The term “Ecotourism” emerged in the late 1980’s in reaction to the potential negative impact mass tourism often has on the environment and culture of the places tourists visit. Conversely, the best examples of ecotourism strive to be environmentally responsible and contribute to the culture and economy of host communities.
September 9th, Bovina-ite and sustainable tourism consultant, Sue Clark will discuss the good and the bad of ecotourism projects around the globe at the Catskill Interpretive Center in Mt.Tremper from 7 to 8 pm.
Clark’s talk will focus on actual examples of how ecotourism can be positive in terms of education, positive local economic impact, actually helping preserve the natural environment and generating interest in the value of local culture, crafts and foods. These positive examples will come from around the globe, including Sumba, Indonesia where Sue is working currently, Europe and locally here in the Catskills.
Sue specializes in sustainable tourism planning and development and has worked extensively with sustainable tourism and ecotourism projects around the world. She has worked with the World Wildlife Fund's major European National Park Project, as well as projects in the Falkland Islands, the Antarctic, and within Europe and Asia.
Currently, she is working on developing a plan for sustainable tourism development on the island of Sumba, Indonesia. She has combined the consultancy with an academic career in the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA where she specializes in tourism planning, marketing and sustainability for tourism and hospitality. She is a member of the International Ecotourism Society and active in the Society for Ethical Ecotourism in Florida.
Sue Clark is living in Bovina for the second time. A British citizen who has spent much of her life outside the United Kingdom (UK) in Europe and Asia, she considers herself mostly a Scot.
She finds much of the natural and human landscape of the Catskills very similar to parts of Scotland: hills, woodlands, and of course the dry stone walling that traditionally separates the fields. She loves this area and feels a strong empathy with the issues facing the Catskills and its communities.