LANGKAWI: Before visitors paddle through the mangrove channels of Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, operators provide briefings on how to avoid harming the site.
This immediate environmental education plays a key role in preserving the mangrove-rich area within the Langkawi Unesco Global Geopark.
Eco-tourism operator Syed Alfarly Syed Khalid said operators served as the first line of defence there.
“We educate tourists on what they can and cannot do before entering the mangrove area, and explain why the mangrove ecosystem is important and make it clear that they must not litter,” he said.
Syed Alfarly, who has been conducting kayak tours in the area for two decades, said tourists usually followed guidelines when operators led by example.
“Sometimes, a tourist who smokes asks where to dispose the cigarette butt. We say keep it until you find a bin,” he said.
He said language barriers posed a challenge, especially with visitors who did not understand English.
“When words fail, we use gestures. We have to be firm,” he added.
Veteran eco-tourism player Hussein Mohd Said, 50, said the bigger threat to conservation in eco-tourism areas came at times from operators themselves.
“We cannot simply blame the tourists.
“The responsibility lies with operators.
“If we do not have enough knowledge or fail to educate them properly, then the fault is with us,” said Hussein, who has more than 17 years of experience in the field.
The Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) conceded that high tourist numbers at popular sites could lead to habitat damage, riverbank erosion and disturbances to wildlife.
It said feeding monkeys and direct contact with wildlife could alter animal behaviour and affect the ecological balance of the area.
Other challenges included inadequate infrastructure, vandalism, illegal collection of flora and fauna and limited enforcement.
In a statement, Lada said it had stepped up sustainable tourism and conservation efforts, including visitor management programmes, sustainable guiding frameworks, creating designated pathways and having low-impact visitation guidelines.
It said eco-friendly infrastructure, such as boardwalks, viewing platforms and more rubbish bins, was vital for reducing environmental impact while improving visitor experience.
