{"id":18386,"date":"2022-09-12T14:34:37","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T14:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/?p=18386"},"modified":"2022-09-12T14:34:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T14:34:43","slug":"beyond-resorts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/beyond-resorts\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond resorts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anne Godbout\u2019s Spiritours applies the tenets of ecotourism to spiritual traveling
By Michael-Oliver Harding<\/strong> SIAHU \u2013 July 2006<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many people in your social circle have lived out the clich\u00e9 of Cancun, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Vallarta, or the like? You\u2019re probably familiar with the formula: nice weather, gorgeous beaches and an all-inclusive package. But few are conscious that building a line of luxury hotels on a country\u2019s best beach can have devastating effects on the local community. Foreign companies kick out locals from their homes, and many of these beaches become private property they no longer have access to. To top it all off, these communities rarely get a penny from all the funds invested into these developments. Those who reap the benefits are almost exclusively multinationals. What an exotic destination, n\u2019est-ce pas? Anne Godbout, a seasoned tour guide and travel agent with over 13 years\u2019 experience in the tourism industry, worked in one of these allinclusive hotels in Hammamet, Tunisia for two summers as part of the \u201centertainment team.\u201d She was repeatedly pressured to \u201cmake the entertainment so good that the customers would only consume their [the company\u2019s] products and services,\u201d says Godbout. The disquieting implication of an all-inclusive is that customers\u2019 every penny is given consideration because the multinationals want it. By operating in this fashion, there are barely any crumbs left for locals to lick off their plates. \u201cThe local restaurants, for instance. The tourists don\u2019t need them because their meals are included,\u201d she argues. \u201cThe souvenirs? They don\u2019t need them either because there are gift shops in the hotels.\u201d When one becomes conscious of this and takes notice of the unmistakable poverty a few steps away from these ultra-luxurious complexes, moral compasses can\u2019t help but appear disoriented. Godbout reached a point in her career where she could no longer ignore how gravely mass tourism went against her values. After a long introspective period during which she tapped into her spiritual background, she had the idea of founding a tour operator that would take people on spiritual journeys all the while espousing the principles of ecotourism. \u201cIt made sense because I love travelling and spirituality is an important part of my life,\u201d says Godbout. Hence, Spiritours was founded in September 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sacred journeys into the self<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritours is a unique tour operator \u201cspecializing in personal and spiritual development trips and sacred journeys for small groups in the interest of equitable tourism.\u201d Their expeditions are open to anyone regardless of religion or belief system, and the trips encompass spiritual growth and personal development. Godbout describes the trips as soulful journeys that lead to healing, self-awareness and enhanced wellness. It\u2019s Spiritours\u2019 mission to \u201callow individuals to stop, reflect on the state of their lives and offer steps for personal and spiritual growth.\u201d About 15 tour leaders, with varying backgrounds and experience in organizing workshops or conferences that deal with self-development, host the trips of 6 to 15 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shedding one\u2019s numerous skins<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Godbout explains that as Westerners, travelling far away and being confronted to different cultures and ways of thinking helps us detach from the many false identities we adopt \u2013 whether it be through our social background, cultural roots, profession or even others\u2019 expectations of us. The trips bring many to reevaluate their beliefs and separate their acquired attributes (e.g. culture and education) from their true selves. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in your own culture, it\u2019s hard to differentiate between what is really you and what was inculcated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respect, just a little bit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter whether it\u2019s a personal development trip to Quebec\u2019s Lac Bouchette or a spiritual safari in Kenya, one unwavering characteristic of all Spiritours excursions is that they subscribe to the beliefs of ecotourism and equitable tourism. The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as \u00abresponsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.\u00bb Before departure, Godbout hands out a pamphlet to all Spiritours participants that outlines the rules of ecotourism, namely to respect local culture, minimize the impact of the travelers\u2019 stay and encourage positive interactions that benefit both parties. Once there, the tour leaders sensitize partakers to their new environment as they visit national parks, deserts, mountains, etc. \u201cWe call attention to the importance of respecting the environment, by not dropping litter, stepping on corals in the ocean or taking things away from national parks,\u201d says Godbout. Beyond environmental matters, ecotourism also protects and preserves the local culture, by ensuring the rule of \u201cleave no trace.\u201d The effects of mass tourism can be very subtle, as in the case of a tribe that still makes its own garments out of traditional materials and sewing techniques. If tourists start handing out Western-manufactured clothing to locals, the young locals will want to dress like them. \u201cI saw the effects in the mountains of South East Asia, where 2o years ago no tourists would never stop there,\u201d says Godbout. \u201cNow, they are changing their culture and way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning more than a holiday<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tourism, according to Godbout, should provide the grounds for a meeting of two cultures, a stimulating interaction between people of diverse backgrounds, as opposed to being an economic exchange. \u201cWe have made tourism into a commodity. Now we\u2019re trying to reinstate its raison d\u2019\u00eatre.\u201d Spiritours trips encourage cultural and human exchanges that benefit both the tourists and the locals. Moreover, participants occupy hotels booked by local tour operators. They ensure that all services chosen are locally owned \u2013 from hotels, tour operators and restaurants to transportation \u2013 in order to stimulate local economy and the community\u2019s sustainable development.

Eco debate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the vast majority of people Godbout has come across have been very supportive of her initiative, some critics remain sceptical of ecotourism\u2019s guiding philosophy. One of the main criticisms is that at its core, ecotourism remains an industry that leads to the commercialization of the environment. In fact, according to the World Rainforest Information Portal, global tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, and ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of that industry. Many argue that the concept of ecotourism is deceitfully used as a marketing tool to attract those interested in nature expeditions. Godbout agrees that she knows of some companies that use the ecotourism banner as a front to attract more customers. \u201cIt sells well and they [the companies] are taking advantage of the fact that it\u2019s popular,\u201d she says. But she\u2019s also quick to remind consumers that they share a responsibility with the tour operators to educate themselves about ecotourism. \u201cThe WTO [World Tourism Organisation] has a charter to help consumers practice responsible tourism. They believe that by knowing more about the [ecotourism] philosophy, clients would know what to look out for.\u201d The other major recurring criticisms about ecotourism revolve around the questions of environmental degradation and access. Many argue that although minimizing the negative impact tourism has on the environment may be good, ecotourism nevertheless involves travelling, which causes pollution. At the Environmental Impact of Transportation Conference that took place back in 2003, John Shores declared that \u201csomehow we seem to have forgotten or chosen to overlook the fact that one of the biggest sources of environmental degradation in the tourism industry is the travel\/transport sector. It is sadly hypocritical to focus all of our environmental hand-wringing at the destination end when the travel to the site and home again may be far more damaging. And these better-educated eco-travelers are more likely to realize this hypocrisy sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pricey foliage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, the argument goes, not everyone has access to the \u201cluxury\u201d of ecotourism, because it caters to a well-off segment of the population. In fact, one can conclude that these wealthier travelers are those who are polluting our planet. At the same 2003 conference, John Shores stated that \u201cthe less affluent travel less frequently, less far, and when they do fly, they will be more likely to travel in budget flights\/ economy class, with more efficient use of space (and therefore fuel) per passenger. Consequently, it is the poor who will suffer the worst effects of climate change.\u201d This has led many who work within the ecotourism field to start developing a \u201cThink globally, travel locally\u201d approach to tourism, a smart environmental impact calculation that encourages people to travel shorter distances and stay longer. In fact, Spiritours offers a wide range of trips to different parts of Quebec, such as Charlevoix, Gasp\u00e9sie and Lac Bouchette, for those who don\u2019t have the funds to afford a monastery trail in France or who agree with these aforementioned setbacks of ecotourism. \u201cIf you go to a national park in Quebec,\u201d says Godbout, \u201cyou\u2019re practicing ecotourism if you\u2019re conscious of the simple fact of you being there is a privilege. That\u2019s why we\u2019re fighting to save places like the Mount Orford!\u201d Having said that, Godbout disagrees with the claim that ecotourism is reserved for the more affluent: \u201cA person doesn\u2019t need a tour operator to practice the principles of ecotourism. People confuse ecotourism with commercialism,\u201d she declares. \u201cIn my mind, ecotourism isn\u2019t about buying a tour, but rather engaging in a new way of living and traveling with its own code of ethics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Michael-Oliver Harding<\/strong> SIAHU \u2013 July 2006<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anne Godbout\u2019s Spiritours applies the tenets of ecotourism to spiritual travelingBy Michael-Oliver Harding SIAHU \u2013 July 2006 How many people in your social circle have lived out the clich\u00e9 of Cancun, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Vallarta, or the like? You\u2019re probably familiar with the formula: nice weather, gorgeous beaches and an all-inclusive package. But few are conscious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[235],"tags":[302,301,296,294,300],"class_list":["post-18386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ecotourism","tag-sacred-journeys","tag-soulful-journeys","tag-spiritual-tourism","tag-spiritual-traveling"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18386\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}