbeknown to him, our beaches and lagoons are an intrinsic part of the aforementioned web of ecosystems. There have been advances in the sector though. He was right to mention, for example, the Environment Protection Tax and AHRIM?s very own Tourism Environment Charter, introduced respectively in 2001 and 2002. Tellingly, this charter is glaringly absent from the organization?s website as is any mention of environmental considerations.

People are slowly latching onto the absence of responsible tourism in Mauritius. Certain European tour operators have begun to enquire on the sustainability of the destination?s establishments on behalf of their clients. On its website, Piedra Blanca, a genuine ecotourism project in Ecuador, deplores the way the term ?ecotourism? has been hijacked by some Mauritian companies. ?Mauritius has a long established hotel and tourism industry, but one that has traditionally ignored the concept of responsible travel. Ecotourism in Mauritius is hard to find, yet here you find numerous holiday tour operators and hotels jumping on the ?ecotourism bandwagon?. A quick Internet search for ?ecotourism in Mauritius" brings you a selection of irrelevant travel and hotel resort websites that claim to be ecotourism in essence, but clearly are not. These hotels and resorts in Mauritius clearly believe that ecotourism is a label to be used for tourism that involves nature.?

It goes even further by affirming that the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority is complicit in this abject greenwashing. ?According to them (MTPA), tour operators and hotels that have included a ?nature element? in their ?packages? are good enough to be considered ecotourism.? It concludes by advising people to take this into consideration when booking their holidays.

According to the International Ecotourism Society, ecotourism is defined by six basic tenets: minimize impact; build environmental and cultural awareness and respect; provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts; provide direct financial benefits for conservation; provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people; and raise sensitivity to host countries? political, environmental and social climate.

No single local project currently qualifies for the ecotourism label. Let this be a warning for those who bandy the term with undue frivolity and a guide for those who truly wish to help the concept see the light of day.

For more info: www.ecotourism.org