Ecotourism – A Word For The World
What does a successful Mexican architect do when he is not travelling around the world designing ecologically friendly resorts?
In the case of Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, it was a matter of creating one of the world’s most used buzz words – ECOTOURISM
Hector Ceballos-Lascurain
Hector was a keynote speaker at the recent Jordanian Tourism Conference at the Dead Sea where he spoke to more than 400 tourism stakeholders about key ecotourism issues drawing many questions when the forum opened to the floor.
In 1983 Hector coined the term “ecotourism” and its preliminary definition. His modified version of this definition has been officially adopted by International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN in 1996. He is author or co-author of over 130 books, articles and reports. At present, there are about 43,500 references to his work in the Internet (searching for “Ceballos- Lascurain” in www.Google.com).
Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, CEO of PICE (Programme of International Consultancy on Ecotourism)
Mr. Ceballos-Lascurain is a Mexican architect, planner, environmentalist, and sustainable tourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism expert. He is currently Special Advisor on Ecotourism to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and has been Special Advisor to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
He has carried out consultancy and research work in 77 countries, including physical planning and low-impact architectural projects for ecotourism and sustainable tourism facilities, and sustainable urban planning and design, collaborating with governments, NGOs and private firms, as well as international institutions, US-AID, IDB, TIES, PATA, NAFTA, Conservation International, National Geographic Society, German Technical Cooperation Agency. He has spoken at conferences in over 35 countries.
Hector has also developed the National Ecotourism Strategies of Mexico, Malaysia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Dominica, and Yemen.
Previously he was Director General of Standards and Technology of the Mexican Ministry of Urban Development and Ecology, and also Protected Areas Program Coordinator of IUCN, the latter with headquarters in Switzerland. In 1984 he founded the first Mexican ecotourism agency: ECOTOURS.
In 2008 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards for his dedication to sustainable tourism and ecotourism through smart design (Beverly Hills, California). He is also keenly interested in ornithology, classical music, tennis, photography and archaeology.
As a keen Bird Watcher, Hector says “Bird watching statistics are amazing. It’s the fastest-growing outdoor activity in the US. Based on a survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 51.3 million Americans reports that they watch birds. More and more people are taking up this hobby as a regular activity.”
There are over 800 species of birds in North America and it is very easy to find at least 100 species in any part of the country. It is estimated that just in the US alone Bird watching tourism is worth more than $25 million.”he said
Hector has a number of speaking engagements around the world this year and has no plans to stop or slow up spreading the ecotourism message.
Written by : John Savage
