Wooga's arguments explained in more details here http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2010/11/18/wooga...

Hi Barry,

Thanks for your comment. I will put more info about what I am up to when I am ready.

As I said, I still have a big interest for anything related to the environment, so I will keep an eye on your blog! :)

All the best,

Guillaume

Well to be honest, I feel the whole things stink and I would not have any trust in them. I would rather invite the countries in the Gulf to stop using water in 'stupid' things like golf courses.

You are so lucky to live in Alaska, really a fantastic place that is on my 'Must see' list of places. Nice website BTW

Hey Ben,

Thanks a lot for your comment. Very interesting perspective on it. My fear is that many people (or even the vast majority) go there for the thrill of being close to the danger, not as a way to see how nature can deal with our mistakes. You must be in the tiny minority of people having a different view on it.
Regarding the locals, they are the last actors of a drama when you take into account all the people that died to build the container and all the civilians evacuated. I think they should have been reallocated and financially compensated years ago, but it seems it is not going to happen.

Hey just to add information to the post here is an article from Fast Company giving examples of what people have done during that day. Have a look http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/su...

No worries. Plus your website is quite interesting as well!

Here is another article that shows the downsides of ecotourism in Costa Rica.

http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/006005.html

Sorry but I don't. Let me reply clearly to you.

1) I have nothing against Laos, its culture and its inhabitants. I checked your website and you seem (for very good reasons) proud of your country. This post was not aimed against Laos and I do apologize if you feel it is offensive or contemptuous.

2)If the conference would have been in Chile, Australia or South Africa, my reaction would have been exactly the same. I do not understand why they are not using the technology to held a webinar like this one: http://www.maketravelfair.co.uk/2009/06/01/global...

3) In the middle of the worst economic crisis over 80 years, why spending so much money in an event whereas a webinar would have been less costly? Ecotourism is going to be badly impact by the current economic environment, so imagine all the projects that could have been funded with this amount of money

4) I understand two meanings in your sentence about cave and flowers. The first one is that people need a break and to get out of their routine. Fair enough, but I think the whole point of ecotourism is to encourage them to go local for their vacations in order to limit the impact on the environment.
The second one might be that people can discover Laos. Well I thought that was a worldwide conference on ecotourism, so something for work. If it is a self promotion of Laos, well this is not really fair. I can understand that people expect a positive impact from the summit, but it should not be the first goal of it.

5) What about the environment? There is no mention on the website on the measures taken to reduce the impact of the conference on the environment. Find it not normal for an ecotourism summit;

6)If we consider conferences are absolutely indispensable and we put aside the environmental impact, why not organizing regional ones where everyone could come. There is not many people from Africa or Latin America, so why not holding conferences there? And it would be also interesting as each continent has its own challenges.

I hope that now you understand that I have nothing against Laos.

It is not the location itself, it is more the fact to fly everyone there. Why not doing a webinar? Cost less money for everyone.

Thanks for your comment Laurie I really appreciate it! Will have a
look at your website!