Some people travel to relax, unwind, and forget about the trials and tribulations of everyday life; some travel to expand their knowledge of the world; and others travel to make a contribution to the destination, or at least maximize the positive impact of travel while minimizing the negative impacts on local cultures, the environment, and economy.
We’ve touched on the topic of responsible tourism a number of times on the show; but today we’ll talk about Environmental Educational Tourism and the impact tourism and tourism revenue have on the local people, their environment, and the regional economy, particularly in Khao Sok, Thailand, where our guests, Marius Herman and Mike Horrocks are working to turn tourism into a beneficial experience for everyone involved.
Scott and Trevor banter about environmental education tourism, where they’ve experienced it, and some other episodes that have touched on the topic:
Guest Intro: One of our guests, Marius Hermann, was previously the Project Manager of the Cardamom Tented Camp, a tented camp in Cambodia which he spoke with us about on Episode 81: Tented Camps in Asia. Now, Marius is working in Khao Sok Thailand with Our Jungle Resorts, leaders in Eco-Tourism with a nice edge and a lot of Social Responsibility conducted through an Environmental Education Center, headed by Mike Horrocks, who has more than ten years of experience as an Environmental Educator in Thailand and greater South East Asia and also joins us today.
Listen to the episode to hear Marius’ and Mike’s answers to the following questions:
First, where are both of you originally from, share a bit of your background, and how/when you first ended up living in Asia?
Where did the concept for Jungle Life Camp originate and what makes it unique?
What makes Khao Sok the ideal location for this type of project?
Jungle Life Camp’s goal is to connect people with nature and be a force for good in the local community.
- What are the benefits of connecting people with nature?
- How does this create a beneficial impact on the local community?
Listen to the episode to hear Marius’ and Mike’s answers to the following questions:
Your website explains that you run activities for around 150-300 guests per month, including families staying at the Jungle Camp and Jungle House resorts, local schools visiting on field trips, weekends, and holidays, local teenagers as part of our Junior Guides club, and international students and university groups. Tell us more about who’s coming and what they are experiencing.
So help us understand the two sides to the business you work with and will be sharing with us today.
Second, tell us a bit about the Junior Guides club is that part of the summer camp program, like boy scouts or possibly training local camp counselors or more of a trade-school
What are the main messages you’re trying to share?
What are the experiences that the families staying at the resort have?
Listen to the episode to hear Marius’ and Mike’s answers to the following questions:
Give us a broad-strokes overview of some experiences these groups may experience:
- A family there for 2 days:
- School group for a day:
- Longer experiences:
You operate in a community where there is a lot of competition among tourism experience providers: How do you serve as both a commercial venture (a competitor) and a neutral community service provider?
Tell us more about your local outreach: how do each benefit the community, environment, or guest?
What does the future look like in Asia for travel and environmental education while on a trip?
What are a couple of things you’d really like all travelers to Asia to know that will help them have a more positive impact on the areas they visit?
Links:
- Khao Sok Jungle Life Camp
- About Mike Horrocks
- About Richard Sandler
- Episode 81: Tented Camps in Asia
- Episode 26: Responsible Tourism with Bodhi Garrett
- Episode 76: Travel Light & Responsibly
- Episode 127 – Share the Wonder with Ameer Virani: How Tourism can help Children in Asia.
- Episode 141: Asia’s Next-Gen Hotels with Tomo Hamakawa
