Ecotourism

Although it may seem conceptually simple, ecotourism has suffered from the lack of a precise, widely accepted definition. The International Ecotourism Society has attempted to minimize this confusion with a short and simple definition of ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” Many ecotourism scholars have instead argued that it is more important to focus on essential criteria to be met rather than trying to craft a universal definition. Most scholars agree that to be considered ecotourism, nature-based travel must meet at least four criteria:

• 1.
  Minimization of environmental impacts: through sensitive “green design” using locally available materials; energy conservation and use of renewable energy; reduction, recycling, and proper disposal of wastes; and regulation of visitor numbers and activity
[Page 870]
• 2.
  Generation of funds for conservation: through visitor fees and, if feasible, voluntary contributions
• 3.
  Benefits to local communities: through park revenue sharing as well as through employment and provision of local goods and services and community empowerment through ownership or management of operations
• 4.
  Education of visitors: through orientation programs and interpretation by trained guides on both conservation issues and cultural norms

Unlike other traditional forms of nature-based tourism, ecotourism has been explicitly conceived as an ethical form of travel and can therefore be regarded as a subset of nature tourism that meets certain criteria. Familiar forms of nature-based tourism such as wildlife tourism and adventure tourism may or may not be considered ecotourism depending on whether they meet these criteria. The relationship between different forms of nature-based tourism is depicted in Figure 1. While nature-based tourism, like other forms of tourism, has a long history, the concept of ecotourism is relatively new. The concept arose out of a convergence of trends in the 1970s and 1980s. Researchers and scholars noted with alarm the enormous environmental, social, and economic problems created by conventional mass tourism; the rapid destruction of pristine natural areas in the developing world; and the opposition by local communities to nature conservation efforts through Western-style national parks, leading to calls for an alternative form of tourism that is more ecologically and socially responsible. This view of ecotourism blended nicely with the concept of “sustainable development,” which has rapidly gained in popularity since its introduction by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987.

The Practice of Ecotourism

Ecotourism is by far the fastest growing segment of the global tourism industry, itself one of the largest enterprises of the world. From a handful in the 1980s, ecotour operators have proliferated rapidly, with virtually every major travel company offering some sort of ecotravel and millions of people taking part in eco-vacations each year. These statistics are somewhat inflated because they lump together most nature and adventure travel with ecotourism, but they do demonstrate a growing public interest in this sort of travel.

Figure 1 The relationship among different forms of nature tourism

Source: Banerjee, A. (2007). An evaluation of the potential and limitations of ecotourism as a vehicle for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the protected areas of India. Doctoral dissertation, University of Delaware.

...