Eco-Tourism Done Right: How to Optimize Your Cabin Rentals for Sustainability
As you scroll through social media looking at vacation pictures, the glorious mountains and sparkling lakes make you long to relax in the tranquility of nature.
Unfortunately, popular vacation spots are rarely as picture-perfect as they seem online. As these places become overcrowded, unsustainable tourism practices lead to the degradation of the very places these tourists have traveled so far to admire.
But don’t worry, there’s a better way!
Through sustainable eco-tourism, people can enjoy the benefits of breathtaking natural beauty without destroying it in the process.
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we believe our authentic log park model cabins are a perfect lodging option for eco-tourists.
Let’s examine ecotourism in more detail and consider how to create eco-friendly lodging solutions through cabin rentals.
Table of Contents
What Is Eco-Tourism, and Why Is It Necessary?
Traveling the world and seeing new places has numerous benefits: it improves your mental health, gives you a new perspective on the world, and helps you be more creative.
But unfortunately, there are numerous downsides to world travel.
The strain on the environment
Tourism puts an enormous strain on the local environment. This is ironic because the people traveling to see the place are ultimately destroying the very thing they came to admire.
Environmental degradation occurs through overcrowding, pollution, littering, and overusing local water resources. The more people climb over or swim through local nature, the more likely they are to harm it.
The strain on the local communities
Tourism is also hard on local communities. Although tourism can bring money into a community, it also may price people out of their homes. Since tourism is usually seasonal, it may be difficult for locals to find work in the off-season.
Furthermore, tourists don’t always respect the local culture. The local people may feel pressured to turn their culture into a consumer product for people to buy, which can be degrading.
Finally, tourism can make life difficult for the local population by straining infrastructure such as roads, water supply, hospital space, and electrical resources.
Eco-tourism as the solution
Eco-tourism attempts to rectify these issues through responsible travel and sustainable tourism that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Eco-tourism focuses on nature, environmental education, and benefiting local communities.
You’re probably thinking, eco-tourism sounds great, but how does it actually work?
That’s a great question.
Let’s dive into it!
How Eco-Tourism Works
Eco-tourism is based on three principles: partnering with the community and local organizations, implementing sustainable practices, and focusing on education.
Let’s explore these three principles in depth.
1. Partnering with the community and local organizations
Every community has different environmental concerns. Some places struggle with drought, others are decimated by invasive species, and some simply don’t have large-scale tourism infrastructure in place.
Businesses in the eco-tourism industry start by partnering with local environmental conservation agencies, tourism boards, chambers of commerce, research agencies, government agencies, community organizations, and indigenous or tribal communities.
These agencies help eco-tourism businesses develop strategies to preserve and empower the local ecosystem and community instead of hurting it.
2. Implementing sustainable practices
After partnering with local organizations, eco-tourism companies create plans to promote tourism in sustainable ways. For example:
- A wildlife tour company might donate a portion of their profits to a local wildlife conservation agency
- A transportation company would focus on using electric vehicles, bicycles, and mass transit when possible
- Restaurants would commit to purchasing ingredients from local farmers
- Campgrounds and other lodging companies would use sustainable building materials and implement solar panels and responsible waste management systems
3. Focusing on education
Finally, eco-tourist companies educate tourists on responsibly interacting with the wildlife around them.
Through guided tours, signs, pamphlets, and other educational material, tourists should understand the local area's environmental concerns and learn how to help by leaving certain areas undisturbed and picking up all their trash.
The Appeal of Cabin Rentals for Eco-Tourists
When traveling to new places, tourists typically have three lodging options: they can stay in a hotel or resort, camp in a tent or motorhome, or rent a cabin.
Here’s why, of the three, cabin rentals are often more popular with eco-tourists than traditional camping or staying in a hotel.
Cabin rentals vs. a hotel or resort
Eco-conscious tourists are usually traveling specifically to see natural beauty. They often prefer cabin rentals to hotels because cabins immerse them in nature.
These tourists also enjoy the privacy, flexibility, and self-sufficiency cabins offer. Most of all, they prefer cabins because of their low environmental impact compared with resorts and hotels.
Cabin rentals vs. camping
Tent or motorhome camping also offers privacy, self-sufficiency, and immersion in nature. Still, cabin rentals have one notable advantage for eco-tourists: less baggage.
With cabin rentals, tourists don’t have to bring camping equipment or gas-guzzling motorhomes, which results in fewer emissions and less stress.
But remember: Cabin rentals only hold these eco-advantages over hotels, resorts, and camping if they’re optimized for eco-tourism!
Six Ways to Optimize Your Campground for Eco-Tourism
If you want your campground’s cabins to be popular with eco-tourists, here’s how to optimize it!
1. Partner with local agencies
By partnering with local environmental, research, and tourism agencies, you can optimize your campground to fit the specific needs of that particular community.
2. Offer educational resources
As you partner with local agencies, they will help you find ways to educate campers. For example, you might offer informational nature walks, visitor center exhibits, and detailed signs on trails explaining how to interact with nature sustainably.
3. Choose eco-friendly landscaping
Your campground’s landscaping should reflect the beauty and diversity of the local area. Focus on growing and preserving local plants. Use xeriscaping principles to conserve water resources and use foliage to create natural privacy barriers.
4. Properly dispose of sewage and trash
Campgrounds devastate local ecosystems if they fail to dispose of sewage and trash properly. Partner with local agencies to find the best waste disposal practices for your area. Then, set up the correct infrastructure, educate your campers on waste disposal expectations, and enforce consequences for noncompliance.
5. Build sustainable infrastructure
With the guidance of local agencies, build sustainable infrastructure that makes sense for the local ecosystem. This includes things like:
- Using sustainable building materials
- Investing in solar panels
- Using energy-efficient features
6. Invest in eco-friendly cabins
Most importantly, the rental cabins in your campground should be eco-friendly!
Eco-friendly cabins are made from renewable materials like real wood and are built to last. You’ll reduce your campground’s footprint by purchasing robust cabins that last for decades (as long as you properly maintain them) instead of having to constantly replace decrepit cabins and repair shoddy workmanship.
You should also ensure that your cabins can be fitted with energy-efficient appliances and features.
Where to Find Eco-Friendly Park Model Cabins
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we love nature and don’t like to see it destroyed by unsustainable tourism.
That’s why we design our park model cabins and glamping cabins with sustainability in mind. We use real wood and expert craftsmanship to create cabins that will stand the test of time and create an eco-friendly place for tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of their surroundings.
If you’d like to know more, please reach out today! You can call, email, or fill out a simple form to set up an appointment.
We look forward to hearing from you!