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A nice selection of 700+ quality sites, to explore on the following theme pages or far below:
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A nice selection of 700+ quality sites, to explore on the following theme pages or far below:
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Adventure travel eco tour: find very interesting places around the world. A link directory home with free information on ecotourism, nature, local culture and fair trade policies Adventure, travel eco tour, nature operator, visitor, ecotourism, responsible tourism, ecological value and meaning for the travellertekstkleur #DECF38
Last updated: June 7, 2010.
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There is no universally accepted definition of ecotourism. Theoretically, ecotourism can be defined as a type of tourism where the environment, local community and visitor all benefit. In practice, the term 'ecotourism' is often used by tour operators as a marketing tool to promote any form of tourism that is related to nature.Evans-Pritchard and Salazar [1992, cited in Mowforth and Munt, 1998, p.104] note that "it is still not possible to be exact about whether the term 'ecotourism' is meant as a pure concept or as a term for wide public use". Various conferences have been held on ecotourism and responsible tourism to promote the latter view cited above. Tourism is sustainable when its development and operation include participation of local population and provide a fair economic return for the industry and its host community, as well as a mutual respect for all involved parties. Ecotourism and the environment: The environment is one of the primary concerns of ecotourism, which particularly involves travel to relatively undisturbed areas. As the tourism product is often dependent upon nature, negative impacts upon that resource should be minimized. As Cater [1994] notes, even the most conscientious tourist will have some degree of impact on the environment and so ecotourism should therefore attempt to minimize that impact. Many studies of tourism attempt to identify an environmental carrying capacity but a major difficulty of this technique is that it "implies the existence of fixed and determinable limits to development and that if one stays below those threshold levels no changes or deterioration will occur". Ecotourism, the local population and economic benefits: As a result, any cultural changes in the community's way of life may reduce the tourism product's overall marketability and therefore future prospects. A definition of ecotourism must also take into account the local population - ecotourism should minimize negative impacts on the host community because otherwise the local population may come to dislike the presence of tourism, and this could undermine its long-term prospects. The literature on ecotourism asserts that economic benefits should be accrued by the host community whilst at the same time preserving the environment and cultural way of life of that community. Little of the literature acknowledges the fact that the two will often be mutually exclusive. At the same time, ecotourism should produce direct economic benefits for the local community if it is to receive their continued support - benefits that should compliment rather than overwhelm traditional practices and sources of income. However, such economic benefits and material wealth obtained by the local community may themselves lead to cultural changes in their way of life. Considering that "ecotourism is not automatically sustainable" [Wall, 1997, p.490], it may have to be viewed as part of a longer term strategy of sustainable development in which tourism is later phased out [Prosser, 1994]. Such an argument questions the underlying principle of ecotourism - that it is a sustainable form of tourism. It is widely agreed that the host population should receive economic benefits from ecotourism. Without economic benefits, the host community will have little reason to view the intrusion of tourists positively and will have little incentive to protect the environment upon which tourism depends. Ecotourism is often found in designated protected areas or national parks which may have been imposed upon the indigenous population and if they can see no benefit from it's existence, they may have little incentive to adhere to the environmental regulations of the "common pool" resource. As was noted earlier, ecotourism is required to provide direct economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative environmental and socio-cultural impacts. The most likely way these objectives can be achieved is if the local community are actively participating in and empowered through ecotourism. The degree of power wielded by the local community in relation to tourism activities is crucial to its long-term prospects and sustainability. Their empowerment might go some way to counter the claim that tourism, and ecotourism in particular, is a form of neo-colonialism. However, as Mowforth & Munt [1998, p.240] note, "the push for local participation comes from a position of power, the First World ".Ecotourism is regarded by some critics as a form of neo-colonialism, and the question of who actually benefits from the designation of protected areas is addressed by Mowforth and Munt: Ecotourism and local participation Great importance is attached to the need for local participation in ecotourism. According to Wallace and Pierce [1996], ecotourism is a type of tourism that "maximizes the early and long-term participation of local people in the decision making process that determines the kind and amount of tourism that should occur" [p.850]. There are important reasons for local involvement other than a moral obligation to incorporate the people tourism will affect. The degree of control the local population has over tourism in their locality is generally perceived as being a significant element of sustainabilit Guides should therefore have been taught conservation issues and the tourists should be told about local conservation efforts and why they are deemed important. The final principle to which ecotourism should adhere is that of education. Wight [1994, p.40] asserts that ecotourism "should involve education among all parties - local communities, government, non-governmental organisations, industry and tourists (before, during and after the trip)". Tourists should be made aware of the damaging potential of their stay and should be properly informed on "ecotourism etiquette" and how to behave to reduce any negative impacts they might have [Cater, 1994, p.81]. This ecotourism definition is copyright © 2003 C.L. Hardyment (Piedra Blanca ecotourism consultant |
